Have you had people wonder "What's the point of quitting smoking when you're vaping?"

[SeaTownLassy]

This might have already been discussed, but couldn't find anything in search......

Today I was talking to an acquaintance and the subject of my being smoke free for over a month came up. I showed her my mod and my snuff boxes she asked "So, what's the point of quitting smoking when you're vaping and snuffing?".

I see her point. I guessed that she thought that quitting smoking meant quitting nicotine altogether. I just said "I just don't want to inhale the chemicals and junk anymore". And then she said "But then arent you still just addicted to smoking?"

Another good question, as I do see why she would ask.....

So.... Have any of you dealt with people asking you the same type of thing?

 

[jefsview]

You are not smoking. Smoking was a nicotine delivery system.

I just tell them I quit smoking, but I need my nicotine (anti-depressant). Most folks I've talked with know that e-cigs are safer than cigarettes and are just floored that this 30 year, 2 pack a day smoker was able to quit smoking. Most folk are happy about it, and don't mind the vaping.

I just tell them I need my nicotine. And I tell myself the truth: I don't need to smoke, because I'm vaping. And vaping is, really, more satisfying than smoking. If I knew quitting was this easy and flavorful, I would have done it long ago

 

[ImThatGuy]

I always respond by this; I found a safer alternative to satisfy my "bad habit". I tell them I quit smoking cigarettes, but didn't quit the habit of my way of relieving stress and form of relaxation.

Everyone has a bad habit. Every habit you drop, you pick up or find another habit. I just found a safer and healthier habit. I may not have dropped that vice, but I found a more positive vice.

 

[SeaTownLassy]

If I knew quitting was this easy and flavorful, I would have done it long ago

Me too!! Flavorful and a funner hobby than just collecting lighters.

 

[Cyia]

My dad actually mentioned something similar to me today and asked if I'd eventually quit vaping too. Straight up told him nope! I just got off the 4K chemicals for 4-5 everyday used ones and I like the habit too much and left it at that. I don't really ever seeing my self quitting the habit until both my arms are gone I guess LOL

 

[KerryK]

Me too!! Flavorful and a funner hobby than just collecting lighters.

Hey now....don't bag on collecting lighters....I still do that...

 

[aussiedog61]

I am speaking strictly for myself here so please don't take offense. I am not judging anyone else's preferences (I have a couple of other vices as well), so please don't judge my own personal assessment of what is bugging me.

I was a heavy smoker for many, many years and wanted to finally quit analogs for a lot of reasons. Patches and pills did not work for me and luckily I stumbled upon vaping. While it is a much safer alternative for delivering nicotine, I am still delivering nicotine, I am still addicted to nicotine, and I am still addicted to the 'hand to mouth' habit that I can't seem to break. I have built up an arsenal of many different PV devices, tanks, clearos, cartos, and juices. I do not find any of them nearly as satisfying as an analog at all, but they will do for now in keeping me off of analogs.

What I don't like in myself is that I am still 'smoking' in the sense that I haven't kicked the 'hand to mouth' habit and nicotine cravings. I am down to 1.1% (from 2.4%) and just find myself vaping more. Honestly I feel a little silly sucking on phallic looking metal tubes and trying to convince myself that it's okay and cool because at least I'm not smoking deadly analogs. I find myself blessed to have stumbled upon vaping as it has gotten me off of analogs, but in reality I have just substituted one habit for another. Yes, it is fun to research new things on the market, build my own coils, optimize my vapor production and taste, trying new juices, etc.; but ideally I just need to stop the act of 'smoking' once and for all (that and to quit biting my nails down to nothing). I am slowly working towards that goal, but I wish it would happen a little quicker than what reality is becoming.

I am putting on my flame suit now because I am sure that this will not be a popular opinion on an e-cig forum, but it is what it is and is just how I honestly feel about myself, my addiction and my addictive personality in general (and nobody else's lifestyle choices). I still have other vices that I need to address, but I have to start somewhere. I am not planning on quitting immediately, but I have to start some sort of game plan to quit this habit/hobby. Honestly, I can't believe that I am even opening up this much on a forum, but I feel that I have read enough of every bodies posts over the past months and interacted with some of you to the point that I feel comfortable enough to share these feelings/thoughts that I have about myself.

Wow, that was a cathartic experience and hopefully I will gain some resolve from this, but for now I think will have a vape.

 

[patkin]

I answer the question with this question: "If you chew nic gum, are you still smoking?" How does nic gum work? You don't inhale or swallow it. You absorb the nic in your mouth.... right? Then I say, I don't like to chew gum so this is how I do the same thing. I absorb the nic in my mouth from the vapor. Neither chewing gum nor vaping are smoking. Now if its a tar coating on your lungs you're after, then the only way I know of doing that is to smoke.

