Ok, so hear me out, here.
Through all of vaping, there have been scares about different things. Formaldehyde, acrolein, etc. some has been debunked, much has been clarified, some is still unclear.
Now, it's "popcorn lung" (the grossest possible name for something, to me) that is the new fear inducer.
My issue, I suppose, is that I am unsure how I feel about vaping at this point because I am experiencing the same dissonance that I had as a smoker. We all tell ourselves, as smokers, that we like it, that we choose what to do, that we will stop when we're ready, etc. etc. we convince ourselves constantly that what we are doing is ok, or in some way we think it is ok. But we KNOW that something is wrong and that smoking is bad for us. We don't need proof, we know it, but we'd keep smoking anyway, most of the time, until something stopped us.
Now I wonder if I've done the same thing with vaping.
Now, I don't vape much anymore. I don't smoke, either. I still love vaping, though, I haven't had a good vape in a long time, and I wonder if it's because my brain has changed because it's telling me, "dude, you shouldn't do these things". It seems that everything I Vape, is just not that good. Could be hardware, could be juice, other factors. I'm a pretty well informed vaper of about four years, so I know what to look for, but nothing really works, now. I want to get a kayyfun and dive into RBAs more, but I wonder if I should, or if I'm just done?
So maybe, all of this stems from the fact that I am still unsure if vaping is something I should keep doing if I'm working to be "healthy".
Don't get me wrong. If there were something incontrovertible that stated that I could smoke or vape all I wanted without risk, I would do it, like crazy. Obviously, nothing will ever be that. I know that. i could die from eating a ....... apple.
I am still unsure which side of the fence I sit on. I've heard this stuff about popcorn lung and Someone needing a transplant from it, still sounds like BS to me. But, I've heard nothing about that person's life. Did they smoke two packs a day before converting? It was enough to make me look at things again and say, "ok man, how long would you plan to do this?".
My question At this point is, should we all just vape VG with no flavoring and nicotine? Would that ensure "safer"? I know there's no such thing, but if it's harm reduction we want, while still enjoying the thing that we loved once but knew would kill us, wouldn't we do everything to achieve that? Is there any such thing as "safe"?
No. We have no assurance that anything is safe. Yes, we are looking to reduce harm, so we can only do as much as possible.
Closing argument: my wife just quit smoking after years of smoking a lot of newports, just quit, a feat I see as immeasurable, and amazingly brave. I had quit, then found vaping, then started analogs again, then cut them out again. I don't miss cigarettes, not most of the time. There are moments. They never go away. I have a nostalgic feel about vaping, though, going back to my first days with a box mod and some KBV juice on a rainy day, thinking, "This is the best thing ever".
Of course, I had that same feeling about smoking, many times over. Perhaps I want that nostalgia back and know it might be hard to find. Perhaps the fact that cigarettes are out of our lives makes me feel different about all of it altogether.
I've probably rambled too much here, and for that, I apologize. I'm basically wondering if anyone else feels this from time to time? Or has other thoughts? Or am I simply over analyzing and should I just enjoy these things?
You don't have to have an answer, but your thoughts are of course appreciated.
Through all of vaping, there have been scares about different things. Formaldehyde, acrolein, etc. some has been debunked, much has been clarified, some is still unclear.
Now, it's "popcorn lung" (the grossest possible name for something, to me) that is the new fear inducer.
My issue, I suppose, is that I am unsure how I feel about vaping at this point because I am experiencing the same dissonance that I had as a smoker. We all tell ourselves, as smokers, that we like it, that we choose what to do, that we will stop when we're ready, etc. etc. we convince ourselves constantly that what we are doing is ok, or in some way we think it is ok. But we KNOW that something is wrong and that smoking is bad for us. We don't need proof, we know it, but we'd keep smoking anyway, most of the time, until something stopped us.
Now I wonder if I've done the same thing with vaping.
Now, I don't vape much anymore. I don't smoke, either. I still love vaping, though, I haven't had a good vape in a long time, and I wonder if it's because my brain has changed because it's telling me, "dude, you shouldn't do these things". It seems that everything I Vape, is just not that good. Could be hardware, could be juice, other factors. I'm a pretty well informed vaper of about four years, so I know what to look for, but nothing really works, now. I want to get a kayyfun and dive into RBAs more, but I wonder if I should, or if I'm just done?
So maybe, all of this stems from the fact that I am still unsure if vaping is something I should keep doing if I'm working to be "healthy".
Don't get me wrong. If there were something incontrovertible that stated that I could smoke or vape all I wanted without risk, I would do it, like crazy. Obviously, nothing will ever be that. I know that. i could die from eating a ....... apple.
I am still unsure which side of the fence I sit on. I've heard this stuff about popcorn lung and Someone needing a transplant from it, still sounds like BS to me. But, I've heard nothing about that person's life. Did they smoke two packs a day before converting? It was enough to make me look at things again and say, "ok man, how long would you plan to do this?".
My question At this point is, should we all just vape VG with no flavoring and nicotine? Would that ensure "safer"? I know there's no such thing, but if it's harm reduction we want, while still enjoying the thing that we loved once but knew would kill us, wouldn't we do everything to achieve that? Is there any such thing as "safe"?
No. We have no assurance that anything is safe. Yes, we are looking to reduce harm, so we can only do as much as possible.
Closing argument: my wife just quit smoking after years of smoking a lot of newports, just quit, a feat I see as immeasurable, and amazingly brave. I had quit, then found vaping, then started analogs again, then cut them out again. I don't miss cigarettes, not most of the time. There are moments. They never go away. I have a nostalgic feel about vaping, though, going back to my first days with a box mod and some KBV juice on a rainy day, thinking, "This is the best thing ever".
Of course, I had that same feeling about smoking, many times over. Perhaps I want that nostalgia back and know it might be hard to find. Perhaps the fact that cigarettes are out of our lives makes me feel different about all of it altogether.
I've probably rambled too much here, and for that, I apologize. I'm basically wondering if anyone else feels this from time to time? Or has other thoughts? Or am I simply over analyzing and should I just enjoy these things?
You don't have to have an answer, but your thoughts are of course appreciated.
