We are all Cheaters!

[umop apisdn]

I don't know about anyone else but I did go thru some withdrawal from the analog chemicals that I was no longer taking in. I just didn't go thru a nicotine withdrawal. When I first switched over completely, I did have some days that I would swear I was going thru some kind of detox.

I noticed that a little too. But the withdrawals are incredibly mild compared to nicotine. You don't have the MAOIs that tobacco has in your PV. (which would be an interesting additive to juice, it would definitely make them more pleasurable, but then again, it could paint a bad picture...)
At least the withdrawals aren't worth going back to smoking for, I can't even finish a whole one without gagging anymore.

As for detox, you better believe you're going through some form of it.
Your body is:
-expelling CO from your blood,
-clearing out the built up tar in your lungs,
-getting rid of the Po/Pb-210,
-finally winning the battle against the cancer that analogs just retreated from,
-rebuilding its immune system,
-and also regaining parts of a lot of senses you forgot you had. (smell, taste, even touch to some extent)
If you feel like it's too much, just look at all the ways vaping is better for you, and that you're only missing one thing - the lightheadedness you got from your first cig of the day. It's definitely a worthy tradeoff.

 

[billo]

Two years ago I had a friend who quit smoking. I was impressed and asked him how he did it. Well, his secret was nicotine gum. He seemed to chew it constantly.

I didn't see him for almost 2 years. He's still not smoking. But guess what ? He still has to chew nicotine gum constantly !

I'd like to know why this is better or more acceptable than vaping. In either case you're getting the nicotine. And vaping is considerably cheaper then that "FDA approved " nicotine gum. (Which didn't work for me at all !)

 

[umop apisdn]

I have MS and am in a wheelchair, so being able to to completely stop smoking 30+ tobacco cigarettes a day, after 31 years of trying to quit, is a wonderful thing in my eyes! It's a life saver for many people, who are not putting all those 4,000+ chemicals into their body any more,

And thanks e-cigs, I've also able to graduate down to 2 mg of nicotine, which is next to nothing per drop, and some days I vape 0 nic all day, and other days, I hardly vape at all, I can go for hours between vaping, I could NEVER do that with cigs, so it's became a matter of choice. I think some may be a little resentful or jealous that pv's weren't available earlier when they were trying to quit.

My life has dramatically improved over the past 4 1/2 months or so of not smoking, I can breath deeply, lungs are strong and clear, my over all well-being has improved significantly, For 30 yrs, I was drastically under-weight, and I am finally gaining weight, I feel 100%+ better than I have in years! My muscles are getting stronger and stronger every day, I am able to stand for longer periods without my wheelchair, or any support, I could go on & on of the wonderful benefits & plus' and ways that my quality of life has improved due to being able to use pv's, instead of cigs. There is ALOT of good that's came from not smoking analogs, and switching to pv, IMO

So, I have to to ask, what am I cheating exactly? the only thing I can thing of that I'm cheating, is death. From the first day I stopped smoking, all I could think of is how an early death would affect my family's life, and I gave alot of thought and care into what it would do to do them.

(Not to mention, switching to pv has encouraged my husband to also stop smoking, and others are no longer breather second-hand smoke around us.)

Yet knowing all of these things, I have a neighbor who has asked me ATLEAST 5 times now, and again just yesterday, as soon as he sees me vaping "I thought for sure, you'd be off those things by now!!!"

I've explained it every way I know how, finally yesterday when he said it, I just said,"this keeps me from smoking!" He just turned away from me and as if my answer made him even MORE disgusted with the idea of e-cigs. He smokes cigs only occasionally, like 2 or 3 cigs a month, so I guess it's no big deal to him,

To me, quitting tobacco smoking, whether it's cold turkey, pv's, meds or other means, is a wonderful, wonderful victory!!!

I'm touched by this account, I'm really glad it's helping you out so much. My friend has MS, it used to be worse for him, well until he started smoking something else, not even for medicinal use. But I have to say, it's helped him out a LOT. I won't tell you to do it, but it's definitely worth a thought. Hell, when it gets legalized in the next few years, your PV just might be able to keep you from damaging your health from the smoke from that!

Still, I'm glad quitting smoking had such a positive effect on your life. Quitting tobacco's always a great accomplishment, but why quit the things you don't want to when you don't have to? We're lucky to be alive in this generation to use PVs.

 

[jj2]

Sometimes ex smokers are worse than non smokers.

 

[umop apisdn]

Two years ago I had a friend who quit smoking. I was impressed and asked him how he did it. Well, his secret was nicotine gum. He seemed to chew it constantly.

I didn't see him for almost 2 years. He's still not smoking. But guess what ? He still has to chew nicotine gum constantly !

I'd like to know why this is better or more acceptable than vaping. In either case you're getting the nicotine. And vaping is considerably cheaper then that "FDA approved " nicotine gum. (Which didn't work for me at all !)

