[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

99% of e cigs(especially ones available in India) are nicotine free. This has less side affects as the smoke doesn't have CO and other dangerous substances. This is surely going to affect the tobacco lobby badly, hence the bad rumours. Its considered 100% safe and is getting quite popular. I understand what you are saying, I have done it many times in the past, I have stayed clean for more than 3 years, last time was 1.5 years, but somehow it creeps back in, friends, colleagues, gatherings make you go the wrong way again. 99% of people who visits these discussions are considering quitting, however very few are capable of doing so, there is no harm in exploring options, especially since they are available.

Usually ignorance or misconceptions lead to rumours, in UK the NHS hands over e cigs to people who have health concerns after their inability to kick the butt. There is a huge lobby that is preventing innovation in this area, since max number of people just don't quit due to lack of options.

pramod

Well, some information about vaping. OK, thanks. I still have to ask... why even bother? Why take on the new habit?

Sorry, but I do think it is a bad idea for this thread to have a try vaping angle. No: it is about giving up smoking and giving up nicotine.

If you have to have something round and warm to twiddle your fingers around and suck, then this is a pretty sad state of affairs. Yep: I used to roll up till receipts and suck them, I was pretty sad. But I made it in the end. And small bits of paper are cheap.

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Gums and patches never works ...

Wrong!

They work. Patches helped me enormously. Gum didn't work for me, but it worked for my oldest friend.

I can sense Mr Nicotine in your posts. Keep him away from the keyboard! And go back to page one of this thread and read some of the success stories. Mr Nicotine will hate that

[sammyboy]

It looks like each of us has a different way of fighting nicotine, vaping for some , gum or patches or cold turkey or something else for the rest. All I would say is , try what works and get rid of the habit. But the first step is deciding that you really want to get rid of it, that itself takes a few tries. I have been off and on but in cold turkey phase right now. Not easy but this time it's now or never

[Thad E Ginathom]

If non-zero-nicotine vaping is done as a reducing-dosage program, then I don't object to it.

It could help cope with that what the hell do I do with my hands? part of giving up. On the other hand (whoops) it means not getting rid of that thing-in-the-hand stuff.

If it means, hey I gave up everything else but not nicotine then I'm for the hard line: it has no place in this thread. This thread is for giver-upers, and helping hands from those who went through it themselves. It is not for finding other ways to take nicotine on an ongoing basis.

Originally Posted by sammyboy

... ... the first step is deciding that you really want to get rid of it, that itself takes a few tries.

Think of some of the worst things that could happen. Really horrible, tragic things, and say not even that would make me smoke again. I did a bit of that thinking, and wrapped it all up in the words irrevocable decision. No going back. Failure doesn't get a look in. Not an option. After that, it doesn't matter if you want to or not, because you are going to.

That was the mental side of it, for me. Patches, reducing program, seriously reduced the withdrawal symptoms, but without that decision, nothing would have worked.

I have been off and on but in cold turkey phase right now. Not easy but this time it's now or never

All the best. And in a few months, maybe you too will look back on it say it wasn't as bad as you thought. Seriously: do it! Plenty of us are sending you best wishes.

Apologies for the umpteenth repeat of part of my giving-up story --- but, like many of us, I also tried and failed a few times: I can only repeat the thing that made the difference the time that I tried and succeeded.

(24 years, and still saying, No thanks, I've given up! )

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

All the best. And in a few months, maybe you too will look back on it say it wasn't as bad as you thought. Seriously: do it! Plenty of us are sending you best wishes.



Apologies for the umpteenth repeat of part of my giving-up story --- but, like many of us, I also tried and failed a few times: I can only repeat the thing that made the difference the time that I tried and succeeded.



(24 years, and still saying, No thanks, I've given up! )

thanks for the support Thad been trying to hang on this time. Not used anything as of now apart from regular chewing gums. And I agree , the minute you let your guard down, it catches you again. That's the toughest part . Gotta keep saying no.

[heydj]

I quit 4 years back by taking one day at a time. Told myself will smoke tomorrow but that never happened. Always kept a pack with me and whenever urge got too much took the cigi out lit it and threw it away, again telling myself will smoke the next one for sure. That never happened too.

After gap of 2 years restarted smoking and went on a bender. Quit after 6 months but this time it was not that difficult.

Smoking gone but replaced with caffine intake!

[Thad E Ginathom]

The mother of a friend of mine said that she hadn't given up, but wasn't going to have the next cigarette until she was 50. I suppose she must be more like 80 now, and she never had that next smoke .

Another friend has been grumbling about smokers and smoking, and talking about giving up, for as long as I can remember. Way back before I even started to think about being a non-smoker. But still, I have not been smoking for the past 24 years; she has.

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Well, some information about vaping. OK, thanks. I still have to ask... why even bother? Why take on the new habit?

Vaping actually has 0% nicotine, its not always the nicotine that the body craves, its the sensation of smoking is what gives relief to some.

