| Author | Message | ||
     Mountainstorm |
Hey guys. I've been a cigarette and cigar and pipe smoking man for about 25-30 years. It's finally catching up to me: the wheeze. Before I totally destroy my lungs I thought I'd give the "e-cig" a try since I enjoy the effects of nicotine. If you are not sure what an e-cig is I'll give you a simple break down. It sort of looks like a cigarette with a slim battery in a metal case, an LED on the end and a disposable cartridge/mouthpiece filled with "e-juice" and an "atomizer" either in the cartridge or as a intermediary piece between battery and cart. They range in price from $15 for a disposble "trial" unit to $150 for some elaborate over-sized device that looks like a vibrator  I've seen these for months but thought I would wait to make sure there is not some health risk associated with "Vaping" or some other issue that would make this new trend fail. Although the electronic parts are all from China, the actual liquids are being made here and in the UK which (IMO) seems safer. The liquid is PEG, Vegetable Glycerin, or PEG 400. PEG is used in a lot of foods and medicines. Rarely has PEG caused any issues for people. Some rare cases of PEG allergies exist. The way it works is simple. The juice is held in the cartridge using some polyfill stuff like you find in pillows. The juice wicks to a metal foam that is very close to a small nichrome coil. When the battery is activated (either manually or by suction)the coil heats the fluid in the metal foam wick and suction (from you) draws it out the mouth piece and you get an odorless nicotine-laden vapor to inhale, expel, blow smoke rings with, whatever. The juice can be purchased in varying strengths from 0 to 32mg and flavored in dozens of combinations...everything from Camel to Roast Beef. What I find is that vaping provides the nicotine I crave without the stink or burnt paper and other stuff. It really kills the urge to smoke a cig. And it's the same oral satisfaction of puffing and exhaling a cloud. Benefits for others are no toxic smoke, no stink. The vapor cloud you exhale has no odor. I also like being able to take a single drag without wasting a whole cigarette or being "forced" to smoke a whole cig when all I wanted was a puff. Pretty neat device. I encourage anyone with a smoking addiction to give e-cigs a try. I bought mine from Vapor4Life. I chose a $40 kit that includes 5 "cartomizers" in whatever flavor/strength you like, a USB charger/battery in a "cigarette case" that charges the e-cig battery on the go and went with a tobacco-based flavor analogous to Dunhills. I chose 18mg since I smoke about a pack of Camels a day. I think I could have gone with 11mg and next time I will chose a non-tobacco flavoring. Give it a shot. It's also a lot easier to vape in public places. near loved ones, etc. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
I bought a "Blu" e-cig kit a few months ago. I hate it because it uses the same stuff that is used on "fog" machines to create the "smoke". Can't stand the taste of it. Does the Vapor4Life have that? | ||
| Vampress |
Thanks for sharing. I had seen them and wondered if they were legit or just another piece of techno-crap. ...Wonder if they allow them on planes? | ||
| Mountainstorm |
I don't think they will allow anything interesting on a plane. Hell they take your nail clippers away. Blu e-cigs get poor reviews. The key is the juice. You need to use juice that has a flavor you can stand. The bottom line is the device will deliver a dose of nicotine analagous to puffing on a cigarette, but has no CO, Formaldehyde, etc. You get the nicotine you crave but you will have to adjust to not getting the same head rush ammonia, furans, CO and other chemicals in cigarettes provide. For some smokers the "throat hit" of hot smoke or the other side effects of inhaling burning material might be what you crave as well as the nicotine. But I think it will still satisfy the urge to smoke over the long term. It works for me anyway. | ||
| Bads1 |
Just Quit Cold Turkey!!!! | ||
| Mountainstorm |
I did that for a month. It was okay...for me. Everybody else...not so much  I can be a bit grouchy. Check this vid by a very reputable source. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv__owG1kZY By the way Nicotine without all the 4000 other harmful chemicals is not actually carcinogenic. In fact Nicotine may stave off Alzheimers. | ||
| Midknyte |
As of yet, these electronic cigs are an un-tested, un-regulated, grey market item. Know that you are at risk, ESPECIALLY with that fact and Chinese ingrediants / componentry... | ||
| Danger_dave |
Good luck with all that. It's a hard thing to do. I was a packet a day smoker till that day 25 years ago when I went to the Hypnotherapist. 1 session, $30, haven't had or wanted a smoke since. It works real well for some people - particular if you 'want' to - not 'have' to. | ||
| Mountainstorm |
Thanks for the replies. The device is made in China. The fluid is made here in the US and is lab tested and assayed. There are no harmful compounds (aside from pure nicotine) in the juice. I did research over the course of several months and kept waiting for something negative to surface...but compared to the crap that you inhale from a burning cig these vaporizers are nearly harmless. China-made juice is highly suspect. China thinks nothing of slapping a product together using toxins. One of the reasons we need to scrutinize our trade with them more closely. USA made juice for e-cigs is compounded from known and lab-tested materials that have no history of toxicity. Except for the Nicotine of course. And even that is not carcinogenic in the minute amounts delivered by the vapor. I'm just suggesting this to people who enjoy the effects of nicotine but are at risk for COPD or other nasty side effects. Main thing I notiecd was getting my full sense of smell back. Now that I no longer stink | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Why not just go for the nicotine gum? They allow gum on airplanes, right? | ||
| Vampress |
have you ever tried it? ugh. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Tastes like crap? Do they flavor it like crap on purpose to try to get you to quit? Nevermind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_gum#Side_effects Just walk away..... just walk away.  | ||
| Drkside79 |
I'm w/ BadS1 Cold Turkey is the only way to go. | ||
| Drkside79 |
Quit the next time you are sick. It's easier. | ||
| Hex |
Why not just wear the patch? You can use one on an airplane, and they only cost about $1 per day. Hot/Flow Yoga is a great way to stay off the smokes. After the second day of Yoga, I got rid of the patches, now I'm free! •••• addiction! | ||
| Reepicheep |
A friend of mine is using those e-sticks. It hasn't solved the nicotine addiction, but its kept him from smoking. It's funny to see him cop a drag during a meeting and blow a smoke ring... it even has a little LED that lights up on the end (but his is blue). He said he found some of the flavors too good, and smoked them too much. Last time I saw him it was some kind of mint thing, and I could barely smell it sitting across a table from him while he was smoking up a storm...  The net effect is that he is spending less then he did on cigarettes, and has certainly dramatically reduced his medical risks, and can smoke more conveniently in a lot more places. So the addiction is still there... but most of the risk seems to be removed. My worry about it now is that it will become a trendy "new smoking" alternative. I can't think why it wouldn't. And I suppose it's none of my business if it does, provided I keep my kids off it. When they get older, they are only going to be allowed to smoke cigars, and only once a month, and only when hanging out with me. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
www.e-cigaretteforum.com I've built a few modded ones... but trying to kick it for a good. An addictions an addiction but I was in love with vaping for a while there. | ||
| Mountainstorm |
Oh it's an addict's toy for sure. I enjoy the effects of Nicotine. I don't enjoy stinking and spending $5 a day and coughing my guts out. Vaping lets me enjoy the nic without all the other side effects. If you reload the carts yourself it's incredibly cheap to vape. Even if you just buy cartomizers it's still 1/4 the price of smoking. |
