Start vaping to quit altogether? These are my three recommendations

[user1497]

Hi everyone,

just wanted to share some tips that really helped me out.

I started vaping for the purpose of quitting altogether eventually four months ago after smoking for fourteen years. As of now, it has been nine days since I last used my vaping device (it is some mod with a tank, I don't know or care for the specifics) and I do not feel the urge to smoke or vape at all!

These are the three things I did when starting out with vaping that helped me greatly in quitting altogether:

1: I started with a nicotine strengths that did not immediately satisfy my cravings

In my case, being a pack a day smoker, it was 6mg. The guy in the store recommended 12mg but I was set on going with half. The frustrating thing was that I now had to vape for a minute or so before I realized that my urge for nicotine was gone, instead of having the instant gratification of a cigarette.

2: I did not use any flavors

When I bought my device, I tested a few flavors in the shop and they were ok I guess. But what is the point in getting hooked on flavors when I wanted to quit? I knew that my nictotine addiction had nothing to do with the flavor. With vaping, smoking can be broken down into its components (smoke, flavor, throat hit etc.) and the more I could take out of the equation, the better.

3: I took out the fun slowly

Over the course of roughly four months, I vaped between 3 and 5ml daily, starting with 6mg, then going down to 3mg, then 2, 1,5 and finally 1 for a whole month. Every time I reduced the amount of nicotine, I realized that I was using more juice than before. Within a couple of days, I automatically adjusted my usage to about 3ml. When this happened, I knew I could reduce again.

By starting low and going slow, I didn't even realize how vaping became less and less fun on account of the nicotine dose being lowered. Once my 1mg juice was used up, I went with 0mg for two weeks. The first couple of days it was like going for a lower dose, I vaped more even though there was no nicotine left in the tank.

But after a week or so, something beautiful became more and more clear to me: I did not need to vape. Instead of being helpful, the whole work I had to put into vaping (charging batteries, carrying enough juice etc.) had become an unnecessary burden. So one day I just stopped vaping and nothing happenend. Nothing at all.

I've quit cigarettes cold turkey before and it was much more difficult breaking the habits and enduring the cravings. By vaping, I replaced my smoking rituals with a vapid imitation of them. Thinking back on smoking, I think back on vaping and I realize: What's to miss?

So vaping in this way has been a huge help and I would recommend it to any smoker wanting to try a new way of quitting. I have to say that the initial two weeks were the hardest. But since I knew I was getting my nicotine anyway, I just went on with it. From week three on, it has been more and more easy.

Just a disclaimer: I do not want to sound disrespectful towards those who engage in vaping as a hobby. I realize there are many facets I have not explored (and do not intent to). I only speak for myself when I say that as an ex smoker, vaping has really shown me how utterly pointless it all is once the nicotine is taken out of the equation.

 

[Carambrda]

Welcome. While I share your observation that not getting the instant gratification of smoking a cigarette can be a very frustrating experience to new vapers wanting to come off cigarettes, one has to accept the fact vaping nicotine does not absorb nicotine into the lungs excepting only in negligible amounts therefore it takes time for nicotine to enter the body via the soft tissue in mostly the mouth and throat so getting a nicotine rush typifying of smoking is simply not possible in any way by vaping. Trying to strike a correct balance between how much any given person wants to vape to satisfy one's cravings and the nicotine strength of the juice not only heavily depends on the choice of atomizer, the coil(s), the airflow setting, the wattage setting, and the type of juice, but also the preferred vaping style of the person in question. Being an ex-smoker myself, in fact I found that by conveniently instantaneously changing the nicotine strength of the juice I was vaping on an RDA during my first few months of having made the switch to vaping, I could 1/ manage to prevent cravings before they happened by vaping at a normal pace beforehand instead of just waiting for cravings to happen, and 2/ temporarily lower the nicotine strength to be able to continue to vape or chain vape as much as I liked and not get "nic sick". So instead of having to fight against cravings by trying to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes smoked over time, for me making the switch to vaping went instantaneous, like throwing a light switch. Being able to frequently and heavily chain vape played an excruciatingly important part in this. To me it means I could never have pulled it off in this fashion if it hadn't been for the fact I was using an RDA, as I really am certain that burning out the wicks or coils REALLY fast would have been completely unavoidable without an RDA. Choosing the right vaping equipment immediately from the get go, was paramount. So it actually turned out that not listening to other people's advice too much, or basically not listening to them at all, was a giant leap into success.