I have tried nicotine gums and tell you honestly it never worked for me, the cold turkey method worked for me many times but I ended up having it again, vaping is safer than smoking, its now an established fact, even the second hand smoke from vaping devices are safer than a cigarette. Yes I know smoking is a disgusting habit, we all started it without a gun pointed at our head, its quite hypocritical when I see ex smokers looking at smokers with disgust, we all at one point thought its cool, two decades ago most major smoking events were named and sponsored by them, heck there is a popular navy event, even to this day which proudly wears the wills name. We all know the goods and bads of smoking, but most of us still do, its better to explore at opportunities and kick the habit as far as possible. I tried vaping for a day and I loved it, I didn't have a single cigarette that day till I ran out of the e juice, today I am awaiting my e juice delivery, once its in I am planning to quit both smoking and vaping in a month.

Pramod

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

I have tried nicotine gums and tell you honestly it never worked for me

Never worked for me either, but it worked for an old friend who had been smoking longer than me, and whose giving up was part of my inspiration. Please do not make absolute statements ("never works") based on your own experience alone. It is unhelpful and discouraging to others.

the cold turkey method worked for me many times but I ended up having it again,

"Giving up smoking is easy: I've done it lots of times"

No, you haven't done it until you've done it. None of our failed attempts count.

its quite hypocritical when I see ex smokers looking at smokers with disgust, we all at one point thought its cool ...

No, it is not hypocrtitical. We know better now than we did then. I'm amazed when I see people who are otherwise polite, caring and considerate exhaling smoke over others. It is disgusting. But yes, I did the same. I know now that I was disgusting too.

two decades ago most major smoking events were named and sponsored by them, heck there is a popular navy event, even to this day which proudly wears the wills name. We all know the goods and bads of smoking, but most of us still do, its better to explore at opportunities and kick the habit as far as possible. I tried vaping for a day and I loved it, I didn't have a single cigarette that day till I ran out of the e juice, today I am awaiting my e juice delivery, once its in I am planning to quit both smoking and vaping in a month.

Pramod

I hear a lot of Mr Nicotine speaking. If and when you do give up, you may come to realise what I mean. Until then, you will wonder what I'm talking about, and Mr Nicotine may well even react aggressively.

If you really intend to give up, I wish you well. Fixing a future date can work (I gave myself three months, although the final cigarette was in the first two or three weeks) but it has to be fixed.

You can go on smoking if you want: that's your right too.

[smokin_crab]

I agree, smoking is in the mind. People say they cannot think, cannot go to the loo. Well, I don't agree. Just to give an example, a very close friend of mine (a businessman) kept telling me I cannot think if I don't smoke. I kept telling him, it's in your mind. Anyway, one day he went to a dentist to get a cyst removed, the docs sent it for a biopsy and the result came back positive(later it was found incorrect) but when the Doc told him over the phone, he was smoking a ciggy, he told me I got so scared that I threw the ciggy away and I have not smoked for the last 35 days. So, I jokingly asked him, I'm sure the business must have shut down and you haven't been to the loo also? He smiled, kicked me and said...All's working just fine".

The point i'm making is that its in the Mind, we feel we cannot but if something scary or if we actually decide to quit we can.

I'll write about my quitting story in later Post.

Cheers guys and happy no smoking days!

Mod Note: Please take the time to format your posts and use proper grammar and punctuation, in the interest of readability.

[dark.knight]

Even as a reticent, unassuming nerd kind of guy I had the first smoke at 18.. taking the help of the shopkeeper in choosing/lighting up the white & orange for the first time ever. Looking back maybe it was a poor choice of finding a way to escape momentary reality, or a way to forget about trying to fit into life as a college student, either way it began quite differently compared to the usual peer-influence stories.

Luckily though I never was addicted, I used to take breaks for as long as 6-7 months at a time and never smoked more than a dozen per week. I've usually observed that high-stress situations drive me over the edge and I resume the habit for a couple of weeks before ending it again. Nevertheless its a habit that has followed me for 13 long years thus far, with the last binge being a month ago.. its almost like I'd want to end it permanently but nonetheless go back just to get that last taste before becoming clean "forever".

Its important to understand that its just a dependency, a forced habit. It does nothing other than clouding the mind for a couple of minutes at best. Its like coffee, it gives an artificial boost to the system and can easily be avoided. For all the useless large government-endorsed warnings there are on the pack.. the people must understand that the government itself is the biggest supporter of smoking (stake in ITC ), not to mention the huge taxes and job opportunities the industry results in. Quitting cold is the best way to do it, we all may stray now and then but its important to get on the wagon again and stay strong & positive. Escaping reality can be done in many other ways that are safer and wholesome.

