Do most people ever quit vaping?

[EvilZoe]

Since we don't know the long-term effects and everything we DO know about what's in our vaporizers would tend to indicate that vaping is vastly less damaging than smoking (which we have a metric TON of data on), isn't it safer to just allow it all to go on rather than allow people to demonize it out of fear of what it MIGHT do? I mean, cigarette addiction is no joke and anything that moves people away from it has value in some way.

People who are actively smoking cigarettes are taking known risks, worst case scenario risks. vaping IS a better alternative in any case.

No one is saying that vaping is a safe activity and I find it highly doubtful that anyone who does vape would recommend vaping to nonsmokers, but you know, let the transition happen.

 

[degnr8]

I'm okay with the information, but not with how it is sometimes / often times used.

If statement is used to determine that it could be harmful long term, and therefore ought to be advocated now to not use it, then I think it is about as misguided as, "yippee! No long term studies have been done yet. Which means it is totally safe for me in the long term. Yippee!"

And I honestly do think it is that misguided.

Think of all the items (food, mobile devices, etc.) we could apply such a statement to. On vast majority of those, I'm thinking people are going to use them and if short term anecdotal evidence suggests very little to no harm, they won't stop using them.

In all honesty, why would you?

I have to agree. Both extremes are unproductive and potentially harmful. We need to make sure that when we're educating people that we're giving them the information they need to make an informed decision. Sorry about the hijack OP

 

[K_Tech]

I will cut anyone that touches my PV.

 

[danca90]

I'm looking to start cigarettes to quit vaping. Will lights work? Or should I go with reds?

 

[K_Tech]

I'm looking to start cigarettes to quit vaping. Will lights work? Or should I go with reds?

Menthol, full flavor. All the Kool kids are smoking those.

(See what I did there? I made a funny on your funny!)

 

[Jman8]

I have to agree. Both extremes are unproductive and potentially harmful. We need to make sure that when we're educating people that we're giving them the information they need to make an informed decision. Sorry about the hijack OP

While I'm not OP, I think our tangent is on topic with OP.

Just curious because when I decided to switch from tobacco That I wanted to quit for decades, I had the intention to use a vaporizer for awhile, cut back on nic and then stop all together.
I've cut down to 12,9,& 6mg now and I think I enjoy vaping just as I did smoking.
Seems most people never stop vaping because it's more acceptable and it does less damage than cigs.
I wish I didn't need to bring a device with me everywhere I go. It's of course exciting that I don't need to have a lighter and I have to look for one occasionally. I'm imagining that freeing myself from the devices could be just as awesome.
Thoughts.

With the second bold part (both of which I bolded), I don't think our tangent is on that topic. And as one who's gone cold turkey for 8+ years, I would say it is awesome. Yet, the freedom 'buzz' wears off after a few months or within first year. Then it's right back to dealing with life and either having new ways to calm yourself down and go to a happy place, or wondering why others get to use all sorts of substances, but your 'freedom' seems to disallow that.

The first bold item though is where I think our tangent relates to OP and to what happens when you are free from nicotine but not so free from all the problems life throws at you. Newbies on this forum and ex-smokers generally cite the same reasons for not wanting to smoke. Health concerns being at or very near the top. Waking up coughing, living with wheezing, feeling short of breath - are all symptoms that when they pop up, you don't really need a doctor to tell you that now would be a good time to stop smoking.

But that nicotine stick seems so compelling and helpful in times of stress that it is psychologically challenging to just stop and assume life will be awesome from that point on. Never mind how physiologically challenging it is for many people to simply stop smoking. In my case of going cold turkey, it literally was very easy. But I've had other times of going cold turkey where it wasn't so easy physically.

Enter eCigs where from everything I can gather, the physiological challenge is gone. Other than going cold turkey with help from 'higher power' there is no easier way that I'm aware of to stop smoking in matter of hours (not days/weeks) than by vaping nicotine.

Enter ANTZ and every human (includes many ex-smokers) who are convinced that it is nicotine that is worst chemical of them all in logs and is the source of the problem - the desire to keep going on despite plausible health concerns.

And then arrive at politics of eCigs which vapers on forums such as this have explored the issue in so many ways that it truly honestly feels accurate to say ANTZ (who despise logs) are behind the times, because it is simply not the nicotine that is the problem with smoking, and thus not anywhere near the problem that ANTZ types want it to be for vaping. But other than nicotine and the idea of inhaling anything into your lungs, those who are 'unsure of what eCigs do' or 'hate that eCigs are enjoyable' have nothing to go on. And as nicotine is generally accepted by non-vapers as 'evil drug found in cigarettes' it is that which is still perceived by the masses as the problem.

But if nicotine isn't the problem, and is plausibly helpful or not exactly dangerous to the human system, then all that is left is "we don't know long term effects of vaping" - therefore don't do it, or someday you could die. So, even though you're not wheezing, and are coughing far far less than before, plus have your breathing back, plus your sense of smell, plus good energy - just realize that 40 years from now vaping may (or may not) cause problems that we can't detect today. And oh yeah, please ignore the vast amount of anecdotal evidence that suggests very little to no harm from vaping. And if possible, could you please ignore the scientific data that says vapor and especially second hand vapor poses very little to no risk to humans. If you can do all that, we stand a chance to vilify vaping, just like we did smoking, and then no kid will come to live a life addicted to nicotine. You know, that really really evil drug that people enjoy using.

