After 1.5 years on them, my ultimate conclusion is bad juju. Long term these things will cause you problems. Still better than real cigs mind, but i don’t feel they are harm free.

I thank my lucky stars that I was able to stop smoking cigarettes without having to use them.

I personally think that those peddling them aren’t a million miles away from big tobacco in the way they market and sell them.

I’ve yet to meet an e-cig user (ex smoker) that has quit nicotine entirely. If anything their nicotine consumption has gone up and the e-cig is constantly in their mouths (like some kind of dummy for grown ups).

A move to e-cigs seems like a bit of cop out to me. Smokers need to MTFU

Got to agree with you, as a bitter former smoker I hate all things smoking related, but even setting that aside I can’t believe all the claims they make about them – it seems all too good to be true, all the ‘benefits’ of smoking, I’m struggling to think of any – without the likelihood of an painful early death.

Inhaling a cocktail of chemicals, produced by people you’ve usually never heard of, based on regulations unknown through a device of unknown origin – I can’ help worrying that vaping could turn lead to an epidemic health problem in years to come.

It certainly doesn’t seem to be a quitting aid anymore, the majority of users seem to see it as less harmful, cheaper or usable indoors – but I don’t hear them talking about quitting anymore.

Have you had any issues using them?

chipsngravy – Member
I’ve yet to meet an e-cig user (ex smoker) that has quit nicotine entirely.

Hello, pleased to meet you! 😆

9 days off it all and counting. 🙂 (although, I’m occassionally using patches at the moment, but they’ll be gone shortly.)

WackoAK – Member
Have you had any issues using them?

From my experience, it goes for your throat, causes wheezing and leaves you open to chest infections.

Hello there OP 🙂

All the best in your quest.

Inhaling a cocktail of chemicals, produced by people you’ve usually never heard of, based on regulations unknown through a device of unknown origin – I can’ help worrying that vaping could turn lead to an epidemic health problem in years to come.

Just like how tobacco started. 😀

Awful things but if they’re helping people quit, some do, then that’s great.

8 days off it all and counting. (although, I’m occassionally using patches at the moment, but they’ll be gone shortly.)

Ah like the smoker that has quit as they only have on weekends or when stressed.

This’ll be an interesting read.

We (a school) treat them and their possession the same as cigarettes – i.e. banned with being found in possession carrying the same punishment. There is a strong feeling from some of the students that they are an aid to giving up smoking and we should be more tolerant in some way. The lack of regulation of what’s in them and long term evidence of harm free use probably means that can’t happen any time soon.

Drac – Moderator
I’m occassionally using patches at the moment, but they’ll be gone shortly.)
Ah like the smoker that has quit as they only have on weekends or when stressed.

Nah, no really, tbh I don’t really think nicotine is that addictive tbh, it is but it’s not what I’m particular addicted to, I always found it easy enough to use the weakest strengthen e-cigs, 0.6%. I tried 0% but it seriously affected the flavour.

i’m just on the patches for an hour or so in the morning just as a precaution tbh, I’ve only 6 left, so after that, I’m not buying any more.

Just dug my e-cig out for yet another attempt at packing in smoking. I reckon I’ve got more chance with it, than without it. So I’ve started by halving the amount I usually smoke and using the e-cig instead. This week I’m going to e-cig only.

WIsh me luck!

I reckon I’ve got more chance with it, than without it

I agree 100% that you have, I found it incredibly easy after a few months, just to have the odd cig if I wanted.

I reckon it’s a good stopping aid, very good in fact, but longer term, it’s not a healthy substitute.

good luck. 🙂

Nah, no really, tbh I don’t really think nicotine is that addictive tbh

Anyway sounds like you conquering it, well done.

😆 For me personally, it’s the act of smoking I find I’m more addicted to.

I was smoking roll ups daily, and straights when i’d go out for a drink most weekends.

I have managed to quit them entirely, but now tend to use an e-cig (the ones you can buy that aren’t refillable) when i’ve had a drink.

Perhaps it may be different for other people, but i tried the jump a while ago and struggled to make it stick, mainly because there wasn’t the same satisfaction from the e-cig as a normal cigarette. This time the difference was i managed to quit completely for a fortnight before i picked the e-cig up, meaning by that time the e-cig was a “better than nothing” substitute.

Since that i’ve managed to stick just picking it up in desperate times of need, don’t really bother with it most of the time.

I smoked for 17 years, moved onto the vaping for maybe 2 months, then stopped that too.

Been smoke free for 16 months now.

I am sure they do you harm, they used to give me a dry sort of sore throat and I would still get the colds that went about, so if they were doing that to me in the short term I presume they would do some damage there in the long term, but they are definitely the lesser of two evils.

The whole “unregulated” urgument annoys me, it’s usually spouted by smokers trying to convince themselves they don’t need to stop smoking. Like an alcoholic telling you not to collect and drink rain water cos it’s unregulated, much better to stick to drinking 2 bottles of vodka a day instead.

My main worry, and I think the more likely disaster scenario, is kids getting hold of the brightly coloured, unsecurity capped refil liquids and poisoning themselves through spilling or drinking that as I believe it can be toxic through the skin.

The wife uses them, less chest infections etc with the e-cig than the real ones and clearly much less damaging to her health. Interesting to hear your views OP, clearly nothing at all is best so congrats on that.

