Ricketts

A new study in the medical journal, The Lancet, revealed that E-Cigs work just as well as nicotine patches in helping people to quit smoking, Of those assigned to the e-cig with nicotine, 7.3 percent had abstained from smoking during the entire trial period. Of those assigned to nicotine patches, 5.8 percent had also abstained, and a little more than 4 percent of those assigned to the placebo e-cigs abstained. After smoking for 70 years, Ive now been using the E-Cig for one year with, surprisingly, no difficulty eliminating analogs. I still have two unopened cartons on hand with no desire to use them. My personal opinion why so many have difficulty in eliminating analogs is due to vaping the plethora of flavored juices. I never smoked strawberry or butter scotch Marlboros before, so why smoke these flavors now? Vaping only tobacco flavored juice, I receive not only the nicotine to satisfy the addiction but the taste of the analog, so closely resembling the analog, I doubt Id know the difference.

On a recent flight to Maui, I, too, was curious about E-Cigs on board. While it is presently ok to vape in terminals, universally, E-Cigs are not allowed on the aircraft, and I was reluctant to test the "smoke" detector in the lav, so, while standing near the galley when the stew's were up front, I snuck a few hits here and there. What a let down! Due to the pressurized cabins you only get about 50% power and hit! Also, we attended a graduation held in the OUTSIDE sports stadium. Upon entering, a large sign spelled out items that were disallowed -the usual firearms, liquor, ice chests, etc, and the last item: ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES!

I’ve previously commented on BLOOG products -superior batteries, effortless draw cartomizers, clearomizers, perfect blend BLOOG RED tobacco juice, very competitive pricing. I no longer search for perfection, BLOOG is it. Customer Service? All suppliers of all merchandise claim “excellent” service. Sadly, we often discover this just doesn’t hold when a problem arises. Due entirely to a faulty U.S. Postal bar code, a recent BLOOG order that was due on 8/2, continues to cavort up and down the California coast, the P.O. scanner sending it everywhere but to my home. An E-Mail to BLOOG was quickly answered by an intelligent, knowledgeable, representative who had immediately replaced the order sending it via Priority Mail. I didn’t ask for this, BLOOG just did it. The P.O. is still involved so I have my fingers crossed, but service-wise, I don’t believe it gets any better than this.

Point #1: Having relocated to California 55 years ago, I'm originally from St. Louis and glad I got out of there. Point #2: E-Cigs and altitude: Although forbidden on airliners, those of us who have cheated discovered that they don't work very well due to the pressurized cabins.

I've read and watched numerous blurbs with lengthy, time consuming methods of cleaning a cartomizer. I simply put a few squirts of Simple Green and purified water in a very small bowl, micro the soultion until it's fairly hot but not so hot to distort the plastic, soak for a few minutes, use tongs to fill and empty the cartos at least a dozen times until the wick is white, rinse thoroughly with purified water and allow to dry. I have several brands and all respond well to this "treatment."

As the market continues to explode, a plethora of gadgets and juices all claiming to be "the best" surrounds us, and it would cost a small fortune sampling everything. For the simple E-Cig, I've found an outstanding product -"BLOOG." Their standard batteries are far more powerful lasting much longer than standards; the cartos are designed for a simple refill -which they advocate-with just the flick of a fingernail; the juices are superb. The REAL shocker is the easy draw hit with loads of vapor! And, their pricing/ship charges are more than competitive. I've yet to try their clearomizers, etc., but based on my starter, I sure will.

Courtney, I hope you continue to progress with the E-Cig. They are a bit of a hassle getting used to because there are so many variables out there. The number of "toys" offered is incredible. Forget the gadgets and stick to basics. Refilling your cartridges is, in fact, a very economical alternative to buying replacements. However, you'll soon tire of the routine, so continue with the cartridges for use in public because they look like a cigarttte, and step up to a "drip tip" or clearomizer for around the house or job. Since day one, I have purchased my clearomizers from "Century 21 Smoking" at $3.99 each and they perform immaculately.I also use their batteries. You'll see myriad videos on "How to clean your atomizer, your cartridge, etc." They need cleaning because of the myriad flavors offered that leave a sugary film. I've never had to clean anything simply because I prefer a straight tobacco flavor. If I want strawberry, I'll head for Baskin & Robbins. Our goal is to feed the addiction, which we do with the nicotine, and then the habit, which we do by emulating the mechanics of holding, handling and puffing on an analog. If you were a heavy smoker, I'd stick with 18mg and then drop to 16mg. Hang in there; the rewards are well worth it.

