Non smoker normally

[chewbaca]

Hello e-cigarette forum - would really appreciate your input here.

I'm a non smoker and always have been. I got myself an e-cig from totally wicked and nicotine free liquids from libery flights. Don't ask why - I really just did it on a whim. People smoke flavoured water things in a local tea shop and I thought I'd try it out. I enjoy the taste and blowing smoke around while working at my desk.

A friend started telling me horror stories and I noticed that although the liquids say 0mg the boiler text does say 'contains nicotine'. That could be just a standard thing they didn't bother to change.

Long story short - if I'm sticking to (what is hopefully) non nicotine liquids how bad is this likely to be for me?

I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[Automaton]

No one is 100% sure. And whatever risk does come with e-cigs is most likely in the flavoring. There are no ecig-specific flavorings. It's just normal flavorings that have been used for this purpose, and they have never been tested for that. Not everything that is safe to eat is safe to inhale.

Which is why using an e-cig when you're a non-smoker doesn't make any sense to me. E-cigs are almost certainly safer than smoking, but there is no proof that they're actually safe. And to be perfectly honest, they probably AREN'T safe. They're just SAFER than smoking. But it doesn't take much for something to be safer than smoking.

In addition to that, you can still become an addict even if you never use nicotine. The habitual/compulsive addiction is just as powerful as the chemical addiction.

I just don't understand why you'd do that to yourself.

 

[chewbaca]

I guess it doesn't really make sense. I thought the flavours would be nice and rather than snacking on junk food I could use that.

It was a fun little novelty for me but I guess I'll put it away. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Automaton]

Finding something healthy and yummy to snack on is probably a better solution.

E-cigs are a godsend to smokers, but we're going from something that is extremely likely to kill us, to something that's... well, safER. But not safe.

Maybe there's a smoker in your life who would appreciate it.

Sorry to be a downer, I just don't want harm reduction and something that's safe to be confused. They aren't the same thing. E-cigs definitely fall under harm reduction.

 

[chewbaca]

I'd rather the right answer to the answer I want to hear - it's much appreciated.

I'll pass it on to my brother - at least it'll be better for him.

 

[Automaton]

I'm sure he'll appreciate it. And probably feel better, if he sticks with it.

Send him our way if he needs help!

 

[McCordRM]

I just don't understand why you'd do that to yourself.

Same reason we started smoking in the first place?

Anyhow, I have to agree with the "can't say" message here about safety.
I wrote an article on my Vaping experience and made damn sure I mentioned
that fact. Vaping just hasn't been around as long as smoking, and so we haven't
had the time to study it like we have cigarettes. If anyone tries to sell you on
Vaping because "It's safe", they're talking out of their ....

 

[warlike36]

Very intelligent responses to the OP..you all make me proud !! Instead of trying to just "sell it", you were honest...impressive !!

 

[Automaton]

Yeah, maybe. I suppose on that aspect, of why most people start smoking, I have perhaps less perspective than your average (ex) smoker. I came to it in a rather different way.

I do worry about some companies saying vaping is "safe." I don't think Totally Wicked does (and go figure he got a good e-cig on the first try when most newbies dont!), but some of the less ethical companies do say it's "safe." It's not. And we're still discovering possible risks as we go along.

It's so hard to get the "middle ground" message out there, between the media "OMG it's like breathing antifreeze!" thing and the unethical company "it's totally safe!" thing. It's neither. It's a much safer alternative to a very unsafe habit. But definitely not as safe as breathing in fresh air.

 

[KissMint]

LOL I try smoking first time one puff from my uncle's cig. I was around 7 yrs old... I coughed, adults at the table were laughing. I don't think it was a big deal back then. I remember having a pack of gum that resembles a pack of smokes.

My first cigarette was at 18 from my host-mum who i lived with while I was Germany. There was no cig ban, everybody around me smoke, and you can pleasantly smoke almost anywhere.

Things changed sooo much since then and I can't understand why a non smoker would start to smoke or using ecig. I hate it when people look at me like I'm from a different planet. It just sucks.

 

[charmed412]

My brother is a truck driver and will soon be going over the road again. He always smoked when he was over the road but quits cold turkey when he works in town. He knows he will start smoking again if he goes over the road. He wants to get an ego and vape 0 Nic if he takes the job. He tried my ego when my daughter was in the hospital with her baby and he liked it. In his situation, I think it is good. In yours, I would just sell and find a healthy snack.