Vaper here, i tried for years to give up fags and tried every tool in the GP/pharmacists box but still couldn’t get past giving up the last 5 a day, that’s when i moved on to an e cig. I’ve been tobacco free for 13 months now and have reduced my nicotine content down to 0.3% now and do intend to reduce down to zero and then quit entirely, maybe taking it out when i’m drinking or at a party i.e. the times i always fell off the wagon in the past.

Mixing your own liquid is easy, cheap and lets you know what’s gone into it, so i have a lot less worries there.

Incidentally i had a work medical last week, last one was 3 years ago when i was still a “light” smoker, and lung function is improved as is VO2 max. Hardly conclusive i admit but i’m sure that the vape is significantly less harmful than even light smoking.

i’m sure that the vape is significantly less harmful than even light smoking.

Definitely, a mate (MTBer) who runs a hospital lab says that even relatively few cigarettes impact your lung capacity and they do so pretty quickly even after smoking for just a short time

From my experience, it goes for your throat, causes wheezing and leaves you open to chest infections.

You know you’re not meant to inhale, just absorb from the mouth. Also, thought it was just vegetable oil, nicotine and flavouring. Agree is just as addictive but does give you option to taper down slowly. Nicorette Inhalators are good second step if you can last two or three weeks on those. They are a lot less addictive.

just stop end of … oh and 60 a day for 20+ years to 0 a day over night.
Not easy by any means but glad i did. just my 2 penneth 😉

Nicorette Inhalators are good second step if you can last two or three weeks on those. They are a lot less addictive.

But they are significantly less “cool” looking than most of the e-cigs and vaper things on the market. Aren’t they just white/cream plastic things?

If the people selling e-cigs had smokers’ best interests at heart they would not make them look all shiny and gadgety.

If the people selling e-cigs had smokers’ best interests at heart they would not make them look all shiny and gadgety.

They look rediculous. Fair enough if they help you stop smoking, but they don’t try to claim they look cool.

A friend has taken them up more out of financial constraint than anything else. She describes as sucking perfumed farts out of a robots tampon. 🙂

They look rediculous. Fair enough if they help you stop smoking, but they don’t try to claim they look cool.

They look ridiculous because they’re still a relative novelty. No-one will look twice when they get more commonplace.

They look rediculous. Fair enough if they help you stop smoking, but they don’t try to claim they look cool.

Some of them look like hash pipes or bongs – very shiny with bits of chrome and coloured metal and plastic.

To someone who has never smoked they do look naff, but to a certain % of smokers and ex-smokers they have that “edgy” sort of hook.

If they were not designed to look cool to some people then they would be purely functional bits of plastic and metal, like those Nicorette Inhalators.

You know you’re not meant to inhale, just absorb from the mouth

If that’s true, why do all the forums/reviews all place huge importance on ‘throat hit’?

I agree with the comments above that it ‘may’ be less harmful from what we know at the moment and I can definitely feel an improvement in breathing when vaping. What really worries me is when you ‘advance’ to various mods and get high voltage/amps. Inhaling that level of vaporised juice can’t be doing you any good 😕

My favourite thing is the blue lights on the end. 🙂

”Sources told reporters that the man, who inhaled deeply on the mechanized smoking apparatus, causing the tip to glow a bright cobalt hue, probably traveled back in time to track down a deadly fugitive hiding in the early 21st century or something.”

They look ridiculous because they’re still a relative novelty. No-one will look twice when they get more commonplace.

Can we at least hope they will not become commonplace and die off with the cigarette?

I don’t use them and have no inclination to use them so can only go on what others say about them.

A lot of people seem to mention the tickly throat effect and the users I know do seem to pick up a lot of the bugs going round too. The fact that most non-users seem to think they look a grade a clown using them doesn’t seem to bother them!! They are fast becoming a fashion accessory and the way the favours are pushed towards kids (bubblegum, strawberry etc) really doesn’t sit well with me.

I just have a sneaky feeling that in 10 or so years some major health issue will be found with them and it’ll be another round of compo claims against the manufacturers.

I personally think that those peddling them aren’t a million miles away from big tobacco in the way they market and sell them.

in the absence of a single “hollow laugh” smiley: 😀 😆 😕 😐

A friend in the nicotine replacement industry (pharma end) advised me some years ago that philip morris, b.a.t. Et al are all investing in e-cigs and viewing vaping products as simply a new product line with far far fewer restrictions on packaging, duty and so on. Mechanics of marketing and keeping customers using the product (and their product) will be just the same. This was a couple of years ago now, i wonder who owns what nowadays?

Also the lack of pharmaceutical trials/ testing and transparency around ingredients on some of them as compared to ‘proper’ nrt is worrying. Remember these are products designed to keep you vaping not help you quit altogether. Methinks that nrt (for quitting purposes) needs to become cheaper and more freely available with the financial incentive of ‘you won’t need to spend anything on this in a few months’ rather than ‘its still really expensive but at least you aren’t smoking.’

Speaking with kids about them a large number know of family who had, to all intents and purposes, quit but now vape, several kids started just on e-cigs because they’re not fags and look cool.

Always makes me chuckle when I see someone walking along, sucking the life out of what resembles a rampant rabbit