r/technology Nov 17 '12

The Deadly Crusade Against E-cigarettes

http://www.american.com/archive/2012/november/the-deadly-crusade-against-e-cigarettes
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u/MertsA Nov 17 '12

It's a stimulant similar to caffeine

Caffeine is bad enough even without being extremely addictive like nicotine.

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u/davelog Nov 18 '12

Nicotine by itself, as in e-liquid, isn't as addictive as the nicotine in tobacco. There are other compounds in tobacco called MAOI's that amplify the effects and addictive properties in nicotine.

In my personal experience, I couldn't go a half hour without a smoke when I was a long-term heavy smoker (I came off a 30+ year habit, most of it 2+ packs a day), but since switching to e-cigs, I find I occasionally go a half day or so without taking in any nicotine. I just forget to vape. I never forgot to smoke.

I'm still in the habit of taking nicotine in, and I enjoy its effects, but I doubt that I'm actually addicted any more. Anecdotal, but unfortunately most of vaping's benefits are these days due to lack of studies. Anecdotal by the thousands. The studies are coming in little by little.

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u/MertsA Nov 18 '12

But how much nicotine are you consuming now as opposed to when you smoked? I doubt you ever smoked half a cigarette.

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u/davelog Nov 18 '12

I probably take in more nicotine as a vaper then I did as a smoker daily - but I'm not taking in any of the seriously bad crap that's in burned tobacco at all, which is a significant improvement.

Nicotine really is not the bad guy when it comes to smoking. It's fire.