Newbie question: pluses and minuses of getting hooked on vaping

[seatacboy]

Analogs stink and have an awful negative social stigma, yet I see elected officials being pressured into creating an antagonistic stigma to vaping. Are we in danger of becoming hooked on vaping as a nicotine intake device, only to find that the authorities are attempting to criminalize e-cigarettes?

I was someone who had quit analogs completely several months ago using the "Red Green Show" mens' prayer doctrine: "I can quit smoking, if I have to, I guess". After a rather jolting personal experience, I reached a point five weeks ago where I had decided to relapse back to nicotine intake, for better or worse, but decided with great caution to start with disposable e-cigs. After a few experiences with disposables, I'm now using a couple of good entry-level Aspire ET BDC tanks filled with two different types of juices (tobacco and menthol flavor), entry level Ego 1100 battery, and charger. Dramatically more interesting than disposables, although they are a great alternative to buying and smoking a pack of analogs after "quitting". My juices are 12 mg (less than the disposables rated at 18 mg), it definitely helps deal with nicotine craving.

I know lots of folks "out there" seem to behave as though nicotine consumption through vaping is just as dangerous as analog smoking. Would like some facts and moral support so that this is a decision I feel okay with, given that ultimately I'm not necessarily doomed to becoming an obsessive vaper (though I had a few experiences of hugely "nic-ing out").

 

[Dakota Jim]

plus - you are not inhaling 4000+ different chemicals that cause the health problems (nicotine on its own is similar to caffeine)
plus - you are not spending $6 and up per day for cigarettes
plus - you don't stink like smoke
plus - your house and car do not stink like smoke
plus - you will get healthier each day you are not smoking
plus - you can create a great new hobby and interact with a great group of people on forums similar to what you are doing now

minus - you will have to deal with under educated (vaping wise) people persecuting you, lying about the effects of vaping and trying to ban vaping to save the dollars tobacco generates (taxes, medical fees, contributions to the Lung Associations, etc) - oops, I meant to say the children, save the children, yep, that's it, they never thought of the money.




Oh, and congrats on your teams big win last night (Bronco's , tsk, tsk tsk)

 

[Requiem33]

^^^^^ What he said ^^^^^

 

[dice57]

Welcome and congrats on vaping, much more effective the chanting the serenity prayer!!

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

I know lots of folks "out there" seem to behave as though nicotine consumption through vaping is just as dangerous as analog smoking.

It's a cultural thing. The 'war' on smoking worked a little too well I think. I seriously doubt Vaping will ever become accepted because we now have a full generation of folks that have been conditioned since childhood to believe that fog coming out of somebody's mouth is just harmful to the world.

 

[umidontknow]

Plus, I can fall asleep in bed vaping.
Plus, I dont burn myself.
Plus, dont stink.
Plus, I carry a vamo with a kayfun on it, so personal protection. hahaha
Plus, wonderful smells of certain juices
Minus, where is my juice?, you seen my mod? got a spare battery?
Minus, when i forget my mod, i cant run into a gas station and easily get another one.

 

[Mikie]

Just my view, I see vaping as a way to stop smoking that is working far better than any NRT I have tried. But here's the kicker, i don't see it as something to "do", as much as I see it as a way to not do what I know is hurting me. If I could just flip a switch, i wouldn't do either.

It isn't proven yet whether vaping is dangerous or not, so tread lightly if you can. Most if not all of us who have vaped from 1 month to 4 years will say we feel better. But that doesn't mean it is proven safe. I know I feel better and I am not smoking cigarettes any more, so there is a plus. A minus might be(we don't know yet) that I am unknowingly planting a time bomb into my body by doing this.

If it is cigs or vaping... every time, for me and a lot of others vaping is better for you. But for me, the ultimate goal is to not be inhaling anyting into my body other than the purest air I can.

