e- cigarettes?

Monofletch

Monofletch

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Jan 14, 2010
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Will the e cigarettes be the next Crystal Pepsi? :D They say "It's only water vapor"--but how long did it take for people to realize regular tobacco smoke was harmful to your health??

There are a couple of people at work that whip them out and puff away anytime they think they can get some shock affect or a reaction from someone. It is really- REALLY annoying.

I read that it can be used as a tool to help quit, but also read that they keep up-ing the strength of the liquid which can be harmful or even fatal.

I don't smoke and never have, so i just don't get it.
 
I listened to a rather extensive segment on e-cigarettes on NPR a week or so ago.
As they are not a "tobacco product" at present, they do not fall under any existing FDA regulations as to sale, use, or advertising.
So.... A lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon and there is very heavy advertising in some sectors. They are often being marketed as a "stop smoking" aid, but of course most users simply see them as a cigarette alternative.

The article pointed out that there are some other possibilities....Essentially anything that can be vaporized can be used in these things. So, already we are seeing MJ being put up in forms that are useable in e-cigarettes. One could presumably use any other drug... All without tell-tale odor or behavior.
The article said that FDA had the devices "under review", so I would not be surprised to see some regulatory efforts shortly.
 
Monofletch said:
Will the e cigarettes be the next Crystal Pepsi? :D They say "It's only water vapor"--but how long did it take for people to realize regular tobacco smoke was harmful to your health??

There are a couple of people at work that whip them out and puff away anytime they think they can get some shock affect or a reaction from someone. It is really- REALLY annoying.

I read that it can be used as a tool to help quit, but also read that they keep up-ing the strength of the liquid which can be harmful or even fatal.

I don't smoke and never have, so i just don't get it.
Click to expand...

Now for a serious answer.

You don't smoke, so you really cannot get it. So you really cannot make your case by oversimplification as you attempted to in your first statement. Are the people at your work truly trying to get attention? Or are they getting a nicotine fix when they can, instead of smoking? Yes, all smokers realize that it is a habit that carries chronic diseases that may be untreatable at one point. The thing is, you can smoke for years and not feel any effects of the "bad for you" stuff. If it happened immediately, that would put a different spin on things wouldn't it?

Some folks that do not smoke, think it's the cool thing to do. Those are the ones that look like complete idiots, behaving in a way that leaves little doubt as to the observation I just made. But if the person genuinely wants to quit smoking for good, this is a breakthrough alternative that seems (up until now) to be working for many lost causes. I'm sure you may do some pretty annoying things at work as well, but the ecig showoffs may have enough tact not to mention it to you. Who knows. My research into the matter reveals that because they have not been FDA tested, they are NOT to be used as a smoking cessation device. As far as the "re-uping" statment you make, I do not understand what you are referring to.

I smoked for years and years. The habit really sucks the cash out of your pockets, makes you reek like an ashtray, and is in fact highly addictive, and can give you lung and other cancer. I decided to quit smoking once and for all. I asked one of the members here for some help with learning about the ecigs. Before that I tried patches, gum, lozenges, Chantix, they all sucked and didn't work. Also, without getting into any political garbage, more and more employers are moving to control what their employees do on and off the clock. Your employment may be contingent on your use of tobacco. Geico is one company that years ago or more moved to hire only those people that did not use tobacco. Yet they can be raging alcoholics or gambling addicts and they get a pass. Strange how these things seem to work.

I bought an ecig and I have not smoked a full cigarette in over a month now. I will cheat once in a while and light one, take a drag or two then throw it away. As far as the ecigs themselves, they are not created equal. You can buy a ton of stuff for them, tanks, batteries, mouth pieces, etc. Pimp it out as much as you want. The juice is made differently by different companies too. You can get it in just about any flavor and nicotine level you want. Intelligent people don't necessarily try to max out their nicotine levels, that is just not how the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain function. You hit a satiation point, and you stop. The trick is to go down gradually until you wean yourself off of it once and for all. I hope this helps you get it a bit more than when you started the thread. I owe some thanks to Charlie Mike and Trivia Monster for the videos and heads up on what to buy.