The fact that vaping later became my hobby is largely irrelevant in all this. That is, despite I should add that I personally have witnessed a lot of vapers going back to smoking cigarettes after they lost interest in vaping or after they assumed they should try to lose interest in vaping... so still nowhere nearly as cut nor as dry as some would have you believe, and that is putting it mildly.

 

[Carambrda]

Notice how, in my above reply, I did not mention the word 'flavor' even one time. That's just because each and every single person who takes vaping as a highly effective weapon against smoking seriously already knows that the banning of flavors, be it with or without the exception of tobacco flavors, in e-liquids is essentially the same as marketing combustible tobacco, and, I am making this clear by writing it in a separate reply because, to be completely frank, this is how firmly I distantiate myself from your recommendations.

 

[user1497]

Thanks for your reply. Indeed, as your answer shows there are different strategies to fulfilling nicotine cravings with vaping. Of course, the satisfation depends on a lot of individual factors. My point is that, apart from the specifics of my case, I found it helpful to intentionally use a nicotine strength that was a little unsatisfying - in the store, I had tried out higher dosages with effects that were much more like the satisfaction I got from smoking - that was what I wanted to avoid.

I'm not sure about your last comment, though. Are you saying that vaping is only a viable alternative to smoking when done with flavoring? I would very much disagree with that because, as I've come to find out from my own experience, vaping without flavor can just as much be a route to quitting vaping altogether because it becomes (in my opinion) a very bland and unsatisfying experience. That has nothing to do with recreational vaping, of course and I would strongly distinguish between vaping as a hobby and vaping as a means to quit altogether.

 

[AndriaD]

Thanks for your reply. Indeed, as your answer shows there are different strategies to fulfilling nicotine cravings with vaping. Of course, the satisfation depends on a lot of individual factors. My point is that, apart from the specifics of my case, I found it helpful to intentionally use a nicotine strength that was a little unsatisfying - in the store, I had tried out higher dosages with effects that were much more like the satisfaction I got from smoking - that was what I wanted to avoid.

I'm not sure about your last comment, though. Are you saying that vaping is only a viable alternative to smoking when done with flavoring? I would very much disagree with that because, as I've come to find out from my own experience, vaping without flavor can just as much be a route to quitting vaping altogether because it becomes (in my opinion) a very bland and unsatisfying experience. That has nothing to do with recreational vaping, of course and I would strongly distinguish between vaping as a hobby and vaping as a means to quit altogether.

No, what he's saying is that FLAVORS ARE NECESSARY TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH VAPING. "Flavoring" includes TOBACCO FLAVORS -- because they don't naturally occur in PG/VG/nicotine. If someone really wants to quit SMOKING using vaping, then it needs to be SATISFYING. What you're basically recommending is the sure way to fail at vaping. If people don't like it better than smoking, THEY WON'T DO IT, PERIOD.

You're also missing the entire point that VAPING IS NOT SMOKING. So if you start vaping to quit smoking, and then just continue vaping indefinitely, YOU'RE STILL NOT SMOKING!!!!!!!! Geez. so many people have fallen hook line and sinker for the puritan mentality, it's pathetic.

And, given that you've made exactly 2 posts here, you don't really have a lot of credibility -- are you a troll, or merely a newbie who doesn't really understand vaping? I've been a vaper for 4 1/2 yrs, and a non-smoker for the last 4 yrs of that. But I'm still a piker compared to some around here that have been vaping non-smokers for 5, 6, 7, or even more years -- who are still vaping, and STILL NOT SMOKING.

Quitting smoking is hard, harder than alcohol or any drug... Doing it the way you describe is a surefire way to FAIL. It's no better than those useless patches!

Andria

 

[lucifah]

First off, user1497, when you title your post as "recommendations" you can't caveat it then by saying it's just your opinion. Which one is it?

