Ex-smoker's point of view
- Thread starter VIVAP2
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Holy S, Batman! First of all, a huuuuuuuuge congratulations is in order for kicking that. I can't even begin to imagine how utterly s--ty it must be to be there. From your description alone, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. For overcoming that, you deserve ... well, everything good. That is simply amazing.
Thank you, as well, for lending your experience to this matter. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to open up about things that are much less serious, and I am in awe of the courage it must've taken to type those words and hit 'post'. I'd always had my doubts as to that particular comparison of addictions; it seemed to me like they were trivializing the opiates.
And now on to the clouds of vapour, and the ex-smoker not wanting them around. I can completely understand how that could be a strong trigger. On my previous quit adventures, all it would take for me to start having a serious jones for a cigarette would be to watch someone exhale a big cloud of smoke. Still does, in fact, but at least this time I can hit my PV and quell those feelings.
hey chelly i am glad that u weighed in on that comparison to cigs.
I have been on .... maintenance for 6 years-since i was eighteen. omg year7 this august. I know how u mustfeel right now, goingfrom having wat started outas a 40$ dailyhabit quickly turned into a 200-400w dollar a day struggle to not be disgustingly physically ill. imagine flu * 15 =opiate wd.
i have been cleantthewhole timebut wish i listened to ppls advice that it was a short term solution and to get off of it asap.
but spending twoyears withthe sole missionofmoney and pills and then going to a phrmacy and drinking a dixie cupfullof juice and no sicknessfor a whole day,being able too attend college,worka normal legal job.
but now that iM ready to kick the methadonei am finding it harder then kickinh oxys. wd lasts 27 days minimum. thendepressed for 3-6months after. this is the reason alot of ex junkies,recovered addicts are still onmethadone.
I have been on .... maintenance for 6 years-since i was eighteen. omg year7 this august. I know how u mustfeel right now, goingfrom having wat started outas a 40$ dailyhabit quickly turned into a 200-400w dollar a day struggle to not be disgustingly physically ill. imagine flu * 15 =opiate wd.
i have been cleantthewhole timebut wish i listened to ppls advice that it was a short term solution and to get off of it asap.
but spending twoyears withthe sole missionofmoney and pills and then going to a phrmacy and drinking a dixie cupfullof juice and no sicknessfor a whole day,being able too attend college,worka normal legal job.
but now that iM ready to kick the methadonei am finding it harder then kickinh oxys. wd lasts 27 days minimum. thendepressed for 3-6months after. this is the reason alot of ex junkies,recovered addicts are still onmethadone.
Last edited:
I take a PV that doesn't create huge clouds of vapor when I go out somewhere where people wouldn't understand. It fits better in my pocket than an 18650 mod, anyway. With an eGo, I can stealth vape and blow the vapor down and still not be intrusive. People don't notice it and they don't complain.
The worst thing we can do is start a group that complains about ecigs simply because seeing one reminds them of the habit they kicked and fear returning to. Some of the worst are people who smoked and are afraid they will go back. They view us as the enemy who still has a way to satisfy the cravings. If you think it out, that's one of the reasons they become so militant.
I used to have an ex-smoker boss. He was tolerant of me as a smoker because we were together a lot. Still, I had to get out of his vehicle to smoke and then get back in. He confided one day that after 15 years of not smoking, some days he would smell smoke and it would smell really great. On those days, he said he felt like he could eat a whole pack of smokes.
The worst thing we can do is start a group that complains about ecigs simply because seeing one reminds them of the habit they kicked and fear returning to. Some of the worst are people who smoked and are afraid they will go back. They view us as the enemy who still has a way to satisfy the cravings. If you think it out, that's one of the reasons they become so militant.
I used to have an ex-smoker boss. He was tolerant of me as a smoker because we were together a lot. Still, I had to get out of his vehicle to smoke and then get back in. He confided one day that after 15 years of not smoking, some days he would smell smoke and it would smell really great. On those days, he said he felt like he could eat a whole pack of smokes.
Last edited:
1. If the place is ok with it, its fine. I wouldn't feel bad at all.
2. Its they're problem, not yours. Like previously said drinking, dieting w.e.
3. We all should be respectful, whether its stinky cigs, a cloud of vapor,loud music, or someones gallon of perfume they are wearing. I usually stealth vape not because Im hiding it but because it really isn't something everyone wants to see or smell
ie someone spraying hairspray in a restaurant or burping and farting but u CAN (its not smoking but its not really something that's appropriate around others) That being said people should still mind their own damn buisness and not try to police everybody.