/Written while intermediately puffing on my ecig. ;)
 
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Interesting. Informative. Somewhat attractive. I might be interested in learning more as well. The last time I was confined to a hospital bed for ten days, I was offered patches and I politely refused them. I went cold turkey. But lit up as soon as I made my way to my car. I survived the experience but it was not fun.
 
I have a couple brothers who do those things. It's becoming a viable alternative to smoking for them. One issue is that it's too easy to get your nicotine, and with the attractive flavors available, it takes some self control to avoid overdosing on nicotine. I had one brother get pretty sick before he realized he was taking too much.

Of course, you adjust your level, and there are places that will mix it for you to the level you like. Just be careful. I don't believe there will be anything inherently more dangerous than smoking, but the chance of nicotine overload. Benefits outweigh the risks, in my opinion.

Another thing to watch for IS all those accessories. The price can add up pretty quick, and end up costing as much, if not more than smoking.
 
I imagine they could be a good tool to help people kick the habit, but since I live under a rock, I've only seen one person with them and it was quite obvious she was going for "look at me" and not "I want to quit".

I smoked for ten years, got up to over a pack a day and when I quit I used the lozenge and sunflower seeds so I know the power of good tools to help. I just hope these don't cause new addictions.
 
My situation is a little different.
I actually enjoyed smoking cigarettes, I wasn't a heavy smoker, about 5 cigs a day.
I quit 11 years ago because of the health risks, but always missed casual smoking. Of course I don't miss smelling like an ashtray or having to go outside to smoke. So I tried an e- cig for the heck of it and I must admit ,I like them.
What I like is they're discreet. There's no smoke , minimal odor and in some respects , just as satisfying as a real cig.
I don't use them in public, just when I want a quiet moment to unwind. My favorite is the menthol flavor, which is ironic since I always hated menthol cigarettes. From what I've read, they're not supposed to be as harmful as cigs, hopefully it's true.

Just wanted to share.
 
I tried several e-cigs, and they were all terrible. That is, until I figured out NOT to buy tobacco flavored, but Menthol - I picked up one of the BLU brand menthols, and it actually worked for me to replace real smoking (the first brands I tried I would puff on the e-cig for 5 minute, and then have to smoke a real cigarette because it didn't help my urge to smoke).

I smokes the BLU menthol e-cigs for about 3 weeks (I went through 3 of the e-cigs in that period, smoked the first one completely dry and still had some left in the other 2) and cut down from a pack every 1-2 days to a pack every 3-4 days with a few puffs off the e-cig replacing several smoke breaks. Then, I ended up getting shortness of breath. My lungs are incapacitated from smoking already, and they just couldn't handle the heavy draws of vapor smoke. I was having labored breathing at night, and usually immediately after smoking the e-cigarette. One day I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital. I was really liking the e-cigs, and since it was cutting back on real smoking (I was on my way to quitting, I kept smoking less and less) I was proud of the results, but it was literally killing me. They aren't as safe as the companies selling them might have you think.
 
I smoke less than half a pack a day but I wanted to try the E-Cigs just to see if they might be better than or as good as real tobacco. Then I read what A Justice wrote. I've lived in the middle of nowhere the past few years so I've never met anyone who has tried them.
Justice, what's your overall health like? Do you exercise regularly? Cardio?
 
I have smoked for about 30 years, between 5-10 cigs per day on average. In September I got pneumonia. Once I could move about like a normal human again I wanted nicotine but a cig would have killed me. I had tried ecigs twice before but they were only ok and both quickly broke. But I went to the tobacco store to see what was new. They had a "flavor bar" where you could try about 60 brands and flavors of juice. I found one I liked and was able to select the level of nicotine I wanted (the choices were 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 - 12 is supposedly comparable to a Marlboro). I bought the brand that was recommended by the girl at the counter since she used it herself (eRoll). It cost around $70. I have been using it for over 2 months and rarely smoke a regular cig anymore, I prefer the ecig. So far I am just into my 2nd $7 botle of juice, so I am already saving $$ compared to what I was spending on tobacco cigs. And no more coughing fits when I wake up in the morning!!! I am very satisfied with the transition to ecigs this time around. But I would avoid the cheapie versions like Blu and go for ones that you can put higher-quality juice into ("juice"is actually flavoring added to a combination of two kinds of glycerin, and then some makers put in extra additives). For reference I am an overweight couch potato with allergies who gets no exercise and gets sick all the time, and I feel much better now that I switched.
 
