i suppose its all about if a person really want's to quit. just swapping one form of smoking to another and then kidding yourself the latter is better it's not gonna work. but if deep down the person really wants to quit it can be a good aid
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Cold turkey, no substitute !!!
Three weeks oughta do it.
Three weeks oughta do it.
With all due respect for your achievement of completely quitting, I think you seriously understate the differences between smoking and vaping. And I worry that this type of attitude shown by you here and others above, dismissing vaping as being little better than smoking, is really unhelpful and seriously discouraging to those people who are hopeless long-term heavy smokers like I was. Vaping is categorically NOT just "another form of smoking"--it is a completely different method of nicotine delivery, one that does not involve any of the aspects of smoking that actually kill you. I am NOT "kidding myself" that "vaping is better than smoking." It is self-evidently better than smoking--as my own lungs, that no longer produce horrific sounds and substances, not to mention all the sports I can now play again after many years of not being able to, amply attest. I did not give up smoking because I was terrified of being addicted to nicotine. I gave up because the method of nicotine delivery (inhaling burning tobacco leaves and cigarette paper) was slowly killing me. As far as I am concerned, I did "quit smoking," and my life quality and expectancy has increased dramatically as a result. For me this was nothing less than a miracle. I am sorry, but exchanging an almost inevitably fatal habit for a completely non-fatal one is, as I said before, a very meaningful change, and people need to know this, not have it constantly doubted or dismissed. Besides, what exactly is wrong with an addiction that causes no harm of any kind to myself or to others? Some people seem to be very hung up about the mere stigma of "addiction," even if it is completely harmless, like caffeine addiction. Personally, I could care less, given the alternative.
I do partly agree with this, as I fell victim to this same thing. I would lower my nicotine on the vape way down, and then find myself right back at the higher dosage. that's just me though, I'm sure there has been a few success stories. I will say, the better part about vapes is the 2nd hand and 3rd hand smoke factor seems to be reduced a bit. I still didn't smoke inside with the vape once I had my son, but I was a little less worried about it at least. I can't imagine the effects are null from the 2nd hand, and the research is a process.
Switching to only nicotine by way of vape may not kill you like the carcinogens of a traditional cigarette, but its still not great for your health either.
I’ve never smoked except for an occasional cigar. But I had a can and a half Skoal a day addiction for many years. When my dentist convinced me it was doing horrible things to my gums I decided to quit. After at least 6 attempts of a few weeks to a few months I finally quit. For years afterward drinking beer triggered a HUGE desire to do some Skoal but I resisted. Now after many years the thought of trying it again is disgusting.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
You have clearly given up in your struggle against nicotine, which is a shame. Your addiction is not harmless and it does affect you negatively. There is no such thing as a "positive addiction." As a person with his own vices, I am not about to say that the benefits won't outweigh the costs on your personal ledger but you are naive to think there are no cons to vaping or any other addiction. It is almost comical that you suggest caffeine as a "harmless" addiction. Caffeine is both physically and mentally addictive. So many people suffer from the effects of withdrawl on a daily basis to the point that we don't register it as drug abuse and say "Tim just needs his coffee to get going."
You are correct that vaping is a less dangerous alternative to smoking but the only people that would agree vaping is healthier than not vaping have stocks in vape companies. Additionally, we have no idea what the long-term effects/harms of vaping are and won't for some time. The effects of nicotine, however, are well established as being a negative for your health. That being said, it is beyond unlikely that the future studies will say "inhaling vaping is better than oxygen."
If you want to quit, there is clearly a strong support group on TB. You have seen the benefits from quitting smoking. Why not try the benefits of clear lungs and a healthier heart?
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
Smoke on the walls/clothes/car interior. The stuff that is there that you cannot see.
Fun fact: vapes actually leave a ton of residue as well. Vape shops tend to clean their windows frequently because of this.
How is tobacco smoke residue any different than any of the detritus one encounters on a daily basis that it gets its own scary moniker? I shall wash off my fruits and vegetables to minimize my risk of contacting 3rd hand pesticides. I shall Purell in the vicinity of humans to avoid picking up 3rd hand rhinovirus. I shall use toilet seat covers to avoid contracting 3rd hand chlamydia. Sheesh!
I shall wash my hands regularly and lather up in a tub or shower every now and then and stop worrying about the existence of tobacco in the wide, wild, messy world.
Sorry, but I never said that nicotine addiction was a "positive" thing. I never claimed that vaping was "healthier than not vaping." And I readily conceded that the long-term effects/harms are not yet fully known. Why must you invent things like this and make everything so black-and-white? In the meantime, until we have hospital wards full of cancer-ridden vapers on oxygen support (and I have never heard of one single example), can people not just accept that the millions of formerly heavy smokers who have been vaping exclusively for 5 years or more, with measurable improvements to their health and no serious ill effects, are themselves already good "evidence" that this is a massively less dangerous habit than smoking? Again if the choice is between an excruciating death from lung disease and an addiction to something like caffeine, the preferred alternative should be self-evident to anyone who is looking to quit a heavy, long-term smoking habit. This is the message I am trying to send to people who are in the desperate position I was in. You were not in that position, so please spare those who are your puritanical hysteria, equating addiction to substances like caffeine and nicotine with some kind of serious "drug abuse." For some people, this is a literally life-and-death matter.
