vaping is NOT smoking!!

[cthulhufan]

My stepmother gives me a hard time about it. She griped about me smoking cigarettes, now she gets on my case about vaping. She quit smoking decades ago and knows the difference and knows it's safer but it's still bad for you. I'm going to get a beat down for this, but she does have a point. We're not smoking cigarettes and vaping is much safer, but we're still putting foreign matter into our respiratory system..which is never a good idea. I know some people are going to say "Yeah, but we breathe in car exhaust and pollution and eating food that has chemicals in it..etc." which doesn't matter. We're choosing to do this. vaping is definitely better than smoking, but it's not exactly "healthy"

Yup. And it's "our" choice. Just as continuing to smoke cigarettes would be our choice too. We just opt for something far "less harmful". Millions of people wake up in the morning and are presented with the option to drink water or coffee and they choose coffee; there aren't many folks sitting around passing judgment on them for that choice when we all know that consuming water is a far 'safer' choice'.

For God's sake, living is not healthy. Nothing about existence is healthy, we're living on borrowed time. Mayhap our food is not cooked correctly one day, perhaps we ingest some awful bacteria from tap water, maybe we'll be the most healthy person in the world only to get hit by an out of control car while walking on the sidewalk.

 

[Tangaroav]

I can't argue with the above statement from MN_Mike, it is true. We choose to inhale vapors from compounds that are foreign to our respiratory system and in important quantity.

I for one chainvape at least 10ml/day .

 

[patkin]

Ya can't fix stupid.

 

[Tangaroav]

Edited out

 

[AndriaD]

Hi friends, I got confronted by my sister in law the other day. I had not seen her in some time and we were talking and I said, I quit smoking, it's been over 100 days now. I have been vaping instead. She looked me straight in the eye and said, " so, your still smoking, just vape". I argued my point then she continued to belittle my acomplishment by saying. "It still has nicotine". I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I said yes, I'm still using nicotine, however I'm no longer getting the hundreds of toxins that cigarettes have! She looked at me again and said, your still smoking it. I tried to defend myself and vaping once more and said. It's not smoke, it's vapor.... she looked at me again and said, your still smoking!! At this point I dropped it. I get so angry when people say it's smoking!! We are NOT smoking!! Maybe I could have handled it better but I felt so badly that she didn't even consider what I've done a accomplishment! Well vaping is not smoking and I think I have accomplished something! I just wish others saw it the way we see it. Bottom line, vaping is not smoking and I think we all have accomplished something great by quitting smoking!!! Just wish others saw it the same way...

I got the EXACT SAME THING from my ex-husband, he who once gave me such a crock of BS about my smoking... At least it finally gave me a reason to cut off all contact with the idiot imbecile $#$%er.

My mom also tried to give me this crock o' poopoo. I finally said NO TOBACCO -- NO FIRE -- NO ASHES -- NO SMOKE -- NO SMOKING!!! She finally accepted it.

Those who don't accept the truth are just looking for a reason to insult and hurt you, and really don't deserve to be accorded any courtesies whatever -- including your presence or attention.

Andria

 

[RosaJ]

I got the EXACT SAME THING from my ex-husband, he who once gave me such a crock of BS about my smoking... At least it finally gave me a reason to cut off all contact with the idiot imbecile $#$%er.

My mom also tried to give me this crock o' poopoo. I finally said NO TOBACCO -- NO FIRE -- NO ASHES -- NO SMOKE -- NO SMOKING!!! She finally accepted it.

Those who don't accept the truth are just looking for a reason to insult and hurt you, and really don't deserve to be accorded any courtesies whatever -- including your presence or attention.

Andria

You are displaying a healthy dose of self respect. I salute you!!!

 

[sc12]

Congrats on 100+ days! To heck with your SIL, you're awesome!!!

 

[nicetucu]

That would be the same thing as your sis in law being a recovered alcoholic and she's drinking a tall glass of cold water. You say hmmm I guess you starting drinking again. She says no it's just water and you say looks like vodka to me. Shake your head and walk away.

lol.

 

[AndriaD]

Congratulations Realsis on your accomplishment! Quitting smoking is a big deal, no matter how it's done.

I've gotten that argument before too. Even back when I tried quitting using nicorette gum it wasn't good enough, I was told that as long as I was using it I hadn't "really quit" and now we are told the same about e-cigs. Unfortunately the current anti-smoking propaganda has convinced most people that in order to "truly" quit smoking you have to quit both "the habit" (whatever that means, who doesn't have habits?) and all nicotine, and that unless you "truly" quit you are always at a high risk of disease.