To each their own though. Best of luck

 

[skoony]

assuming this is not a troll the answer is vaping is 99% safer than smoking real cigarettes.
if you understand statistical analysis that means virtually harmless as compaired to smoking.
absolutely harmless in terms of 2nd,3rd,and 4th hand anything.

regards
mike

 

[WidowsSonAsWell]

Pretty easy to get hooked onto vaping especially since you can now do it indoors

 

[Wmmeese]

I don't know how long clinical trials for drugs last before they are deemed safe for general sale, but ecigs have been in use for over 4 years with no more adverse effects than are normally listed as possible side effects for established medication. Despite this, medical professionals continue to resist based on no long term use information. It is also suspect that the same people who resist usage based on the lack of scientific trials are not calling for or pursuing the trials they say are missing. Some would say there is much more at stake here than what is being openly discussed.

 

[Jgren]

I see where the OP is coming from and understand his concerns. I haven't had an analog in two weeks because of vaping .I smoked a pack a day for 16 years,on one hand I'm extremely proud of what I've accomplished so far, on the other I'm a little concerned that in the future we might find vaping is just as bad,I just wish we could get a solid answer now,For now I'm gonna continue vaping because I really enjoy it,I have zero cravings for an analog.

 

[TheReign]

plus - you are not inhaling 4000+ different chemicals that cause the health problems (nicotine on its own is similar to caffeine)
plus - you are not spending $6 and up per day for cigarettes
plus - you don't stink like smoke
plus - your house and car do not stink like smoke
plus - you will get healthier each day you are not smoking
plus - you can create a great new hobby and interact with a great group of people on forums similar to what you are doing now

minus - you will have to deal with under educated (vaping wise) people persecuting you, lying about the effects of vaping and trying to ban vaping to save the dollars tobacco generates (taxes, medical fees, contributions to the Lung Associations, etc) - oops, I meant to say the children, save the children, yep, that's it, they never thought of the money.




Oh, and congrats on your teams big win last night (Bronco's , tsk, tsk tsk)

This in a nuts shell. plus or minus a few pros

 

[revco]

Don't mistake what they're going to try to do. They'll try to get that stigma with how it "looks" like smoking, when in fact, is nothing like smoking. That leads to the sin tax and regulation, essentially destroying the decentralization and choice that we currently enjoy and reaping the same tax dollars they used to take from us with cigarettes. They want to do that without actually having to prove it's harmful to anyone, bystanders or the vapers themselves alike. That's expensive. All of it is downright coercive from my viewpoint...we don't burden-tax chocolate and hamburgers, which are probably responsible for more harm overall than our vapor.

There's no doubt from the chorus of answers here that most of don't have to think...we know...that e-cigs are safer and better than regular cigs. All the plusses above speak for themselves. But, there's a dirty little secret that none of us really likes to talk about. Most of us who have been concerned have done some level of research and come to the conclusion there's not nearly the amount of research and longevity of the habit to prove one way or the other whether they're harmful. Or not. To determine these things, it takes a relatively large portion of the population over a great deal of time and statistical data is derived from that information.

Frankly, if they can actually prove that e-cigs are harmful...and in what ways, compared to cigarettes as well...I want to know that answer too. We're taking a chance, but everything we know so far indicates it's reduced harm. One of the reasons I joined this forum and CASAA was because I learned we were doing crowed sourced research to chemically analyze the act of vaping for known possible harm. To me, that's incredible and indicative of our concern for ourselves, and more importantly, others who may be around it.

Nonetheless, there's been a number of FDA approved drugs that were proven harmful well over a decade after release...so it's not like the regulatory bodies have a perfect track record themselves. But we shouldn't let them get away with banning, regulating or controlling something when there's no just cause for it. I understand being cautious, but base it on the facts and not bias, prejudice or faulty research.

 

[seatacboy]

assuming this is not a troll the answer is vaping is 99% safer than smoking real cigarettes.
if you understand statistical analysis that means virtually harmless as compaired to smoking. absolutely harmless in terms of 2nd,3rd,and 4th hand anything. regards mike

I am absolutely not a troll. I am a real person who is enjoying vaping far more than I had anticipated. It does involve using new "hardware" and "software" than analogs. Not trying to sound goofy, but I'm very happy to vape instead of relapsing to analog smoking. I just know that a lot of people won't understand how this has not only brought pleasure, but relief that I won't be getting back into inhaling toxic garbage into my lungs, having stinky clothes and horrible breath, etc.