4. Most tobacco juices do smell so I don't use them inside a place of buisness
5. Who gives a f what they think anyway
6.I don't try to make converts they can do what they want with their life but im more than happy to talk someones ear off if they ask....except my family I did try to give them pvs (and they were interested )
7. I detest the smell of cigs. I had to ride home last week in a smelly tow truck and understand why people can hate smokers. I smell it in my apt sometimes when the neighbors are out front smoking. Guess what I mind my own business and close the window. We just get lumped in because it LOOKS similar
2. Its they're problem, not yours. Like previously said drinking, dieting w.e.
3. We all should be respectful, whether its stinky cigs, a cloud of vapor,loud music, or someones gallon of perfume they are wearing. I usually stealth vape not because Im hiding it but because it really isn't something everyone wants to see or smell
ie someone spraying hairspray in a restaurant or burping and farting but u CAN (its not smoking but its not really something that's appropriate around others) That being said people should still mind their own damn buisness and not try to police everybody.
4. Most tobacco juices do smell so I don't use them inside a place of buisness
5. Who gives a f what they think anyway
6.I don't try to make converts they can do what they want with their life but im more than happy to talk someones ear off if they ask....except my family I did try to give them pvs (and they were interested )
7. I detest the smell of cigs. I had to ride home last week in a smelly tow truck and understand why people can hate smokers. I smell it in my apt sometimes when the neighbors are out front smoking. Guess what I mind my own business and close the window. We just get lumped in because it LOOKS similar
Last edited:
I also hate seeing people spit their chew juice in a cup or bottle out in public yuck but somehow that's more permissible than vanilla or cinnamon vapor clouds lol
I said it once, i will say it a million times: Information is the key.....How many times have we read in the main stream media that pv's have nothing but lets say......oh anti freeze? what about the more then main stream media on the incredible exploding batteries? The Charming for recorded cases of one or two shorting out and catching a ppc, or carry case -- turning it into a smoldering fire (most awesome for that sudden urge of a wienie roast or smore cooking i guesss)
instead of shifting the blame and saying they will have to sit down and shut up and take it for i can vape where, when, why and how i want to or ain't my problem because....... why not blind side them with kindness and etiquette?
If they are belly aching about how it offends them, and we are belly aching about how we are offended at them being offended then what gets done? It is getting very irritating how it seems that all the threads these days are filled with how a smoker/ ex-smoker offended them, or someone who knows very little offended them.....On the same token smokers are just as much to blame as both sides have their feathers ruffled, but no one on either side of the coin is willing to extend a hand and say "you talk, i listen then i talk and you listen"
3 days away from my first official month of doing nothing but the pv, and cutting stink sticks out, kinda makes me want to toss the pv's and juice in the dumpster, buy a pack of stink sticks and be done with it all....I am sure i am not the only one tempted to do this either...
That is why i am on Mmt though. it is just to maintain a sense of normalicy. I want to clear up a big misconception. Methadone does not get you high. normal ppls brains produce dopamine all the time and then pumps out more when you are happy, just accomplished a goal, are on vacatoion,sex or a runners high. It comes out when you are in pain physical. dopamine surges when you laugh.
It can take months to years of opiate use prescribed or abused to tell ur brain shut off the dopamine bioler room. There is a whole stream ofopiates in this guys blood. turn off the dopamine engines we are going on vacation.Now the longer you supply the dopamine. The cells stay inactive, then if u stop the drugs. The dopamine cell manager says, there is no more coming in. his assitant says. don't worry the damn must be broken. He will fix ot soon. The cell manager says well lets try and fire up the dopamine engine and his workers say ok. Then the manager gets a call "boss, we forgot how to start this thing". The boss says"tbh i don't really remember either. so if u have been usingfor3months. They only have to remember how to start making dopamine from 3 months back,therefore u are sick with WD's for a little whillle. If you were using for years the cells are like oblivious. They have to go back to college since they have been out of work so long.
Therefore it will take much longer to stop feeling dope sick with withdrawals.