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I've been using these for about a month.... the Logic brand. The only 2 negative things I can say is the cartridge doesn't last as long as they estimate and as the cartridge nears the end, the taste starts to degrade.

As far as health , I've not noticed any negative issues. But if I do notice any change in my health ( breathing ,sore throat), I'll post here.
 
Chris Pierce said:
I smoke less than half a pack a day but I wanted to try the E-Cigs just to see if they might be better than or as good as real tobacco. Then I read what A Justice wrote. I've lived in the middle of nowhere the past few years so I've never met anyone who has tried them.
Justice, what's your overall health like? Do you exercise regularly? Cardio?
Click to expand...

I have excercised less in the last 2 years than I ever have (business/work has dominated my free time), but my health is overall good with the exception of lack of sleep, and damage my lungs has sustained from smoking, as well as some slight damage to heart/lungs from misspent youth no doubt. I might be slightly overweight right now, but I only weigh about 160-170 and I'm 5'10", so you have to make your own call on that. I'm a half a pack - a pack a day smoker, going on 10 years now. THe problems I had with E-Cigs did not come to light until I actually used them regularly for an extended time though.

I also smoke faster / probably deeper than most ( I take roughly 3 smoke breaks during an 8 hour day at work, and it usually takes me less than 3 minutes to smoke one of these 72 length cigarettes).
 
If you weigh 160-170 and are 5' 10" tall, that is hardly being overweight. Your probably underweight by few pounds. There is a lot of conjecture/unanswered questions/variables to state that ecigs were the cause of your health issues. It might have something to do in your case, but I've not experienced anything of the sort. However, I do exercise good amount, cut out eating red meat, no sodas, cut down on as much processed food as possible.
I actually breathe better at night, and no more phlegmy cough or shortness of breath. One thing to note in my case, I was working 6 days a week (totaling about 55-60 hours), and have for the last 6 years. Work related stress was making me smoke even more. I changed my work habits due to the way my employer has changed things. Now I only work 40 hours a week, no more weekends and much less stress. It takes time to get lung capacity back, as well as regenerating the tissues in your sinuses.
 
RevDevil said:
There is a lot of conjecture/unanswered questions/variables to state that ecigs were the cause of your health issues. It might have something to do in your case, but I've not experienced anything of the sort.
Click to expand...

I went back to smoking cigarettes and the problems immediately cleared up. It is pretty clear that the BLU E-cig was my problem. It was an isolated problem that started when I started smoking the E-cig regularly (I would say when I replaced 40% of the regular cigs with the e-cig), and progressivley got worse until I put the e-cigs away, and cleared up immediately after the last time I smoked it. I smoked it at 2pm that day and had the same shortness of breath, it cleared up by 3 and I have never experienced it again, even though I continued smoking. If I was a non-smoker and picked up an e-cig, I highly doubt the onset would have been as quick, but what really matters is that the e-cig caused major problems that regular cigarettes hadn't caused over 10 years, and continue not to cause.

My BMI correlates to slightly overweight though. I know the numbers don't add up, it is what it is though. Weight and Height doesn't tell the whole story of build, density, ratios, and genetics. It's not enough to be a problem of any sort though, just not as fit and tone as I always was.
 
Justice, I wouldn't say that you're over weight. I'm 5'10 and I weigh 195 currently. While some of it may be beer gut, most of it is muscle :D I feel very lean when I weigh 180. I couldn't imagine weighing 160! haha. I wouldn't worry too much about those "BMI" numbers, take a look at Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, did he look "over weight"?
Anyway, thanks for getting back to me. You may have scared me off of these cheap electronic cigarettes.

RevDevil. Great point, diet and exercise is everything and you are what you eat! I've been smoking and drinking since I was a teenager and as long as I eat healthy foods, and get a good work out I always feel pretty darn good.
I think I'll go out for a smoke :)
 
What annoys non smokers isn't the concept, or that they may help folks stop smoking. if you treat where and when you e cig like you did with a cigarette, great. It's the idiots that puff on the nasty smelling things everywhere you can't smoke like they're showing off. Look, if they work and save your life, great. But don't flaunt it because the place you shop or work hasn't adapted the smoking law to include the smelly bastards yet. You're showing off.
 
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