It's better and more acceptable because it has an "FDA approved" label on it. Meanwhile, it's actually safe to assume that nicotine gum damages you more than vaping.

Don't expect the FDA to approve e-cigs any time soon either, at least not until they start running dry from BT and BP's checkbooks.

It's actually impressive that your friend quit using nic gum, not many can. (which brings me to the point of vaping... easily more than a 50% success rate that's safer than anything FDA approved right now -.-, I'd say higher, but I heard it's 45% right now, not sure how credible it is though)

 

[kristin]

But then again, I know it's a terrible example, but would you really consider quitting drinking if you had an alternative form of alcohol you didn't have to "drink" to use? I agree with you, quitting smoking is a great accomplishment, but you do have to understand the other side at least.

This is actually looking at it from the wrong vantage point. What if an alcohol was invented that made you feel good, but didn't cause harm to anyone? The only addictions people have problems with are those that cause harm to the user or others around them. Even sugar/fat are getting "antis" because of obesity. That's why coffee gets a free pass. People just don't understand that nicotine wasn't "evil" because it hurt people, it was "evil' because it kept people exposing themselves and others to tobacco smoke. As long as people think nicotine itself is harmful, they won't accept that it not much different than drinking coffee.

I'm touched by this account, I'm really glad it's helping you out so much. My friend has MS, it used to be worse for him, well until he started smoking something else, not even for medicinal use. But I have to say, it's helped him out a LOT. I won't tell you to do it, but it's definitely worth a thought.

MS has different effects on different people. My late husband had MS and he had to quit smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol because it disrupted his balance and thought process too much. Weed would have just dropped him on his ....! But some MS patients have severe nerve pain, which is counteracted by weed - so it works for them.

 

[lunaras]

The way I look at it is how many smokers use NRTs to quit smoking? I am using NRT to quit smoking, my NRT is simply cigarette shaped and has electronics in it. They chew gum, suck on lozenges, or slap on patches or even inhale through inhalers. I just choose to inhale my nicotine, similar to the inhaler. To each their own.

 

[kristin]

The way I look at it is how many smokers use NRTs to quit smoking? I am using NRT to quit smoking, my NRT is simply cigarette shaped and has electronics in it. They chew gum, suck on lozenges, or slap on patches or even inhale through inhalers. I just choose to inhale my nicotine, similar to the inhaler. To each their own.

Unfortunately, groups like ASH are telling people that the nitrosmaines and diethylene glycol in e-cigs make them just as toxic and deadly as tobacco cigarettes. (They neglect to mention that the same level of nitrosamines are found in NRTs, of course.)

 

[Vaporista]

I beg to differ. We HAVE quit smoking. What we haven't quit is inhaling nicotine.

But nicotine has been so vilified, as the reason people are addicted to smoking, that it's been misunderstood as the cause of smoking-related diseases and people can't separate the two.

well when I put this whole e-cig idea to a non smoker family member I got the following email response after her week of undiluted joy that I had quit tobacco...

way, way beyond my understanding, it leaves me feeling sad, that someone with the intelligence, and reasoning you possess could be drawn to this sort of thing, so blatently directed at the most gullible and vunerable in our society, blinded to the consequences of poisoning the bloodstream, suggest you go get a brain scan before and after your fix, and see how shrivelled the cells become on contact with this chemical onslought. life has many hazards, some hidden, and some we can side step, but to walk right into this one, beggars belief

So I said maybe should I start smoking again? I got no reply.
Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

 

[SmokinScott]

Two years ago I had a friend who quit smoking. I was impressed and asked him how he did it. Well, his secret was nicotine gum. He seemed to chew it constantly.

I didn't see him for almost 2 years. He's still not smoking. But guess what ? He still has to chew nicotine gum constantly !

I'd like to know why this is better or more acceptable than vaping. In either case you're getting the nicotine. And vaping is considerably cheaper then that "FDA approved " nicotine gum. (Which didn't work for me at all !)

I was thinking the same thing Billo. Is the gum "cheating"? Is the patch "cheating"?

There's "cheating" and then there's beating the system. I like to think I'm doing the latter.

 

[BriDog67]

I feel more like I'm cheating if I have a cigarette.

 

[Silence]

wow Vaporista... sorry to hear something like that from a family member... I got a not so harsh response in the same line tho... My GF told me that she felt that all I was doing was replacing one habit for another and that this is one that I may not be able to stop... I had to calmly explain to her that I didn't want to stop smoking. I just wanted to be healthier... but I don't think that would work as a response to the email you got...

 

[kristin]

well when I put this whole e-cig idea to a non smoker family member I got the following email response after her week of undiluted joy that I had quit tobacco...


