e cigarette - Empty Closets - A safe online community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered people coming out

mnguy · 26th Jan 2011, 06:54 PM

Anyone here use or know someone who uses an electronic cigarette? If so, what has your or their experience been? I can see it being very convenient so you could use it indoors, especially this time of year when it's cold outside and in general to eliminate the tar and other crap from smoking.

Please stay on topic. This is not to become an anti-smoking thread. Thanks!

zeratul · 26th Jan 2011, 07:14 PM

My uncle uses one, and it is pretty convenient as you say. He can even smoke it at those large family gatherings indoors.

Z3ni · 26th Jan 2011, 07:25 PM

OOoo looks like a cool item to buy! ;D

Asshatting · 26th Jan 2011, 07:28 PM

I saw someone "smoking" one of those things at the mall not too long ago. The guy said it really wasn't satisfying at all.

Zontar · 26th Jan 2011, 08:14 PM

I would imagine e-cigarettes as tantamount to nicotine gum.

**Chip** · 26th Jan 2011, 08:44 PM

It's essentially a drug delivery system that they've managed to design to evade drug regulation laws. Essentially another means of satisfying a nicotine addiction that is marginally safer (though there's no long-term data on other potential side effects)

If one is already an addicted smoker, then I'm told it is a reasonable alternative for maintaining one's habit when it is not socially acceptable to smoke. It would be beyond stupid for someone who is not already a smoker to start using e-cigarettes.

RaRa · 26th Jan 2011, 09:28 PM

Why have I never heard of this?!?!

**Chip** · 26th Jan 2011, 11:12 PM

They aren't widely available, and the companies marketing them are intentionally being somewhat low key, trying to fly under the radar.

The insidious part is they are marketed with nicotine-free "packs" which are intended to sucker kids in... knowing they will eventually try the nicotine ones and get addicted, only since they are perceived as "safer" (like hookah) people are less aware of the addictive nature of the nicotine packs. The ones I've seen aren't directly owned or marketed by tobacco companies but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the companies making them are fronts for Big Tobacco.

Kata · 26th Jan 2011, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asshatting

I saw someone "smoking" one of those things at the mall not too long ago. The guy said it really wasn't satisfying at all.

I know a person who tried this as a substitute for real cigarettes and it really didn't work for her.

mnguy · 27th Jan 2011, 04:48 PM

I'm not sure what to believe from what I've read around the web. One forum had a lot of people who claimed to have been long-time smokers and this satisfied them so that sounded promising to me. Granted, that site might have been propaganda from an ecig mfg. so who knows. It's not meant to be a way to quit, but another way to get one's fix w/o smoking, yet with the satisfying feel of inhaling (smokers know what I'm talking about).

Nicotine is dissolved in propylene glycol, which is used in asthma inhalers and other inhaled medications so that seems safer than getting the nicotine with the smoke. On the other hand, using this like a 10 cig-per-day person (me), I would be inhaling more of the PG than someone using an asthma inhaler. Maybe that amount of PG inhalation would have unknown health effects. Some studies have been done, but I suspect some politics in the conclusions (pro and con).

I should read more on this, but it seems like they should be safer than smoking and it's supposed to cost less than cigs, $5.50 a pack around here. They would also be nice to use in a bar/restaurant, at work/home, or on a long plane flight. I certainly don't advocate a non-smoker (especially kids) trying this.

**Chip** · 28th Jan 2011, 12:50 AM

Silly question: If you're prepared to switch to a different delivery mechanism, then it would seem like a sensible time to quit smoking entirely, no?

maverick · 28th Jan 2011, 08:42 AM

Somehow I don't think these would be as satisfying as smoking a real cigarette.

zeratul · 28th Jan 2011, 08:54 AM

If it's cheap just try it out and tell for yourself whether it's satisfying

Emberstone · 28th Jan 2011, 10:14 AM

micheal lohan endorses them...

... is that enough reason not to try them, or what?

in the end you still are subjugating yourself to your addictions.

mnguy · 28th Jan 2011, 03:59 PM

I'm not seeking to quit now I just think these would allow me to enjoy the nicotine w/o going outside in nasty weather, might be cheaper and eliminate all the junk in smoke.

Thanks for the feedback

**Chip** · 28th Jan 2011, 05:53 PM

Then why not gum or the patch? I think both are OTC now, and probably less expensive than e-cigarettes, and probably (though I'm not certain) a better and safer way of delivering the drug to your body.

mnguy · 29th Jan 2011, 04:30 PM

I really dislike gum which is a whole other issue I'll have if I'm ever to date a guy

I think I'm inclined to the physical part of smoking so the patch is no good and I think gum/lozenge/patch cost more than the ecig. I did use the patch for a while several years ago when I made a run at quitting and I felt it was more placebo than anything for me. If I do want to quit I'll probaby put a band-aid on my shoulder and pretend it's a patch.

I've asked around at work and other people I know (as well as the response here) and it seems that the ecig is not well known and maybe that means nicotine usage is declining and that's a good thing. Alright, thanks for the responses.

malachite · 31st Jan 2011, 12:53 PM

I have some friends who use them and they love them. You can "smoke" them indoors since they only produce water vapor.

