E-Cigs

[pipelineaudio]

If we could please stick to the science and leave the sacred cows out of this I would be most appreciative.

I quit smoking nov 19, 2006

I am still sucking on the lozenges made by the largest campaign contributor to anti smoking laws. I find my self needing more and more as time goes on, not less as they suggested during the ballot period.

I am thinking of switching to the product the second or third largest contributor to the smoking ban ballot produces, Matt Salmon's e-cigs

The FDA site looks like some sort of greenpeace ad on this subject. Some (unidentified) e-cigs were found to contain glycol. Dramatic, yet nonspecific health threats are suggested from using these things.

Is there some place I can see actual science or studies on this stuff?

Aside from sticking antifreeze in my lungs from the possible glycol contamination, I am assuming this is safer for me than smoking? What about compared to the lozenges?

[screensnot]

I don't know anything about the health effects.

I have been tempted to buy one, just to see the reactions when I use it where smoking is not allowed.

Especially on an airplane. What would happen? Would I spend the rest of the flight face-down on the floor, hands zip-tied behind my back?

[cornsail]

I don't believe they've been properly studied yet.

[portlandatheist]

I have a friend that uses them and he thinks they are almost as good as the real thing. I've also seen people use them in the bars now that there is a smoking ban and these devices are not verboten indoors.
We aren't going to have good epidemiological data for a long time but I would presume they are not good for you but I would presume they wouldn't be particularly bad for you either. Other than the health effects of nicotine, there is no tar or carbon monoxide and other carcinogens.
Also, have you considered Chantix?

[popscythe]

If vaporizing tobacco is anything like vaporization of marijuana, you inhale less smoke, but the actual chemical you're vaporizing is still inhaled. Since nicotine is a toxic insecticide, I'd wager that it's still harmful to inhale just it.

[Egg]

I switched from cigarettes to e-cigs last Christmas and I've not smoked a cigarette since. E-cigs do contain the nicotine, but not the tar. The ones I use also have the propylene glycolWP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol) which is found in anti-freeze, but also in food, medicines, mouthwash and cosmetics. I gather it's generally thought to be pretty harmless in small quantities.

Last I heard, e-cigs haven't been seriously studied. However, the evidence is pretty strong that cigarettes weren't doing me a lot of good. I've been able to reduce the nicotine in the liquids gradually and I hope to get to the point where I'm just dealing with just a habit rather than a habit and an addiction (you can get zero nicotine liquid). I'd recommend them over smoking, but probably not over lozenges or gum if you've already kicked smoking.

As a way of stopping smoking, e-cigs are remarkable and I have smoked mine on transatlantic flights, in work, in a council meeting, in the cinema and in bars, although I tended to keep it subtle rather than have the confrontation. They are a little fiddly with battery recharges, replacement parts and sending off for the liquids/cartridges. The cheaper ones are probably not worth the money for the trouble.

[uk_dave]

I went from cigarettes to nicotine gum and got/remained addicted to that for an embarrassingly long time until I finally tried the patches which were surprisingly effective in a reasonaly short period of time.

I think one of the parts of the addiction is the 'ritual' surrounding the use of the cigarettes, so replacing the cigarette but retaining the 'ritual' with a substitute product may not make it any easier to kick the habit.

[Puppycow]

If we could please stick to the science and leave the sacred cows out of this I would be most appreciative.

I quit smoking nov 19, 2006

I am still sucking on the lozenges made by the largest campaign contributor to anti smoking laws. I find my self needing more and more as time goes on, not less as they suggested during the ballot period.

I am thinking of switching to the product the second or third largest contributor to the smoking ban ballot produces, Matt Salmon's e-cigs

The FDA site looks like some sort of greenpeace ad on this subject. Some (unidentified) e-cigs were found to contain glycol. Dramatic, yet nonspecific health threats are suggested from using these things.

Is there some place I can see actual science or studies on this stuff?

Aside from sticking antifreeze in my lungs from the possible glycol contamination, I am assuming this is safer for me than smoking? What about compared to the lozenges?

In my case I used nicorette, and gradually replaced with regular gum (minty) and finally phased out the gum, although there is no hurry to do this.

As long as you keep putting nicotine in your body, the cravings will continue. They will continue for some time after you stop putting nicotine in your body, but they will gradually go away.

I also recommend not drinking while you quit because drinking made me want to light up. Starting an exercise routine or joining a fitness club might help.

This is what worked for me.

ETA: If lozenges are your preferance, replace with a non-nicotine lozenge perhaps. But gum gives you something to chew on for a while.

[The Don]

...Snip....

Starting an exercise routine or joining a fitness club might help.

...Snip....

Stragely enough the one time I still crave a cigarette after close to 2 years not smoking is after a nice long run when the lungs are all receptive.

I suspect that I'd be tempted in the pub too but I'm too lazy to walk outside. The UK smoking ban has been perfectly timed for me.

[technoextreme]

What about compared to the lozenges?
Lozenges are safer namely because whatever health effects there are they are known. Even if there are no other chemicals in the cigarettes the potential for accidentally poisoning yourself is probably higher.
I switched from cigarettes to e-cigs last Christmas and I've not smoked a cigarette since. E-cigs do contain the nicotine, but not the tar. The ones I use also have the propylene glycolWP which is found in anti-freeze, but also in food, medicines, mouthwash and cosmetics. I gather it's generally thought to be pretty harmless in small quantities.

Reread the FDA alerts. They found known carcinogens in the cigarettes.

[shawmutt]

I quit cold turkey at 21, in 1997, after a seven year pack-a-day habit. Now I have the occasional cigar, and cigarette smoke is thin and acrid in comparison.

Moral of the story: forget that expensive e-cig crap, enjoy a cigar once in a while, and you'll be all better!

eta: man, if only they could come up with a legal THC version!

[PingOfPong]

As long as you keep putting nicotine in your body, the cravings will continue.

That's exactly what I was worried about when I quit. There are statistics out there that show how nicotine patches and gum improves one's quitting chances. The studies I read when I was thinking about quitting typically followed people for 6 months to a year. I wonder how well they perform in the extremely long-term, as in: 5 to 10 years.

Anyway, I smoked a pack a day for 18 years and quit cold turkey. I just want to give some hope to anyone considering it. It is possible. By all means though, use a less unhealthy alternative to cigarettes if you're not ready to quit.

[casebro]

Antifreeze uses Ethylene Glycol.

Other glycols are ummm.. other chemicals. Other means DIFFERENT. As different as tar is from water.

[Almo]

Antifreeze uses Ethylene Glycol.

Other glycols are ummm.. other chemicals. Other means DIFFERENT. As different as tar is from water.

I won a bet on that. "I bet you Dr. Pepper has anti-freeze in it!" Hahah!

[INRM]

I thought it was the combination of smoke/tar/nicotine that produces the lung cancer.

Nicotine is just a powerful stimulant. There are a lot of stimulants that double as insecticides, that's why plants produce them, to fry the brains and nervous systems of the bugs that try to eat them

[bpesta22]

I smoke an embarrassing amount of cigs-- for about 30 years now. I own an e-cig and they are not bad but to me nothing like a real cig.

I suspect it's how addicted one is to the nicotine that determines how much they can substitute for the real thing.

I tried chantex and it made my cigs taste like crap (which it's supposed to do)which made me angry and caused me to smoke more.

The only problem with the ecig is the start up costs are steep (around 100 for the vaprorizer) which is not good if you decide you don't like them.

Many airlines have banned them too.

[popscythe]

eta: man, if only they could come up with a legal THC version!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JWH-018 (and co.)

Enjoy!

Edit: The answer to the pertinent question is "yes".