Is it healthier for you?
I’m not going to make any qualified health claims. Frankly speaking the evidence is not out and everything you hear about the health benefits of ecigs is probably false.
Wikipedia has this to say about it:
The benefits and risks of electronic cigarette use are uncertain. They may carry a risk of developing nicotine addiction, and their regulation is the subject of ongoing debate.
The studies that I have seen done properly suggest that the level of chemicals in ecigs are significantly less then in tobacco smoke, however carcinogenic chemicals are still present in trace amounts. I have not seen any other reputable studies in this area.
So I’m not going to tell you they are healthier for you. Because the evidence is not out there and probably won’t be for some time. However…
So Anecdotally speaking do you feel healthier?
MUCH! Within several days I had my sense of taste and smell back. I lost my smokers cough. I no longer smelled and people actually complemented me on how I smelled. I feel like I have more stamina, but I’m not very physically active so I can’t say much there. Overall I’m very happy switching to ecigs.
What chemicals are used?
There are four primary ingredients to e-cigs. Nicotine, Vegetable Glycerin, Propylene Glycol and flavoring. Yes, Propylene Glycol is used as anti-freeze, but it is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and is approved for use in human and dog food. The nicotine and Propylene Glycol are toxic in large amounts but the amount you’ll be smoking won’t kill you at all.
If your switching from tobacco to ecigs the chemicals are a moot point in my opinion. Four chemicals instead of hundreds just seems simpler and safer.
There are still trace chemicals from tobacco that seem to carry over in the nicotine, but the study above suggests they are 1/1000 of the quantity of cigarette smoke.
Do you save money?
Short term I spent more, but over the past year I’ve saved about 20-30% smoking refillable ecigs. The gear is expensive to start with but after that I’ve only had to buy vapor and atomizers which are a fraction of the cost. If I hadn’t lost or damaged so many ecigs the cost savings would be greater. I’m a bit clumsy.
Do you have to mess with it much?
The rig I currently have lasts about a day on battery and a day and a half with the 1.8ml tank. I plug in at night and refill once a day. Refilling takes less time then going to the store and buying a pack so I feel as though I’ve saved time. My one recommendation is to buy a big tank and battery so you don’t have to mess with it much.
What’s the best rig to start out with?
I personally smoke a Vivi Nova tank with an Ego C Twist battery. I actually have two of the same tank at the moment and am waiting on my second battery after losing one during a trip.
Getting the right gear was the hardest part. I started smoking an e-cab by joyetech and the thing would leak all over the place. The atomizers were replaceable but the tanks were just crap. I then went to a Kanger and the ego twist, but the Kanger I bought was defective and leaked on the bottom thread and had different size atomizers which caused the top not to seal correctly. I have been very happy with the Vivi Nova tank although I must state that the first one I bought is slightly defective in that the center post isn’t centered. As a result I use a pen cap to ensure the silicone gasket is set properly in the cap. As long as I do this I get no leakage and neither one has given me any problems.
The eco c twist by Joyetech is my current battery. I would recommend buying a battery from a name brand company like Joyetech. There are a great deal of cheaper knock offs out there but I’ve heard numerous reports of house fires from improper chargers or batteries. Rather then risk it I spend more and buy the real thing. The ego c twist 1100 battery is huge, but lasts me pretty much all day and is adjustable so you can tune in the right vapor amount.
What about nicotine levels?
The vapor comes in different strengths. The store where I buy my vapor http://www.dfwvapor.com/ from has 0, 4, 8, 18, 24 and 36mg strengths. I would recommend starting at 24 if you are a normal to heavy smoker, and 18 if you are a light smoker. I tried 36 at first and got quite the buzz off that bottle of liquid. I equate smoking 36mg as smoking a camel no-filter wide.
I just took the jump to 8mg. I’m trying to ween off the nicotine.
What about flavors? I like the taste of tobacco!
They make tobacco flavors but I myself went to the more candy like flavors. My current favorites are Chai tea and honeysuckle. One of the great things about smoking ecigs is that I got away from the tabacco flavor and even now the smell of a cigarette or the few times I’ve had one since vaping make me a bit sick. If your really hell bent on smoking the tobacco flavor I would recommend at least trying some other flavor that you might enjoy. There are literately hundreds and hundreds of flavors to choose from. I quite enjoy shopping for vapor and reading the reviews and choosing new flavors to try out.
Wait, you’ve smoked since switching? What’s up with that?
Yes there are times I’m around friends that smoke or at the bar when I give in and bum one from friends. I’m doing this less and less as the smell and taste are really getting to me. I’ve bought only one pack of cigarettes since I started vaping and that was because my Kanger tank fell completely apart on a trip. I bought it to tide me over until my new equipment has arrived.
Do you think you can use it to quit nicotine all together?
That is the plan, I’ve been tapering down and plan on continuing. I like smoking but the cost and health benefits get more and more important as I get older. I’ve heard of many people successfully quitting by tapering down. They offer liquid with no nicotine and if I ever get to the point to where I can reach there I’ll be happy. My plan is to no nicotine it for a few weeks and then just try not to pick the thing up as often.
I wish you luck if you decide to switch to ecigs. The benefits have been great and I hope you can share in them. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.