The recent "good news" is, although not clearly defined yet, that the emergence of the tobacco industry into the fray could well serve our purpose better. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, tobacco companies are rapidly buying E-Cig manufacturers or starting their own. So we may have a much bigger checkbook on our side. Oh, make no mistake, one way or the other, our vapping will cost us.

Once more I must remind you that our "good health" is of absolutely no concern. The FDA is the main obstacle to a massive decline in cigarette consumption in the United States. Analysts at Morgan Stanley research noted an approximate 4.5% decline in cigarette sales compared to that expected in 2013. A 4.5% decline in cigarette consumption is a substantial public health accomplishment. Question: Which of the following was given as the leading explanation for the public health advances of early 2013? [a.] A massive anti-smoking advertising campaign by the FDA which penetrated deeply into all major national media; [b.] A national effort to promote smoke-free workplaces in all states and cities that have not yet enacted such laws; [c.] A national effort to urge states to increase their cigarette taxes and allocate the revenue to anti-smoking programs; or [d.] The tremendous growth of electronic cigarettes. According to Morgan - D: The tremendous growth of electronic cigarettes. The greatest public health accomplishment of 2013 in terms of saving lives from smoking-related diseases has come not from any action of the FDA or national anti-smoking groups, but from the natural growth of a product which all of these groups want banned from the market. Question: Which of the following represents the greatest threat to saving lives from smoking-related disease by drastically reducing cigarette consumption? [a.] The failure of electronic cigarettes to continually improve their performance and distribution; [b.] The general lack of content of electronic cigarette customers with these products; [c.] Increasing evidence of the health hazards of electronic cigarettes; [d.] Increasing evidence that e-cigs have dismal effectiveness in smoking reduction; [e.] The efforts of the FDA and national anti-smoking groups to get e-cigs off the market or make it virtually impossible to market them effectively. E: the efforts of the FDA and national anti-smoking groups to get e-cigs off the market or make it virtually impossible to market them effectively. Ironic that the FDA is the main obstacle to the massive decline in cigarette consumption that is predicted to occur thanks to electronic cigarettes. The truth of the matter is that the jaundiced, politically motivated FDA is attempting to have E-Cigs listed as a tobacco product in order to effect heavy taxation, filling the coffers for political scavenging.

My cap is off to Lyrical in St. Louis (my old home town!) for getting into a regular exercise routine and to Kosch for hating to run but doing it! Yes, you can become "addicted" to exercise. Sooooo many chilly, damp mornings I look at the bike and think about putting it off, but tell myself that after a few miles I'll "climatize," so I stop whining and go. Sure enough, with my bike radio on, life comes together. Let's stay with it!

LUNG CAPACITY: I'm 79 years old and have been using the E-Cig for only 6 months. During my recent annual physical, the Spirometer test indicated that my lung capacity had almost doubled. Obviously, I'm quite pleased. For exercise, I bicycle every other day for about an hour, but last year's test showed no change so I must attribute my improvement to the E-Cig. HEART RATE: Vapping straight nicotine gives us that "hit" and I had concern about elevated levels when vapping. Using a digital heart monitor, I made numerous tests both before and during heavy hits, finding no significant difference, and on several occasions, a reduced heart rate which, I assume, was the calming effect of mild nicotine use. I use both 16mg and 18mg levels. For further improvement, the doctor recommended that I definitely continue biking inasmuch as the lung sacs that are now being purged require exercising to attain maximum capacity. For those of you who have experienced improved breathing using E-Cigs, I highly recommend regular exercise. I know, it's boring and hard to get into, but it's a lot like substituting E-Cigs for analogs -once into the benefits, you become a little obsessed with it. I'm older than most -if not all- of you and I do it. So can you.

"The FDA, like all federal agencies, ultimately uses its regulatory powers in political ways. Certain industries and companies are rewarded, others are punished. No regulatory agency is immune from politics, which is why the FDA should not be trusted with power over our intimate health care decisions." Where can you find Diethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol? You can find it in toothpaste, wine, dog food, mouthwash, cough syrup, fog-machines that pump the air full of the annoying stuff at concerts, and many of the pharmaceuticals that you ingest orally, get injected with, or apply to your skin cosmetically. DG and PG are actually considered "Safe for human consumption" in certain quantities by the FDA in several consumable products. To put it into perspective: You would have to consume around 12,000 E-cigarette cartridges loaded with DG and PG within 24-hours in order to get yourself anywhere near the toxic levels of DG/PG. Your average E-cigarette user will puff down 1.5 cartridges per day, heavier puffers will inhale as many as 3. The EMI (Environmental Medicine Inc.) did an independent study and their report concluded that the major components of electronic cigarettes including propylene glycol and glycerin posed no increased risk of adverse health effects usually associated with TBCs, namely Cancer, COPD and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, it was noted that nicotine per se is not carcinogenic, is currently approved by the FDA and is on the market for smoking cessation in various forms. In this regard, nicotine has shown no serious adverse effects on health as presently used. Comparisons delineating approximately 98 of the known hazardous tobacco smoke components revealed that none of these compounds were present in the aerosol generated from the specific electronic cigarettes analyzed. The additional data from genotoxicity studies support a conclusion that potential exposures to ethanol, methanol, and methylene chloride, if indeed they are present in the aerosol produced from electronic cigarette usage, is negligible and not likely to be carcinogenic in humans.