As your personal opinion and personal experience I think it's a perfectly acceptable post and doesn't justify the harsh response you're getting. If it worked that way for you and kept you off the stinkies, well done you. But as the other two have said already, it's a bit more complex than a 3-step solution that supposedly works for everyone.

Also, there's not just nicotine (and its heavily debated addictiveness, or lack thereof if consumed on its own). There's the habit/routine, the hand-to-mouth movement, the recreational factor (after a meal, with friends, with a drink etc), the inhaling and exhaling of smoke/vapour...

For me personally, and that's an opinion not a recommendation, just to be sure, the other factors seem to weigh heavier than the nicotine. I'm saying that, because I stopped smoking and picked up vaping after 20+ years of 20+ fags a day. I had no intention to quit, in fact purchased 200 fags the day before I got my first starter kit. I got it because I was curious. Once I had it and took a few toots, I thought, alright let's see how long I can do this without a smoke. And that was it. Haven't looked back. Admittedly, it wasn't always as easy as this sounds during the first couple of weeks, maybe first two months. But I kept on vaping and building and mixing to keep my mind off the fags. It worked. That was only 9 months ago (to the day), granted, but I have been exposed to heavy passive smoking on several occasions, and all I felt was disgust towards the stinkies. Haven't touched any since. (And I had the 200 fags in my drawer for ages; it would have been very easy to give in and return to smoking.)
I started with 12mg, went to 9mg, then 6, now usually 3-4mg. It doesn't bother me all that much if I cannot vape for hours and am exposed to cigarette smoke at the same time. Maybe I could stop vaping, too. I don't know. But truth is, I don't care because I don't want to. Just as I don't want to not drink coffee. (The positive effects of caffeine and nicotine are similar, btw, and nicotine on its own has no known long-term health risks as long as it's not overdosed, which is physically impossible with normal vaping.)

Without flavours, I'd be back on stinkies the day I got my vape kit. That's 100% certain. I just got somehow hooked to that Blackjack flavour I started with. Another factor was most definitely that I can vape at my desk and anywhere around the house whenever I feel like, whereas with smoking, I forced myself to go outside, and tried not to do it more frequently than every ~45 minutes. And for anybody who knows Scotland, you know the weather outside is not always particularly pleasant

Nowadays I vape various flavours almost simultaneously. Because I can and enjoy it. I like caramel/cream with a cup of coffee. I like berry flavours with a pint of Guinness. I like menthol for the same reasons others chew chewing gums. And this list goes on and on. It IS mainly a hobby and a recreational thing, and a habitual thing. It made me quit smoking without expecting it, so that's got to be a good thing, even if I sometimes vape a lot. (A hell of a lot less than some people here and on other forums though! )

Anyhow, the only true recommendation I would and can give to any smoker (wanting to quit or not wanting to quit doesn't matter) is to TRY vaping. It has worked for many people, in various forms, with different kits and flavours (or none, as was the case for you). The vast majority of vapers are ex smokers and dual users. But HOW anybody vapes and WHAT exactly works for them, depends much on the individual, I think. It's always less harmful than smoking. Each cigarette not smoked is a good cigarette.


And AndriaD, I have to disagree with nicotine being more addictive than alcohol. I don't think those two should be compared in this context. For example an ex-drinker is usually back in business with just one drink after years without, whereas most vapers would rather feel disgusted by cigarettes. I'm not convinced that a relapse is quite as brutal there. But discussing this in detail would get too personal (for me that is, having lost two family members to alcohol). I just think that the level of addiction and the brutality of the struggle depends on each individual as well, and therefore I disagree with cigarettes being more addictive than alcohol if presented as a fact like you did.

 

[AndriaD]

And AndriaD, I have to disagree with nicotine being more addictive than alcohol. I don't think those two should be compared in this context. For example an ex-drinker is usually back in business with just one drink after years without, whereas most vapers would rather feel disgusted by cigarettes. I'm not convinced that a relapse is quite as brutal there. But discussing this in detail would get too personal (for me that is, having lost two family members to alcohol). I just think that the level of addiction and the brutality of the struggle depends on each individual as well, and therefore I disagree with cigarettes being more addictive than alcohol if presented as a fact like you did.

