FTJoe

Here here - and I completely agree with you!! The zero nic thing for me is more of a health issue, one of many I've ignored over the years. As I've said before, any amount we don't smoke is good, that's the key and the most important thing. So in case anyone thinks I'm judging, I ain't. Having said that, I do like telling my no-nic story because it was my goal and I was able to do via e-cigs (and I believe this forum)!!!

I'd get a buzz on and absolutely...what's that smell? Though I've only had the "singe" thank goodness. Soldering iron - yes, blowtorch, yes, if it glowed, I used it. I mastered the art of getting rid of the plug of tobacco to leave just paper in order to light on the blazing campfires we would have. Still lost a lot of hand and arm hair, but I just couldn't take leaving it in the fire afer a while, holding it long enough for the tobacco to catch. Especially being a chain smoker outside and drinking, this occurred many times and hurt even after all that Rumplemintz and Guinness.

As you should be, that is truly the goal. It always amazed me that I never really thought twice about how bad it is to light something on fire and then inhale the smoke. My body reminds me every day now how much better it is to breathe better, feel better, know my arteries aren't being chewed up like they were, blood pressure better, etc. Hopefully my body will cut me some slack on all the carcinogens I was taking in as well.

Toaster coils? That's all you got? And you think you're an addict? This probably should be a separate thread. But if it got hot, I would use it to light an analogue. Remove some tobacco because the paper would go up easier without it, if I could get the paper lit, the rest would follow. I actually scolded people who threw away lighters that had gas, but no flint or vice versa. Outside where I smoked I always had two, one had flint and the other gas. My wife said I was an idiot, I agree in general, but in regards to this, I thought it was rather simple and elegant as I used one to light the other!! Told you I was cheap!!

Remember, if you mix the 11 and 18 evenly you're at 14.5, a slightly lower step down and you're not wasting the 18. If it's what you really want, get some 0 mix it with the 18 and you're at 9, use a little more 18 and you can be at 11. Again, just so you're not wasting the 18. I think what people do to mix it up is cool as well, beefy in the morning, then taper off. I was mixing all over the place but still ended up with juice with nic, I went to zero too fast which is unlike me as I'm cheap.

Please remember whatever you end up vaporizing will go into your mouth, windpipe and lungs. Some stuff you will cough back up, stuff will enter your bloodstream and some stuff will forever remain in you and on your lungs. So just a little caution before you do something, your lungs are not your stomach. The stomach and the rest that follows are very suited to breaking down all sorts of things, using some stuff and "eliminating" other stuff. Not so your lungs. I worry about what's in the regular liquids we use. Reminds me of a posting I saw where someone got the idea to add food coloring (blue I think) to the liquid to make it look more like "digital" smoke. Still came out white. They were curious why it didn't work and the smoke was still white. People pointed out they probably painted their lungs blue. I'm sure they're okay, but that's when I realized while this person did something silly, and caution should be taken. I'm sure it won't be long before some people use these irresponsibly and then the FDA/FTC will clamp down. I'm not saying your question is irresponsible, it's been asked and done a million times I'm sure but many think what is edible is vapable.

Must get the low bridge attys. I think awesomevapor has them, not sure about the VT store or elsewhere. Looks like the VT store had them but are now sold out (302 short bridge?). I think this link works, watch out as there is an add to cart button if you navigate in, not sure what that does, need to get in and specify low bridge. I found them very good, but then started having clogging issues with the JS so went back to the 510. I'm not very patient. http://www.awesomevapor.com/product/ATOMDSE801

Hopefully the ears stay on. I see lots of people playing with their levels throughout the day, that sounds like a good plan. It makes sense the morning would represent the time most addicts actually experience the worst effects of withdrawal.

