How did YOU stop smoking?

[dalebert]

E-cigarettes are illegal in Oregon.  You can not purchase them here.  They can not tax them like regular tobacco.

Holy... are u 4rlz? Damn. Move out of Oregon.

I can't believe they would ban something that will probably save countless lives... but keep cigarettes legal. It's nutz.

[dalebert]

Wait, tho. Does that mean you can't even use them or just can't buy them there? Can you not order them online? That's what most people are doing anyway. The place I use has free shipping on $60+ orders.

[Janet_Girl]

I tried one once.  Seem like it was more trouble than it was worth.  The cartridge did not last like they claimed.  And I will leave in about 10 months.

I tried to order them once and was refused shipping, because I live in Oregon.

[mimpi]

Tried those electronic cigarettes but they hurt my lungs for some reason. Really need to quit.

[dalebert]

Tried those electronic cigarettes but they hurt my lungs for some reason. Really need to quit.

That's bizarre. What kind did you use? The ones I use, the vapor is heated to body temperature so it's much cooler than smoke. The nicotine itself will create a sensation. Maybe you should try a lower strength one.

[tekla]

ban something that will probably save countless lives... but keep cigarettes legal

Well for a long time they were illegal in California too.  And most places here that ban smoking (and that's just about everywhere except your house and car, also ban the ecigs.  Part of it was a tax problem, but the other part is that you consume them (taking it into your body) and they didn't go through the rigorous testing that food and drugs have to go through so no one knows what the effect is.  Switching drug delivery methods might lower some risks, but saying they are 'safer' is not proven.

[mimpi]

That's bizarre. What kind did you use? The ones I use, the vapor is heated to body temperature so it's much cooler than smoke. The nicotine itself will create a sensation. Maybe you should try a lower strength one.

Not sure of the brand, have the actual thing here right now. It's white, the filter part unscrews to recharge it and put the cartridge in. Lost the cartridges so dont know the actual brand. Bought it on a whim in a shopping centre in Croydon a couple of years ago.

[NatashaD]

E-cigarette.

I LOVED smoking, and I loved my morning routine and other routines that included smoking. It seemed a way to have the best of both worlds.

With e-cigarettes, you're "smoking" water vapor and the nicotine you get is totally dependent on the level you buy. I currently have 16mg tobacco flavored cartridges and they work fine (you can go down to zero if you want). You get the nicotine, you get to still go through the motions of smoking (oral fixation), but you don't get all of the bad chemicals that come with burning tobacco.

I have two brands. The first is Fifty-One Duo, which I got from a mall kiosk. The second, which I got online after doing a lot of research, is a ProSmoke. Personally, I like the Fifty-One better overall even though the vapor in the ProSmoke tastes better/sweeter. Do NOT get the ones you see in a gas station or a smoke shop. I have yet to hear anything positive about them.

It took me a full 24 hours to get used to it and I had to switch my mind to believing I WAS smoking. After that, I stopped craving real cigarettes. Some people step down gradually, but I figured the cold turkey was the best way or me. After 3-4 days, I tried smoking a real cigarette, and I didn't much care for it. I did have a couple of "fits," so I got a couple cigars and keep them around for those rare occasions where I do want one.

That's just my 2 cents.

Before anyone brings it up, I have heard several warnings about nicotine and hormones. I have yet to find any credible literature that shows a bad link between the two, and to be honest most people who talk bad about smoking use "nicotine" as the catch-all for everything bad about tobacco. The fact they never mention that tar is what stains and carbon monoxide causes blood problems is telling that they need to do some reading themselves.

If anyone DOES have any empirical studies that show negative effects of nicotine on hormones or increased dangers, please let me know.

[NatashaD]

Oregon is a bit strange. A couple years ago they wanted to place a 1600% tax increase on beer, which would have bankrupted every microbrewery in the state.

[justmeinoz]

I haven't smoked in over 25 years, but I was an expert on giving up! 

I ended up quitting by smoking a non-tobacco cigarette that was on sale here, in Chemists, made from cocao bean husks or something similar.  The brand name was "Free".  They came in Virginia and Menthol.

They contained no nicotine, but allowed you to quit that drug, while still keeping the habit of having a cig in your hand and going through the motions of smoking.  The taste was a bit strange, so as I didn't often smoke menthol, I started on those first.

