As someone who has never smoked, but juuls occasionally, I would like to see some studies on the health effects on nicotine alone. Much of the anti smoking literature focuses on the health effects of inhaling burning plant matter along with nicotine. How different is a straight nicotine addiction from that of a coffee addiction? A heavy coffee drinker is chemically dependent on the caffeine, but there isn't any cultural or even health pressure to quit coffee (unless some heart/BP issues). You even see articles that say that coffee has health benefits.<p>I go through great lengths to insure that I don't become dependent on either, though I enjoy both. Caffeine really does reduce fatigue, and nicotine 'dials you in' when you're focusing. Wish I knew what the chemicals themselves were doing to me without the complications from the delivery systems.
How many of the teenagers that vape today would have used cigarettes fifteen years ago? If you asked my class whether they know someone who regularly smokes because "they have to" everybody would have raised their hands. I think about a third smoked at least occasionally, at parties and such.<p>I'm not convinced that vaping is a bigger problem or that it's harder to quit vaping than smoking. How is reducing the frequency of vaping, or choosing liquids with lower nicotine content, not possible with vaping, but reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke per day is?
I remember an interesting summary posted on HN back in 2013 about nicotine and tobacco. This was before vaping became popular, but the case he made was that nicotine is actually not very addictive on it own, but seems to reinforce addiction in the presence of other compounds found in tobacco (e.g., MAOIs). Lots of primary sources given.<p>So what else is in vaping liquid?<p>"Nicotine as a useful stimulant" (gwern.net)<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6457772" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6457772</a>
These kind of articles always seem odd to me. I've used an e-cig to stop smoking. Worked myself down from 21mg juice to 3mg, step by step. Now I really only use it when I'm out drinking, to prevent myself from wanting a cigarette (old habits do die hard, after all)<p>The e-cig helped, but the real motivator is that I wanted to run and play soccer more effectively. Vaping was just a tool that kept me away from cigarettes.
Except "reduce the intake of nicotine, with some self discipline".<p>In the UK, a lot of vape liquid is sold with no nicotine. You state your preferred level of nicotine, and someone behind the desk tells you how much nicotine to purchase to get that level of nicotine in the vape.<p>You can vape as is, with no nicotine, but what's the point unless you're quitting?
I smoked for ten years and recently switched to vaping. I don't believe it is necessarily healthier or less addictive, but I do think it might be easier on the lungs and vocal cords (I sing), even though not vaping or smoking at all is clearly the best option.<p>So, I have tried patches before, and I got relentlessly addicted to them. I wore them for something like two years. I have ADHD and take stimulant medication for it, and stimulants are pretty famous for causing tobacco users to smoke a lot more.<p>After I got used to the e-cigarettes/vaping, I don't want to go back. I decline offers from friends for real cigarettes when out drinking at bars/etc., and I have had a pack of cigarettes in my house for about 6 weeks now without smoking a single one. The taste and smell just isn't good anymore now that I'm off the "analogs".<p>It's hard to know how much nicotine I'm ingesting, though. Smoking real cigarettes now gives me a strong nicotine buzz that I don't get from vaping, like that infamous light-headed feeling beginner smokers get. I suspect this is due to vaping delivery being less efficient and more gradually throughout the day, but you would think it would be easier to compare, say, a JUUL to a standard cigarette.<p>The other problem I've had with my JUUL is leaking. The last few pods I have vaped, have all leaked considerable amounts of liquid - sometimes on my lips, sometimes on the sides of the pod and into the chamber. I'm not sure if this is an issue with my device or QC. I clean the device regularly with a Q-Tip. Obviously, leaked liquid is not ingested or vaped, so that's lost nicotine and can't be counted. The same applies to any liquid left in a JUUL pod when it is thrown away. I've started throwing away pods before they are completely empty, because its not working as well. Air bubbles are also a problem and lead to poor performance.<p>Just my experience, I'm sure I'll get harassed for this since I'm discussing vape usage, but addictions are addictions, and not everyone wants to quit.
As a parent with young teenagers this really worries me. Vaping looks to be a lot more effective way of delivering high doses of nicotine than cigarettes. Do we want a generation of kids addicted to vaping because we thought it harmless?
"Addicted to caffeine, teenagers have no clear path to quitting".<p>"Addicted to fortnight, kids have no clear path to quitting".<p>"Addicted to social media, millennials have no clear path to mental health".<p>We've spent 100 years creating companies that grow because addiction works. It's gonna take a concerted, societal effort to disconnect addiction and incentives.
> The survey also found that many students believe they are vaping “just flavoring.” In fact, just about all brands include nicotine, and Juul has particularly high levels of it.<p>Wow. What?<p>Minor point, but nearly every flavor of eliquid I've ever seen comes in a 0mg variant. Granted, none of the gas station pod systems have that.<p>More importantly: there is no way in hell you are vaping a Juul and just think its flavored vapor. I have not once seen someone take a hit on a Juul for the first time and not have a small coughing fit. Unless you inherited an impossibly massive genetic nicotine tolerance, the first few times you hit a Juul you're basically going to fly. I've seen one person puke. Having a small brown-out for a second would not be unheard of. Its very strong. Its made for adult smokers who have been smoking for years and want to quit. Its not even that tasty compared to the other less strong brands; nicotine is straight up disgusting, and only gets more disgusting as the concentration grows.<p>I don't believe for a second that kids were genuinely self-reporting that they had no idea, unless they were actually vaping something more like 3mg/ml juice from a normal vape. That, I could see. But a 50mg/ml Juul, absolutely not. That's like saying you drank a shot of vodka and had no idea it wasn't water.
Bupropion (wellbutrin) was originally for depression, but can help people quit smoking.<p>Note: the effects appear permanent, and you don't have to continue taking the medication after the first round.<p>Edit: I'm curious why this was downvoted, I'm simply offering information that I know has helped others in this very situation.
It's fairly easy to taper your nicotine usage (as well as make your own juice), but I wouldn't expect teenagers to care that much, or use less nicotine even if they were making their own.<p>I had a few incidents with caffeine/energy drinks, but they were arguably a less harmful and definitely cheaper habit.
Serious question what did they do to help teenagers quit cigarettes in the many decades past? Teenagers certainly were smoking well before the electronic cigarette was invented and utterly flopped in the 1960s.<p>I don't see how a delivery mechanism is any different except perhaps poorly designed regulation and not bringing down the wrath of god upon them immediately for blatantly violating tobacco advertising laws - I remember far too many radio commercials that weren't even trying to hide it - as 'a smoking cessation commercial that spends 75% of the time talking about the satisfaction and telling them they can use it anywhere'.
In my own experience, nicotine was not very addictive. As a non-smoker, I started vaping 36mg/ml nicotine in unflavored propylene glycol. I used a high concentration to minimize exposure to any unknown non-nicotine risks. I vaped heavily for about 2 years before getting bored of it. I tapered the dose to zero over two weeks and experienced only mild withdrawal symptoms. It's been about four years since I quit and I've never felt the effects were sufficiently interesting or enjoyable to start again.
I remember when Vaping gained popularity, and I advocated it as a way for addicted smokers to slowly reduce their nicotine intake, whilst still having the physical sensation.<p>Now the issue is that you can constantly increase the strength of the nicotine concentration in your own vape.
Quitting is hard but it's doable. I smoked off and on for 10 years, the last 3 or so was just bumming cigs when out drunk but finally just gave it up entirely when I was about to turn 30, have to reach a point where you decide you're done.