The problem with this (ill)logic (besides the fact that it's flat out wrong) is that many smokers who can't go 100% in that direction give up trying and continue to smoke a pack a day! Some years back a study came out showing that light smokers cut their risk for smoking-related disease in half compared to heavy smokers; this was so big it even made the nightly news! So guess what happened when I tried to convince my heavy smoking people that cutting back cuts their risk? "Yeah but there's no point in that, I need to just quit." And they kept on smoking a pack a day.

When I started using e-cigs my sister was like, "So you're only going to use that when you really need it right?" assuming my intention must be to cut down to nothing. I said no, I'm gonna use it as often as I feel like, because that's what's going to keep me from smoking. If I quit vaping or quit nicotine, I'll end up going full circle back to smoking, and I know it.

Don't worry about it. People are gonna think what they wanna think, and we've had the "quit everything" ideology beaten into our heads for so long that it'll take just as much time to undo. You know how you feel. You know what it's like to really take a breath of fresh air now. You know what it's like to have more energy. You know what it's like to no longer live with the specter of disease hanging over your head.

When I first started vaping, I was at my doctor's office and she was going over a checklist of questions. She asked me if I smoke and how much. I explained to her my situation, that I used to smoke a pack a day, but I now just use electronic cigarettes with nicotine instead. She said, "Ok then, you're a non-smoker," and wrote that down. That's all the encouragement I need.

Absolutely, 100%, right on the money. I had completely given up on the idea of quitting smoking; I had managed to cut it down from 3 pks a day, to 2pks a day, then to 1 pk a day, and finally to about a half pk a day, but just couldn't give them up completely, and I accepted that I would probably end up like my dad, gasping my last breaths in an ICU.

Then I found vaping, and within a month, I had completely given up cigarettes. That lasted for 115 days, got so sick I couldn't eat, vape, or even drink much, and 4 days after I last vaped, I smoked. I've now been back to about a half pk a day smoking for a bit over 4 wks, trying to taper down again -- managed to only have 7 cigs yesterday! If I can't vape, I'm going to smoke, period. But now that I can vape again, and it's starting to taste RIGHT to me again, the cigarettes won't be here past the end of this week, and GOOD RIDDANCE!

And all the idjits who think vaping is the same as smoking, and why don't I "just give it all up," can just bite my ..... It's NOT the same; for one thing, it's very unlikely to kill me!!

Andria

 

[patkin]

self-edited.

 

[Tangaroav]

"^" I edited my post, my bad entirely. I misunderstood. I apologize .

 

[Skunkworkx]

Congrats to you on your 100+ days

As for still using nicotine...Well I guess anyone using the patch or gum is still "smoking" also LOL

Really sad she couldn't even acknowledge your 100 days.....sounds like an itch with a B.

 

[patkin]

"^" I edited my post, my bad entirely. I misunderstood. I apoligize .

Accepted. Have a good one.

 

[Revelene]

Are you cereal?

Pfft, they try to tell me that Canadian bacon tastes just like real bacon...

Blasphemy!

 

[Ms.P]

I haven't read this whole thread yet. But to the OP, I have had an experience like yours recently with some family members who just learned I vape now. My conclusion is this: Sometimes it's not easy to be the person sewing the first seeds of a new idea. I had an aunt who wouldn't see vaping as anything other than smoking....and then when her son sat her down & told her it wasn't smoking but VAPING she listened to him. She didn't listen to me at that point but after hearing him on the subject she was very open to seeing her daughter in law move from smoking to vaping. Yet if I had not talked to her about it she would never have talked to him so then if I had not endured the skepticism she would not have learned about it.

I understand this completely. I'm the one no one ever listens to. (I think) I'm exaggerating, but it seems like no matter what idea I have, it's ignored, or pooh-poohed. But let someone else - not even later, but in the same conversation - say it, and bam! What a great idea! I just don't get it.

Realsis, CONGRATULATIONS! I can't tell you how to handle your SIL - well, I could, since I know exactly how everyone else should conduct themselves; I'm just lousy at handling the same situations myself. lol Be strong and try not to let her get to you. Tell her the subject is off limits; you won't discuss it with her if it's not a two-way conversation. That much I can do. I've learned over the years sometimes you just have to let things go.

My "motto," the Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Fitting, as I believe the Serenity Prayer is the mainstay for AA and other addiction programs.

 

[AndriaD]

I understand this completely. I'm the one no one ever listens to. (I think) I'm exaggerating, but it seems like no matter what idea I have, it's ignored, or pooh-poohed. But let someone else - not even later, but in the same conversation - say it, and bam! What a great idea! I just don't get it.

I have the exact same problem -- no one EVER listens to anything I say -- I'm like, am I speaking swahili here or what???

My "motto," the Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Fitting, as I believe the Serenity Prayer is the mainstay for AA and other addiction programs.

