Differentiation between "vaping" & "quitting"

[EIHYPI]

Being a former smoker (obviously) I've now been vaping for about four years. Does it mean that I quit cigarettes because I have been vaping all this time? I'm not sure because I am still extremely addicted to the nicotine. If an alcoholic drinks one brand of wine and then switches to another, that new brand that he's drinking doesn't change his status as alcoholic.

The word quit means abruptly stopping or discontinuing. Even though I discontinued the harmful chemicals from entering my body, vaping still gives me a connection to the root of the problem that I had - being completely dependent on my nicotine fix. Quit would mean cutting all ties in relation to my old cigarette habit.

The reason want to mention this is because of the events which happened today. I was with my pocket vape (target mini/nautilus 2 & 24mg juice) and the setup fell to the concrete. This caused permanent damage to my tank and it won't read on any mod but the mod is fine. Being far from my house I had no way to get my nicotine from a vape. I licked a couple of drops from my arm from the e-liquid bottle to get some nic but it was nasty and I knew that the only way that I was able to get my fix was through cigarettes.

In the end a friend of mine gave me the remainder of his pack. There was no fear within me that I would go back to smoking once I would retrieve my backup. I must say that I really enjoyed each and every puff even though many say that the first one after a while tastes bad. But soon enough I was out of cigarettes and I tried to hold it out until I would be able to get back to my home. After about 45 minutes my stress level went from 5 to 10 and my hands had the tremors so I was forced to bum a cigarette. That cigarette was the extremely thin ones and I was forced to smoke it like how I would inhale my goon. Eventually I was able to get inside my house and vape my backup device which now will be my main.

I'm sure you've all heard people stressing the importance of having a backup vape at all times. I shared my events of today to show that the risk of returning to cigarettes is not that far away if we don't back ourselves up.

 

[denali_41]

wow ,never heard of anybody getting tremors from not vaping,but theres a first for everything
i can and have gone 3 days without any nic input into my body,but right after making the switch i went from 24mg down to zero in 8 months time,i would have stayed there but for me,the flavor is so much better with the nic contrast
so 3mg i am and have been for many years

 

[Rossum]

Four and a half years since my last cig. But I still want/need my nic. So if I'm going further than about an hour from home, I've got a backup with me, precisely because I don't want to be in a situation where I'd feel tempted to buy cigs out of "necessity". I've done that since the very beginning.

I do not feel bad about being "addicted" to nic. There are many worse things one could be addicted to.

 

[BreSha6869]

I use 2-3mg juice and can easily go 12 hours without vaping or thinking about nicotine or smoking. Big difference from cigarettes IMO.

I haven’t smoked in almost 3 years but when I smoked, I couldn’t go a couple of hours without a smoke.

Every weekend I am surrounded by at least 6 people who smoke heavily while I am at our cottage. I don’t even think about smoking anymore.

 

[SupplyDaddy]

Well, I guess it is up to you on if you feel you started vaping or quit smoking.

Over 5 years ago, I could not go without at least a cigarette , unless I was asleep, for more than an hour without really having to have a cigarette.
(and not the first time since then) Today, I spent 12 hours at a hospital for a family member, and while I go through 20 to 30 mils a day normally, I did not get a single craving to run out and vape. Did I want to? Hell yes! But I did not need to. And I surely did not want to smoke.
If today was 6 years ago, I would have been outside every hour on the hour and smoking.

I do not ever want to smoke again. I will never smoke again.
I Will vape the clouds to the earth, when I can, but will not smoke.

I believe I can honestly say that I quit smoking.

 

[SupplyDaddy]

If you want to vape instead of smoke, I would highly suggest a backup for your backup.
I had 4 vapes in the car, waiting for me today. All full and ready to go.
I really enjoyed that I did not have to run out and vape!
Yea, that former 2 + pack a day habit is gone.

 

[Zaryk]

The way I look at it is, it is like quitting coffee. Someone can stop drinking coffee, and start drinking tea, but that person is no longer a coffee drinker just because tea also has caffeine in it.

I used to have to smoke a cigarette once an hour minimum. I would start getting anxious if I didn't. Now that I started vaping, it isn't like that anymore. A little while back I went somewhere for a weekend where I couldn't freely vape. I ended up only going through maybe 3 or 4 ml of juice over a 3 day weekend. Normally I go through 5x that amount in one day, but it didn't really bother me. I wanted to vape, just didn't need to.