.
now here is where methadone comes in. Methadone acts like dopamine.It doe not get you HIGH if used properly. It mimics your own bodys natural dopamine and keeps you frombeing dopesick. notice that they call smack dope ie.dopamine
It can take months to years of opiate use prescribed or abused to tell ur brain shut off the dopamine bioler room. There is a whole stream ofopiates in this guys blood. turn off the dopamine engines we are going on vacation.Now the longer you supply the dopamine. The cells stay inactive, then if u stop the drugs. The dopamine cell manager says, there is no more coming in. his assitant says. don't worry the damn must be broken. He will fix ot soon. The cell manager says well lets try and fire up the dopamine engine and his workers say ok. Then the manager gets a call "boss, we forgot how to start this thing". The boss says"tbh i don't really remember either. so if u have been usingfor3months. They only have to remember how to start making dopamine from 3 months back,therefore u are sick with WD's for a little whillle. If you were using for years the cells are like oblivious. They have to go back to college since they have been out of work so long.
Therefore it will take much longer to stop feeling dope sick with withdrawals.
.
now here is where methadone comes in. Methadone acts like dopamine.It doe not get you HIGH if used properly. It mimics your own bodys natural dopamine and keeps you frombeing dopesick. notice that they call smack dope ie.dopamine
i think that they're just butthurt over the struggle of giving up what most smokers, ex-smokers, and vapers find the pleasurable act of either smoking or vaping. that includes the inhalation/exhalation of smoke/vapor and the absorption of nicotine. it was their choice to find a safe alternative or to quit outright, especially if they did it within the past few years. information on pvs is not exactly hard to find.
i vape wherever i feel like it, essentially. i couldn't care less if it pisses someone off for its resemblance to smoking, despite their position as a non-smoker or an ex-smoker. i've stealthed a few times, then realized how silly it was and am the type that will vape outright.
if i were in your situation i would have responded with the equivalent of a "nah-nah" and continued vaping. if they feel they are close to a relapse, it's an excellent opportunity to introduce them to vaping. you can't persuade people out of a stubborn pov right away, and i just as stubbornly maintain i do not smoke since there are no tobacco products or combustion involved. i just let them stew in their misunderstanding if they're not willing to maintain an open mind.
i find it disrespectful to infringe on my right to vape in public. i do consider it a right. there is no legislation specific to pvs (and i would be willing to fight for it), and i have yet to be in a public place that has prohibited vaping. if those two conditions are met, it's really not up to anyone else to monitor my actions.
i vape wherever i feel like it, essentially. i couldn't care less if it pisses someone off for its resemblance to smoking, despite their position as a non-smoker or an ex-smoker. i've stealthed a few times, then realized how silly it was and am the type that will vape outright.
if i were in your situation i would have responded with the equivalent of a "nah-nah" and continued vaping. if they feel they are close to a relapse, it's an excellent opportunity to introduce them to vaping. you can't persuade people out of a stubborn pov right away, and i just as stubbornly maintain i do not smoke since there are no tobacco products or combustion involved. i just let them stew in their misunderstanding if they're not willing to maintain an open mind.
i find it disrespectful to infringe on my right to vape in public. i do consider it a right. there is no legislation specific to pvs (and i would be willing to fight for it), and i have yet to be in a public place that has prohibited vaping. if those two conditions are met, it's really not up to anyone else to monitor my actions.
Last edited:
now onto the ecig inpublic, I try to be as respectful as possible. have u tried pure pg and add a bit of water e liquids usually these are from asian china in particular. If you take a mouth inhale like a cigar you will see vapour. If you inhale it into your lungs. NO VAPOUR AT ALL COMESOUT. Even if you inhale for half a second, you see nothing or the odd white wisp. hold it in for 1 second andcessfjllh absolutely no vapour will come out. I am working on a few stealth juices. If i can do it successfully i may start marketing the line. getting back on track. smoking is like coke. U have one smoke, u feel good and less stressed for 20-30 minutes, then you want another. With coke you do a line andthen youfeel it for15-30 minutes. Then you want another and another. But if you have strong self control, wait an hour after your last line and you will stop craving and get piissed off about blowing 600$ on this crap. you will vow to never do it again and then u will do it again n go through that whole process again.
I am happy that I haven't touched that .... in years. and u reminded me how much i hate when my grandmother inlaw (70)and in good shape goes on and on about how our pvs never leave are hands and why don't we just go back to cigarettes since we just traded addictions and as i point out a much healthier addiction. Her grandson is on methadone too. So i say why don't you tell him to go off methadone and start using needles again.
