Scared to stop smoking, scared to start vaping

[VictorC]

Hello there. Couple advises from another health paranoiac. The risk of vaping is unknown, I suggest to check Dr. Farsalinos studies to have a more balanced perspective.
First, you need to start right. Use a good performer, at least something like new Ego One. Start with menthol juice until you figure out your favorite flavour. Have both stronger and lighter versions on hands (I am using 6gm and 12mg).
To mitigate potential risks of vaping I do following.
Here in Canada I am buying only ECTA certified juices, at least some control. Prefer higher VG liquids (70%) and vaping at a lower voltage/wattage to avoid juice overheating. Have enough juice in the tank to keep wick moist. Right now I am building my own coils using Kenthal and organic cotton and seriously considering a temperature control device.
Smoke free since January 23, 2015.

 

[TRIPDUBZ]

Hello there. Couple advises from another health paranoiac. The risk of vaping is unknown, I suggest to check Dr. Farsalinos studies to have a more balanced perspective.
First, you need to start right. Use a good performer, at least something like new Ego One. Start with menthol juice until you figure out your favorite flavour. Have both stronger and lighter versions on hands (I am using 6gm and 12mg).
To mitigate potential risks of vaping I do following.
Here in Canada I am buying only ECTA certified juices, at least some control. Prefer higher VG liquids (70%) and vaping at a lower voltage/wattage to avoid juice overheating. Have enough juice in the tank to keep wick moist. Right now I am building my own coils using Kenthal and organic cotton and seriously considering a temperature control device.
Smoke free since January 23, 2015.

I hear you on the temperature limiting devices. I am going to wait until Dr. F's study results are released before I start messing with nickel builds and spending the extra loot to get a dna40 though. From what it sounds like the tech isn't there yet either just yet tk make the plunge.

 

[TRIPDUBZ]

I hear you on the temperature limiting devices. I am going to wait until Dr. F's study results are released before I start messing with nickel builds and spending the extra loot to get a dna40 though. From what it sounds like the tech isn't there yet either just yet tk make the plunge.

And just to be clear - I am not saying (at all) that dna40's don't work, I have just noticed complaints regarding the screen and finicky building demands with nickel wire that have prevented me from diving into temperature limiting devices.

Emerald - sorry, these are things that you don't have to consider as a new vapor!

 

[asmcriminal]

In regards to the temperature control. I came across people saying a study showed a production of an aldehyde. This basically is saying the chemical structure will change due to elevated temperatures. This can happen, but honestly... to me it doesn't make sense in terms of vaping. All these compounds have a boiling point, they turn from a liquid to gas, this is boiling. It's like boiling water, you put it on the stove, and it boils at the proper temperature. If you increase the temperature even hotter, it will just boil faster, it doesn't change the chemical structure, it's still water but in a gas form.

If you put a piece of chicken on the stove and turn up the heat, this does produce a chemical change, it doesn't "boil" the chicken off. More then likely, I think the study that says formaldehyde is produced is possibly due to a coil, not necessarily the ejuice.

 

[Cacique]

I thought when I read it that it meant that it creates compounds that would have to go through a whole different chemical process to become formaldehyde. Not sure if I'm right or not, though.

 

[asmcriminal]

I thought when I read it that it meant that it creates compounds that would have to go through a whole different chemical process to become formaldehyde. Not sure if I'm right or not, though.

I wrote out the chemical structures for PG, VG, and Nicotine. I just don't see it making formaldehyde. If it does, it's coming from the nicotine reacting with the PG or the VG. If this is the case, you can just change to a VG juice if PG is the issue or a PG juice if VG is the issue. Another possibility is the flavoring, as i originally stated it is my biggest concern. We don't know what chemicals are used to make the flavorings.

 

[Spencer87]

i would say start vaping with the intent to quit.. not alongside it.
thats how I did it, i knowingly

 

[Arenz]

Fear is what you feel just before you do something awesome...

 

[segadad]

I had the same fears as you until I sat down and figured out what cigarettes were putting into my body. Then I realized how many folks out there have been vaping for years, some of them chain vaping, and It doesn't seem like they are any more prone to horrible illness than smokers. In fact, it seems like they are far less vulnerable. I've lost too many friends and family members to smoking but so far I don't know anybody that vaped to death. It's been two months for me but I haven't had a cigarette since the day after I bought my setup (Nautilus Mini on an Istick). The strange thing is I always felt like I enjoyed cigarettes but I truly, truly enjoy vaping! I'm on 18 mg now and doing just fine. Like you, I'm going to taper down gradually. Whatever you decide - good luck!