Slow is the way, there is no reason to go cold turkey if you are vaping, that is the absolute beauty of these of PVs. If you look at my posts you'll find me talking about it. In brief, and these are only my theories, the physical and mental addictions are two very separate yet inter-related beasts. Physical I believe takes 8-12 days to break. Mental could be forever, but take heart, so what if you pick up a PV device to get past it with a 0 nic juice? I was always scared of quitting as I saw so many folks quit for a year or more and go back. Why did they go back? They had the mental tug, found the only option was a cigarette, bummed one, bought a pack and now was physically addicted again. I know of someone else who told me the pull got worse and worse every day even after a year. We all know nic is not really calming, like any addiction the lack of it what makes us jittery and having it calms us down (feeds the addiction). So my theory is like Pavlov's dogs, we got addicted to a drug and our animal brain has linked the ingestion of nicotine to calm us with the act of smoking. So when we feel agitated, stressed, or a true nic fit occurs, the brain says have a smoke, that has always worked in the past in calming us down. So while linked, I believe most of of our urges to smoke are the mental addiction. I don't believe the brain actually knows if there is nicotine in the vapor, just that smoking was always worked in the past (Pavlov rings the bell). I started at 24 and made sure I got the hang of vaping but I wanted to get to 0. I also made sure I would follow my same smoking regimen to make sure I didn't get too much nic in my body. Then I bought some 18s, 11s and 0s, started mixing them in order to slowly cut down the strength. Say drop a few points each week. After a little bit I had the brilliant idea to go straight to 0 because I could still battle the mental addiction by vaping 0. Was okay for a little while, then realized I was raging and really couldn't stop, family cowering, etc. So that experiment was over. Continued SLOWLY cutting down the strength until I got to zero. I still have to say I'm a little jumpy but I was always a raging kind of guy so I'm afraid that might just be ugly old me. Being a menthol smoker, I have the luxury of the really strong menthols simulating a throat hit. Was still a little disappointing not having the old hit but then the weirdest thing started happening even as I approached 0 nic, the mental queues stopped. I realized I wasn't having one in the morning, I stopped looking at the clock to see if my self-imposed hour was up so I could vape. I basically vaped non-stop when drinking (same thing when I was smoking) but then that dropped off, I think the brain kind of gave up. One theory I do have after seeing someone else's post here is weight gain. I think I turned to picking at food so I am actually forcing myself to vape instead of eating (as stupid as this sounds). Also, I tell people if you are taking in nic, and you flip back to an analogue because something broke, juice gone, etc. No biggy. But if you are 0 nic, make sure you have backups, lot and lots so you never have to turn to an analogue. I could probably open a store right now with what I have, of course the joke on me is I've gone to almost nothing while waiting for my last big shipment of batts, attys and juice to get to me. So perhaps this is just me or my type of addiction, everyone is different. My wife still asks for her stuff (or mine) on the weekends if we're having a drink, I can take it or leave it now. I agree with Nana completely, even if you don't get there, vaping is WAY better than smoking. But if you can, take advantage of the PV tool as it's the ONLY way I know of that gives you the tools to still "smoke" and totally control your nicotine. Get the insurance discounts for 0 nic as well!!! Apologies for the long post, figured I'd spell it all out...

I find they stay lit much better if you give your dog kerosene instead of water and mix some wood chips in with the food.

I wouldn't bet it will be just like Newport. So as people are saying, the taste shouldn't really vary with the strength so I would get the 24, then see if you like the taste. Many folks vary their strength throughout the day so maybe having an 18 and 24 once you pin down a flavor wouldn't be a waste. If you find the 24 is just too much, buy an 11 and mix the two. No waste as long as you buy high and they have lower levels available IMO. I searched a long time for flavors I liked, I was a Marlboro menthol lights, so a lot of tobacco flavor was not needed.

I think that's where being a menthol smoker comes in handy, it took a while, but I finally found something that is good for both my wife and I. She's a mix of Janty, ecopure and johnson creek, I mix the johnson creek and VT Mentha. I see your story a lot with the regular tobacco smokers. Anyway, my point is, I think it's easier to find something acceptable as a menthol smoker as the taste is mostly about the menthol, takes a little longer to find what works but I would vape almost any of the menthols while I was looking.

Thanx for posting that. Mostly me and a random link. Talking to agent is definitely best, I'm sure all states vary, etc.

Wasn't for me, I had a lot of weird symptoms like swollen glands, productive cough (not hacking), sore throat, sore mouth, but my lungs were pretty good, deep breaths I didn't have in years after only a few days. Are you saying it's a muscular issue? Can't see that having anything to do with vaping other than...are you coughing alot? I had a very productive cough as my lungs finally said thank you and started getting rid of ALOT of crap. Still going on four months later. I tell my lungs I'm sorry, but I don't think they've forgiven me yet.