You Dig?
I am happy that I haven't touched that .... in years. and u reminded me how much i hate when my grandmother inlaw (70)and in good shape goes on and on about how our pvs never leave are hands and why don't we just go back to cigarettes since we just traded addictions and as i point out a much healthier addiction. Her grandson is on methadone too. So i say why don't you tell him to go off methadone and start using needles again.
You Dig?
I still won't vape in non-smoking areas. Even at work I head to the smoking area, and I definitely won't vape around kids (nor did I smoke around kids).
I can see the non-smokers POV that I'm still "smoking" something, and I respect that. Most non-smokers have no idea what vaping is, all they know is that I'm blowing out clouds of "smoke" - I'm not going to spend 20 minutes trying to explain it to them just to avoid walking over to the smoking section.
Lazy? Maybe.
On the other hand, I don't exactly live in a big city, and I've never seen anyone else vape around here. Hell, the first time a co-worker saw me vaping in my car with my stardust on the ego batt, he thought I was doing some kind of drugs.
I can see the non-smokers POV that I'm still "smoking" something, and I respect that. Most non-smokers have no idea what vaping is, all they know is that I'm blowing out clouds of "smoke" - I'm not going to spend 20 minutes trying to explain it to them just to avoid walking over to the smoking section.
Lazy? Maybe.
On the other hand, I don't exactly live in a big city, and I've never seen anyone else vape around here. Hell, the first time a co-worker saw me vaping in my car with my stardust on the ego batt, he thought I was doing some kind of drugs.
Hey all,
Just wanted to weigh in with my own experience and opinions when vaping around others.
Though I take liberties like vaping indoors in my own place, I rarely try to take any outstanding measures which draw attention to myself in public. If I need to vape, I'll vape with the smokers or by myself somewhere quiet.
Some vapers just don't care, or lack the experience to take into account what the general public will feel. To non vapers, it's still looks like smoke, it has it's own smell, and if it's invading their space, more often than not it's gonna bother them. If you're blowing bubbles in a park, no one's going to give a ...., but if you're blowing bubbles over top your cubicle into someones face, even though it's harmless, yeah there's going to be some problems.
I know this only applies to a very small amount of you out there, but if someone does see you vaping, and has a problem/is curious about it, please don't be a dogmatic idiot preaching the word of e-cig. Be courteous, be considerate, carry a card from one of your vendors and write your email on the back of it. I've experienced a lot of scenarios interacting with smokers/ex-smokers. Even if you think vaping is the greatest thing since sliced bread, most of the time they will take it as a novelty, maybe try a puff, have a laugh - and that's OK.
TL;DR I find that the less fuss you kick up about a small thing like this, the better. Things will change with time. I've been watching this thing grow for the better part of two years and christ has it grown.
Just wanted to weigh in with my own experience and opinions when vaping around others.
Though I take liberties like vaping indoors in my own place, I rarely try to take any outstanding measures which draw attention to myself in public. If I need to vape, I'll vape with the smokers or by myself somewhere quiet.
Some vapers just don't care, or lack the experience to take into account what the general public will feel. To non vapers, it's still looks like smoke, it has it's own smell, and if it's invading their space, more often than not it's gonna bother them. If you're blowing bubbles in a park, no one's going to give a ...., but if you're blowing bubbles over top your cubicle into someones face, even though it's harmless, yeah there's going to be some problems.
I know this only applies to a very small amount of you out there, but if someone does see you vaping, and has a problem/is curious about it, please don't be a dogmatic idiot preaching the word of e-cig. Be courteous, be considerate, carry a card from one of your vendors and write your email on the back of it. I've experienced a lot of scenarios interacting with smokers/ex-smokers. Even if you think vaping is the greatest thing since sliced bread, most of the time they will take it as a novelty, maybe try a puff, have a laugh - and that's OK.
TL;DR I find that the less fuss you kick up about a small thing like this, the better. Things will change with time. I've been watching this thing grow for the better part of two years and christ has it grown.
I still won't vape in non-smoking areas. Even at work I head to the smoking area, and I definitely won't vape around kids (nor did I smoke around kids).
I can see the non-smokers POV that I'm still "smoking" something, and I respect that. Most non-smokers have no idea what vaping is, all they know is that I'm blowing out clouds of "smoke" - I'm not going to spend 20 minutes trying to explain it to them just to avoid walking over to the smoking section.
