Author Topic: Stopping smoking: when?  (Read 68044 times)

Valiant

  • aka Sam
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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #350 on: 10 November, 2017, 02:40:12 am »
Yes, I'm also planning o stop smoking and also thinking of vaping.. any cons about vaping?

You’ll find, as you approach the idea of stopping smoking, that the addiction works in strange ways, such as considering the possible downsides of things that you do not actually yet do  ;)

On the subject of health consequences of vaping, I think it is much too early to say. Consider how long it would take, if tobacco smoking was invented today, for the effects to express themselves. However, on balance, I think it is reasonable to believe that if all else fails vaping for a period of time offers a valid method to allow yourself time to leave the various habit-forming aspects of cigarette smoking behind. My own view is that the risks can be kept as low as possible by reducing the amount of material vaped by 1) sticking to mouth-to-lung vaping and 2) minimising the intake of the substances most likely to eventually be shown to be harmful - the flavourings - by using unflavoured e-liquid. The evidence seems to indicate that vaping nicotine itself and the PG or VG base are unlikely to be harmful. So that’s what I do most of the time.

Hopefully I’ll knock it on the head in the fullness of time. For now I am just glad to be not smoking tobacco.

My approach to Paul’s list of cons:

1. Don’t want to vape in the workplace any more than I wanted to smoke fags in work.
2. Costs, even including set-up costs, are minimal compared to smoking cigarettes.
3. Pockets: OK a vape is heavier than a packet of cigs, but it’s just not an issue. We all happily carry mobile phones, keys and what not.
4. See above - vaping is a means to an end and I like to think of it as a temporary measure.
5. It’s not still smoking.
6. Agree that it does not resolve the issue of nicotine addiction - but nicotine itself is the least of a smoker’s worries.

Good luck with your eventual attempt. When I see people smoking now, I feel no envy, only relief that I don’t “have to” do that anymore.

Well, I still think it's better compared to smoking. The only concern now are videos of vapes exploding. Any recommendations of brands that is safe enough?


Most of the stories you see/hear are about people using mechanical mods unsafely. Most regulated devices (with electronics) are as safe as anything providing you turn them off when in your pocket etc, have some juice in the tank to prevent dry hits and keep any batteries not in use safely in cases designed for them. The electronics in them these days have reverse polarity, short circuit, over temp, over current, minimum resistance protection and usually 10 second cut offs. So yeah if you're gonna buy go visit a reputable shop and get a decent brand ie Smok/Aspire/Asmodus/Pioneer4You/Sigelei/Eleaf and number of others. If you're in London come visit my shop and I can explain the pros and cons of each type of device/tank/batteries/juice etc.
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Torslanda

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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #351 on: 14 January, 2018, 09:44:54 pm »
I couldn't get down to see you, Sam. So I went to Tesco instead and got set up for 20 quid.

Nothing adventurous and it's very early days but I haven't smoked a fag in 30+ hours. I've stopped coughing. We'll see how it goes.
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #352 on: 14 January, 2018, 09:45:55 pm »
I couldn't get down to see you, Sam. So I went to Tesco instead and got set up for 20 quid.

Nothing adventurous and it's very early days but I haven't smoked a fag in 30+ hours. I've stopped coughing. We'll see how it goes.

Good luck Torslanda!
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

Torslanda

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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #353 on: 17 January, 2018, 10:49:53 pm »
A full 5 days without a cigarette.

Vaping seems to be working - although a spare battery for the vaporiser might be a good idea. An hour on charge yesterday afternoon and I was close to chewing on a tyre . . .
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #354 on: 18 January, 2018, 04:00:14 pm »
Make sure you replenish all stocks in decent time or you’ll be scrambling to find a shop that supplies your vaping setup otherwise you’ll be chewing more than a tyre.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #355 on: 19 January, 2018, 12:33:08 am »
I was on 20-a-day from 17 to 34-ish. (I'm now 47 and a half) I had 2 previous attempts at stopping, one semi-successful. First time was with nicotine patches, but they did nothing to the actual physical habit.
Second time, I used gum and it actually worked. There was a physical action associated with it and that helped a lot of with the fidgeting. I quickly fell back in with social smoking, which worked for a while, until it didn't.
Third and final time had a lot more hiccups in the early stages, but then smoking was banned in the pubs and that made it an awful lot easier.
My social circle had changed somewhat too and smokers were in a minority, which was probably the biggest factor.
I would get the odd graving for the following 4-5 years, but now I think it's absolutely disgusting.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #356 on: 22 January, 2018, 08:20:01 pm »
A full 5 days without a cigarette.