Apologies all - the old double post. Delete me please mods, please release me, let me go!!!

First - absolutely congrats!!!! Second the props to Christopher, et al. I figure I owe my life to this forum. I have pumped on some weight, I figured because I went no nic, and then the mental addiction faded, I've turned to eating. I'm actually trying to vape more to replace the eating, but now you have added a second hypothesis to the mix. Hmmmm. Anyway - CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN!!! Awesometastic as my son says.

If I may disagree about one thing, I believe nicotine is well documented as having adverse affects, as does caffeine but I think to a lesser degree. My point is there should be three classes of insured, smokers (most expensive), people who are addicted to nicotine, gum, vaping, patches, whatever, less expensive, and non-smokers/tobaccoers. Nicotine is harmful to at least the heart, I'm sure the circulatory system, and probably other things as well. But more an more I see people chewing nicorette gum and using NRTs as an alternative to smoking and not a stop smoking aid. I guess this was to be expected when they made it available without a scrip. Also I am really talking out of my a-- as I'm way too lazy to look it up.

Yeah - while we know vaping is WAY better for you than smoking, nicotine is still not good. Even the NRTs are supposed to be used to get off smoking, not an alternative. Not sure what the industry could do to distinguish the two, obviously they class people as smokers because they smoke. Maybe someday we'll finally get some studies that are fair.

As my son says, chillax!!! Worst thing you can do is feel like crap, that leads to a weird state of mind most addicts know very well. Ask any dieter or drug addict, failure leads right back to the addiction. So you sound committed, you gave it up for a while, you went back to cigs as an alternative while waiting to resume your preferred method of chillaxing. Kitsune's suggestion is top notch, at least for me, the act of smoking and the nicotine are two different things. The brain has been trained that the act of smoking delivers nicotine satisfying the addiction. It doesn't actually know if there is nicotine in the smoke, like Pavlov's dogs, it just links the two things together. But the act of vaping satisfies the brain, and the lozenges or any other form of NRT will make sure you don't actually go into withdrawal. I was surprised when I first (unsuccessfully) went to 0 mg how long it actually took my body to realize it didn't have nicotine. I have quite the little stockpile of juice, batts, chargers attys just in case. Built up after I tried a cig for the first time after two weeks. I almost threw up!!

My two cents, I think you shouldn't. Most agree this is a lessor of two evils, but I would think long and hard about vaporizing and inhaling anything that is so far uncontrolled and unmonitored. Again, JMHO.

I was thinking the same thing as I wrote my response. I read it was a bash on e-cigs in general. I think I pointed out there is a market for disposables as well, can't remember.

I posted under homerrulesall, an alter ego. I was torn about mentioning VT but I figured I wouldn't just in case.

Usually a year, I believe they verify by testing for nicotine. Last thing you want to do is declare non-smoker and get tested post death for nicotine. I know people that don't smoke but chew nicorette gum. From some random site: Non-Smoker Discount: In October 1996 it was announced in the international news that scientists had finally located the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. In the early 1980's, some Canadian Life Insurance Companies had already started recognizing that non-smokers had a better life expectancy than smokers so commenced offering premium discounts for life insurance to new applicants who have been non-smokers for at least 12 months before applying for coverage. Today, most life insurance companies offer these discounts. Savings to non-smokers can be up to 50% of regular premium depending on age and insurance company. Most life insurance companies offering non-smoker rates insist that the person applying for coverage have abstained from any form of tobacco or marijuana for at least twelve months, some companies insist on longer periods, up to 15 years. Tobacco use is generally considered to be cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, nicorette gum, snuff, marijuana and nicotine patches. In addition to these, if anyone tests positive to cotinine, a by-product of nicotine, they are also considered a smoker. There are some insurance companies which allow moderate or occasional use of cigars, cigarillos or pipes as acceptable for non-smoker status. Experienced brokers are aware of how to locate these insurance companies and save you money.

Comments are very supportive of the e-cig, I'm signing up and adding my own...

There was a topic? Just kidding, apologies to wpw36 for continuing this!!! ;-)