 

[JuiceIsLoose]

I have been vaping for 8 months and cut my nic from 24 to 6mg.

Tried it at 4mg and it does not work very well--so I'll make two DIY fluids at 6mg and Zero nic and have two devices. I was vaping the other day with some Zero nic, just trying out the concept and an ANTZ chimed in. Threw they for a loop when I told them it has zero nicotine and was coffee flavored. "Then why vape?" My answer was I enjoy it, just as you do drinking coffee. Heck, I'm vaping coffee
but no sugar/fat like your cup so it works for me.

Eventually, I'll drop to zero nic--then I'll continue to vape zero nic. Eventually, over time I'll cut down the amount of vaping but I'll let it naturally happen. I'm looking at the vape stuff with caffiene in it--and vitamins also. Just want to see the look on the ANTZ face when I tell them no nicotine but it as coffee flavor...and caffeine in it.

In a few years, these ANTZ won't be an issue--people that want to regulate other people's lives tend to aways be behind the times. Anything new is always evil...

 

[Ryan1888]

At this moment I do not have any plans or desire to ever quit vaping. That being said - I also would have said the same thing about traditional cigarettes at some point in time.

As for the health concerns, or lack of - nobody really knows and probably won't for years. Personally I feel a lot better health wise, I would go as far as saying that I feel as healthy as I did before ever taking up smoking.

 

[embee214]

I had been smoke free for about 3 months prior to picking up vaping in earnest. I had tried a cig-a-like a few years ago in attempt to quit, but it didn't help and I really didn't enjoy it. Last summer, my father was diagnosed with lung cancer and I guess that was the motivation I needed to quit (again). I used nicotine gum and was able to ween myself off within about 2 months. But then a few weeks later cravings to smoke returned in full force. I did not want to start smoking again, so I bought a few disposable NJoys to get me through the worst cravings. I liked these a lot more than the cig-a-like I had a few years ago, but I was concerned about what was in them. I started researching, and found this whole other world of refillable tanks and natural, organic, and gourmet juices, and now I'm hooked. I started using the lowest nic levels, and now am using 0 nic. The only concerns I have about this new little hobby of mine are occasional vaper's tongue and spending too much money on trying out new flavors and equipment. Will I eventually quit vaping too? Maybe, but right now I'm having too much fun with it. Also, I don't know if I would have been able to remain smoke free if not for vaping. Every other attempt I have made to quit smoking was an utter failure. Some attempts lasted months, and once I quit for a year and a half, but I always started smoking again because the cravings never went away. I can honestly say that since I started vaping I have not craved a cigarette.

 

[Extremeodd]

I picked up vaping in late '08 to try and quit smoking, with the intentions of dropping nic levels until I was done with the ecig. However I ended up raising my levels to 36 and stayed there until this month where Im finally starting to taper it back down to the 20s. I dont see myself ever quitting vaping, it really helps with stress personally.

 

[Ben B Brown]

i started vaping 5 months ago @ 36mg nicotine yesterday I went to 0 mg and will see how it goes for the next month

 

[dePeatrick]

12 weeks vaping now, on 24 mg about 2ml a day, almost ready now to start dropping nicotine levels, I'll gradually change onto 18mg, then 12mg......and when I reach zero, well I guess I will decide whether I engoy the flavour of vaping juices, kinda like sucking sweets without the calories

 

[Xcighippy]

Smoking can be regarded as purely an addiction, a joyless burden. Smoking can also be regarded as a genuinely enjoyable activity. Everyone who smokes falls somewhere in the perception spectrum between those two extremes.

People who decided years ago that they would like nothing better than to quit might have forgotten or dismissed any enjoyment that cigarettes offer; to them, vaping might present a perfect stepping stone towards freedom. And hey, more power to those people.

But everyone else might find that once they've banished the major health risks of smoking from their lives, they are reminded of the more pleasant aspects of the habit. There's nothing quite like sitting down to a smoke after a long day, or lighting up during a well-deserved break on a hectic morning, or as you prepare to puzzle out a difficult problem, after all. It's hard to give that up, and why should they? That's the essence of harm reduction, allowing consenting adults to indulge in a time-honored past time (or something very close to it) without the associated health risks. Vaping really isn't a quitting tool; it's a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too tool.

Heck, vaping offers a number of potentially enjoyable wrinkles that are almost entirely absent from the world of tobacco, to boot -- the variety of flavors and cool gear, and so on. Our only problem is that the powers-that-be in the so-called public health establishment don't think we deserve to continue to enjoy something that looks like smoking, whether it's safe or not. They have a strategy for the total eradication of all tobacco and tobacco-like use; it's a hopelessly optimistic, ineffectual, and oppressive/tyrannical strategy, mind you, but they're sticking to it. And hey, the people in their industry can make a nice living, at our expense, flailing fruitlessly towards the goal.

So I'd say that if you want to quit, go for it. Otherwise, vape on, as long as you don't mind dealing with the half-baked schemes of over-zealous, irrational, and power-mad functionaries in government and various health-advocacy agencies.

Flgurant. Thank you for posting this response. I have often pondered what I would like to say when the question comes up, and it does often come up, about why I vape, or if I ever intend to quit. I could never put it as eloquently as you have! It pretty much sums it up perfectly.
I have cut and copy'ed this to my note pad for future use. Thanks again!