So I said maybe should I start smoking again? I got no reply.
Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

I would ask her how someone with the intelligence and reasoning she supposedly possesses could be so ignortant about the facts of smoking tobacco and the actual effect nicotine has on the body? Nicotine, in lower doses such as e-liquid, is mearly a mild stimulant. Yes, it is addictive, but absent the toxins in tobacco smoke, it is no more harmful than being addicted to caffiene.

Additionally, members of this forum have had blood tests and checkups from their doctors and have been told that their blood pressure is down and their lungs are clearer. In the 5 years these have been on the market, there have been no reports of adverse affects greater than mild irritation/dryness to the mouth/throat and those people are usually allergic to PG and successfully switch to VG.

And "shriveled brain cells??" Nicotine has actually been showing promise in treating brain disorders! http://www.boston.com/news/nation/a...ine_studied_as_treatment_for_brain_disorders/

The sad thing is that those "most gullible and vulnerable in our society" are being convinced by ASH, the ACA, the FDA and other anti-tobacco groups that they are better off continuing to smoke rather than choose a reduced harm alternative like the e-cig.

 

[kristin]

wow Vaporista... sorry to hear something like that from a family member... I got a not so harsh response in the same line tho... My GF told me that she felt that all I was doing was replacing one habit for another and that this is one that I may not be able to stop... I had to calmly explain to her that I didn't want to stop smoking. I just wanted to be healthier... but I don't think that would work as a response to the email you got...

I take it your girlfriend has absolutely no habits?

What is wrong with a "habit" if it's not hurting anyone?

If that was the case, they should ban nose picking in public, too!

 

[umop apisdn]

This is actually looking at it from the wrong vantage point. What if an alcohol was invented that made you feel good, but didn't cause harm to anyone? The only addictions people have problems with are those that cause harm to the user or others around them. Even sugar/fat are getting "antis" because of obesity. That's why coffee gets a free pass. People just don't understand that nicotine wasn't "evil" because it hurt people, it was "evil' because it kept people exposing themselves and others to tobacco smoke. As long as people think nicotine itself is harmful, they won't accept that it not much different than drinking coffee.



MS has different effects on different people. My late husband had MS and he had to quit smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol because it disrupted his balance and thought process too much. Weed would have just dropped him on his ....! But some MS patients have severe nerve pain, which is counteracted by weed - so it works for them.

Like I said, it's a terrible example. The problem with comparing nicotine to alcohol which I would point out myself, is that alcohol is the cause of the problems in drinking (and of course the joys in it). Nicotine is just such an addicting (or enjoyable as I look at it) that it makes doing things that are damaging to you "worth" it, thankfully, it's not responsible for the damage that most of the delivery systems (analogs, etc) cause. I won't hold my breath waiting for an e-drink.

On the next part, I was unaware of its affects on nerve pain, almost all the accounts I've heard claimed that balance/coordination and mental abilities improved (not just while under the influence either). But that's definitely a different topic for a different message board, well at least until the moderators say it's okay. But you're right, it does affect people differently, I kind of feel bad in passively suggesting it, but with my experiences with it and people I know with MS, it might be worth a shot. And of course drinking had to go, alcohol damages your brain, and it's pretty good at it too.

 

[chrisl317]

First off, congratulations 18 and a half years late, but I think that makes it even more of an accomplishment! I'm also glad you're also very reasonable about it too. Most people that stop drinking seem to have to push it off on others. Keep it up! And I agree with the whole sloppy drunk thing, you'd be surprised to see how bad some high school kids are with it.

But then again, I know it's a terrible example, but would you really consider quitting drinking if you had an alternative form of alcohol you didn't have to "drink" to use? I agree with you, quitting smoking is a great accomplishment, but you do have to understand the other side at least. Hell, I'd be ...... if I was a pack a day smoker for 40 years just to quit and find out that e-cigs were invented. It also makes quitting "smoking" a LOT easier since you don't have to go through withdrawals. (I won't assume you had them with your drinking, but it's possible.)

Vaping is definitely a great thing. But I don't flaunt that I "quit smoking". I just tell people the truth, I loved nicotine, and hated cancer, so I replaced it. (and benefited in practically every possible way compared to analogs! =D) I still have a mountain of respect for people who can quit nicotine altogether, hopeully I'll have the same willpower should I (if I ever want to) decide to quit it.

My bad for the wall, I'll give it back to china when I get the chance. =X

You said alcohol (key word) - that was my problem, not what it was packaged in. For about the first year and a half to two years, I substituted the alcohol for Perrier. I abstained for awhile from going out with my drinking friends, when I got stronger I would go out with them and still not drink. I'd have an iced tea or a coke. Then I stopped altogether. Why, because they started to use me as a crutch for their drinking. Guess who became the desiginated driver? I will freely admit I am still addicted to nicotine, but e-cigs are the lesser of two evils. My lungs don't feel like paper bags anymore, I don't wheeze at night and this summer for the first time in probably 13 years I started riding my bicycle again. With e-cigs I cut down on the majority of the harm I inflicted on myself, family and friends, and who knows, one day I may kick my last addiction. I don't however, look down on people who still smoke or drink, or who have quit completely. We all have our own demons to fight, some of us have won some, some demons we've made a truce with.