InaRut · 31st Jan 2011, 01:15 PM

My friend's roomate uses an E Cigarette and he actually said it's helped him cut back.

Also it's good for smoking during work and such...and it LOOKS SO SCI-FI Uber cool.

Honestly...Trench Coat, Dark Sunglasses, some sort of elaborate weapon, manly hat/spikey hair style and and E-Cigarette, you've become a walking instance of cyberpunk.

MIJ VI · 1st Feb 2011, 12:45 AM

A non-smoking girlfriend or boyfriend...

26th Jan 2011, 06:54 PM	#1
mnguy EC Regular Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: People likely assume Location: MN Age: 36 Posts: 895 Join Date: Nov 2006	e cigarette Anyone here use or know someone who uses an electronic cigarette? If so, what has your or their experience been? I can see it being very convenient so you could use it indoors, especially this time of year when it's cold outside and in general to eliminate the tar and other crap from smoking. Please stay on topic. This is not to become an anti-smoking thread. Thanks!

26th Jan 2011, 07:14 PM	#2
zeratul Prelate Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Location: Toronto Posts: 748 Join Date: Jan 2011	Re: e cigarette My uncle uses one, and it is pretty convenient as you say. He can even smoke it at those large family gatherings indoors. __________________ I am a lord of shadows. I claim the shadows that the Shadow may not. I am the strong arm of deliverance. I am Shadowstrider. I am the Scales of Justice. I am He-Who-Guards-Unseen. I am Shadowslayer. I am Nameless. They shall not go unpunished. My way is hard, but I serve unbroken.

26th Jan 2011, 07:25 PM	#3
Z3ni Ec's ADD Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gayish Out Status: My Twin Location: England, Manchester Posts: 3,082 Join Date: Oct 2008	Re: e cigarette OOoo looks like a cool item to buy! ;D __________________ Through pain, lies success.

26th Jan 2011, 07:28 PM	#4
Asshatting When keeping it real goes wrong Regular Member Gender: Male Orientation: Bisexual Out Status: A few people Posts: 5 Join Date: Jan 2011	Re: e cigarette I saw someone "smoking" one of those things at the mall not too long ago. The guy said it really wasn't satisfying at all.

26th Jan 2011, 08:14 PM	#5
Zontar Mister Funny Man Full Member Gender: Male Location: Binghampton, NY Posts: 1,534 Join Date: Oct 2010	Re: e cigarette I would imagine e-cigarettes as tantamount to nicotine gum. __________________ Get up and open your eyes...Don't ever let yourself ever fall down... Get through it and learn how to fly...I know you'll find a way...today. -Days of the New, "Dirty Road"

26th Jan 2011, 08:44 PM	#6
Chip EC Advisor EC Admin Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: northern CA Posts: 5,579 Join Date: May 2008	Re: e cigarette It's essentially a drug delivery system that they've managed to design to evade drug regulation laws. Essentially another means of satisfying a nicotine addiction that is marginally safer (though there's no long-term data on other potential side effects) If one is already an addicted smoker, then I'm told it is a reasonable alternative for maintaining one's habit when it is not socially acceptable to smoke. It would be beyond stupid for someone who is not already a smoker to start using e-cigarettes.

26th Jan 2011, 09:28 PM	#7
RaRa We we we so excited Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: A few people Location: Los Angeles, CA Age: 21 Posts: 7,439 Join Date: Nov 2008	Re: e cigarette Why have I never heard of this?!?! __________________ Do you think about me now and then? Do you think about me now and then? Oh now I'm comin' home again Maybe we can start again

26th Jan 2011, 11:12 PM	#8
Chip EC Advisor EC Admin Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: northern CA Posts: 5,579 Join Date: May 2008	Re: e cigarette They aren't widely available, and the companies marketing them are intentionally being somewhat low key, trying to fly under the radar. The insidious part is they are marketed with nicotine-free "packs" which are intended to sucker kids in... knowing they will eventually try the nicotine ones and get addicted, only since they are perceived as "safer" (like hookah) people are less aware of the addictive nature of the nicotine packs. The ones I've seen aren't directly owned or marketed by tobacco companies but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the companies making them are fronts for Big Tobacco.

27th Jan 2011, 04:48 PM	#10
mnguy EC Regular Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: People likely assume Location: MN Age: 36 Posts: 895 Join Date: Nov 2006	Re: e cigarette I'm not sure what to believe from what I've read around the web. One forum had a lot of people who claimed to have been long-time smokers and this satisfied them so that sounded promising to me. Granted, that site might have been propaganda from an ecig mfg. so who knows. It's not meant to be a way to quit, but another way to get one's fix w/o smoking, yet with the satisfying feel of inhaling (smokers know what I'm talking about). Nicotine is dissolved in propylene glycol, which is used in asthma inhalers and other inhaled medications so that seems safer than getting the nicotine with the smoke. On the other hand, using this like a 10 cig-per-day person (me), I would be inhaling more of the PG than someone using an asthma inhaler. Maybe that amount of PG inhalation would have unknown health effects. Some studies have been done, but I suspect some politics in the conclusions (pro and con). I should read more on this, but it seems like they should be safer than smoking and it's supposed to cost less than cigs, $5.50 a pack around here. They would also be nice to use in a bar/restaurant, at work/home, or on a long plane flight. I certainly don't advocate a non-smoker (especially kids) trying this.