 

[seatacboy]

I see where the OP is coming from and understand his concerns. I haven't had an analog in two weeks because of vaping .I smoked a pack a day for 16 years,on one hand I'm extremely proud of what I've accomplished so far, on the other I'm a little concerned that in the future we might find vaping is just as bad,I just wish we could get a solid answer now,For now I'm gonna continue vaping because I really enjoy it,I have zero cravings for an analog.

Agree with you.

From what I've observed, e-cig marketers and businesses are being quite careful NOT to make health claims. They only indicate that vaping e-cigs is an alternative form for consuming nicotine (hazard reduction), which does appear to avoid the most commonly known health risks associated with smoking tobacco.

In the meantime, realistically, I'm not planning to stop vaping in the foreseeable future. I don't want to play mind games with myself on this. At some point might wean down my nicotine level from 12mg to 6mg juice; it won't involve the pathetic risks that smokers take when they switch from full-flavor full-nicotine cigarettes to what formerly were called "low tar" or "light" cigarettes, where most smokers compensate by pursuing their lips around the air holes in the filter, draw harder and inhale deeper than with full-flavor full-nicotine cigs.

In other words, I know that my mind and emotions operate better using nicotine, and this is a far better means of enjoying nicotine intake.

 

[Steam Turbine]

I know lots of folks "out there" seem to behave as though nicotine consumption through vaping is just as dangerous as analog smoking. .

The nicotine found in e-cigs is as dangerous as the nicotine found in a cigarette in the same sense that the caffeine found in coffee is as dangerous as caffeine found in a beverage made out of cyanide, tar, ammonia with a dash of aluminum. Although not healthy, nicotine is not the real problem in tobacco smoke.

 

[Buggainok]

In the meantime, realistically, I'm not planning to stop vaping in the foreseeable future. I don't want to play mind games with myself on this. At some point might wean down my nicotine level from 12mg to 6mg juice; it won't involve the pathetic risks that smokers take when they switch from full-flavor full-nicotine cigarettes to what formerly were called "low tar" or "light" cigarettes, where most smokers compensate by pursuing their lips around the air holes in the filter, draw harder and inhale deeper than with full-flavor full-nicotine cigs.

I smoked for over 40 years. As soon as "light" cigarettes came out, I immediately switched, and told myself how much better they were for me. Right. My body was not fooled. I think I smoked more with lights and ultra lights than I did before, trying to keep that nicotine level up. Vaping has worked amazingly well for me. I am stunned and so pleased to not smoke!

 

[AlB53]

you will live longer....is that a+

 

[seatacboy]

I smoked for over 40 years. As soon as "light" cigarettes came out, I immediately switched, and told myself how much better they were for me. Right. My body was not fooled. I think I smoked more with lights and ultra lights than I did before, trying to keep that nicotine level up. Vaping has worked amazingly well for me. I am stunned and so pleased to not smoke!

Great points! Those of us who smoked analogs recall that the habit resembled those Warner Brothers Road Runner Cartoons: we were like the coyote, with an incredibly deep craving to "capture" the Road Runner but in spite of hundreds of efforts - many of which left the Coyote seriously injured - we never could catch that Road Runner! One thing I've noticed is that the "reuptake" of nicotine from e-cigarettes is slower than with analogs but you can catch a very similar nicotine hit when you are patient and earn the best ways to vape. Having the pleasure without the pain is wonderful, although admittedly we don't know if the future will reveal any objective, verifiable, unbiased evidence of serious harm arising from vaping. Certainly for those of us who function much better as nicotine users, the e-cig is a great alternative and a means to obtain the addictive "satisfaction" and pleasure associated with nicotine intake.

 

[HighEnergyProton]

Everything has pretty much been covered here. But just to add, for me personally one of the biggest things that I love about vaping instead of smoking analogs is that I can carry my baby around without worrying about all the chemicals on them from the analogs. He has a touch fixation and strokes all different textures, he does it a lot with my printed t-shirts and jumpers. So just having the peace of mind of that has been a huge thing for me. Before I would change out of my clothes before picking him up and then still worry about my hands,etc.

I have no cons about vaping