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Author Topic: E-Cigarettes  (Read 1992 times)

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MuppetFace

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E-Cigarettes
« on: November 12, 2013, 04:02:35 PM »
I've been curious about these for a while now, and some friends of mine have used them to quit smoking.

Thing is, my smoking habits are a little unusual. I often go months---sometimes even years---without having a cigarette. Then I go through phases of smoking, usually for a few months off and on, no more than one or two cigarettes a day usually. My apex was in grad school, then I went a few years before picking it back up again while on break at work. I was smoking from Nov. of last year until the end of January of this year, and then again a bit over the summer. I tend to prefer it when the weather is cold however.

I think I'm more into the idea behind smoking rather than smoking itself. I usually go or kreteks (clove cigarettes) or other flavored stuff. The thought of e-cigs is intriguing to me, because it might be a good substitute for the ritual / sensation + buzz / flavor while cutting out the actual smoke clouds (which I dislike) and smell that gets into your clothes and hair (which I *really* dislike).

Any pirates use these? Any recommendations for where to get them, what supplies to use, etc.? I'm in the US btw.
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DrForBin

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2013, 07:35:11 PM »
hello,

don't know if you've looked at these sites so i am passing links along:

http://vapingguides.com/blog/

http://www.e-cigarette-wiki.com/index.php/Main_Page

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

the whole "vaping" thing seems a bit confusing to me, there seems to be a whole lot of options for hardware and wetware to wade through. then again i have smoked a pipe for over 40 years now and information about pipes and the tobaccos for them are easier to find and understand (at least for me  ;) ).

one thing that stands out with e-cigarettes is the wide variety of flavors available. i can say that i detect no lingering odor from them when i an around people using them.

hope this helps.
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jupitreas

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2013, 07:56:58 PM »
I've been using them for a little over 9 months now and I love them. Cheaper and more practical than real cigarettes. They don't stink and are not harmful to people around you, so you can basically indulge anywhere you like and nobody gives a shit (this depends on where in the world you are though - where I live, in Poland, you can vape virtually anywhere, including airports and gas stations). While not enough research has been done on them to conclusively determine their long-term impact on health, it is already pretty clear that they are at least much, much less harmful than the real thing.

In my estimation, they give you about 90% of the sensation that you get from smoking real tobacco and I found that I was willing to sacrifice the 10% in the name of health. I feel much better overall, although the first 3 weeks are tough as my body was getting rid of toxins from smoking real tobacco. In my opinion, e-cigarettes are one of the best inventions ever as they let me 'smoke' without any consequences = awesome. Nicotine is, after all, just a stimulant like caffeine. Smoking (vaping) has now become equivalent to having a cup of coffee in terms of health risks.

As for the equipment etc. I think it would be best to start with an eGo starter kit from one of the more reputable companies where you live. An e-cigarette is made up of 3 key components: a battery, an atomizer (comes in two varieties: cartomizer for cartridges and clearomizer for pure liquid) and the liquid itself. The battery will last for about 6 months, the atomizer will last for about 3 weeks and it is not uncommon to use about 3ml of liquid a day. In other words, you will be getting new equipment pretty fast so you will have many opportunities to experiment with different brands. Eventually, you will find the brand that suits you best and so my recommendation is just to jump in. You can also mix all of these elements (eGo batteries will work with all eGo atomizers regardless of brand and liquids are universal) so it will not be long before you find the brand that satisfies you in terms of build quality and design. As I live in Poland, I can't really recommend any specific brands that you can get in the US; however, one brand that seems to be available everywhere is Joyetech (http://joyetech.com) and I have some good experience with this brand.

A word of caution: in its liquid form, the e-liquids are quite toxic. Never get them on your skin or in your mouth. While you'd need to come in contact with quite a large amount of liquid for it to kill you, even a single drop on your skin might make you nauseous. You also need to make sure that the clearomizer you use is built solidly and does not leak as otherwise you might end up getting some of the liquid in your mouth and feel nauseous. In vapor form, the liquid is not harmful.

« Last Edit: November 12, 2013, 08:04:28 PM by jupitreas »
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xnor

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2013, 08:29:57 PM »
Quote from: jupitreas on November 12, 2013, 07:56:58 PM
Smoking (vaping) has now become equivalent to having a cup of coffee in terms of health risks.
[...]
A word of caution: in its liquid form, the e-liquids are quite toxic. Never get them on your skin or in your mouth.

I think coffee is quite a bit safer.  :)p17
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anetode

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2013, 08:50:15 PM »
Quote from: xnor on November 12, 2013, 08:29:57 PM
I think coffee is quite a bit safer.  :)p17

Why not go all the way?


E-cigs are nice, though, weirdly, my friends who are chronic smokers only flirted with them for a few months before coming back to buying regular packs. I suppose that if you're an occasional smoker  e-cigs would be a more comfortable substitute than for someone who has been conditioned to go through the whole ritual. I only really smoke when I drink, otherwise the pack winds up just lying around.
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jupitreas

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2013, 09:28:32 PM »
OK, so to be more precise: when used carefully, it has become the equivalent of having a cup of coffee. Besides, when drinking coffee, you are after all handling piping hot water, which is also not very good for you if you spill it on your skin ;)
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jupitreas

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2013, 09:31:53 PM »
Quote from: anetode on November 12, 2013, 08:50:15 PM
Quote from: xnor on November 12, 2013, 08:29:57 PM
I think coffee is quite a bit safer.  :)p17

Why not go all the way?


E-cigs are nice, though, weirdly, my friends who are chronic smokers only flirted with them for a few months before coming back to buying regular packs. I suppose that if you're an occasional smoker  e-cigs would be a more comfortable substitute than for someone who has been conditioned to go through the whole ritual. I only really smoke when I drink, otherwise the pack winds up just lying around.

It is possible to smoke weed using an e-cigarette (and there are some dedicated devices just for weed) but I've never heard of e-meth :) And yes, I've also encountered quite a few people who went back to smoking normal cigarettes after flirting with e-cigs. I don't think it has to do with how much you smoke though, as I've been smoking a pack a day and I have no intention to go back. I think it has to do with that 10% I mentioned earlier, or its just that people are stupid :)
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donunus

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2013, 02:03:29 AM »
e-cigs gave me blurred vision. Regular cigarettes were better. In the end no cigarettes are the best :D

...and meth and weed are better than e-cigs and cigarettes too  :)p17
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jupitreas

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2013, 02:33:38 AM »
Heheh I find I prefer an existence with nicotine in it than one without it. Yeah, I'm addicted.
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Stapsy

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Re: E-Cigarettes
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2013, 05:02:09 AM »
It is funny that you start and stop like that. 1-2 cigarettes a day is about as light of a smoker as you can be. I could never quite get over the guilt that I felt about smoking cigarettes so I just stopped (and felt a lot better).  As you say the ritual is the thing that I miss most about it.  Out of curiosity I recently looked into vaping but the e-cigs seem bulky and cumbersome.  Add in the unknown health effects and I pretty much ruled it out.

Might I suggest the pipe as an alternative.  I have found the ritual of preparing the tobacco, packing the pipe, and smoking the pipe to be more relaxing than smoking cigarettes.  I also smoke a lot less, and the fact that you don't inhale has meant there are no ill effects on my lungs.  The smoke is much less harsh and stale smelling.  There are a huge variety of tobaccos that might interest you if you like clove cigarettes as well.  Just an idea as there is no perfect solution, I think everyone just figures out the level of tobacco use that they can live with. (P.S. If you are interested let me know and I may have some stuff that I can pass along ;) )
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