That’s not terribly useful, since a great deal of the harm caused by tobacco use is not directly caused by the nicotine itself. Cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco/dip, nasal snuff, and snus all introduce varying levels of assorted dangerous, non-nicotine chemicals into the smoker’s body, whereas “e-cigarettes” (a terrible name for them, by the way) expose the user only to nicotine and either propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin assuming high quality juice is used.
Yes, nicotine is addictive. Yes, nicotine does have negative health effects. No, e-cigarettes do not pose a health risk remotely comparable to that of any other nicotine-based product unless you count the various smoking cessation aids such as patches and lozenges. Thus if your doctor asks you whether you smoke it’s perfectly legitimate to say that you don’t smoke, but you do use vaporized nicotine.
Ex-smoker here, by the way. Never did try e-cigarettes, but I am baffled by the science-free, moralistic “ban it all” approach so many places have toward e-cigarettes. Personally, I’d like to see more acceptance of e-cigarette use in order to encourage smokers to make the transition to a less harmful means of getting their fix and hopefully eventually quit altogether.
Excellent! I’ve been asked, “Do you smoke?” I answer, “I do not use tobacco”. Then we go back and forth a bit and I make my point that they are asking their question incorrectly. Us cannabis users can be dicks.
Yes I do since they are doing the same motions in the act of smoking, and yielding the same results (getting nicotine in their body)
My experience with it is really limited to only people (mostly 18-20 year olds) who trapse around my mall, but it’s just as annoying as smoking (if not more so) because they do it indoors and are just reveling in the fact that it’s legal and there’s nothing I can do about it
No, of course it’s not smoking. As others have pointed out, there is no smoke, a vital component of ‘smoking’ (it’s even in the root word :p), only water vapor, flavoring and maybe nicotine.
We ask about nicotine use, and cannabis (which can be used in other ways than lighting it on fire).
Also alcohol and then the illegals.
FYI, nicotine is a co-factor in several cancers. It and HPV 16 are pretty good buddies. (We’ve known this officially for at least 20 years, and suspected for many more). 18’s a close second. Risks of nicotine intake plain outweigh the benefits (and there are a few).
I just made the switch a couple of weeks ago. Dunno what to call myself…a “vaper”, I guess. I no longer carry a lighter or tobacco with me, just my little vaping thingy. Don’t think I’ve quite earned the “ex-smoker” label yet, but I’m working on it.
Vaping isn’t permitted indoors in many jurisdictions. They huddle outside with the smokers in all kinds of weather.
I’m on the fence with this one. Vapers have to go outside with the smokers but are much more pleasant to hug or kiss.I smoked for years but didn’t use e-cigs to quit.
Why?
Do you also consider people who no longer smoke, but use the FDA-approved gum, or nicotine patches, or chew? They are all nicotine delivery systems.
People who vape instead of smoking are not IMHO (and as someone who finally quit smoking via vaping) smokers. But they are definitely still addicted to nicotine.
Even though this is (at least) the 7th thread on this topic that oliviamia has resuscitated, it is the only one that has remained open. Ssh, the mods will hear us!