I never ever said that... in fact I think that nicotine isn't terribly habit-forming at all, no more so than caffeine. But CIGARETTE SMOKING kicks the ass off alcohol AND c*caine withdrawal -- I've done both, and managed to get completely off both, completely cold turkey -- and frankly, alcohol was harder -- they don't advertise skanky people and white powder on TV! I don't personally know about narcotic withdrawal, but I do know that my husband kicked H cold-turkey by locking himself in a room and not coming out till he was rational.

Cigarette smoking is egregiously addictive, due to a) chemical dependence -- not just nicotine, but nicotine combined with MAOIs and the ammonia they use to make it hit the brain even faster; b) constantly repeated BEHAVIOR; and c) constantly repeated behavior which is A STRESS RELIEVER.

Do not conflate nicotine use with smoking cigarettes! Smoking cigarettes is probably the worst addiction EVER.... nicotine dependence is no harder to beat than caffeine dependence -- not totally painless, but not anywhere near "addiction" -- merely dependence.

Andria

 

[lucifah]

I never ever said that... in fact I think that nicotine isn't terribly habit-forming at all, no more so than caffeine. But CIGARETTE SMOKING kicks the ass off alcohol AND c*caine withdrawal -- I've done both [...]

Right, mistake on my end, but my closing sentence had it right and was what I meant (cigarettes, not nicotine, being addictive yet not directly comparable to alcohol). Anyway, as I said I'm not going to accept that as a generally applicable fact (cigs vs alcohol) and believe addictions always depend on the individual as well, just as working cessation methods may vary from person to person. Let's agree to disagree there, if need be

Completely accept that you made a different experience personally!
Good on you for getting rid of all three and your other half for doing the same with H, though!

 

[AndriaD]

Right, mistake on my end, but my closing sentence had it right and was what I meant (cigarettes, not nicotine, being addictive yet not directly comparable to alcohol). Anyway, as I said I'm not going to accept that as a generally applicable fact (cigs vs alcohol) and believe addictions always depend on the individual as well, just as working cessation methods may vary from person to person. Let's agree to disagree there, if need be

Completely accept that you made a different experience personally!
Good on you for getting rid of all three and your other half for doing the same with H, though!

Well... I quit the white powders without ever looking back. Alcohol I quit because it was killing me, and I had a 4 yr old to raise, and being an emetophobe, I can think of a LOT of easier ways to die than liver failure. But it was very hard, the first year or ten, and though I recently celebrated 26 yrs sober, just 2 yrs ago when I lost my mother, I seriously wanted to get drunk... but I knew it wouldn't help, would only make it hurt worse, so I went to a meeting and somehow got thru it. But until I found vaping, there wasn't a chance in hell that I'd ever be able to quit smoking... I tried quite a few times, but even after I watched my dad die of small-cell lung cancer (yes, from smoking), I simply could not put them down and leave them down for more than a week without going completely out of my mind. But vaping made it so easy... Even though my first year did see a relapse to dual use, and a much harder return to smoke-free than the first time around, I was able to achieve it -- but only because of 1) vaping, and 2) WTA.

Andria

 

[Carambrda]

First off, user1497, when you title your post as "recommendations" you can't caveat it then by saying it's just your opinion. Which one is it?

As your personal opinion and personal experience I think it's a perfectly acceptable post and doesn't justify the harsh response you're getting.

Maybe my response was not yet harsh enough because... well, read the fucking thread title. What he posted is a marketing ploy for combustible tobacco because he is essentially using the old trojan horse tactic of RECOMMENDING not only one, but THREE surefire ways to turn the smoking cessation tool known as vaping into a huge fail:

1. Lowering the nicotine strength to try to ensure an unsatisfying vape experience.
2. Staying away from flavorings to try to ensure an even more unsatisfying vape experience.
   
3. Moving to 0mg to encourage a relapse into smoking. According to my sources, about 80% of vapers who went to 0mg like that have relapsed.

If it worked that way for you and kept you off the stinkies, well done you. But as the other two have said already, it's a bit more complex than a 3-step solution that supposedly works for everyone.

Also, there's not just nicotine (and its heavily debated addictiveness, or lack thereof if consumed on its own). There's the habit/routine, the hand-to-mouth movement, the recreational factor (after a meal, with friends, with a drink etc), the inhaling and exhaling of smoke/vapour...