 

[EIHYPI]

I'd like to point out that everyone's brain make up, thought processes and patterns are different and so is our character. Everyone's habits can seem similar being that they may have a common denominator. Still two smokers of a pack a day of the same brand will have the habit completely different from each other. I smoked reds for five years and have been vaping 24mg juice for almost four years since then and never lowered the level. I guess that explains why I felt compelled to smoke today, not being able to go without my fix for an extended time. For some it's easy to gradually lower the nic level but I build a tolerance to things that are addictive. But as long as I still know that vaping isn't harmful I have no reason to stop.

 

[Kickingthesticks]

Haven't had a smoke for 3+ years now. Even when I'm without my gear I don't get tempted to smoke. I guess it's different for each person.

 

[Zaryk]

I'd like to point out that everyone's brain make up, thought processes and patterns are different and so is our character. Everyone's habits can seem similar being that they may have a common denominator. Still two smokers of a pack a day of the same brand will have the habit completely different from each other. I smoked reds for five years and have been vaping 24mg juice for almost four years since then and never lowered the level. I guess that explains why I felt compelled to smoke today, not being able to go without my fix for an extended time. For some it's easy to gradually lower the nic level but I build a tolerance to things that are addictive. But as long as I still know that vaping isn't harmful I have no reason to stop.

To further validate your point that everyone is different, I can say I that I had a much different experience than most ex-smokers I know. I had a very easy transition into vaping (when compared to others I know). I was a smoker for 20 years, 2 packs of reds a day. I switched to vaping 3mg right off the bat, and only dual used for less than a week, 5 days if memory serves me correctly. I had minimal withdraw symptoms, and never had any want to smoke another cig since. Everyone will be different, and nobody can tell others what would be best for them.

 

[Jebbn]

Im finding that Im vaping lower quantities of juice and my nic levels are dropping as I progress through this. 10months in Ive gone from 18mg and about 8ml a day to 3-6mg and about 2-4ml. Just 3weeks ago on was at 9-12mg and 4ml a day.
I dont find nicotine in vaping very addictive compared to smoking tobacco.
I even vape nic free for a few days every so often just to reset my tolerance to nic so vaping lower mgs can supply a nic hit.
With tobacco there was a real addiction that was crazy. 42yrs worth of crazy.
I dont think nicotine in vaping is very addictive at all.. Im still a bit shocked to discover this.

ymmv

 

[EIHYPI]

Im finding that Im vaping lower quantities of juice and my nic levels are dropping as I progress through this. 10months in Ive gone from 18mg and about 8ml a day to 3-6mg and about 2-4ml. Just 3weeks ago on was at 9-12mg and 4ml a day.
I dont find nicotine in vaping very addictive compared to smoking tobacco.
I even vape nic free for a few days every so often just to reset my tolerance to nic so vaping lower mgs can supply a nic hit.
With tobacco there was a real addiction that was crazy. 42yrs worth of crazy.
I dont think nicotine in vaping is very addictive at all.. Im still a bit shocked to discover this.

ymmv

For myself I find I have the same thing but even more so. I'm attached to vaping now more than I ever was with cigarettes. That's not to say that I wasn't extremely hooked to them. As far as addiction is concerned there is a mental association to the thing and the more time goes by the association becomes even stronger. That can keep one smoking for many years with an alternative being unsuccessful. When I stopped smoking I told myself simply but not so simple that if I can get what I got from a cigarette in a vape I should go through with it. Then in effect I broke that mental association I had with cigarettes. I had cigarettes today for the nic only and not because I am attached to them still. Vaping for me is far me enjoyable.

 

[tearose50]

As others have said, we are all different.

I recall hearing that people could go hours without the strong craving and I didn't think it would ever happen for me....yet it finally did. (I was a heavy smoker for several decades.)

I also didn't think I could or would ever quit smoking---but once I knew vaping was working reasonably well for me, I knew it was a great opportunity to "switch" and I diligently did so.

I totally consider I quit smoking. Yes, this body has an affinity for nicotine, not the rash cravings, and I do enjoy the activity of mouth to lung and even some of the hobby aspects--good old shinyitis.

Believe me, I always carry a back up -- even if I don't use any device for hours when out and about in vaping restricted California. I suggest a small pod -- they are inexpensive and good when that "fix" is quite desired.

 

[My Batt Hurts]

If push really comes to shove and a cigarette is all that's available, I'll smoke it without worrying too much. I can happily go for hours without a vape, but I can finish a cigarette & return to vaping without hardship. In practical terms, my smokes are months apart.

If cigarettes disappeared overnight, I'd miss them, but there would be no panic. If vapes disappeared, I'd be rather miffed. If both disappeared? Not going there.

