I hit a milestone

[PennyK]

My only other quit was five years ago, 234 days. I quit, with hypnosis, on Cinco de Mayo, and in a fit of anxiety on Christmas, drove to 7-11 and bought a pack. I can still remember the relaxation that I felt as I inhaled that first baby.
I quit this time by switching to an e-cigarette. 234 days ago, I lit what was to be my last cig. After two puffs I stubbed it out in disgust. The e-cigarette I had been using over the previous four days was so much more enjoyable that the cigarette was gross by comparison. I know I am still using nicotine, but otherwise, I feel like a non-smoker. No coughing. No stink. My singing voice has returned (something I lost over the years of smoking). My kids are no longer embarrassed or offended by the smell.
And no more sneaking around, trying to figure out when and where to light up (I had been smoking more than my husband thought). It was honestly something to be ashamed about at that point: intelligent people just do not smoke! A low-class (I know that sounds snobbish) dirty habit.
Now I power up my fruity-flavored vaporizer and feel terrific.
I know many are against e-cigarettes. But it's worked for me and I am very, very happy.

[cbayer]

1. Congratulations to you!

I am about to hit my 3 month mark and feel so liberated.

Keep up the good work. You are worth it!

[Holly_Hobby]

2. Awesome!

I've been vaping since May, on the gum for too many years, smoking off and on during.

I had a stressful time recently, bought a pack, no longer satisfying like my vaping. Probably won't do that ever again.

Congrats, it ain't easy to give up the smokes

[PennyK]

3. Know how long I smoked?

I started in my teens, and I'm 63 now. That makes it about 47 years. Had been using about 35 a day. My mother, an ex-smoker, has emphysema. Her father DIED of lung cancer at age 57. Yet I puffed away. It is that strong of an addiction!

[Holly_Hobby]

4. I started at 15, I'm 58 now

My grandmother died of lung cancer in 1982, but that didn't stop me either. My grandfather had COPD, caused by smoking.

Not only nicotine is an awful addiction, but the 3,000 other chemicals in smokes make it much, much more difficult to give up.

[Alan Selk]

5. No big deal

Having a dependency on nicotine is not a big deal. In reality nicotine is actually a low risk product similar to caffeine in it's health effects. It's the method of delivery that is the killer. It's the smoke that kills. Get rid of that and you get rid of about 99% of the harm.

The risk of low TSNA smokeless tobacco (essentially all forms of smokeless tobacco sold in the US and northern Europe, as in snus) and electronic cigarettes are so low it shows up in population studies no worse then a minor life style risk factor. Long term studies on electronic cigarettes are not available as of yet for obvious reasons, but there is no reason to believe they have any serious long term health risk.

The biggest stumbling block to improving tobacco users health is the misinformation about smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes. The public at large has been lead to believe that all tobacco products have the same risk and that nicotine has severe health implications. It's the lie that keeps on killing.

With all of the low risk alternatives to cigarettes on the market it is fairly easy to make the switch with any type of motivation. All that would be needed is a public health campaign to truthful inform the people that these low risk alternatives exist and that they truly are very low risk compared to smoking. The health outcomes of people who switch to low risk tobacco/nicotine products are essentially the same as for those that completely quit.

[PennyK]

6. Monday, I'll hit a full year!

Sadly, I'm celebrating with a colonoscopy.

[cbayer]

7. Sorry about the colonoscopy but huge congratulations on making it a year.

You rule!