Vaping seems to be working - although a spare battery for the vaporiser might be a good idea. An hour on charge yesterday afternoon and I was close to chewing on a tyre . . .

How is it going?

Yes, definitely avoid letting yourself run out of e-liquid or power (and don’t forget coils) in the early stages.

When I meet people who have quickly rejected vaping as a way of helping them leave cigarettes behind, invariably it is because of some issue with the kit or ending up with some disgusting e-juice flavour, of which there are many. Most of what is available in the corner shop setting is vile, and it is definitely worth spending a little time at the beginning in a proper shop identifying a couple of flavours that are liveable with.

I will have been vaping for 2 years in April and I am now beginning to feel that I could safely do without it. I plan to give this a go in early April on my 2nd “anniversary”.

The only occasions when I feel a slight craving are when I see someone making themselves a rollie. But I know* that after a couple of drags I’d find it disgusting.

*as I tried this when I had one or two one-cigarette lapses in the first few weeks of quitting.

Torslanda

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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #357 on: 22 January, 2018, 11:57:06 pm »
Going well, thanks. Well into the second week.

Still get a bit antsy in the morning and want a fag with the first brew in the shop but it's diminishing gradually.

Haven't chewed a tyre. Yet . . .
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #358 on: 23 January, 2018, 02:09:42 am »
Keep going!. It's very easy to say from here, but it's the best decision you've ever made and it will totally be worth the struggle.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #359 on: 23 January, 2018, 08:50:52 am »
Well done John, keep at it.

Torslanda

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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #360 on: 08 March, 2018, 09:56:01 pm »
Still not had a fag. Don't want one either.

2 months tonight since I got a vape-thing, I now seem to have settled on mint flavours. Specifically, i-Fresh doublemint and Edge cherry menthol.

FFS! I was up to around 80 quid a week on fags...
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #361 on: 09 March, 2018, 06:21:00 am »
 :)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #362 on: 14 March, 2018, 07:47:58 pm »
FFS! I was up to around 80 quid a week on fags...

Holy shit! N+20?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Pedaldog.

  • Heedlessly impulsive, reckless, rash.
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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #363 on: 14 March, 2018, 11:07:08 pm »
Nearly four years since I last Smerked a Tab!
Back in 2014 I was spending Over £80.00 a week, it'd be near to £120.00 a week now.
I never bothered with things like Electricity bills, arrears of £1100.00 still, or pretty much anything. I was, because of smoking, registered Bankrupt and am not long out of the fall out from that.
Smoking Kills. It can also make you wish you were dead!
Vaping helped me beat a 44 year addiction that averaged 60 a day from the mid 1980's onward.
You touch my Coffee and I'll slap you so hard, even Google won't be able to find you!

Chris S

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #364 on: 14 March, 2018, 11:13:12 pm »
March is "That month" for me. On the 26th this year, it'll be 16 years.

There are still plenty of occasions when I'll salute and thank the person I was then, for going through the mess of quitting. At the time, that was one of my mantras; "I'd rather be 45 and wishing I could smoke, than 65 and wishing I hadn't"


Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #365 on: 15 March, 2018, 09:14:17 am »
I fell off this wagon when everything went tits-up at work towards the end of last year. I'm currently on 2 a day 5 days a week. I'll let you guess which days.

I'm a mixture of  :-[ and  >:( at myself. What can I say, I'm an addict, I reckon this will be what kills me.

Ben T

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #366 on: 15 March, 2018, 09:58:55 am »
As an ex smoker (13 years) you can say all you like about nicotine, ritual, force of habit, etc. but there's no getting away from the fact that cigs are really nice. That's the only reason why it's so many times better to have never smoked, because you don't know how nice they are.
I couldn't stand filters during my latter years of smoking but a roll up is lovely.
I think I'd probably still smoke occasionally if it wasn't for sport. My mum smokes and I wish she wouldn't but in a way I don't blame her cos I probably would if I were her.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #367 on: 15 March, 2018, 10:12:23 am »
As an ex smoker (13 years) you can say all you like about nicotine, ritual, force of habit, etc. but there's no getting away from the fact that cigs are really nice.