 

[Train2]

Partly this is misunderstanding - people see vapor and think it's "smoke". They don't get the difference, really.
You have to explain a couple key simple concepts and hope they sink in:

a) "It's NOT smoke - smoke comes from burning stuff. This is vapor - in fact, if I want to, I can hold it in and you won't see anything when I exhale..."
b) "Cigarettes contain over 4000 different chemicals, many KNOWN to cause medical problems. This stuff contains 3 chemicals (VG, PG, Nic), all of which I'm pretty certain are pretty harmless - and a few molecules of food-safe flavoring. It's FAR less harmful to me and everyone else."

 

[SeaTownLassy]

I am speaking strictly for myself here so please don't take offense. I am not judging anyone else's preferences (I have a couple of other vices as well), so please don't judge my own personal assessment of what is bugging me.

I was a heavy smoker for many, many years and wanted to finally quit analogs for a lot of reasons. Patches and pills did not work for me and luckily I stumbled upon vaping. While it is a much safer alternative for delivering nicotine, I am still delivering nicotine, I am still addicted to nicotine, and the 'hand to mouth' habit that I can't seem to break. I have built up an arsenal of many different PV devices, tanks, clearos, cartos, and juices. I do not find any of them nearly as satisfying as an analog at all, but they will do for now in keeping me off of analogs.

What I don't like in myself is that I am still 'smoking' in the sense that I haven't kicked the 'hand to mouth' habit and nicotine cravings. I am down to 1.1% (from 2.4%) and just find myself vaping more. Honestly I feel a little silly sucking on phallic looking metal tubes and trying to convince myself that it's okay and cool because at least I'm not smoking deadly analogs. I find myself blessed to have stumbled upon vaping as it has gotten me off of analogs, but in reality I have just substituted one habit for another. Yes, it is fun to research new things on the market, build my own coils, optimize my vapor production and taste, trying new juices, etc.; but ideally I just need to stop the act of 'smoking' once and for all (that and to quit biting my nails down to nothing). I am slowly working towards that goal, but I wish it would happen a little quicker than what reality is becoming.

I am putting on my flame suit now because I am sure that this will not be a popular opinion on an e-cig forum, but it is what it is and is just how I honestly feel about myself, my addiction and my addictive personality in general (and nobody else's lifestyle choices). I still have other vices that I need to address, but I have to start somewhere. I am not planning on quitting immediately, but I have to start some sort of game plan to quit this habit/hobby. Honestly, I can't believe that I am even opening up this much on a forum, but I feel that I have read enough of every bodies posts over the past months and interacted with some of you to the point that I feel comfortable enough to share these feelings/thoughts that I have about myself.

Wow, that was a cathartic experience and hopefully I will gain some resolve from this, but for now I think will have a vape.

No flame suit needed, Aussie, because I'd like to think vaping isnt like a snobby elitist club or something (sure, there are those that may look down on others with an eGo setup and go "Hmmph....newbie" but i tend to ignore those people ). I like that you have a goal of going nic free. Sometimes I think back to when I was a teen and think "I wonder what would've happened if I didnt accept that first cigarette?"

~Restita

 

[Randy C]

I tell those who ask- My lungs aren't being coated with tar, that I no longer inhale arsenic, formaldehyde (as well as thousands of other known toxins), and I'm no longer inhaling carbon monoxide.

I explain that e-liquid is essentially made of three of four components: PG- which is what is used as a delivery system for asthma inhalers, VG which is in millions of other consumables, FDA approved food flavoring, and USP pharmaceutical grade nicotine

 

[RosaJ]

I answer the question with this question: "If you chew nic gum, are you still smoking?" How does nic gum work? You don't inhale or swallow it. You absorb the nic in your mouth.... right? Then I say, I don't like to chew gum so this is how I do the same thing. I absorb the nic in my mouth from the vapor. Neither chewing gum nor vaping are smoking. Now if its a tar coating on your lungs you're after, then the only way I know of doing that is to smoke.

What you said, and I add, have you quit smoking if you use the patch? The FDA approved the patch and the gum for indefinite continued use earlier this year.

 

[hromberg]

I started vaping a few months ago and once I got a decent mod that made a usable amount of vapor I gave up smoking completely. What I didn't expect though (yeah, I should have, but I wasn't thinking about it) was that I vape now more than I smoked. The ability to vape wherever I wanted, (house, office, car) made me think that I was making my nicotine addiction worse.

The solution for me: Lower nicotine in the juice. I went from 16 to 8, and then tried zero after about a month. I've been using zero for almost a month now, and aside from puffing like a chimney for about a week, the switch didn't seem to cause me much of a problem.