 

[angry-amy]

i dont know if i agree with everyone here. i was a compulsive eater, turned compulsive smoker, turned compulsive eater when i quit smoking and this summer started smoking again.

eating and overeating the wrong things can cause just as many health problems as smoking can. so if it is a way to indulge in something and feel satisfied without consuming the calories, i might say go for it.

if my sister told me she was smoking, i would beat her senseless. if she told me she had problems with limiting her caloric intake, i would take her to the doctor. if she told me that she wanted to try vaping because she was having trouble with weight gain and she thought this would be a way to satisfy her sweet tooth, i would tell her to give it a try.

we all come with our different baggage and our different worldviews. just sayin.

 

[clark8876]

I can see amy's point on this but also agree there is no guarentee on safety.

PV have only been around since 2007, from my understanding, and 3-4 years is a mere blip in my lifetime!!!

 

[KissMint]

I have gained weight from vaping. I gained 2 inches around my waist in 1 month. It makes me hungry more than when I used to smoke.

That being said, if my non-smoking brother wants to vape vs over-eat I would still stop him from vaping. There are plenty of healthy food and snacks that taste good. And if chooses pizza, chips over others he can still go to the gym and get rid of those extra weight.
Probably easier than getting pg/vg, or flavor out of our lungs.

 

[Automaton]

angry-amy - I do see your point, but not everyone who has the tendency to snack on junk food is a compulsive eater. I mean, junk food is everywhere. Even I do that, and I'm not a compulsive eater - heck, sometimes I even forget to eat.

We don't really have any evidence that he is a compulsive eater, and from he own admission and descriptions, though I could be mistaken, it really sounds more like he just thought it was interesting.

Also, vaping doesn't help everyone cut down eating. As KissMint says, vaping makes some people want to eat more.

That isn't necessarily a trend. Some also eat less. Some notice no change. Point is, it's not any more effective than sucking on a pencil as a way to curb compulsive eating. And pencils don't carry any potential health risks, like vaping possibly could.

 

[chewbaca]

No I'm not really a compulsive eater - my doctor wants me to put on weight so he'd possibly be happier if I was. I work from home and it was just nice to have something which smelled/tasted nice while I worked.

I don't suppose it would work if I replaced the liquids with something like water or dilute juice? That's probably one of the odder questions to pop up on these forums but hey

 

[Automaton]

No, any more than a little water will pretty much eliminate the vapor production. And if it's only a little, it's not going to eliminate the potential risks.

 

[JonnyVapΣ]

Do whatever you want. What fun is it to live in a friggin bubble? Wanna hang out with your PV and enjoy something? GO FOR IT. It's not like this person is talking about smoking crack or cliff diving. My god....get a grip. There are dangers in EVERYTHING. Choosing to do things in life that are less dangerous than certain death, yet bring a little joy, is called LIVING.

 

[Automaton]

True enough. But, he asked about the risks. As someone who has spent their lives breathing fresh air, and who has no addictive reason why they can't only breathe fresh air, that is a totally rational thing for him to ask about, and wonder about.

He appeared to be under the (incorrect) impression that e-cigs are entirely safe. And I think we have an obligation to inform people that isn't the case, so they can make informed decisions about things.

Given the likelihood that he would also wind up fostering an addiction eventually, that is yet another ethical imperative that we should be imparting upon non-smokers who are looking into vaping.

If someone decides they don't care about potential health risks, or about becoming an addict, they are free to continue. But they should know.

If you could do it all over again, would you do this to your body? Would you be an addict?

There are plenty of ways to live a little without chaining yourself to that. It certainly annoys me personally how much people want to live in a bubble, but what we're talking about here is a more weighty thing than that.

 

[Cindra]

angry-amy - I do see your point, but not everyone who has the tendency to snack on junk food is a compulsive eater. I mean, junk food is everywhere. Even I do that, and I'm not a compulsive eater - heck, sometimes I even forget to eat.

I am kinda glad to hear I am not the only one who forgets. (Even though it is bad for us) Everyone looks at me like I am crazy when I say I forgot to eat.