 

[emeraldgreen]

Great points guys, I mean the responses and info has been overwhelming. I read each and everyone and i'm just amazed at the level of knowledge you guys have. Some of you wrote long responses and I am just so impressed you took the time out to reach out to me in this way.

I guess the one thing I still worry about is the flavorings/ingredients in the juice or whatever else is used in the product, and the unknown effects of it on the lungs. Remember popcorn lung and that chemical? No one knew.

Well what if one if these ingredients in the juice is the cause for the next wave of a "popcorn lung" disease and we don't even know about it?

Maybe i'm naive, but this still worries the hell out of me. Ironically, i'm smoking cigarettes and coughing my brains out every day knowing full well the thousands of chemicals in the smoke cause a multitude of different cancers.

 

[TRIPDUBZ]

Hey Emerald,

You will tend to find an overwhelmingly supportive reaponse to promoting 'the sport' if you will. There seems to be a strong united breath among vapors, and a resounding clean one at that.

Research Diketones, and diacetyl in particular if you are concerned about popcorn lung type risks involved in flavors - there is extensive (speculative and factual) information about it. It is not a clandestine threat to vapers, but it is one that we are still trying to ascertain the magnitude of. From what I gather, it is predominatly used in custard type flavors as a means of achieving a buttery mouth feel (and boy is it good). Although, some of Dr. F'S studies found traces of this even in fruits (which I am reluctant to accept).

Whatever you decide, there are risks and dangers in every choice you make. Like I also statdd previously, the flavors are in dire need of chemical research in terms of increased temperature and inhalation, but I am willing to take the risk because of how awesome vaping is.

 

[khalidmna]

I think it works the first time because when smokers first read it they've already decided to quit, imho the book is just a mental crutch - don't agree with his views that nicotine isn't addictive and that quitting is easy

 

[navigator2011]

I think it works the first time because when smokers first read it they've already decided to quit, imho the book is just a mental crutch - don't agree with his views that nicotine isn't addictive and that quitting is easy

Yeah, he even pointed out that most people reading the book are desperate to quit smoking. He did stress that nicotine (at least by way of tobacco) is very addictive. His view was that it was easy to quit with a "positive frame of mind."

 

[nyiddle]

Well what if one if these ingredients in the juice is the cause for the next wave of a "popcorn lung" disease and we don't even know about it?

If it's really that big of a concern, and flavors isn't a motivator (for me, choice of flavors is one of the main reasons I quit smoking/started vaping), just go flavorless! You can get some VG/PG and some nicotine on the cheap-cheaps. For 20-30 bucks you can probably get enough to last the better part of the year.

I share some of your concern. Certain flavoring companies have questionable/opaque processes to brewing their juice. They can claim that their juice does or doesn't have any number of ingredients, and really there's no way of proving them wrong or right (unless you're willing to shell out the money to test a company's juice). That said, the highest concentration of diketones tends to be in creamy/custardy/vanilla-y flavors. Diketones aren't intentionally put in juice, they're something that naturally occurs in the flavorings. Lot of companies say, "We don't use diacetyl!" Well great, but what about the hundreds of other diketones out there? I usually stick to fruity/menthol/tobacco flavors, which supposedly have notably less diketones (in general) than creamy/custardy/vanilla/dessert flavors.

So I mean, it's potentially spooky, but I look at it this way: Smoking cigarettes is like being in a sinking boat. You know you're going down, it's just a matter of when. E-cigarettes is like the life raft. It might get you home safely, but there are some potentially unforeseeable risks. So your choice is to stay on the sinking boat, guaranteeing known health issues OR you can hop on the life raft, which might not make it home, but at least (until evidence proves otherwise) isn't guaranteed to kill you.

 

[Jman8]

I guess the one thing I still worry about is the flavorings/ingredients in the juice or whatever else is used in the product, and the unknown effects of it on the lungs. Remember popcorn lung and that chemical? No one knew.

Well what if one if these ingredients in the juice is the cause for the next wave of a "popcorn lung" disease and we don't even know about it?

Maybe i'm naive, but this still worries the hell out of me. Ironically, i'm smoking cigarettes and coughing my brains out every day knowing full well the thousands of chemicals in the smoke cause a multitude of different cancers.

Same ingredient thought to contribute to popcorn lung is found in smokes as it is in vaping. Only scientific opinion right now suggests it is different for vaping.

I like how the "risks are unknown" and "we really don't know much" about eCigs. But we somehow, magically, know enough to be worried, scared, and up in arms about whether or not to vape or allow others to vape.