Now the question is whether I'll keep vaping over the long term or if I'll get bored with my new hobby. Since there's no drug being used, I can decide that at my leisure.

 

[vernhall]

Sometimes I think back to when I was a teen and think "I wonder what would've happened if I didnt accept that first cigarette?"~Restita

Though I have a hard time remembering back that far I often wonder the same thing... But, back when I was a teen (in my case pre-teen) it was cool to smoke... All our heroes - sports and movie - did it and most all of our parents too... Not like it is these days now that the risks are actually known... Still I sure do wish I'd never have taken that first puff -- I truly do!

 

[ziggy929]

I would say anything that keeps you off the analogs, whether its the gum, patch, vaping, etc is better than putting all those chemicals from an analog in your body. But to each their own. I quit on the patch and Welbutrin, however almost started back because I missed the inhaling of the analog. That has always been my problem. not having something in my mouth or in my hand, just the nice feel of inhaling and exhaling is VERY relaxing to me. Hope you continue the vaping and never return to analogs.

 

[GraceH]

Quitting IS hard. Everyone knows that. SO when someone announce that there quitting it like a knee jerk reaction for everyone around you to be supportive. It's like people are conflicted themselves. They feel the need to be supportive yet it seems like we are still smoking. I feel there asking themselves how they can be supportive if there not seeing the change in behavior, only a change in whats in our hand. And besides were not giving up the nicotine just the analog. Like we found some sort of loophole. I feel a lot of people feel its cheating. When really its no different then switching to a patch or gum. I know people that switched to gum and have no intention of giving up there nicotine but since there not inhaling right? The gum didn't work for me. My lungs still craved the nicotine.
I honestly don't bother with trying to explain vaping to non-smokers, or smokers. If they have question I'll answer them but I don't want to explain myself to them or defend what I'm doing and why is different or better then what I was doing. But thats just me. I think i'm getting unfriendlier as I get older. But it feels like I open myself up to judgement when I allow someone to judge me and put me on the defensive. Shrug. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Fizzpop]

I have been asked this. Specifically the complaint was, "Aren't you just replacing one addiction for another?" My answer was, "Yes, but it is a safer way to be addicted."

The other day I was vaping my Provari and looked at it and thought, "This thing is ....ing ridiculous!" Don't get me wrong, I actually LOVE vaping. I love the flavors, I love tinkering with the tech, but I am quick to admit I am still addicted to nicotine and might be for the rest of my days - that is not something of which I am proud. But I am doing what I can to reduce the risk, and that is something of which I can be proud. Vaping is a weird thing sometimes...

 

[Crash Moses]

To just reiterate what others have stated...

Non-smokers have a hard time seeing the disconnect between smoking and vaping and to be honest I didn't either when I first started. That's how I convinced myself to stop smoking analogs...I told myself I was still smoking but changing delivery systems (and I felt that way too). In fact, whenever someone said, "You quit smoking! Great!", I felt a little guilty because I didn't feel like I had actually quit.

But now, six months in, I'm really starting to feel like I've quit smoking...and it feels great. My nicotine is down to 6ml and I vape zero nic on a regular basis but I don't think I'm ready to give it up...if ever. It's too much fun. Even if I go strictly to zero nic I think I'll keep vaping...but check back in six months...you never know.

As for trading one addiction for another...I'm not so sure. I firmly believe that the nicotine we inhale isn't nearly as addictive as the stuff we used to smoke...especially name brand cigarettes. I don't feel the withdrawal symptoms I did with cigs (if at all) and I'm fairly certain the most of the folks who have been vaping awhile could probably leave nicotine behind fairly easily (whether they realize it or not).

Back to the disconnect between vaping and smoking...I've even struggled to explain it to smokers on occasion. A lot of them see vaping as way to "get around the rules" and not as a healthier alternative to smoking. Smoking and nicotine have been demonized for decades and it's not easy to change the course of a ship that big.

 

[stevegmu]

I recently told someone I quit smoking and he said I didn't really quit, since I use e-cigarettes. I simply told him e-cigarettes are the future and left it at that.

 

[Mountain_Rain96]

I said this in another thread a couple of months ago, but...it seems to me that most people who are older than I am (as in, over 50) just don't seem to 'get it'. True story: An aunt of mine approached me one day after a family member's funeral and said "I thought you QUIT SMOKING!" I told her that I had quit, then showed her my setup (a 650 Spinner with a CE5) and tried to explain the concept of vaping. Her reply was, and I quote, "But you're still smoking!" I wish I was making that up. Everyone older than me that I've tried to explain it to looks at me like I just landed in a Spaceship from the Planet Yrir. Even my Dad, who smoked for decades before quitting.