Electric Cigarettes

[Uribam]

I see a good ammount of people here who complain about either people who smoke or people who don't smoke. Now, before we go on, I'm a smoker. I've been smoking Camel lights for over ten years now. Today my electric cigarettes arrived. There's a few companies out there but the company I purchaced them from, Blu, seemed reputable and had good reviews. (No, I do not work for them)
It would seem that from my initial test, they work fairly well. The best part, there's no odor, or actual smoke at all. What you exhale is just vapor. Furthermore there's no tar or other carcinigins, additives, etc as in a real tobacco smoke.
This can be useful to us musiciantypes. For one, if people in your band used them, and there was a disagreement about smokers in the band, they may rectify that. There's no odor, or secondhand smoke. It would generally satisfy all but the most hardcore nonsmokers during a band practice. Plus you don't have to go outside, you can sneak a puff between songs and be happy. In clubs here in New York, you can't smoke at all. These are perfectly legal to smoke indoors. Furthermore, you risk no smoke damage to your gear, which is a perfectly ligitimate complaint to have as a working musician. Our gear costs a lot of money, it's not something you want ruined or stinking.
I realize a lot of people don't know a lot about these, but if you're curious about these I'll be sharing my smoker's opinion of the Blu cigarette in this thread. Maybe it can help people get through a show when they have cravings, or maybe it can help nonsmokers be able to practice with their smoker bandmates much easier. I'll be commenting on how they work at home, in the car, at work, etc. Also, any questions you have I'll be happy to answer, however I don't work for the companies who make these things so there's some I may not know. Anyone elses opinions on these or experience is welcome as well.

Scott

[JustDavid]

I thought this was a band name before reading the OP!

Thanks Scott, & please keep the posts going. I'm a regretful nicotine addict myself.

[BlackMetalAkaz]

I've read and heard a lot about these. Sounds interesting...

[honestjohnny]

I second Just David, awesome band name

Seriously, I remember hearing about the "nicotine inhalers" awhile back. Of course, it still is an addiction. And I'd worry about the effect pure nicotine would have versus even natural tobacco (American Spirits, right? I don't smoke.) Especially, if one continues to need more and more of it. OTH, there have been some studies that show that increasing nicotine improves cognition. I'll have to check it out. Are they cheaper than an equivalent amount of standard cigarettes? Do they come in cigar and pipe form

[Uribam]

cheaper by FAR. One cartridge of my brand of e-smokes is roughly equiv to 15 real smokes. If you buy a box of cartridges it costs roughly $1/cartridge. Blu apparently ships free too! They didn't charge me for the starter pack. I don't know about other form factors yet, I'm sure they're coming though. I'll check this several times a day and keep up answers and every day or so I'll try to give some dialogue about how they work and people react to it.

Scott

By the way, I did suggest Zack, Brian, and the guy with the electric cigarette as our band name, we just come up with so many better band names every time we talk.

[honestjohnny]

Care if I borrow it, the name that is?

Are you following up with an MD with this? What does he or she think?

[stingray56funk]

Recently there has been some talk from the FDA about electronic cigarettes. Here are a few articles that have been recently published directly relating to electronic cigs: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsro.../ucm173222.htm and http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...igarette_N.htm.

[stflbn]

What kills me is when I see smokers complaining about the cost of 9v batteries, or other inexpensive things. Um... cut back on the smokes dude and buy a carton of batteries.


.

[Uribam]

These smokes ARE batteries, see how I did that? =) Sure, take the name. I haven't read reports nor have I consulted an MD (I hate doctors), but reguardless I was killing myself with tobacco. if I'm killing myself with these it's just a lateral move, I suppose.

Scott

[Kipaste]

I've been thinking switching over to these when they are readily available and when I can get refills from the stores. It would be to get rid of the smell from clothes and naturally to be less offensive to nonsmokers.

So as a smoker, you feel that the electric cigarette delivers and doesn't leave you wanting more? That's what I've been worrying about it thinking that after an electric cigarette I would just go "the hell with it" and light a real one..

I know the best thing to do would be quitting altogether but at the moment I just don't see it happening so picking the lesser evil would make perfect sense.

