Is switching to vaping really quitting?

[Ast_Isis]

After 8 months, I consider myself a non-smoker since nothing I do involves combustion. I am also slowly lowering my nicotine so will be free of it eventually.
Once I am nicotine free, I intend on continuing vaping since I enjoy the act and flavors.

The only people so far who have said that I am still a smoker or have not actually "quit" are those who still smoke. Non-smokers all agree with me and are much more encouraging than current or former smokers. I chalk up the negative attitude to jealousy, misinformation and ignorance.

 

[mixitman]

Look up "Polycythemia Vera"

I have it.

My cell count when diagnosed last year was crazy high. Like, you know when a doctor says to another doctor "dude, you have to look at this!" kinda thing. I had to go every 2 weeks to have blood drawn to bring the count down. While I was smoking analongs, the count, every 2 weeks, would be almost right back where it started.. since I've quit smoking (yes, quit smoking), I've gone from having to go every 2 weeks, to once a month and the numbers stay very close to nominal now. 100% the reason for this is that I quit smoking.

 

[Ast_Isis]

My sister had that also and it was due to smoking. Once she switched to vaping, her counts went back to normal. Needless to say, her doctor is very happy!

 

[Grenage]

Cute how you edited my statement to remove ", besides the delivery vehicle", which was the entire point of it.

So BESIDES THAT, what is the difference in terms of efficacy for quitting nicotine?

I didn't include it, because the delivery mechanism is a moot point. It's still inhilation of gas/vapour/smoke, regardless of whether you inhale it from a teapot, a cig or an e-cig.

 

[Uncle JaR]

If you take away all the mumbled jargon, and semantics, the end result is the same. Are Electronic Cigarettes...PVs...as good for you as quitting nicotine? No. Is The gum or the patch as good for you as completing quitting nicotine? No. Are all of these devices giving your body the nicotine that your mind tells you it craves? Yes. I have to agree with the stance that this is simply an alternative way of getting nicotine into your system. Is it better than analogs? Only time will tell on this for the simple fact that long term studies concerning the inhalation of pg or vg cannot occur until people have been doing it long term. I find it incredibly hard to believe that they could be worse for me than all the chemicals and everything else found in analogs. Even if they are, I feel better, I no longer have to worry about hurting others, and I don't care if you consider me to be a smoker or a nonsmoker. I did not start this for others, I did this for myself, the benefits to those around me(this is very harsh) are secondary to my needs in this situation. I have tried the gums, and the patches, and cold turkey, and voodoo, and hynotherapy, and praying, and every other method imaginable to quit cigarettes, but the end result is i always went back. Whether or not this new habit is better for me, doesn't matter. Whether or not I will ever quit vaping, doesn't matter to me. What does matter is that I feel better, my body is telling me that things are better. My family has told me that I look better, sound better, smell better. I don't read books to learn for other people, I never smoked for others, and I don't vape for other people. I like the way nicotine makes my body feel, just as I like the way coffee makes my body feel, just as I like the way working out makes my body feel. The end result is simply this, what difference does any of this make? If you are looking to quit, there is little to no difference between cutting back on cigarettes, chewing the gum, vaping, or using the patch. These are short term, and the chances of their short term use causing long term problems is minimal. They all give your body nicotine, but in the end it is making the mental leap to break that bond that acts as the catalyst for completing the journey.

 

[CartHeadMod]

I didn't include it, because the delivery mechanism is a moot point. It's still inhilation of gas/vapour/smoke, regardless of whether you inhale it from a teapot, a cig or an e-cig.

.what we inhale from an electronic cigarette is not the same thing that is inhaled from a cigarette.....just as inhaling the scent of a rose is different from inhaling the scent of a sewer treatment plant......inhaling ether is different from inhaling asthma medication......it isn't just a difference of delivery mechanism, it's a difference of what is being inhaled...

 

[Grenage]

One is known to be bad, and has been proven to be bad; the other is just unknown.

 

[blindsoup]

nope,,,,but a great alternative!!

 

[cyberwolf]

Yes, you have quit smoking. You may not have quit the intake of nicotine, but that's where the rabid anti-smokers get confused. Nicotine is guilty by association with the 4000 real killers that you inhale when you light a cigarette.

 

[Harrysun]

Simply put ...... I have quit smoking. I have not however quit nicotine.

~Harrysun

 

[Vapor Grrl]

What do you guys think? I haven't smoked an analog in 23 days. Haven't even had the urge. Sure, I quit analogs, but have I quit smoking? For all you out there that have made the switch, are you trying to quit vaping, or are you content knowing that you've chosen a safer (?) alternative?

I look forward to the mixed replies I'm sure I'll see on this.

I've been vaping now 6 months and I don't smoke at all..... this was not the case when I used the gum and the patch - I always went back for that lung hit. Yes, with vaping the nic is still there, but this is significant harm reduction! I no longer inhale all those burning carbons, toxins and chemicals. My lungs have cleared out, I don't cough all day. Plus I can drop my nic level, but boost my flavor. I'm happy that it's safer and hopeful that I can reduce it over time...... maybe do some 0 nic flavors and see.