CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Non-Audio Stuff => Random Thoughts => Topic started by: MuppetFace on November 12, 2013, 04:02:35 PM
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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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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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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.
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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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I think coffee is quite a bit safer. :)p17
Why not go all the way? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5q8KWL6Ezw)
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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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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I think coffee is quite a bit safer. :)p17
Why not go all the way? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5q8KWL6Ezw)
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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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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Heheh I find I prefer an existence with nicotine in it than one without it. Yeah, I'm addicted.
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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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I started smoking cigarettes back in 2002 in the aftermath of the mother of all bad break-ups, and I've quit for months at a time using Nicoderm patches or willpower but just kept falling off the wagon.
Recently, I started resigning myself to nicotine addiction and consciously moved on to vaping. (In this context, it's also worth considering Niall Ferguson's observation that the Industrial Revolution was spurred on by two stimulants new to England--caffeine and nicotine--and a decline in abuse of the most common depressant, alcohol.)
Vaping is supposedly 300-500 times less unhealthful, half the cost or less, and comparatively socially inoffensive. It also has a DIY aspect that might appeal to many audio modders. I vape flavorless liquid that has no scent whatsoever, which is a relief to my co-workers and to the women in my life.
If you're thinking of trying it, the Njoy disposable cigarette look-alikes are a good place to start. But if you find that you like the experience and want to buy a real set up, I would recommend skipping the $25 starter kits and buying a very solid mid-level set up such as Infinite mods, Aspire tanks, and Efest batteries.
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From my peers presentation on this topic, according to them e-cig is more toxic than traditional cigarettes with much unknown such as chemical within the e-cig. I am not a doctor just a nursing student at the moment, but I do have research publications regarding some of the related topic.
Overall, it is best to stop any form of smoking. I know it is easier said than do. Just link a http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1187047#t01 (http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1187047#t01) if you are interested.
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http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/01/21/378663944/e-cigarettes-can-churn-out-high-levels-of-formaldehyde
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>cook a steak at 500 degrees for several hours
>find carcinogens in the black sludge
>steak is a health concern
There may very well be serious health risks to vaping---it's still too new to be labeled "safe" like some enthusiasts suggest---but that study's findings shouldn't be taken out of context as I suspect many will do.
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I couldn't agree more! There are as many studies showing that the risk are low. I'm sure the truth lays somewhere in the middle. I do think it's got to be better than smoking!! Just look at the ingredients and delivery methods.
My take on it is don't take up vaping if you don't smoke. If you do smoke it seems like a much better option and might get you closer to quitting. I really think this is true if you're an infrequent smoker.
I smoked years ago. I am really happy I quit, but I do miss smoking in certain social situations.
I've tried vaping. If you buy good gear it's a great substitute for smoking. Don't let those silly little fake vape cigs you see in the drug store fool you, they suck... You don't need to spend a lot to get a decent rig.
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i recently walked into the break room at the hospital and a co-worker was sitting there with a pinch Copenhagen between his cheek and gums and blowing vap fumes from a pipe. he tried hiding it but when he saw it was me he pulled it out of the chair cushion and proceeded to puff some more. we told a few dirty jokes and then the manager walks in to heat up some food in the microwave. we all talk shop, the manager leaves, then he pulls out the pipe again and we continue our conversation. you couldn't do this with cigarettes. from a public safety standpoint and second hand smoke, i wonder if e-cigs are safer.
they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. i couldn't agree more. i like start my day off with a healthy fresh cup of coffee and a pinch of Cope.
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No surprise ecig vaping probably has risks. I was rather tired when I read the study, but it seems at a low voltage, around 3.3v, there was no detectable form of that formaldehyde. The high end voltage was 5v, which most people won't use on tanks and atomizers like that. Fries them too quick at least. Usually I see folks use 3.6v-4v, which makes the risk less clear. Though people that use drippers at super high wattages (basically human fog machines), they have to be even worse off. I do think the study said it ran the vape for around 3-4 seconds, which is reasonable and common IME.
There are a lot of other details I'd like to see mentioned or studied. Is it primarily just propolyne glycol that has this risk? That and vegetable glycerine? Both together? The study made me think primarily PG, but another line confused me on that.
Also, what sort of atomizer are we dealing with? What was its impedance? Did they study different types of liquid to account for variable quality and grade levels, different PG/VG ratios, how various flavorings or lack thereof affect results, and so on?
No doubt the early results are interesting, and discouraging for vapers, but we really need more robust studies. I'm sure they will come. And like I said, I may have missed something, and I was tired when I read the study itself. Point out any errors I made if so.
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Personally I would like to see some abx testing, preferably double blind. And csd plots.
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for someone at 1-2cigs per day, I would say likely not worth the initial investment cost.
the small cigarette-sized e-cig w/ cartomizers have terrible performance.
you need to step up to an ego battery + a nice clearomizer tank. likely would need x2 tanks for swapping flavors. also need usb charger. e-juice and coils will need to be purchased semi-regularly. that kind of set-up is nice, but still doesn't not provide the most ideal experience. A few years back, I was able to purchase all the pieces separately for under $50 (which was cheaper than the combo/starter kits at the time). For a budget clearomizer I would recommend the Stardust V2 or Vivi Nova Tank (which are top-coil tanks, vapor will be warmer). I've been using an Aspire Nautilus tank which has been quite reliable once you get use to it but a bit more tedious to clean and reload. (bottom-coil tank).
you really need a variable voltage battery to fine-tune what kind of throat hit & vapor cloud production you like (can achieve similar effects with different resistance coils, but no on the fly switching), which will be a bit pricier.
also, ego batteries also kinda tamper out when they run low on power, so for even better performance, you want a tube-style or box-style mod that holds replaceable, rechargeable battery.
....hahah, basically, escalating hobby kinda like audio gear.
I was on half a pack a day when I swapped to ecigs try to cut back slash quit slash save money. Realistically, the convenience of being able to smoke indoors has likely skyrocketed my nicotine usage & it is unlikely I really cut back or saved much money.
I would not recommend for health reasons as well. If you are at a low cigarette count, try not to escalate or get more into smoking-related/vaping stuff. Nicotine can be quite addicting once you get used to a certain daily intake & the health issues associated are quite terrible.
Hope this was helpful & Good luck!
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"Acknowledging that the evidence base on overall and relative risks of EC in comparison with smoking was still developing, experts recently identified them as having around 4% of the relative harm of cigarettes overall (including social harm) and 5% of the harm to users."
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/454516/Ecigarettes_an_evidence_update_A_report_commissioned_by_Public_Health_England.pdf (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/454516/Ecigarettes_an_evidence_update_A_report_commissioned_by_Public_Health_England.pdf)
Still, I'm eagerly waiting for Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos to publish his next papers.