For me personally, and that's an opinion not a recommendation, just to be sure, the other factors seem to weigh heavier than the nicotine. I'm saying that, because I stopped smoking and picked up vaping after 20+ years of 20+ fags a day. I had no intention to quit, in fact purchased 200 fags the day before I got my first starter kit. I got it because I was curious. Once I had it and took a few toots, I thought, alright let's see how long I can do this without a smoke. And that was it. Haven't looked back. Admittedly, it wasn't always as easy as this sounds during the first couple of weeks, maybe first two months. But I kept on vaping and building and mixing to keep my mind off the fags. It worked. That was only 9 months ago (to the day), granted, but I have been exposed to heavy passive smoking on several occasions, and all I felt was disgust towards the stinkies. Haven't touched any since. (And I had the 200 fags in my drawer for ages; it would have been very easy to give in and return to smoking.)
I started with 12mg, went to 9mg, then 6, now usually 3-4mg. It doesn't bother me all that much if I cannot vape for hours and am exposed to cigarette smoke at the same time. Maybe I could stop vaping, too. I don't know. But truth is, I don't care because I don't want to. Just as I don't want to not drink coffee. (The positive effects of caffeine and nicotine are similar, btw, and nicotine on its own has no known long-term health risks as long as it's not overdosed, which is physically impossible with normal vaping.)

Without flavours, I'd be back on stinkies the day I got my vape kit. That's 100% certain. I just got somehow hooked to that Blackjack flavour I started with. Another factor was most definitely that I can vape at my desk and anywhere around the house whenever I feel like, whereas with smoking, I forced myself to go outside, and tried not to do it more frequently than every ~45 minutes. And for anybody who knows Scotland, you know the weather outside is not always particularly pleasant

Nowadays I vape various flavours almost simultaneously. Because I can and enjoy it. I like caramel/cream with a cup of coffee. I like berry flavours with a pint of Guinness. I like menthol for the same reasons others chew chewing gums. And this list goes on and on. It IS mainly a hobby and a recreational thing, and a habitual thing. It made me quit smoking without expecting it, so that's got to be a good thing, even if I sometimes vape a lot. (A hell of a lot less than some people here and on other forums though! )

Anyhow, the only true recommendation I would and can give to any smoker (wanting to quit or not wanting to quit doesn't matter) is to TRY vaping. It has worked for many people, in various forms, with different kits and flavours (or none, as was the case for you). The vast majority of vapers are ex smokers and dual users. But HOW anybody vapes and WHAT exactly works for them, depends much on the individual, I think. It's always less harmful than smoking. Each cigarette not smoked is a good cigarette.


And AndriaD, I have to disagree with nicotine being more addictive than alcohol. I don't think those two should be compared in this context. For example an ex-drinker is usually back in business with just one drink after years without, whereas most vapers would rather feel disgusted by cigarettes. I'm not convinced that a relapse is quite as brutal there. But discussing this in detail would get too personal (for me that is, having lost two family members to alcohol). I just think that the level of addiction and the brutality of the struggle depends on each individual as well, and therefore I disagree with cigarettes being more addictive than alcohol if presented as a fact like you did.

 

[Carambrda]

The anti-vaping lobby has a shill.

 

[JuicyLucy]

Hi everyone,

just wanted to share some tips that really helped me out.

I started vaping for the purpose of quitting altogether eventually four months ago after smoking for fourteen years. As of now, it has been nine days since I last used my vaping device (it is some mod with a tank, I don't know or care for the specifics) and I do not feel the urge to smoke or vape at all!

These are the three things I did when starting out with vaping that helped me greatly in quitting altogether:

1: I started with a nicotine strengths that did not immediately satisfy my cravings

In my case, being a pack a day smoker, it was 6mg. The guy in the store recommended 12mg but I was set on going with half. The frustrating thing was that I now had to vape for a minute or so before I realized that my urge for nicotine was gone, instead of having the instant gratification of a cigarette.

