Naive nonsmoker question

[Cacique]

Addiction is a very personal thing. I started smoking hand rolled cigars at 18, short after that I moved to college and went from around 4-5 cigars a week to about 3-4 black and milds a day, to a half a pack of cigs a day. At around 19 or 20 I actually completely forgot about the half a carton sitting right in front of my face on my desk for 2 weeks until a friend asked if I was feeling ok because they hadn't seen me have a smoke in a long time, then I started again because I wasn't trying to quit or anything.

At 21 I met my girlfriend, who had stopped smoking due to her mother having been diagnosed with breast cancer. I started spending more time with her and in a month or so I was down to like 2 cigarettes a week, and after about 2 or 3 weeks they tasted horrible and I didn't want any more. So if nicotine was such an addictive thing, I don't see how I would have been able to quit randomly for a couple of weeks and then quit again for good and never experience any side effects.

I ended up getting into vaping after a couple of failed attempts because it's great to take care of that smoking ritual. As a child I bit my nails horribly and I pretty much quit that with cigarettes. At 0 nic vaping takes care of that oral fixation and I don't get to be all fidgety all day long. At 6mg nic now I get similar effects to what people say they get from coffee, which never did anything to me.

 

[wheezal]

so many serius feels...

this nevar happens when peeps talk aboot pudding.





jus' sayin....

 

[mosspa]

Addiction is a very personal thing.

The mere fact that this statement is being made illustrates that the word "addiction" no longer has any real meaning. For example, what does the sentence "I'm addicted to gummy bears" mean? Does the person making that statement mean that they are dependent on gummy bears? Maybe, if one was to remove ad lib access to gummy bears, that person could claim that living the quality of life they desire that includes access to gummy bears in the quantity they may want to consume them is being denied. In such context, the use of the term "addicted" may have some personally referenced validity, and I would not argue with them. Hey, if eating tons of gummy bears is what gets that person by, more power to them. Let them eat all the gummy bears they desire. However, claiming that the nature of gummy bears sets up some physiological process that 'requires' them to eat gummy bears is absurd. Sure, gummy bears may be tasty and may fulfill some personal need for that person. The incentive value of gummy bears may cause the person to continue to consume large and unhealthy quantities of gummy bears and to make statements like "I'm addicted to gummy bears". In reality, smoking and the urge to smoke is no different. I understand that people will jump at the chance to say that they they smoke cigarettes (or vape nicotine) because something in the act of doing so 'causes' them to smoke/vape. Again, I have no reason to believe that their statements are untrue. What I do disagree with is that the function of nicotine in their smoking/vaping is any different than the function of fructose in their gummy bears in the support of their behavior. When you reduce the meaning of "addiction" to "why I do what I do" makes the meaning of the term meaningless, and a bit circular (i.e., "I do what I do because I like doing what I do").

I understand that people may want to blame 'something' for their bad choices in life, but to blame an ingredient in their maintenance of bad life style choices, that has repeatedly been empirically demonstrated to not participate in the maintenance of the behavior, is simply a matter of attribution of blame, and does not provide a rational explanation for the continuation of their unhealthy behavior. In short, there is no empirical evidence that suggests that nicotine is any more important in the maintenance of smoking/vaping behavior than is fructose in the overeating of gummy bears. That many vapers appear to be content with juices that don't contain enough nicotine to really make a significant physiological difference, and yet continue to successfully substitute vaping for smoking in their attempts to reduce the harm by making the substitution of behaviors, suggests that the inclusion of any nicotine in the vaping experience is purely superstitious behavior. Remember, I'm not vaping to reduce harm from smoking. I'm looking at the whole vaping of nicotine issue from my own personal perspective of cognitive enhancement. I'm thrilled that most of the readership here are able to move away from a behavior (smoking) that poses potential harm, and I really don't care why they do it if it works for them. What I reject to is that people here make unsubstantiated claims about my remarks concerning nicotine without any serious evaluation of the science.