 

[umop apisdn]

I would ask her how someone with the intelligence and reasoning she supposedly possesses could be so ignortant about the facts of smoking tobacco and the actual effect nicotine has on the body? Nicotine, in lower doses such as e-liquid, is mearly a mild stimulant. Yes, it is addictive, but absent the toxins in tobacco smoke, it is no more harmful than being addicted to caffiene.

Additionally, members of this forum have had blood tests and checkups from their doctors and have been told that their blood pressure is down and their lungs are clearer. In the 5 years these have been on the market, there have been no reports of adverse affects greater than mild irritation/dryness to the mouth/throat and those people are usually allergic to PG and successfully switch to VG.
.....

I have to say, caffeine doesn't impede your body from fighting cancer. I know there's no "proof" (indisputable) that it's harmful, but then again, this is one of the first times nicotine has been able to be used without tobacco consistently in human history. I doubt nicotine will ever be shown to hurt you considerably more than caffeine, but I doubt that it's as safe as caffeine. Nicotine is pretty toxic in low doses. I'm almost certain it has a much worse safety ratio than caffeine. (ratio of LD50 to desired dose)

But regardless, the health benefits of kicking smoking and using a PV are indisputable, so much that whatever damage is done by nic, if you enjoy it, you're not losing in the end. Not to mention that there hasn't been any serious claim against these on these boards in 5 years, that definitely says something.

 

[umop apisdn]

You said alcohol (key word) - that was my problem, not what it was packaged in. For about the first year and a half to two years, I substituted the alcohol for Perrier. I abstained for awhile from going out with my drinking friends, when I got stronger I would go out with them and still not drink. I'd have an iced tea or a coke. Then I stopped altogether. Why, because they started to use me as a crutch for their drinking. Guess who became the desiginated driver? I will freely admit I am still addicted to nicotine, but e-cigs are the lesser of two evils. My lungs don't feel like paper bags anymore, I don't wheeze at night and this summer for the first time in probably 13 years I started riding my bicycle again. With e-cigs I cut down on the majority of the harm I inflicted on myself, family and friends, and who knows, one day I may kick my last addiction. I don't however, look down on people who still smoke or drink, or who have quit completely. We all have our own demons to fight, some of us have won some, some demons we've made a truce with.

It's a shame to hear about that, but you made the right decision. As much as I hate to bring up a point against you, it's tough not to ask someone to be a non-drinker the designated driver, especially if they're the only one or one of a few that doesn't drink, but it is pretty disrespectful (most likely unintentional) to ask them frequently. But still, kicking drinking is a tough thing to do; it's something to be proud of. At least nicotine doesn't cause any harm to you (maybe a little there, but not too much) or anyone else; as long as you enjoy it and can consciously decide you do, there isn't much of a compelling reason to quit.
Everyone has their vices, but if you have the ability to control them, you're just that far ahead in life.

 

[MickiO]

I'm touched by this account, I'm really glad it's helping you out so much. My friend has MS, it used to be worse for him, well until he started smoking something else, not even for medicinal use. But I have to say, it's helped him out a LOT. I won't tell you to do it, but it's definitely worth a thought. Hell, when it gets legalized in the next few years, your PV just might be able to keep you from damaging your health from the smoke from that!

Still, I'm glad quitting smoking had such a positive effect on your life. Quitting tobacco's always a great accomplishment, but why quit the things you don't want to when you don't have to? We're lucky to be alive in this generation to use PVs.

Just sent you a pm.
~Thankyou~ I agree, why quit the things you don't want to, when you don't have to. xBefore I found e-cigs, I posted a question on yahoo answers, asking how to quit, I was really surprized at what several ppl said "You have MS, why you should you have to quit?, enjoy your life while you can" I was determined to quit though, and fortunately one of answers I got, someone told me about e-cigs, As soon as I got it in the mail, I never smoked another cigarette since!x

 

[Frostmonkey]

It seems the only aspect of concern to the government, FDA, etc... regarding vaping, is that we're cheating taxes.

Under the guise of concern for public health the real goal of those seeking to restrict/ban vaping is to insure a large populace is able to be exploited by extravagant taxes.

I would not be surprised if in the next couple years a 40% tax (actually 30-50% depending on which state you live in) was slapped onto all vaping goods. I'd ***ch, moan, and protest all I can but I'd pay it and keep on vapin.