2: I did not use any flavors

When I bought my device, I tested a few flavors in the shop and they were ok I guess. But what is the point in getting hooked on flavors when I wanted to quit? I knew that my nictotine addiction had nothing to do with the flavor. With vaping, smoking can be broken down into its components (smoke, flavor, throat hit etc.) and the more I could take out of the equation, the better.

3: I took out the fun slowly

Over the course of roughly four months, I vaped between 3 and 5ml daily, starting with 6mg, then going down to 3mg, then 2, 1,5 and finally 1 for a whole month. Every time I reduced the amount of nicotine, I realized that I was using more juice than before. Within a couple of days, I automatically adjusted my usage to about 3ml. When this happened, I knew I could reduce again.

By starting low and going slow, I didn't even realize how vaping became less and less fun on account of the nicotine dose being lowered. Once my 1mg juice was used up, I went with 0mg for two weeks. The first couple of days it was like going for a lower dose, I vaped more even though there was no nicotine left in the tank.

But after a week or so, something beautiful became more and more clear to me: I did not need to vape. Instead of being helpful, the whole work I had to put into vaping (charging batteries, carrying enough juice etc.) had become an unnecessary burden. So one day I just stopped vaping and nothing happenend. Nothing at all.

I've quit cigarettes cold turkey before and it was much more difficult breaking the habits and enduring the cravings. By vaping, I replaced my smoking rituals with a vapid imitation of them. Thinking back on smoking, I think back on vaping and I realize: What's to miss?

So vaping in this way has been a huge help and I would recommend it to any smoker wanting to try a new way of quitting. I have to say that the initial two weeks were the hardest. But since I knew I was getting my nicotine anyway, I just went on with it. From week three on, it has been more and more easy.

Just a disclaimer: I do not want to sound disrespectful towards those who engage in vaping as a hobby. I realize there are many facets I have not explored (and do not intent to). I only speak for myself when I say that as an ex smoker, vaping has really shown me how utterly pointless it all is once the nicotine is taken out of the equation.

Glad it's working for you so far - but that would not work for me if I needed to stay human

Heck, it took me three years to stop dual using

For those like me - who were addicted to the aklaloids in tobacco - no way it would work. Period.

It took me another year to get off the alkaloids I had to add to juice, because nicotine was not the addiction

Like others here, I have seen way too many people quit smoking for vaping, quit vaping to live up to some standard set by others, then relapse back to smoking. Time and time again.

 

[user1497]

Thanks for all the responses. Let me clarify that by recommendations, I mean recommendations from my own experience as in take it or leave it, maybe the meaning got lost in translation a little bit.

To further clarify: My initial motivation for this post was that it would have been the sort of information I was looking for when I researched vaping. I was turned off by the esotericism of the vaping scene (the lingo, the modding etc.) and I wanted to know if I could just vape to stop smoking (by esotericism I mean the subculture around vaping, it's not meant as a judgement). So from the getgo I wanted to put minimal effort into it, I did not want to become a vaper and even though I found vaping immensely helpful, I never really felt comfortable with the clouds, the equipment etc. (of course, I didn't want to, either).

I'm a little surprised by the reactions of some members here. In public discussion, vaping as a smoking cessation device is a big and - I think - valid argument. But here it seems that the only way vaping can help in quitting smoking is if it turns people into longtime vapers, and I just don't think that's true. People have quit cigarettes with a lot less help just a decade ago, why shouldn't it work even better when you have not just nicotine patches, but a nicotine vaping device? I'm not making judgements about the severity of anyones nicotine addiction, but I would very strongly argue for vaping as a device for complete cessation (which has nothing to do with recreational vaping).

As for the danger of relapse, of course it can happen. As usual, there has to be the right mindset etc. But since I really wanted to quit smoking and went through four months of vaping I can now safely say that I never ever have felt less of a need to smoke - and it is amazing. And the seasoned vapers may claim all they want that flavors etc. are needed in order not to relapse, I don't believe that for a second. Also, there's no use in arguing over two different things.

 

[lucifah]

Maybe my response was not yet harsh enough because... well, read the fucking thread title.

Dude, what's with the anger? You need to up your nic and chill out.
I'm neither agreeing with him, nor defending him or taking his side. If you think I did or your shill remark was aimed at me (I don't believe it was, but it's not clear), you haven't been paying attention.