After smoking a carton in the first couple of days, my tally dropped rapidly as I no longer got a nicotine buzz, and started to get annoyed with the smoke wafting around.  After about 2 weeks, and about 4 cartons, I looked at my smoke, thought "what am I doing with this thing??", butted it and haven't smoked since.  They were expensive, but I didn't mind, as I have been saving money I would have spent on smokes, ever since.

Karen.

[anima.liber]

Since I never smoked before, I'll share with you the story of my idol-- my uncle.

My uncle used to be a real tough guy, drinking excessively, chain-smoking, and a member of a gang. He was one of those people who didn't hesitate to initiate a fist fight with anyone they didn't like. After he married my aunt, his violence level toned down slightly, but not by much. He'd still come home with a large tear in his clothing, or bruises all over his face.

Months passed and my cousin was born. He saw her as the most precious child in the world, and vowed to protect her by any means necessary.

It took him a while, but my uncle was able to overcome his drinking and smoking habits with his stubborn willpower, visits to therapists, channeling out his frustrations by reading a story to my cousin and always keeping his vow in his mind, and exercising regularly to get rid of extra stress.

I'm sure he had other medical help, but noone would tell me.

My uncle is now a co-founder of a rather huge oil company in Korea.


He's my hero :c

[dalebert]

...(e-cigs) didn't go through the rigorous testing that food and drugs have to go through so no one knows what the effect is.  Switching drug delivery methods might lower some risks, but saying they are 'safer' is not proven.

True, it's not absolutely proven with rigorous testing, but common sense says a lot. There are years of accumulated knowledge about nicotine and its effects and that's not very much. Most of the problems with cigarettes are due to the tobacco and even moreso, all the chemical additives in them. ALL of that is gone and there is nothing left but water vapor, a bit of what they put in fog machines, but mostly water, and a measured amount of nicotine. The vapor is very close to body temperature so you're not dealing with the harshness of hot cigarette smoke which burns away the cilia in your lungs which are an important part of your immune system and those take 6 months to grow back. It's a personal call and I don't need studies to personally feel confident that they are quite safe, relatively speaking, of course. Nothing is completely safe.

It is said that life is a chronic condition with a 100% fatality rate.

[dalebert]

Actually, a very real safety issue that people should be aware of is that inhaling nicotine is an extremely inefficient delivery method, and that's a good thing. There are many substances that can cause serious health problems or even be fatal if you get too much into your system all at once. I've heard it's nigh impossible to get a seriously dangerous overdose of nicotine by inhaling it, though you can easily get nauseous. A lot of people do get nauseous their first time smoking cigarettes by over-doing it and not having built up a tolerance. My uncle gave me one puff as a very young kid and that's probably a big reason I never took up smoking. I woke up with vomit all over my bed. Didn't even remember the actual vomiting. (Bad idea! This is not an endorsement of his smoking-discouragement method!)

I heard a radio interview with the VaporSmiths creator and they only sell enclosed cartemizers for this very reason. If you're using a product that allows you to buy liquids and do-it-yourself refills, be really careful handling the liquid. Just spilling a large amount on your skin can give you a strong dose. A friend of mine had that happen and he had a panic attack, heart racing, but was okay. It was quite a big spill, he said, but it could certainly have been worse and that might depend on the individual. Drinking it... that would be VERY bad. I've you might not even make it to the hospital in time. That sounds really bad, especially if you have kids in the house. Think about all the other toxic substances you have around that you generally keep out of reach or in locked cabinets like bleach and what-not. I have one friend who stopped dealing with the refill stuph and only uses the ready-made cartemizers because he has two small kids and doesn't even want to think about that possibility. I can empathize.

[tekla]

The other thing that tied them up for a while is that while they are touted for quitting tobacco and puffing on water vapor, it turns out (and the authorities knew this) that they vaporize other stuff even better.

[NatashaD]

@Dalebert: The enclosed atomizers are the best in terms of quality. They are a bit expensive because you are essentially using a new one with every cartridge, but the quality of the vapor and the fact they seem to last longer makes it worth it (to me at least).

[OrderOfOriah]

willpower...nothing more, nothing less

[Amaranth]

I smoked half a pack a day for a year and realized I would have to quit to use things like antidepressants or hormones.  So I finished the pack I had and didn't buy any more.

I guess I'll never understand the addictive quality of nicotine..