Just had my CO2 levels retested after almost 10 months of vaping

[Tache]

We have these annual biomedical screening clinics once a year at work testing blood pressure, non-fasting Cholesterol, BMI and just for smokers CO2 levels - part of our "Healthy Workforce" initiative. Last year, while I was still smoking 2 PAD, my exhaled CO2 level was 45 ppm. Today the reading was 2 ppm - basically the same rate as a "never smoker".

All the testers were ecstatic that I had quit cigarettes, but the one from the lung association was appalled that I was vaping and admonished me not to do that - use approved methods! I'll tell you, I was appalled at her attitude! When I tried to tell her about the positives of vaping her response was - don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Being a "very geeky girl" and having read many of the studies I came back with points from peer reviewed clinical studies - she kept coming back with what I would consider "propaganda". After a bunch of back and forth I left her with this thought. Before you try to scare or intimidate someone from trying something that might just save their life, please go and actually read some unbiased scientific studies like Dr Farsalinos' study on the components of inhaled and exhaled vapour and effects of e-liquid on myocardial cells in vitro. You don't have to recommend the method, but for heaven's sake don't try to dissuade someone from informing themselves and trying it. I think I made a little dent in her zeal, but I'm wondering if I should bother following up with links to the studies.

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

Congrats! Way to hang in there and stick to your guns. Be it known to all present that I do hereby like Canadians once again.

You damn right you should follow up with this lady! She tried shoving her biased and uninformed opinion down your throat. If she was just a common "nobody" that'd be different but she's affiliated with the Lung Association. I recently had a run in with an M.D. over the same issue. Couldn't believe some of the crap he was telling me about e-cigs and I called him on it.

 

[jwag1973]

I'd like to think the test results would've been at least very intriguing to such a person.

 

[jensy]

Congrats on the test Tache !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes by all means send those links to her . Lets just say I am glad you spoke to her and not me . I know my facts and she would have sat there till I was finished with her seeings how she wants to spew that attitude of hers. I would also lodge a complaint with her supervisor.

 

[Fulgurant]

Congrats on the test results, and kudos for keeping your cool and patiently arguing your position.

Me? I woulda just called her a pharmaceutical company shill and walked out. She's getting paid to advocate an irrational and frankly abhorrent position; you're not getting paid to endure her willful stupidity. Still, by defending vaping in front of the third parties in the room, you did a good deed.

 

[gpang788]

......willful stupidity....

I like your choice of words

 

[coalyard]

I like your choice of words

Agreed 100%. There is a difference between stupidity and ignorance. It's funny that whenever I encounter people who put vaping down, saying it's dangerous or what have you, they are never prepared to back up their assertions with facts. I often find myself asking questions such as, "Who are 'they'?" or, "Which study is that information from?" or "How many children have died from overdosing on prescription medications or drinking drain opener that they got into?"

Don't get me wrong, I am the first to admit that the data about vaping isn't fully in yet. To be blunt, we really don't have any idea yet what the long term effects may be. That being said, we do know that it is safer than smoking cigarettes, and it is the most effective smoking cessation method by a long shot. Hysteria helps no one, especially if it is agenda driven. I rather suspect a lot of the hub-bub will die down once they figure out a way to pick our pockets with taxes, which is very telling about what they really care about. Hint: it's not your health or "the children".

Congratulations OP, on your good bill of health, and your efforts to beat back some of the mis-information.

 

[catalinaflyer]

Great news on the CO2 levels and great job with the Lung Association person. I have encountered these types as well, telling me that I should have used "approved" methods for cessation. Well I chose to use the unapproved method and it's the first one that has ever worked for me and I've tried them all, some several times.

Next time you encounter one of these people ask them how many years they smoked and what method did they use? I'll bet a spanking new Benjamin that you'll find that they have never smoked yet they know how best to get that monkey off someone's back. My mother and wife run a drug and alcohol rehab inpatient center and they will not even consider hiring a counselor that isn't a recovered addict yet the Lung Association seems to think they can hire people who have never danced with the demon to tell people how to get off the demon. These book educated people have no idea how powerful an addiction is so they can sit there with their superior attitude and tell you what your doing wrong.