 

[Carambrda]

Thanks for all the responses. Let me clarify that by recommendations, I mean recommendations from my own experience as in take it or leave it,

I strongly recommend leaving it as opposed to taking it.

maybe the meaning got lost in translation a little bit.

To further clarify: My initial motivation for this post was that it would have been the sort of information I was looking for when I researched vaping.

What information are you talking about here? There is no information in your post aside from classical anti-vaping propaganda, which proper research about vaping clearly shows.

I was turned off by the esotericism of the vaping scene (the lingo, the modding etc.) and I wanted to know if I could just vape to stop smoking (by esotericism I mean the subculture around vaping, it's not meant as a judgement). So from the getgo I wanted to put minimal effort into it, I did not want to become a vaper and even though I found vaping immensely helpful, I never really felt comfortable with the clouds, the equipment etc. (of course, I didn't want to, either).

Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see the logical connection between this and your three "recommendations". The reason why smokers stop smoking and start vaping is because they feel more comfortable vaping than they feel smoking, excepting for only sado masochists and maybe a few chronically retarded people, and I don't mean this as a judgement, but rather, I mean this as only bloody common sense.

I'm a little surprised by the reactions of some members here. In public discussion, vaping as a smoking cessation device is a big and - I think - valid argument. But here it seems that the only way vaping can help in quitting smoking is if it turns people into longtime vapers, and I just don't think that's true.

The reason why it seems that way here is because those who are no longer vaping are very often no longer here because why the surprising fuck should they be?

People have quit cigarettes with a lot less help just a decade ago, why shouldn't it work even better when you have not just nicotine patches, but a nicotine vaping device? I'm not making judgements about the severity of anyones nicotine addiction, but I would very strongly argue for vaping as a device for complete cessation (which has nothing to do with recreational vaping).

By using strong wordings such as "nicotine addiction", you already are making those judgements. Please point me to reliable scientific evidence to support the claim that nicotine administered by itself is an addicting substance, and, maybe we should all switch from recreational vaping to recreational use of nicotine patches just to prove our point about that.

As for the danger of relapse, of course it can happen. As usual, there has to be the right mindset etc. But since I really wanted to quit smoking and went through four months of vaping I can now safely say that I never ever have felt less of a need to smoke - and it is amazing. And the seasoned vapers may claim all they want that flavors etc. are needed in order not to relapse, I don't believe that for a second. Also, there's no use in arguing over two different things.

Last time I checked, nobody here has claimed that flavors etc. are necessarily always needed in order not to relapse. Just making the common observation that you are arguing over two different things: addiction vs consumption of nicotine.

 

[Carambrda]

Dude, what's with the anger? You need to up your nic and chill out.
I'm neither agreeing with him, nor defending him or taking his side. If you think I did or your shill remark was aimed at me (I don't believe it was, but it's not clear), you haven't been paying attention.

What anger are you talking about? I am merely pointing out the simple fact these three recommendations are perfect (if you are an anti-vaping lobbyist).

 

[Teresa P]

The reason why it seems that way here is because those who are no longer vaping are very often no longer here because why the surprising fuck should they be?

My sentiments exactly. I really believe the OP should be posting his "findings" in a quit smoking forum, not in a vaping forum. I mean, we're all here because of a common interest, which is vaping. I began searching for a vaping forum nearly four years ago because I vaped and I enjoyed it, because I had quit smoking, and I wanted a place where others with the same mindset were in a setting to discuss this and learn from one another. We're certainly not all here to congregate and discuss how we can "get over it."
If the OP wanted to stop smoking and succeeded through vaping, kudos, I'm glad. If the OP wanted to quit vaping and succeeded through his posted methods, great, glad he accomplished what he was after. But everyone here vapes because they either prefer it to smoking, with no intention of quitting, or because they just want to, again with no intention of quitting.
In a nutshell, you do you.

 

[Steve-M]

While I share your observation that not getting the instant gratification of smoking a cigarette can be a very frustrating experience to new vapers wanting to come off cigarettes, one has to accept the fact vaping nicotine does not absorb nicotine into the lungs excepting only in negligible amounts therefore it takes time for nicotine to enter the body via the soft tissue in mostly the mouth and throat so getting a nicotine rush typifying of smoking is simply not possible in any way by vaping.