I dunno about that, I don't actually enjoy the taste anymore and despise the smell but do like the hit. I will say that nicotine helps prevent me inflicting ritualistic force on a certain exec.

Vaping is no longer a solution since I've become sensitised to something in it.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #368 on: 15 March, 2018, 10:20:21 am »
As an ex smoker (13 years) you can say all you like about nicotine, ritual, force of habit, etc. but there's no getting away from the fact that cigs are really nice.

This is why I never liked some of the anti-smoking stuff (i.e. Allen Carr, etc) when I was trying to give up (coming up 12 years soon) but eventually the negative aspects grew enough against the positive aspects and, at that point, I found giving up (from 30+ a day to zero) borderline trivial.

Nowadays I hate the smell and there's no chance I'll be tempted back into it but there are aspects to it I do miss although with today's prices I just couldn't imagine spending £500 a month on something like this.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #369 on: 16 March, 2018, 03:10:23 pm »
As an ex smoker (13 years) you can say all you like about nicotine, ritual, force of habit, etc. but there's no getting away from the fact that cigs are really nice. That's the only reason why it's so many times better to have never smoked, because you don't know how nice they are.
I couldn't stand filters during my latter years of smoking but a roll up is lovely.

This is spades. I really liked smoking, not all the cigs every day but in general. I miss it.
Also I have put on two stone since October when I gave up :(
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #370 on: 27 March, 2018, 09:01:54 am »
Ex smoker 10 years or thereabouts. I think you know when you have finally given up when the smell becomes obnoxious and offensive rather than sweet, seductive and alluring.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

handcyclist

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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #371 on: 27 March, 2018, 09:27:13 am »
Ex-smoker of 14 years - the decision on timing was rather made for me when I was stuck in a hospital bed for a couple of months. One clear indicator of the power of nicotine is the rather pathetic sight of patients trudging to the exit, with their dripstand attached, to have an oily.

I knew I was 'cured' a few years ago when I had a dream in which I smoked, and woke up with an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. The relief when I was awake enough to realise that it was a dream ciggy was immense.

Analogy to keep you on the straight and narrow/encourage you to give up - smoking is like being on an escalator of health risk and declining lung function. It only goes up. You want to get off at the lowest floor possible. There is no way back down .......
Doubt is is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
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Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #372 on: 12 April, 2018, 12:32:55 pm »
Si S. That's a bit of a doofus, have you looked into any alternative vaping stuff? Could Sam Valiant possibly help? He seems to have a vast knowledge of the liquids available.

Three whole months* for me without a cigarette, spanking the vape thobut.

*By the eco-gnomics of tobacco I should by now have my electric bike but it seems not to be.
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #373 on: 12 April, 2018, 01:05:00 pm »
I'm off the baccy again, which is evident from my strava times, a situation that will probably persist until the auditors come to visit again,  I see a pattern here  ::-) This is going to be a lifetime battle.

I have fired up the e-cig again with a new liquid and my lips have failed to either bleed or swell, so it may have just been a bad batch, it's not the most regulated of industries.

That said it might well be me, one consequence of my career is the massive amounts of chemical exposures I've had over the years, the more exposures you have the more likely you are to get sensitised. I once spent 6 months making α-bromo-α-phenylacetonitriles in a facility where the extract was knackered, I can't even go in a building where these things have been now without weeks of swelling and dermatitis. I've also managed to become allergic to 'food-safe' sanitisers, which rules out eating ready meals, silver linings and all that.

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: Stopping smoking: when?
« Reply #374 on: 12 April, 2018, 01:49:20 pm »
I'm off the baccy again, which is evident from my strava times, a situation that will probably persist until the auditors come to visit again,  I see a pattern here  ::-) This is going to be a lifetime battle.
It took me more than 20 years (I don't know how many attempts) to give up. I made regular attempts. Keep at it. If my experience is anything to go by (20 months clean and not missing it a bit), it will eventually stick.

Good luck.
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?