Vaping beats smoking by a country mile, but in the grip of withdrawal, I'd rather smoke a cigarette than knit a blanket. So, for me, vaping and & smoking both beat knitting blankets. Besides, drinking probably ruins knitting, but it can work wonders with a decent vape.

And many, many yeses to having backups with you.

 

[QcVaper]

I'm 1 year into vaping, went from 12mg to 3 and i can't stand the smell of cigarettes now.

I can still easily go a couple hours without vaping compared to smoking and fyi nicotine is non cancerous and some research said it's like caffeine, so no dangers there.

Also to smoke you need combustion which there is none in vaping.
Overall I'd say we did stopped smoking for a better alternative.

 

[Vaperer]

Four and a half years since my last cig. But I still want/need my nic. So if I'm going further than about an hour from home, I've got a backup with me, precisely because I don't want to be in a situation where I'd feel tempted to buy cigs out of "necessity". I've done that since the very beginning.

I do not feel bad about being "addicted" to nic. There are many worse things one could be addicted to.

^^^^^^what he said!

 

[zoiDman]

Being a former smoker (obviously) I've now been vaping for about four years. Does it mean that I quit cigarettes because I have been vaping all this time? I'm not sure because I am still extremely addicted to the nicotine. If an alcoholic drinks one brand of wine and then switches to another, that new brand that he's drinking doesn't change his status as alcoholic.

The word quit means abruptly stopping or discontinuing. Even though I discontinued the harmful chemicals from entering my body, vaping still gives me a connection to the root of the problem that I had - being completely dependent on my nicotine fix. Quit would mean cutting all ties in relation to my old cigarette habit.

The reason want to mention this is because of the events which happened today. I was with my pocket vape (target mini/nautilus 2 & 24mg juice) and the setup fell to the concrete. This caused permanent damage to my tank and it won't read on any mod but the mod is fine. Being far from my house I had no way to get my nicotine from a vape. I licked a couple of drops from my arm from the e-liquid bottle to get some nic but it was nasty and I knew that the only way that I was able to get my fix was through cigarettes.

In the end a friend of mine gave me the remainder of his pack. There was no fear within me that I would go back to smoking once I would retrieve my backup. I must say that I really enjoyed each and every puff even though many say that the first one after a while tastes bad. But soon enough I was out of cigarettes and I tried to hold it out until I would be able to get back to my home. After about 45 minutes my stress level went from 5 to 10 and my hands had the tremors so I was forced to bum a cigarette. That cigarette was the extremely thin ones and I was forced to smoke it like how I would inhale my goon. Eventually I was able to get inside my house and vape my backup device which now will be my main.

I'm sure you've all heard people stressing the importance of having a backup vape at all times. I shared my events of today to show that the risk of returning to cigarettes is not that far away if we don't back ourselves up.

To Me, Smoking Cigarettes is the Act of putting a Cigarette in my mouth, Lighting it, and then Inhaling the Smoke coming off the Burning Tobacco.

I Don't Do that Anymore. Haven't done it for a Long Time. I have Quit Smoking.

Now if someone asked me if I have Quit using Nicotine? I would Tell them "No, I haven't". Just like I would tell them "No, I haven't" if I was on the Patch. Or using Nicotine Gum or a Nicotine Inhaler.

Nicotine Use and Smoking is (to me) kinda a Sub-Set/Super-Set thing.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Four and a half years since my last cig. But I still want/need my nic. So if I'm going further than about an hour from home, I've got a backup with me, precisely because I don't want to be in a situation where I'd feel tempted to buy cigs out of "necessity". I've done that since the very beginning.

I do not feel bad about being "addicted" to nic. There are many worse things one could be addicted to.

Only 4.5 years, Rossum? I’m about to hit 10 myself. Congrats regardless.

 

[Beamslider]

I consider myself an exsmoker and would not smoke if I was out without a vape. I don't get the same nagging craving without vape that I got when I was smoking and running out of cigs.

I am down to 4mg nic where I seem to have settled from 24 mg a couple years back. When asked by the Doctor or medical personnel, I tell them I quit smoking a couple years ago but vape. I have been told by all of them so far that I am considered an exsmoker. They don't seem to equate vaping with smoking.

I can and have on but not regularly gone 10 or more hours without vaping and didn't freak out

 

[zoiDman]

Only 4.5 years, Rossum? I’m about to hit 10 myself. Congrats regardless.

Wow. Good to see you Surf Monkey.

And Congrats to you also on that soon-to-be 10 Year Milestone.