[voodoobassist]

Being a longtime, and heavy smoker, I'll chime in. I've got the E-cigs also. They do come in handy as mentioned in the OP's original post. I have even been able to "smoke them" at my work in the break room. To answer the post right above me here, they DO satisfy,...but,... I still find myself craving a "real' cigarette. Perhaps that's because of how heavy a smoker I have been and the long number of years I have had the habit.

As far as docs go, I did consult my MD and according to him, I am still getting carcinogens, although I am no longer getting the tar as you would from a regular cig. They do seem to be a step in the right direction, but bottom line is, nicotiene constricts your blood vessels and increases your heart rate, raising your blood pressure level. At the ripe young age of 55, I'm finally realizing that smoking, whether regular cigs or e-cig vapor, really has to stop. I want to be able to play for a loooooooong time to come. Wish me luck.

[bass player 48]

Subscribed to hear your report over the next few days.

I'm skeptical - just because it looks like a cig and you puff a vapor off of it doesn't make it a cigerette. More like a patch or the gum or something.

I think I'm just addicted to the tar and the stink.

[JustDavid]

Originally Posted by stflbn

What kills me is when I see smokers complaining about the cost of 9v batteries, or other inexpensive things. Um... cut back on the smokes dude and buy a carton of batteries.


.

Dang! 34 years smoking, 30 of those solidly addicted, & that's all there is to it?!?!?

It's easy to say, but not that easy to do; kinda like "Walk to Alaska."

[BigLoopDuke]

I hear the ads for these things all the time on RadioIo. We've got a smoking ban in public locations in our state. I haven't seen anyone puffing away on one yet, but the ad sponsors claim its legit. Anyone try smoking one of these under the ban?

[LaughingGroove]

Its all about how bad YOU want to quit. If you don't want to quit then thats cool too, your choice but if you have some self disipine, while its not easy, its not impossible either.

I smoked heavy for 17 years and tried to quit a few times, but that would only last until I would be drinking then would start agian. So about a year ago I quit both at the same time, and haven't had a smoke or a drink since.

Do I feel more healthy now? Nope, not at all. But I have saved a ton of money, and my clothes smell alot better too. lol

[Hawaii Islander]

Originally Posted by stingray56funk

Recently there has been some talk from the FDA about electronic cigarettes. Here are a few articles that have been recently published directly relating to electronic cigs: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsro.../ucm173222.htm and http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...igarette_N.htm.

The articles are woefully lacking in useful information. There is no indication of the level of toxic/carcinogenic compounds found in e-cigarettes compared to traditional cigarettes. This comparison is essential in determining whether or not e-cigarettes pose the same health risk as traditional cigarettes. I don't feel the risk is at all the same based on the fact that e-cigarettes do not produce particulates or tars found in traditional cigarette smoke. My view is that e-cigarettes could be a useful stepping stone for smokers to quit cigarette smoking, while eliminating harmful tars and smoke particulate exposure to the lungs and airways.

[jelpo]

How do they taste? Do the flavors taste like a really cig? Can you feel the smoke in your lungs as you inhale?

[honestjohnny]

Well, I did some research (I'm a clinical nurse specialist--like a nurse practitioner, but in a hospital). I found that yes, the smoker will still get carcinogens, propylene glycol to be exact. It's the active ingredient in anti-freeze!! However, most everything has been focused on the danger to the smoker, himself. No one, that I could find, has looked at how these things will affect the people around the smoker! Second-hand smoke is the main reason that many people object to smoking. If you choose to kill YOURSELF, fine. If you're killing ME by proxy, not cool! Your rights end where mine begin and vice versa. The thing is, when anyone uses an inhaler (which is what these are) they still exhale a small amount of the inhalate. There's even a picture of a guy blowing a puff of vapor in an ad. So you get a room full of people smoking, like in a bar in the old days, and they're all blowing off this vapor. The questions that need to be asked are does the person blow off the carcinogen and how much? I'm all for a fresh breath, whiter teeth, the lack of smell and all the other nasty things that trad cigs do, plus I enjoy people having a good time. I think private citizens have the right to do whatever they want--TO THEMSELVES NOT TO OTHERS. So where does that leave us? Who knows? Make sure you don't blow "vapor" into other people's faces.

[Rickett Customs]

Daggone it!! I thought it was a band name too!

I just use the patch.

[eddievanbassman]

smoke weed