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!
My uncle uses one, and it is pretty convenient as you say. He can even smoke it at those large family gatherings indoors.
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.
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.
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.
I know a person who tried this as a substitute for real cigarettes and it really didn't work for her.
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.
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?
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.
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
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.
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. :icon_wink 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.
I have some friends who use them and they love them. You can "smoke" them indoors since they only produce water vapor.
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.