This just becomes a philosophical debate at some point, and IMO, those who go with fear and worry don't have much of a leg to stand on when entering a discussion where reason is present. Apart from such discussions, there appears to be lots of hype and not much more.

I'm always up for this discussion, but don't think New Members Forum is the place for it to go back and forth.

Instead, I'm compelled to just note that I truly hope it works out for you in whatever path you choose. IMO, there are no wrong steps in the path, but fear and worry generally don't make for good guides.

 

[AndriaD]

To me it seems like... if you know already that cigarettes are very bad for you... but you question the safety of vaping... then that question is just your brain's way of keeping you smoking, a rationalization. Your brain wants what it wants, and doesn't care what YOU want. It takes a MIND to contradict a brain.

Andria

 

[klynnn]

I tend to vape unflavored quite a bit anymore. Tastes closer to a cigarette than any juice I've tried. Once you get your tastebuds back it's a whole different world.

 

[TRIPDUBZ]

To me it seems like... if you know already that cigarettes are very bad for you... but you question the safety of vaping... then that question is just your brain's way of keeping you smoking, a rationalization. Your brain wants what it wants, and doesn't care what YOU want. It takes a MIND to contradict a brain.

Andria

I hear what you mean too. Emerald posted this out of apprehension and fear. I absolutely can relate to that - I felt the same reluctance to switch (even though I was scared to spend the money). I would argue its the attachment to the things you know and understand that keep you from changing. There are a million ways to rationalize smoking cigs - but either way you gotta find a way to untie the leash before you can run with something else.

I have noticed also, that the safety factors have both prevented me from quiting cigarettes, and now push me harder to vape safer. So it kind of has flipped around for me, not to mention I care about my body a lot more. Smoking was a huge excuse to make many other poor health decisions (chief in staff: the {Moderated}-it attiude). Since I felt like I was already doing one of the worst things for my body, I figured, why not do whatever else I want?

Vaping has really transformed this for me, as I have realized that smoking was a bottleneck in my health, and a cork to prevent many other attempts at healthier choices.

 

[asmcriminal]

I wrote out the chemical structures for PG, VG, and Nicotine. I just don't see it making formaldehyde. If it does, it's coming from the nicotine reacting with the PG or the VG. If this is the case, you can just change to a VG juice if PG is the issue or a PG juice if VG is the issue. Another possibility is the flavoring, as i originally stated it is my biggest concern. We don't know what chemicals are used to make the flavorings.

This is an update, I asked my professor about this issue. I wrote out the chemical structures for Nicotine, VG/PG, and asked if he think they can make formaldehyde... He said "no, doesn't seem like it would." He did mention excess heating, but i told him, "i would believe it would boil out before it even decomposes(changes to a different chemical structure). He said, yeah that's what would happen.

 

[El Machete]

Hi, I'm a newbie that's really glad to have found this site. I pretty much freaked out when I learned 2 days ago that Ohio is getting ready to triple the cost of ecigs through state govt. taxation. The legislation won't be defeated, it never has been concerning "sin taxes" (lol) anyway. In the Columbus -see: 'Cow Town' Dispatch newspaper they used the formaldehyde scare tactic which I had never heard of before researching it and finding this forum which quelled my fears. Member "rurwin" did an excellent job in explaining the formaldehyde scare, he really did his research and totally dispelled my fears. I just hope that the online place I buy from won't add the taxes, but they probably will. I will have been vaping for 3 years come May 12. I am 63 and have smoke from age 15. Seriously smoked from age 18. For maybe 10+ years 3 packs a day of non filtered. Past (before vaping) 10+ years of 2 pk per day filters. My lungs have cleared up greatly. I refer to ecigs as "life savers".

I despise our present govt. here in ohio. Here's a link to the newspaper article: Their hypocrisy knows no bounds. Any way the reason that I am posting on this page is due to "Robino1's" post. She summed the whole thing up very well. Too bad that she's too smart and too honest to be a governor. BTW, here's a link to an article I bookmarked several years ago which -with a different approach from Robino1's- sums it up as well. Thanks Robino1.

I hit 'submit and was informed that I am not allowed to post links. Thank this forum for saving my text. Anyway, if you want to see the Columbus Dispatch newspaper article just google it. "Kasich wants nearly to triple cost of puffing on an e-cig" For the other article -which I really like- concerning the inanity of discouraging vaping, google; "E-cigarettes: no smoke without ire" -by Lionel Shriver.