28th Jan 2011, 12:50 AM	#11
Chip EC Advisor EC Admin Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: northern CA Posts: 5,579 Join Date: May 2008	Re: e cigarette Silly question: If you're prepared to switch to a different delivery mechanism, then it would seem like a sensible time to quit smoking entirely, no?

28th Jan 2011, 08:42 AM	#12
maverick let watchers become warriors Full Member Gender: You tell me. Orientation: Hey good lookin'. wink Out Status: It's pretty obvious. Location: Alabama cue banjos Age: 26 Posts: 2,118 Join Date: Nov 2010	Re: e cigarette Somehow I don't think these would be as satisfying as smoking a real cigarette. __________________ Shelter me oh genius words, just give me strength / to pen these things, and give me peace to well her wings / and oh, oh carry on, all you minstrels of the world, we will catch our lady's ear, we will win for us the girl.

28th Jan 2011, 08:54 AM	#13
zeratul Prelate Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Location: Toronto Posts: 748 Join Date: Jan 2011	Re: e cigarette If it's cheap just try it out and tell for yourself whether it's satisfying __________________ I am a lord of shadows. I claim the shadows that the Shadow may not. I am the strong arm of deliverance. I am Shadowstrider. I am the Scales of Justice. I am He-Who-Guards-Unseen. I am Shadowslayer. I am Nameless. They shall not go unpunished. My way is hard, but I serve unbroken.

28th Jan 2011, 10:14 AM	#14
Emberstone Flappychap Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Oregon, USA Age: 28 Posts: 5,593 Join Date: May 2008	Re: e cigarette micheal lohan endorses them... ... is that enough reason not to try them, or what? in the end you still are subjugating yourself to your addictions.

28th Jan 2011, 03:59 PM	#15
mnguy EC Regular Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: People likely assume Location: MN Age: 36 Posts: 895 Join Date: Nov 2006	Re: e cigarette I'm not seeking to quit now I just think these would allow me to enjoy the nicotine w/o going outside in nasty weather, might be cheaper and eliminate all the junk in smoke. Thanks for the feedback

28th Jan 2011, 05:53 PM	#16
Chip EC Advisor EC Admin Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: northern CA Posts: 5,579 Join Date: May 2008	Re: e cigarette Then why not gum or the patch? I think both are OTC now, and probably less expensive than e-cigarettes, and probably (though I'm not certain) a better and safer way of delivering the drug to your body.

29th Jan 2011, 04:30 PM	#17
mnguy EC Regular Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: People likely assume Location: MN Age: 36 Posts: 895 Join Date: Nov 2006	Re: e cigarette I really dislike gum which is a whole other issue I'll have if I'm ever to date a guy I think I'm inclined to the physical part of smoking so the patch is no good and I think gum/lozenge/patch cost more than the ecig. I did use the patch for a while several years ago when I made a run at quitting and I felt it was more placebo than anything for me. If I do want to quit I'll probaby put a band-aid on my shoulder and pretend it's a patch. I've asked around at work and other people I know (as well as the response here) and it seems that the ecig is not well known and maybe that means nicotine usage is declining and that's a good thing. Alright, thanks for the responses.

31st Jan 2011, 12:53 PM	#18
malachite EC's realist Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Orlando Posts: 6,480 Join Date: Apr 2009	Re: e cigarette I have some friends who use them and they love them. You can "smoke" them indoors since they only produce water vapor. __________________ It's the 21st century, your bigotry is outdated. Either upgrade or go away.

31st Jan 2011, 01:15 PM	#19
InaRut EC's Nu-Disco Walrus Full Member Gender: IRL Yaoi Character Orientation: (｡◕‿◕。) Out Status: ㅎ_ㅎ Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Age: 22 Posts: 7,111 Join Date: Oct 2007	Re: e cigarette My friend's roomate uses an E Cigarette and he actually said it's helped him cut back. Also it's good for smoking during work and such...and it LOOKS SO SCI-FI Uber cool. Honestly...Trench Coat, Dark Sunglasses, some sort of elaborate weapon, manly hat/spikey hair style and and E-Cigarette, you've become a walking instance of cyberpunk. __________________ "The first duty of every Starfleet Officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle to which Starfleet is based. If you can't find it within yourself, to tell the truth about what happened, then you don't deserve to where that uniform."

1st Feb 2011, 12:45 AM	#20
MIJ VI Banned Gender: Male Orientation: Not Gay. Queer. (I can't stand disco.) Out Status: I'm a blip on everyone's gaydar. Location: Earth Age: 55 Posts: 280 Join Date: Nov 2010	Re: e cigarette A non-smoking girlfriend or boyfriend...