And "knowing the difference," ahh, that's the hard part! I finally figured out, the only thing I can change is ME -- the rest of the world can drink, smoke, take drugs, gamble, whatever... but *I* don't have to!

Andria

 

[jpargana]

(...)
if you are going to really be honest with yourself then ask yourself one simple question.... if all of your vaping apparatus was suddenly taken away from you and you had no means to obtain any other form of electronic cigarette, would you wind up going back to smoking? if you answer yes then the truth is you have not really beaten that vice, it still has it's hold on you, you have just found a substitute. ok yeah technically you can claim to have quit smoking cigarettes but you have to see the difference between what you are doing and what someone who "really quit" has done... someone who has given up smoking and all of it's substitutes can really claim to have quit, you can't put yourself in the same light in my opinion, unless you like making excuses to yourself...

(...)

For one, I doubt I would go back to smoking if that happened. I have smoked maybe a dozen cigarettes in the past five and an half years.

The last one (more than three years ago), I could not even finish. It tasted horrible.

So no, I do not think I am fooling myself.

It's like the NA-beer example I gave before: the fact that he drinks NA-beer for his own enjoyment only, while it is freely available, does not mean he has not "actually quit". It depends:

If the guy resorts to drinking just because his NA-beer has run out, then *maybe* you have a point. Still, it does not erase the FACT that he has quit drinking for all that time the NA-beer was available.

Now, if the guy has a Coke in place of his missing NA-beer, then yes, he has quit alchool, because he can still find other NON-alchoolic alternatives.

I believe I'm with the Coke guy

 

[Anjaffm]

Hi friends, I got confronted by my sister in law the other day. I had not seen her in some time and we were talking and I said, I quit smoking, it's been over 100 days now. I have been vaping instead. She looked me straight in the eye and said, " so, your still smoking, just vape". I argued my point then she continued to belittle my acomplishment by saying. "It still has nicotine". I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I said yes, I'm still using nicotine, however I'm no longer getting the hundreds of toxins that cigarettes have! She looked at me again and said, your still smoking it. I tried to defend myself and vaping once more and said. It's not smoke, it's vapor.... she looked at me again and said, your still smoking!! At this point I dropped it. I get so angry when people say it's smoking!! We are NOT smoking!! Maybe I could have handled it better but I felt so badly that she didn't even consider what I've done a accomplishment! Well vaping is not smoking and I think I have accomplished something! I just wish others saw it the way we see it. Bottom line, vaping is not smoking and I think we all have accomplished something great by quitting smoking!!! Just wish others saw it the same way...

Never mind that itch with a B. You see, such people are addicts. They are completely addicted to criticizing others. They can't live a day without trying to put another person down. Must have something to do with their low self-esteem. But that is their problem, not yours.

Why on earth should you feel that you have to "defend yourself" against stupid criticism from stupid people?
So they can go on and on making their silly accusations? So they can gloat that they found a victim whom they can put down? So they can feel good about themselves, because they succeeded in making another person feel bad?
Naaawwww... such people are not worth our time.

Do you let a mosquito bite you so that the mosquito can feel good about itself?
Yeah, I thought not. Same with feeding such people.

Bottom line, vaping is not smoking and I think we all have accomplished something great by quitting smoking!!!

Precisely!

Just wish others saw it the same way.

As to friends and family:
Good if they do.
And not our problem if they do not.

...........

Unfortunately, the best retort to such stupid people who love to "argue" about nonsense is only in my mother tongue:

"Du hast Recht - und ich habe meine Ruhe"
Literal translation "You are right - and I have my peace and quiet"
Meaning: "Ok, I will say that you are right, so that you leave me in peace with your crap'"


Approximate retort in English "Well, everybody is entitled to their opinion. Even those who have no idea what they are talking about" (accompanied by a cold stare. Then walk away)
Stronger retort, if somebody really annoys you with their stupid blathering: "Opinions are like .... . Everybody has one, but nobody wants to see it"

..........

And BIG congratulations on the 100 days!!!

 

[jpargana]

(...)
Stronger retort, if somebody really annoys you with their stupid blathering: "Opinions are like .... . Everybody has one, but nobody wants to see it"

(...)

(That is so... well... you...! )

 

[DaveP]

Long-term effects of inhaled nicotine. [Life Sci. 1996] - PubMed - NCBI

Here you go.

And this might interest you.

Nicotine and Health

And personally i can go a whole day without vaping and i'm not having any issues. Its proven that nicotine isnt more addicting that caffeine in coffee.

Noticed above was abit flawed on how low the deadly dose is. So here's other facts about that.
How much nicotine kills a human? Tracing back the generally accepted lethal dose to dubious self-experiments in the nineteenth century - Springer
How Toxic Is E-Liquid? | ECITA Blog

Link bookmarked for future reference. Good catch, Sleezy!