I don't know if I'd go that far. I started out with a little MTL pod device using 50mg nicotine salt eliquid. IME, it was a pretty good substitute for the old ciggies, complete with a fast acting rush/buzz. Of course, having a flavor other than "burnt leaves" pretty well sealed the deal as far as not going back. I moved on from that system, mostly to be able to vape CBD, and given the useful effects that has upon my health, I have no intention of quitting vaping.

 

[Droogbc]

Personally, if I followed those recommendations I'd still be chain smoking cigarettes. Guaranteed.

Like everything vape related however, different strokes for different folks.

 

[AndriaD]

Maybe my response was not yet harsh enough because... well, read the fucking thread title. What he posted is a marketing ploy for combustible tobacco because he is essentially using the old trojan horse tactic of RECOMMENDING not only one, but THREE surefire ways to turn the smoking cessation tool known as vaping into a huge fail:

1. Lowering the nicotine strength to try to ensure an unsatisfying vape experience.
2. Staying away from flavorings to try to ensure an even more unsatisfying vape experience.
   
3. Moving to 0mg to encourage a relapse into smoking. According to my sources, about 80% of vapers who went to 0mg like that have relapsed.

That was my thinking too, so it seems you and I do have a similar experience with how vaping works to end smoking, despite the differences in the hardware we use.

1) I was always told to use the VERY HIGHEST level of nic I could possibly tolerate -- which wasn't terribly high for me after 20+ yrs of ultra-lights, but I stayed at my high point,10mg, as long as I could stand that level.

2) I chased flavor from the day I started -- first it had to be similar to my Virginia Slims... then after I got off tobacco flavors, it had to taste REALLY GOOD, and sweet, or I wouldn't vape it.

And 3), I have never gone to 0mg, though I probably could do so with very little difficulty, considering my total lack of discomfort from not vaping at all when I had the flu -- but nicotine may help me keep my marbles where they belong, so I have ZERO intention of ditching it completely -- nicotine may be the LEAST harmful thing to be found in cigarettes!

So think you're absolutely right, tobacco or BP troll, because it's clear he doesn't know the first damn thing about how vaping can really work to get someone off cigarettes -- if they really want it to. But the point, which I made in my first post in this thread, is that vaping needs to be much more enjoyable than smoking, in order to get someone away from a habit that is addictive on several fronts -- the most addictive habit I've ever had to deal with, and I know that a great many others feel the same way.

Andria

 

[JuicyLucy]

I really believe the OP should be posting his "findings" in a quit smoking forum, not in a vaping forum.

This^^^^big time

1: I started with a nicotine strengths that did not immediately satisfy my cravings

This is the number one reason I see posted for why people say forget it and go back to smoking when they first try vaping: the vape doesn't satisfy, so they stop dual using or trying to quit cigarettes with the vape altogether

While it may have worked for you, I highly doubt it would work for the vast majority of smokers

 

[AndriaD]

This is the number one reason I see posted for why people say forget it and go back to smoking when they first try vaping: the vape doesn't satisfy, so they stop dual using or trying to quit cigarettes with the vape altogether

While it may have worked for you, I highly doubt it would work for the vast majority of smokers

The thing that's difficult to know when you first start vaping is that pretty much NO nic strength will give that same immediate satisfaction -- just because absorption is so much slower with vaping than with smoking. It wasn't the nic *level* for me, but learning how to "vape properly" -- long slow inhales, holding it in mouth, throat, and nose, that made the difference in satisfaction for me. Until I learned to vape that way in the morning, I couldn't dispense with my morning smoke; once I learned to vape SLOWLY, that morning cigarette, the very last one, finally went away. Someone using a nic level that's too low for their body will NEVER be able to reach satisfaction, no matter HOW they vape... so why the hell would they keep vaping???

Andria

 

[5150sick]

Interesting tips on here, was searching for my brother some tips to quit smoking and I came across this. I really hope it will have some effect on him cause I know every person is different.

Editing spam links into your posts that have NOTHING to do with vaping doesn't help your brother or anyone else on the forum.



Please don't keep playing these link edit games or you won't be here much longer.