[humyum]

Okay, so its been 4 months I quit the habit of having a smoke atleast once a day, with weekends being no smoke days as I would be at home and would not care much to go out and have a smoke. What also helped was that I kept myself open to the idea of having a smoke whenever I had a drink with friends after office, which is like once in two to three weeks.This kept the noose loose and a carrot dangling in front of me which kind of helped. Also my dad and me have a drink once in a blue moon at home, but I could not go for a smoke then as they don't know I smoke and I wanted to keep it that way.

Starting to gym also made the feeling of guilt exploded to unreal boundaries whenever I thought I wanted to smoke. This made me avoid having a drink too with office friends if I could avoid it as that made me eat a lot of cheese and calories along with the drink.

My friends kept telling me that one smoke a day is not a addiction and I am chill, but I have been having this one smoke a day since 10 years now and I desperately wanted to end that too. I am happy to report that in those 4 months, I must have smoked like 5 to 6 ciggis at the max. I breath better, I run in the gym better, skin has got a little better, I get tired a little less.

Let's see how it goes as time progresses

[noopster]

Originally Posted by humyum

What also helped was that I kept myself open to the idea of having a smoke whenever I had a drink with friends after office, which is like once in two to three weeks.This kept the noose loose and a carrot dangling in front of me which kind of helped.

You're not ready. This isn't a quit.

I am happy to report that in those 4 months, I must have smoked like 5 to 6 ciggis at the max. I breath better, I run in the gym better, skin has got a little better, I get tired a little less.

If you want to smoke, smoke. I'm not being mean, just honest. This is a phase that most people who want to quit go through: hey, maybe I smoke only when socializing, hey maybe I don't smoke at home, hey maybe I smoke only when... it's a slippery slope and never works.

It's good that you feel fitter, but the health risk will not reduce significantly unless you quit completely. It's just statistics really.

One day you will be ready, TRULY ready, for a quit. Do it then, and never look back.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by noopster

You're not ready. This isn't a quit.

You guys are looking for too much purity.

Smoking 5 cigarettes is much better than smoking 10.

Vaping nicotine is far better than smoking.

This isn't a competition. Anything which is less worse than what you were doing before is always a win.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by carboy

You guys are looking for too much purity.

Simple: a person smokes or they do not smoke. "Binary" is current trendy word; black-and-white is the more old-fashioned phrase.

Smoking 5 cigarettes is much better than smoking 10.

I'm not a doctor, but I suspect... not really. A friend of mine has been "cutting down" for about thirty years.

Vaping nicotine is far better than smoking.

...Mr Nicotine says.

This isn't a competition.

You are right. It is not a competition. It is a source of help for those who want to get nicotine, tobacco and smoking out of their lives. It is no sort of game at all.

I guess that all of contributors to this thread are smokers or ex-smokers. We know that there are excuses and half-hearted attempts aplenty, and we know that they lead to failure. We know that sometimes people may have the best of intentions, but don't find the strength or the willpower to follow it through and succeed. We know that failing this time doesn't mean there won't be a next time.

We know this because we've been there.

And another thing we know, is that we didn't really know how it is until quite some time after we really had given up. So please excuse me for not being impressed by the excuses: been there, made them all myself, know now, that it was all Mr Nicotine making them.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Simple: a person smokes or they do not smoke. "Binary" is current trendy word; black-and-white is the more old-fashioned phrase.

That's my point - it's not binary. There are a lot of grey areas.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I'm not a doctor, but I suspect... not really. A friend of mine has been "cutting down" for about thirty years.

And?

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

...Mr Nicotine says.

I have quoted sources which say Vaping is better than smoking. You haven't given any basis for believing it's not. Other than the tobacco and pharma companies, nobody else says that vaping isn't vastly better than smoking.

Plus, I know people who have got a better health checkup after quitting smoking & moving to vaping.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

You are right. It is not a competition. It is a source of help for those who want to get nicotine, tobacco and smoking out of their lives. It is no sort of game at all.

Yes and insisting on all or nothing may not be the best thing.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I guess that all of contributors to this thread are smokers or ex-smokers.

As am I.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

We know that there are excuses and half-hearted attempts aplenty, and we know that they lead to failure.

That depends on what you consider failure. I consider reducing smoking as better than not reducing smoking. I consider quitting analogs by vaping as success.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

We know that sometimes people may have the best of intentions, but don't find the strength or the willpower to follow it through and succeed. We know that failing this time doesn't mean there won't be a next time.

We know this because we've been there.

And another thing we know, is that we didn't really know how it is until quite some time after we really had given up. So please excuse me for not being impressed by the excuses: been there, made them all myself, know now, that it was all Mr Nicotine making them.

You are doing a great wrong by painting Nicotine as the villain. It's tobacco which is the villain not nicotine. Nicotine is the addictive part of the tobacco. It's possibly harmful - but at a scale which is hugely different from tobacco.

IMHO, more people have quit smoking by vaping than possibly any other method in history. People who want to do that should be encouraged - not talked down to.