 

[Tinkiegrrl]

Congrats OP! It's sad to see someone in the medical field dismiss e-cigs as "dangerous" without even being curious enough to read something worthwhile on the subject. Thankfully my experience with those in the medical field has been positive. My doctor was absolutely thrilled when I made the switch and proudly put down "non smoker" in my chart. He even took a pic of my set up to show other patients of his who have tried Blu and were disappointed with it. I was using an ego back then. The person who bought that ego for me was my mother, a nurse, who also purchases my teenaged half sister her vaping supplies. Yes, she encourages a teen to vape. However, it's because said teen was smoking half a pack a day and nothing my mother has done was able to stop it save for switchin my sister to vaping. She even sent her to my other sister in another state for the entire summer in an attempt to force her to quit. She picked smoking right back up as soon as he returned to school.

 

[Bontasia]

Those test results are aweeeesome congrats!! It's pathetic when you were standing there with results right in front of her that she still felt the need to steal your thunder. You did good =)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DarkDays93]

Congratulations!

I had mine tested when I tried quitting 'using approved methods' (before I discovered vaping) and it was at 16. 3 weeks later it was down to 5. Then I started smoking again.

Would love to see what it is now.

 

[GPC2012]

I think you handled it well. I don't think I would have been so eloquent, my response would have been something like, quit blowing smoke up my a&* I don't smoke anymore. lol

And contrats on the CO2 test. Wish all medical professionals were as open minded as my Dr. he is overjoyed at the fact that we're vaping and have quit analogs.

 

[Tache]

My doctor was very interested when I told that her that I had quit and took notes when I was explaining about vaping. The dental hygienist was also pleased to note that I am not building up tartar as fast, and that not only had the pockets in my gums not deepened, but one had improved by 1mm and another by 2mms. So not all health care professionals are ANTZ.

The lung association person was saying that she had read from legitimate sources and did not believe my saying that the success rate of "approved" methods was only in the 5 to 10% range - saying that it was higher but not coming up with how much. My response to her assertion that even the propylene glycol manufacturers do not recommend heating it was, ok, but to what temperature - vaping only heats it to the level required to produce vapour. She had no response to that. So now I have to dig back through the links and find the studies. Does anyone have a quick reference guide to the studies that refute each of the standard ANTZ claims?

 

[zoiDman]

...

All the testers were ecstatic that I had quit cigarettes, but the one from the lung association was appalled that I was vaping and admonished me not to do that - use approved methods! I'll tell you, I was appalled at her attitude! When I tried to tell her about the positives of vaping her response was - don't believe everything you read on the internet.

...

I think that person from the Lung Association gave you some Very Good Advice.

But what She Didn't Tell you is that it should Also be Applied to Groups like the US FDA, CDC, American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association.

If she had told Me that after I received the Test Results that you did, I would have just given her a Very Warm Smile. Then I would have Kicked Her in the Shin and Walked Away.

 

[zoiDman]

.... Does anyone have a quick reference guide to the studies that refute each of the standard ANTZ claims?

Here is a Great Source of Information

CASAA - The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association

 

[mostlyclassics]

Congratulations, Tache!

For those of you in the U.S. here's the dirty truth underlying many, if not all, of the lung and other "health" associations in the U.S.

The percentage of cigarette smokers in the general population has been stuck around 18-20% for the past two decades. Interestingly, about 18-20% of the population has a genetic quirk which practically guarantees addiction to nicotine. (The rest of the population ranges from "can't become addicted at all" to "moderately addicted" to nicotine, depending on their genetics.) This is why reducing smoking below that 18-20% has been such an intractable problem.

In the late 1990's Big Tobacco engineered a deal with Congress whereby if they paid a huge downstroke plus made continuing payments of about 30¢ per pack sold to the Tobacco Master Settlement Fund, all future lawsuits against Big Tobacco would be dismissed. The funds are distributed to the states, parceled out according to the number of cigarette packs sold in each state. The states all have distribution "foundations." Much of the funds wind up in the states' general operating funds (they were all supposed to be used for smoking cessation programs), but many of the state chapters of the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society and others. These non-profits have become dependent on the ongoing fund payments. If the funds dry up, parts or all of these "health" associations dry up or have to go out of business.

Since they're dependent on these ongoing payments from the Tobacco Master Settlement Fund, and since vaping isn't a party to the Tobacco Master Settlement, these "health" organizations are going to propagandize against vaping to people who physically can't quit smoking. They also strenuously lobby for local jurisdictions to repress vaping.

They actually want us poor addicts to go back to smoking and thereby guarantee much of their funding and jobs.

 

[Fulgurant]

@mostlyclassics - Brilliant summary.