So 2nd hand smoke is coming in contact with smoke from a burning cigarette nearby,
3rd hand smoke is when you come in contact with the residue left over from an extinguished cigarette. Like if you go into a house people have been smoking inside of, and put your face on the carpet. Young children are especially prone to it, because they like to play on the floor.
I learned about it when we had our son, and grandmas house proved to be unsafe because she smoked inside. It was an unfortunate situation, because we didn't see eye to eye on the damage. Another good reason not to continue smoking!
Heres some info from this site -
Invalid Link Removed
What is Thirdhand Smoke?
- The left-over pollution after a cigarette is put out
- The smoke residue can stick to dust, furniture, carpeting, car seats, hair, or clothes
- Invalid Link Removed particles are released into the air, combine with particles normally in the atmosphere (i.e., nitrous acid or ozone) and forms a new compound called nitrosamines, which are released into the air as cancer-causing chemicals
- 43% of smokers (65% of nonsmokers) believe that thirdhand smoke causes harm to children.
- There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke.
- Thirdhand smoke contains more than 250 chemicals.
- Invalid Link Removed where people have smoked can smell like cigarettes for a long time due to the thirdhand smoke left on surfaces.
- Decontaminating a home or car that was used by a smoker may require expensive professional cleaning as it can stain walls, floors, and the smell can remain in dry wall, insulation, and other building materials.
- Smoking in different rooms using fans, or smoking in front of an open window does not prevent thirdhand smoke.
- Babies and children can be harmed because they breathe in toxic chemicals when they crawl on floors, sit in cars, or are held by adults—thirdhand smoke can settle on these surfaces.
- Pets are also at risk, because the chemicals from smoke stay in their fur or feathers.
- Do not allow smoking inside your home or car.
- Do not allow smoking near you, your children, or your pets.
- Ask anyone who cares for your child or pet to follow these rules—and tell them why.
- E-cigarette vapor or aerosol also contains chemicals. Do not let anyone use e-cigarettes in your home, car, or near your child or pet.
- The only way to completely protect against thirdhand smoke is to Invalid Link Removed. The AAP recommends talking to your child's pediatrician about ways to keep your child healthy.
precisely. There is a very lofty equine you respond to there. No vaper here would suggest a nicotine free human should take up vaping or smoking. We vape addicts seem to be mostly ex smokers and have positive stories. It is a tool we have used to stop benzine, carbon, etc., etc., and god knows what from being deposited in our alveoli. Sure it’s great to sit up there looking down at we low lives and mete out judgement; just until you have worn our shoes. What? You haven’t been in our shoes? Next.
Look, the ideal certainly is to just stop it. The reality for so very many of us is that many methods have been attempted and failed. So we’ve found a method of harm reduction. A method that is also much less offensive to others, within reason: ie outdoor passers by. Now, post cigarettes, i too abhor the smell of tobacco. We have been exiled to the outdoors with the tobacco burners. Yet the judgement persists. Now go enjoy your healthy beer or vodka or whatever and take care to not fall from your pony.
wow they used to say smoking was good for you
Traded a two pack a day habit cold turkey for my wife. It was a good swap.
I changed from cigarettes to loose tobacco in a pipe or water pipe. That kept me from smoking in my car, which has previously proven to be a major downfall. Then I reduced it to that first smoke of the day; the only one that I enjoyed. Then I threw away my glassware. I haven't smoked since, and it's been my largest streak in years. That's how I did it, but I was never a 2 pack a day guy or anything. Best of luck all!
Smoked for 40 years. What worked for me:
1) Being in the right frame of mind to take on that massive challenge. I woke up one morning and caught myself with a smidgen of willpower. I took it one hour at a time.
2) Cold Turkey. When I got a nic fit I tried to associate that feeling to one of healing. I convinced myself that feeling lightheaded was the euphoric return of health.
3) Not telling others what I was doing. I wanted to get some time under my belt before I shared anything. I didn't want the pressure.
4) Anytime I felt I needed a smoke I reminded myself that cigarettes were the problem not the solution.
1) Being in the right frame of mind to take on that massive challenge. I woke up one morning and caught myself with a smidgen of willpower. I took it one hour at a time.
2) Cold Turkey. When I got a nic fit I tried to associate that feeling to one of healing. I convinced myself that feeling lightheaded was the euphoric return of health.
3) Not telling others what I was doing. I wanted to get some time under my belt before I shared anything. I didn't want the pressure.
4) Anytime I felt I needed a smoke I reminded myself that cigarettes were the problem not the solution.
There’s a physical addiction component to this and there’s lots of great advice in this thread about that....but I found there was also an oral / manual fixation as well as a social component to be dealt with.
I quit cold turkey after repeated attempts. I purchased a yo-yo, harmonica and taught myself to juggle to help with the aforementioned fixations. The social aspect is challenging at first but gets easier over time....vocalizing that you’re quitting can help create accountability.
You CAN do it!!!! Keep us posted.
I quit cold turkey after repeated attempts. I purchased a yo-yo, harmonica and taught myself to juggle to help with the aforementioned fixations. The social aspect is challenging at first but gets easier over time....vocalizing that you’re quitting can help create accountability.
You CAN do it!!!! Keep us posted.
