# Ask the uber-nicotine addict how she finally quit smoking after 37 years with e-cigs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694 "2014-05-18T22:30:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/81 "2014-07-01T14:01:51Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > A) It doesn’t work for everyone and > B) Can you tell us what you’re using? Style, brand, flavor, nicotine level, what the liquid’s made of? > C) What specifically triggers your desire to smoke each cigarette through the day? Emotion? Stress? Food? Routine? Boredom? Need for a break? Gotta poop? Taste? ^^This. Plus, what do you get from a cigarette that’s missing from vaping? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/82 "2014-07-01T15:49:44Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > ^^This. > Plus, what do you get from a cigarette that’s missing from vaping? You, Sir, obviously have never had a [Picayune cigarette.](http://worthopedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumbnails2/1/0307/11/1_30c2bca32f3ba4bd4aadd0032146d793.jpg) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/83 "2014-07-01T17:34:06Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > I don’t understand. I hit my vape very often throughout the day, but my desire to smoke remains the same. ☹ Help? No cite, but I do remember when I was making the transition, I read that cigarettes have other addictive junk in them, it’s not just nicotine. Maybe your body is having a hard time with the withdrawal from all the other nasty chemicals. ETA: I do remember feeling the same way, but it passed. I just kept vaping more and more, and smoking less and less, until I cut out the cigarettes altogether. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/84 "2014-07-01T21:49:58Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > You, Sir, obviously have never had a [Picayune cigarette.](http://worthopedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumbnails2/1/0307/11/1_30c2bca32f3ba4bd4aadd0032146d793.jpg) > 🙂 That’s M’am to you. 😉 No I sure haven’t! Pretty packaging, though. Prior to vaping, I was a strictly [old-school RYO smoker](http://1fc.4imgs.com/sid/17574/219381_F.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/85 "2014-07-13T18:44:15Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > A) It doesn’t work for everyone and > B) Can you tell us what you’re using? Style, brand, flavor, nicotine level, what the liquid’s made of? > C) What specifically triggers your desire to smoke each cigarette through the day? Emotion? Stress? Food? Routine? Boredom? Need for a break? Gotta poop? Taste? Sorry I took so long to respond. I just got back from vacation and didn’t have a lot of internet access. I’m using an iTaste LEO with three juices: Avail Aztec, Mt. Baker Pear, and Avail Moonglow. The pear is 18mg nicotine, and I wish I could tell you what the percentage is on the Aztec and Moonglow, but either the manufacturer or my vape shop marked it with a black marker, concealing the number. I use the Aztec by far the most, since it tastes the most like tobacco. I’m mostly an anxious smoker. I do enjoy a cigarette after sex or a heavy meal, but anxiety is really what gets me reaching for my pack–especially social anxiety. I also tend to smoke a lot more when I drink. I thought the vape may help that, since I can pull it out in most situations and it’s more socially acceptable than smoking. The only real routine I have when it comes to smoking is that I smoke one after waking up and one before going to bed. Other than that, it’s whenever the mood strikes me. I never smoke in my car… In fact, I can easily do 4-hour roadtrips without even feeling the need to smoke, which I find interesting. Hope this helps you help me. I’ll answer anything else asked of me. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/86 "2014-07-13T21:42:42Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > I’m using an iTaste LEO I’m not familiar with it specifically, but I looked it up and it looks to be a good little kit - 1000mAh battery with clearomizer tanks, yes? I can’t tell what ohms the included clearomizers run, but I expect they’re 2.5 or 1.8 (it is usually printed or engraved on them somewhere, but it can be hard to find.) So you’ve avoided the rookie mistake of buying the ones that look like cigarettes. Good job. Sounds like you’re not thrilled with the liquids you’ve got. What sort of tobacco do you smoke? Perhaps a more hearty tobacco flavor, like Torque, might be more satisfying. Torque isn’t overly strongly flavored, but is well known for a powerful throat hit. Even deeper and “earthier” tobacco are your Burley blends. That stuff knocks me on my ass - I can enjoy it for a tank or two, but then it’s too much and I have to switch to something with a lighter flavor (as I said, Tribeca is my go to blend, and it’s very light - I used to smoke Marlboro Lights or even Ultra Lights, back when they sold them that way.) I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve seen many people suggest the T-Juice Primo Verde for people trying to transition from cigarettes to vaping. There’s a good review of it [here](http://www.e-liquidzine.com/t-juice-primo-verde-review/). It’s claimed to be about as close to smoking as you can get without the smoke. Or try the exact opposite - play around with the fruity or chocolatey flavors. Some of us (like my husband) just cannot accept a vape as a “fake” cigarette, and the closer it is to tobacco, the _less_ satisfying it is. He loves the chocolate and caramel desserty flavors. (I, who love desserts in food, don’t care for them in a vape full time, although I’ve been known to indulge in a nice Macaroon or Honey once in a while.) If you’ve got a brick and mortar vape shop near you, most of them have tasting bars set out, where you can try the flavors before you buy. I suggest that, giving yourself plenty of time to taste and consider. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/87 "2014-07-14T18:45:17Z")
Anyone else annoyed how fast coils burn out? I have some that don’t last a single week! They also get crudded up within days, and I only use menthol or light tobacco flavor juices. Which I have heard are not prone to gunking up coils. