Vaping vs Smoking: The myths, the facts, and the controversies.

[TerryMiller]

I smoked for 41 years, roughly 20 of that with cigarettes (pack a day at the most) and the last with a pipe. Doctor helped a bit be prescribing Wellbutrin, which I was to start with a certain dosage and taper down. Then, pick a date to quit and quit. I helped the tapering bit by extending the period between smokes each day or so. We also picked a day that was "in the signs" according to the Farmer's Almanac. Woke up April 19, 2003 and smoked the pipe one last time, then the wife and our two sons all got together and we went out do do various things in and around OKC, just to keep me "busy."

Next morning, I was zoned out, enough so that I wouldn't drive that day because I couldn't focus on anything but for about 10 or 15 seconds before zoning out again. 9:00 pm that night, it dawned on me that I hadn't had a real serious urge for the pipe. So, the first 36 hours or so was tough, but after that it got better. Once in a great while, I get a real hankering for the pipe, such as the day of cataract surgery on my first eye.

Point is, it can be done. I didn't even want to quit. I enjoyed smoking.

 

[Tanis143]

I'm glad ya'll were able to quit, trust me, I am. My problem is I went a year and half without any nicotine in my system and the symptoms never went away. Grouchy doesn't even cover it. Sometimes all it would take is a look from someone and I would have to walk away. A few times I didn't. I would have extreme problems with concentration. I would go in to take tests and even though I knew the subject material I would do poorly because I would get distracted when reading the question, or I would read it and before I could think of the answer I would start thinking of something else. And this went on until I started smoking. Both my parents were heavy smokers and they would smoke everywhere. At home, the car, the mall, the restaurants, everywhere. The only time during the day I wasn't around nicotine was at school and at practice. So when I say I will probably never get off nicotine, I mean it. If going a year and a half without nicotine didn't clear up the symptoms I have no clue what else would. That is why I am so gun ho about keeping vaping around. Without it I might end up back on the cancer sticks or start dipping. Are there possible dangers to vaping? Could be. Without any long term studies we can't say 100% that its safe. However, there are plenty of studies that prove vaping has a much less risk than smoking. So for now I can satisfy the nicotine my body needs to regulate my mood and concentration with a significantly reduced risk. Not to mention vaping tastes and smells a helluva lot better than smoking.

 

[inactive]

> Are there possible dangers to vaping? Could be. Without any long term studies we can't say 100% that its safe.

My biggest concern would be the element coils in the vaporizers, which effectively catabolic and need to be replaced eventually; when they break down over time from use that metal is getting inhaled.

That said I'm not knocking anyone for getting off cigarettes even if they pick up vaping to do it. I'm all for anyone getting off tobacco.

 

[Tanis143]

> Are there possible dangers to vaping? Could be. Without any long term studies we can't say 100% that its safe.

My biggest concern would be the element coils in the vaporizers, which effectively catabolic and need to be replaced eventually; when they break down over time from use that metal is getting inhaled.

That said I'm not knocking anyone for getting off cigarettes even if they pick up vaping to do it. I'm all for anyone getting off tobacco.

There have been studies based on that idea and the results have shown that any metal detected was so low it was barely detected and well below the safe threshold of exposure. This is why no one will say its 100% safe, just that it is significantly safer that smoking. For me, if someone can quit all together, that is the best possible outcome. I still spend about $25-30 bucks a week in liquid. Thankfully I build my own coils, and the supplies run me (broken down) about $15 a year in kanthal wire and cotton. But, I could buy a gun every few months if I saved that money. Like you, I'm for anyway a person can get off the cancer sticks, be it gum, patches, vaping or cold turkey. Unfortunately vaping is under attack from the anti-nicotine and the pro-nicotine-but-say-they-are-anti-nicotine crowds.