 

[Scottitude]

OMG, we get it! Same words, different post.

And yet you called me a troll?


From merriam-webster.com (emphasis mine):

Full Definition of BULLY

transitive verb

1: to treat abusively
2: to affect by means of force or coercion​

intransitive verb

: to use browbeating language or behavior : bluster​

​

Please stop.

 

[Rucerius]

Well, this has certainly gone off on a tangent... I wonder how the OP is working things out with her daughter?

 

[Thespis]

When you post an opinion on a public forum, some will disagree.
A disagreement is not a personal attack.
The only thing that needs to stop here is the hyperbole.
An opinion is like an , everybody has one.

 

[Scottitude]

I agree with everything you said, Thespis.

Unfortunately, when one repeatedly posts the same opinion over and over again, claiming it to be unequivocally factual and based on advanced and unparalleled knowledge which others are incapable of understanding, it becomes bullying and is a danger to impressionable (or naïve, as the OP stated) readers and derails a thread.

And as Rucerius commented, I too would like to know how things went with the OP and her original concern.

 

[Thespis]

I understand your frustration, however there is an "ignore" feature on this forum. IMO, that is a more desirable path than trying to silence a voice with which you disagree.
That's just my opinion, though...

 

[anniahblaze]

I have no nic to help with my anxiety and after I have a meal and am craving sweets. I have a few dessert liquids that help curb my want for sweets. Ask her, she might be vaping no nic just to be cool, you never know.

 

[web5798]

It is a hobby

 

[themightyturtle]

To non smokers who are thinking about vaping I say why? You won. You don't smoke.

 

[mosspa]

To non smokers who are thinking about vaping I say why? You won. You don't smoke.

There is a simple reason. People who haven't smoked and haven't practiced a destructive habit for many years may be looking at vaping nicotine through uncolored glasses. I've, apparently, become a pariah here. When I look at the rhetoric in the posts that apparently want me to stop voicing my opinion and reporting scientific evidence, I see fear in the idea that, somehow, my advocating the use of nicotine for something other than smoking cessation, is relevant to them. I have to assume that people who don't have a lot of prejudicial opinions concerning the chemical substance, nicotine, can more critically evaluate the available evidence, the preponderance of which, suggests that vaping nicotine might be beneficial to them. Those smoking-naive people who have not developed a negative attitude toward THEMSELVES, may be receptive to the scientifically supported evidence, and may need someone to continue to assure them that their experimental use of vaped nicotine may not be a bad thing. I'm not posting here for people who have used vaping to get them away from smoking. Yes, I understand that you believe what you believe and are happy in your results. For smokers who have reduced their own personal harm for smoking by taking up vaping, yes, I applaud you and totally agree with your decision to do so. However, my comments are not directed at you. I don't appreciate the fact that, from your scientifically uninformed positions apparent in your posts, you are possibly denying people a simple, safe and possibly effective way to help THEMSELVES. To continue to fear monger about what you think nicotine did to you is doing THOSE people a disservice. I understand that you believe that somehow nicotine should be treated as something that you must avoid. I think that you are wrong, but that is my opinion. Why, however, should you continually make snide remarks about my commentary as to the possible advantages of inhaling nicotine? I hope you stop and consider that, no matter what you BELIEVE, there is a possibility that I might be correct in my position. All I ask is that evidence be provided that I am wrong, if I am. That seems pretty simple to me. Put up or shut up. I think that vaping nicotine may be helpful to many people. So, instead of telling me what you believe because you heard it from somebody who heard it from somebody, who heard it from somebody, just post something other than your opinion as to why I shouldn't continue. If you are successful, I will stop vaping and I will stop annoying you. Otherwise, you can expect me to continue to try to keep non-smokers informed as to the potential benefits of vaping nicotine. This is supposed to be the "e-cigarette forum", not the "smokers anonymous" forum.

 

[VitaminC]

flavors. i have friends that dont smoke at all but they would puff ecig all day long just for the hack of it...