Lazy? Maybe.
On the other hand, I don't exactly live in a big city, and I've never seen anyone else vape around here. Hell, the first time a co-worker saw me vaping in my car with my stardust on the ego batt, he thought I was doing some kind of drugs.
If we hide in dark corners to vape, only vape with the smokers and continue to "act" like vaping is just as bad and the same as smoking, then, no, it won't change, it will just get worse.
Perception = reality. If the perception that vapers present is one that states, "this is dangerous, stay far away from me", that will be the reality of how vaping is defined.
I believe the correct course of action is to vape openly and almost anywhere but respectfully. And be prepared to be an educated advocate for vaping.
I agree with you for the most part. However, the key is, as you said, respectfully. And everyone's opinion of what respectfully means is different. There is a time and place for everything, and pissing off the non-smokers by in-your-face vaping isn't the way to gather support and change perceptions.
I don't want to be sitting at a table in a restaurant with some dude next to be billowing out huge clouds of vapour while I'm trying to eat. I don't care if it smells like mocha bubblegum vanilla fudge
blink - I never smoked around food, and I don't vape around food, so don't do it around me just because you're trying to make a point.
I agree with you for the most part. However, the key is, as you said, respectfully. And everyone's opinion of what respectfully means is different. There is a time and place for everything, and pissing off the non-smokers by in-your-face vaping isn't the way to gather support and change perceptions.
I don't want to be sitting at a table in a restaurant with some dude next to be billowing out huge clouds of vapour while I'm trying to eat. I don't care if it smells like mocha bubblegum vanilla fudge
I don't see large plumbs of vapor from any vapers unless they are doing a youtube video trying to impress people. When I vape in a restruant, I let the server or manager know what my PV is and demonstrate it. What vaper I exhale diminishes before it gets a couple of inches away from me. I don't vape in elevators (unless I am alone) or at church or if I am sitting in an audience with people I don't know right beside me. If I am in someone's home, I explain, educate and demonstrate my PV to them and then ask if it is OK to vape. Everyone so far has said, no problem and appluaded my switch to vaping.
This is all "common sense" to me. As long as we use common sense, educate ourselves and be ready to educate others, then vaping has the chance to be accepted as a non-intrusive, safe and positive alternative to smoking. To take a stance that we should only vape with smokers and present the image that vaping is the same as smoking is ignorant and self-defeating.
Last edited:
unless i am at a table of vapors i will head outside with the smokers to vape, or maybe take a stealth vape at teh table and blow it under the table. but just to be nice really.
Vivap2 it is illegal to smoke in pubs where i am, so your point isnt really valid. i could see your point if an exsmoker went outside to the smoking pit and pitched a fit, i would say piss off. but you cant smoke inside, so i could see a new ex smoker taking offence. doesnt mean they are right. just sayin.
Vivap2 it is illegal to smoke in pubs where i am, so your point isnt really valid. i could see your point if an exsmoker went outside to the smoking pit and pitched a fit, i would say piss off. but you cant smoke inside, so i could see a new ex smoker taking offence. doesnt mean they are right. just sayin.
Looking in to the future...
It's 2015, take or give a year, and vaping has caught on like wildfire, thousands of vapers vaping. The bars are full of people with PVs blowing clouds of PG & VG with a myriad of scents. Of course vaping will be banned from public spaces, right? It's bound to happen. And so, I have to admit, the self-interested part of me hopes it never becomes that popular.
It's 2015, take or give a year, and vaping has caught on like wildfire, thousands of vapers vaping. The bars are full of people with PVs blowing clouds of PG & VG with a myriad of scents. Of course vaping will be banned from public spaces, right? It's bound to happen. And so, I have to admit, the self-interested part of me hopes it never becomes that popular
.
Looking in to the future...
It's 2015, take or give a year, and vaping has caught on like wildfire, thousands of vapers vaping. The bars are full of people with PVs blowing clouds of PG & VG with a myriad of scents. Of course vaping will be banned from public spaces, right? It's bound to happen. And so, I have to admit, the self-interested part of me hopes it never becomes that popular
if i can hide my gray hair and age, i will say that George jetson predicted the wide screen tv, cellular phones, and blue tooth devices (and to a extent Apple products), i do believe that they also predicted the e-cig and how it was popular....
I know it sounds funny, but in the old cartoons they did have that all....
Last edited:
- Status