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/88 "2014-07-14T19:31:49Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Anyone else annoyed how fast coils burn out? I have some that don’t last a single week! > > They also get crudded up within days, and I only use menthol or light tobacco flavor juices. Which I have heard are not prone to gunking up coils. I have yet to burn out a single one. I don’t get it. I should have burned out dozens by now, but what happens with mine is sort of a slow decline in vapor production. When it gets low enough, I sort of halfheartedly change out the atomizer and hey! Whaddaya know? I should probably have done that a week ago! 😃 But I do clean mine every day. Or rather, I have two and I clean one and let it dry out completely in the morning while I vape with the other one all day. I clean them after a day’s use because otherwise I end up with a tickly throat cough. Nothing as bad as my old smoker’s cough, but still annoying. Cleaning the atomizer and tank once a day fixes that problem. If you’re burning through them in less than a week, I suspect your voltage is too high for your coil. [Stay in the green section - if your atty is 1.8ohms, you want your battery under 4 volts.](http://www.vaportalk.com/forum/topic/14748-helpful-chart-for-pairing-atomizer-resistance-to-battery-volts/) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/89 "2014-07-14T22:52:20Z")
I wonder if there’s a difference in clearomizer/coil longevity and the PG/VG mix of the juice? Seems to me a higher percentage of vegetable glycerine would gunk up coils faster. I’m not as diligent as **WhyNot** about daily cleaning, but I do this [dry-burn](http://www.bestclearomizer.com/how-to-clean-a-clearomizer/) method whenever the hit starts getting hard or the juice starts tasting funky. Nine times out of ten it gives the device a new lease on life, at least for another few days to weeks. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/90 "2014-07-14T23:26:23Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I wonder if there’s a difference in clearomizer/coil longevity and the PG/VG mix of the juice? Seems to me a higher percentage of vegetable glycerine would gunk up coils faster. I’ve heard that as well. People who vape VG only liquids do seem to go through atomizers more quickly. Also some flavors are “gunkier”, for lack of a better term. It’s all a process of trial and error and finding what works for you. ---
**Author:** ![DonJohnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@DonJohnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonJohnson)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/91 "2014-07-14T23:51:58Z")
Any solution for chewing tobacco? I don’t want to vape but I have to cut down on the dippin’ ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/92 "2014-07-15T00:02:26Z")
Yes indeed. Just as an explainer, very basically: the higher the VG (vegetable glycerine) content of the liquid, the more vapor volume, as in big plumes of vapor. But that comes at the expense of throat hit - Higher PG (propylene glycol) = less visible vapor, but higher and harder throat hit (TH). Some vendors will customize mixes, some only offer their proprietary product. I suspect for hard-core, physically addicted smokers (like me) that TH is paramount. I’ve tried a couple of VG-only juices and they were tasty but…wouldn’t get me off cigarettes. Too mild. And for people who are more social/experience smokers, seeing big plumes of vapor will be more satisfying. As will, probably, a sensory experience more like smoking an actual cigarette. Definitely there’s a trial and error process. I love minty and chocolate flavors in food, but have yet to find a mint or chocolate flavour in a liquid I enjoy. Same with fruits and berries. And dill pickle flavour, and peanut butter-toast-maple syrup flavour (yes these are are real.) From [here](http://www.mstsbakery.com/). I love their snickerdoodle and peanut-butter banana. Yum. 🙂 It took me several months to find out what really worked for me though. I wasted a lot of money on things like dill pickle, blueberry-banana and various tobacco flavors. And everyone’s mileage varies. The commonly-available single-note child-like flavors don’t work for me at all. I like complex, grown-up flavours like[this one.](http://www.backwoodsbrew.net/Casablanca-Blend_p_36.html#.U8RuvbG8O3J) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/93 "2014-07-15T00:04:00Z")
> [@DonJohnson](#): > > Any solution for chewing tobacco? I don’t want to vape but I have to cut down on the dippin’ [Snus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snus)? ---
**Author:** ![oliviamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@oliviamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliviamia)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/94 "2014-10-15T19:38:36Z")
I also used the e- cig. I started with the nicotine juice and then switched to just flavoured. I hardly ever puff on it. I am sort of uninterested in smoking anything - strange because I smoked for 40 years ! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/95 "2014-10-15T22:36:21Z")
A known side effect of nicotine is that users [can’t seem to talk about anything else.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=11466602) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/96 "2014-10-15T22:41:45Z")
> [@oliviamia](#): > > I also used the e- cig. I started with the nicotine juice and then switched to just flavoured. I hardly ever puff on it. I am sort of uninterested in smoking anything - strange because I smoked for 40 years ! Please. Just stop. You are shutting down every potentially useful vaping thread on this site. Do you realise this? Shut the eff up already. You are not adding anything to the existing discussion and you are boring. Just stop. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694/97 "2014-10-15T22:44:45Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > A known side effect of nicotine is that users [can’t seem to talk about anything else.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=11466602) Yeah, I have reported this thing. Hopefully it will be disappeared soon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-uber-nicotine-addict-how-she-finally-quit-smoking-after-37-years-with-e-cigs/688694.md?page=4)