E-cigarette, quitting success stories.

[artaxerxes]

$200 is twice as much as you need to pay for a really good e-cig kit with 2 batteries, 2 atomizers and 5-10 of cartridges. You can buy a 3ml syringe and refill the carts with the liquid (0mg-36mg nicotine, bunch of flavors.) So it's cheaper than analogs on a daily basis.

I decided to try a cheap one and see if I liked it. I've been smoking for years and years (pack a day at least) and I like to smoke at the computer while I work. I'm like one of those newspapermen/women in the 40s movies with their typewriters, an ashtray and a constantly-lit square.

I like the e-cig. I've cut back to 2-3 real cigs (analogs) a day and I'm ready to cut them out completely. I love the physical behavior of smoking. I don't really care either way about the nicotine. When I'm in a situation where I can't smoke for a few days, I don't notice nicotine cravings; I just get an urge to go outside, get away from people and engage in my little smoking ritual.

E-cigs take a bit of getting used to. They're tech gadgets. So you have to figure out the best way to maintain the batteries and atomisers and cartridges. It's a little irritating, especially if you're a bit of a Luddite. But I'm really into the fact that my clothes/hair/house don't smell like smoke and my lungs feel good. With a a good e-cig, I find the vaping process really satisfying. My favorite model so far is the Janty Dura-C: lots of vapor, excellent battery and atomiser life and large cartridges so I don't have to refill too often.

There's a really extensive forum devoted to e-cigs. I highly recommend that anyone interested in switching checks the place out. Google e-cigarettes + forum, you can't miss it. There are a lot of different models and options on the market and since you'll probably be spending around $100 to get yourself set up well, it's helpful to spend a couple of days on the forum watching vid reviews and figuring out how the things work and how best to maintain them.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

huh? All tobacco products carry a significant cancer risk.

Sorry, I meant to say that it dramatically reduces the risk of cancer and other diseases linked to tobacco consumption.

Read this:

Health issues of smokeless tobacco

The information below is from the smokeless tobacco producer Sweidsh Match, we at BuySmokeless tobacco are not reliable and con not be held responsible for any incorrectness in the information.
Research on smokeless tobacco

In recent years, a number of Swedish studies have been published on the effects of smokeless tobacco on health, based on Swedish conditions. Previously published research on oral tobacco products has mainly dealt with product types used in other parts of the world, such as India, meaning the results have not been representative. The information given here is a summary of current research on smokeless tobacco of the type used in Sweden and the rest of the Nordic region. More information on these studies can be found on Swedish Matchs website.

Swedish Match seeks to constantly reduce or minimize presumed health risks in its smokeless tobacco products and to contribute to increased knowledge on the characteristics and use of smokeless tobacco. Consequently, Swedish Match supports independent research, while also conducting its own research and development efforts, which focus on the continuous improvement of products.
200 years of Swedish smokeless tobacco

The smokeless tobacco used in the Nordic region has a history stretching back nearly 200 years. In Sweden, smokeless tobacco has been one of the dominant tobacco products for an entire century. Its health effects have now been well elucidated in a large number of Swedish scientific studies.

Overall, the use of tobacco in Sweden is on a level comparable to many other European countries. Despite this fact, the risk of dying of a tobacco-related disease is lower in Sweden than in any other European country. This is true of men. One reason contributing to this is thought to be the fact that Swedish men use smokeless tobacco considerably more than they smoke. The risk for Swedish women is comparable to that for women in other parts of Europe.
Current research findings

According to three Swedish studies (of which, two were conducted within the framework of the World Health Organizations MONICA project), the use of smokeless tobacco does not increase the risk of heart attack. However, there are contradictory results regarding the use of smokeless tobacco and other cardiovascular diseases. But smokeless tobacco does not appear to contribute to hardening of the arteries.

The use of smokeless tobacco has a direct effect on heart rate and blood pressure. However, it is unclear whether smokeless tobacco causes chronic high blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure has been observed in some studies but not in others.

A Swedish study (within the framework of the World Health Organizations MONICA project) showed that the use of smokeless tobacco does not increase the risk of cerebral hemorrhage (stroke).

Results are contradictory regarding whether smokeless tobacco contributes to an increased risk of age-related diabetes (type-2 diabetes). The largest and most recent Swedish study (Eliason et al, Journal of Internal Medicine 2004) found no verifiably increased risk of age-related diabetes among smokeless tobacco users, although it did find this among smokers.

An expert panel has conducted a risk assessment (published in Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers 2004) of smokeless tobacco and other products. Choosing smokeless tobacco instead of smoking reduces the risk of death from a tobacco-related disease (defined as lung cancer, oral cancer, coronary diseases and premature death) by 90 percent, according to the assessment.

 

[vonchampz]

The U.S. FDA has been researching these new e-cigarettes and there is some evidence in clinical trials that they might contain chemicals that are toxic to humans. There have been a few news articles out there. Heres one from CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/13/ecigarettes.smoking/index.html

 

[Artificial Emotion]

They are far safer than cigarettes, so meh

 

[splenda]

I've been successful at quitting cigarettes using e-cigarettes. I use the Volcano Magma (modified 510, the kit was $80 that came with a PCC (portable charging case)) these days and go through about 50 cartridges every 2-3 weeks ($30 every 2-3weeks.)

At first when I just started using the e-cigarette it was hard to quit smoking cigarettes right away because the MAOI effects of tobacco smoke make cigarettes quite addicting (along with the nicotine.) Since e-cigs only contain nicotine and not the MAOI's that cigarette smoke contains, you have to 'give up' a lot of other minor chemicals when transitioning to e-cigarettes.

But it was totally worth it in my opinion...

 

[daddict]

I tried these two years ago. Although it feels very similiar to standard cigs, I feel that something is missing. I get this with all nicotine products. I would get completely stoned by the nicotine (to the point my head is turning), but I would still crave a cigarette.

I was always wondering if nicotine is the only responsible substance for addiction in cigarettes ...

 

[nasir~]

I was always wondering if nicotine is the only responsible substance for addiction in cigarettes ...

nicotine is certainly not the only thing involved in tobacco addiction/enjoyment.

the smoke of tobacco contains MAO-B inhibitors which raise your dopamine levels.
I'm sure there are also several other important physiological and psychological factors.