I had to chuckle at PoppaC's considering the E-Cig as a "hobby" and "fun." And here I thought it was just me! I rather relish getting out the paper clip, tweezers, napkins, juice bottles, and other tools of the trade, refilling and experimenting. It's almost as much fun as learning to fly my RC outdoor helicopter! Having just passed my 79th, the beauty of "advanced age" is that one can do just about anything bizarre and get away with it.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig11/fetters1.1.1.html I sincerely hope that all E-Cig users will take a minute to read this article. Uncle Sam's sidekick, the blemished, politically motivated FDA, is frantic in it's usual fabricating, egregious, money-grabbing effort to control us. The health benefits and dollar-saving value of our product is rapidly gaining popularity and, acknowledging the handwriting on the wall, tobacco companies are buying up E-Cig manufacturers. This equates to big dollars and, Uncle Sam, having abolutely no interest in our health will spare no effort or expense to garner those dollars. Furthermore, although not as of yet revealed, I reserve no doubt that cigarette manufacturers are proffering an open check book to the FDA to quash the E-Cigarette. I wish I could advise you to write your senator, congressman, etc., but better results would be to solicit intervention from your 3 year old daughter. Good luck and hang in there for a rough ride.

The absolute best, bottom line advice in the above replies is to use TOBACCO flavored E-Juice. For the life of me, I just cannot understand the flavored E-Juices -strawberry, banana, caramel, etc. Were your analogs strawberry, banana or caramel flavored? Decidedly not, so what's with the candy? What we're trying to achieve here is to safely replace that marvelous analog "hit" and my 16mg E-CIG does just that! In my 70 years of smoking, never once did I eat a Snicker's bar in place of a cigarette.

This is a follow-up to my earlier "DISCRETION" article suggesting that we E-Cig users exercise care in flaunting our habit to avoid Big Brother control. "" No more smoking on any Pima County property. This also means outdoors. It's not just the traditional cigarette that's banned, either. The ordinance applies to cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, water pipes, hookahs, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff and other products containing tobacco." Silicon Valley town of Belmont, California: Now makes it illegal to light up in an apartment or condo that shares a wall, ceiling, or floor with another unit. Violators face a $100 fine from the city, as well as eviction if smoking violates their lease agreement. Additionally, the new law makes citizens responsible for enforcing it by encouraging them to call authorities and report their neighbors if they light up in any home other than a free-standing house. Passing a law is one thing, validating it is another, with most laws only becoming truly viable after being court-tested, and the clause "products containing tobacco" may very well provide an escape route. It should, after all, the entire premise is based on health issues and the E-CIG certainly doesn't belong in that profile. However, once again, we should be very discreet while and where we're vaping. That "element" is watching us like a hawk.

E-Cig users will readily agree that the convenience of “vapping” whenever and wherever is a significant benefit. However, the wherever should bear some discipline on our part. Already, in some states, to deter the attraction to children, Big Brother has succeeded in banning their use around schools; next will be public parks, malls, other areas frequented by children. And rightfully so. Today's kids are extremely chancy experimenters, drawn to bizarre activities -choking asphyxiation, cinnamon challenge, boozing, aerosol inhalation, smoking or ingesting literally any pill, powder or fluid found in the home. We won’t change that, but perhaps, with restraint we can avoid becoming an attractive nuisance. In the same vein, some vappers find delight in challenging stores, restaurants, bars, buses, even airlines, by flaunting their E-Cigs, actually inviting confrontation by puffing away until called down, then delighting in putting the authoritarian in his/her place with a combative explanation that they are not smoking. Guaranteed, such an attitude will bring about wider controls. As we all know, there is an element among us that always seems to quetch without substantial reason. Despite the lack of odor or harmful “second smoke” emitted by the E-Cig, rest assured, there are those who will vehemently complain that the “smell” is bothersome, the vapor is pervasive, or the very display of our quasi-smoking is simply annoying. Merchants have every right to refuse service or remove anyone from their premises who, for any reason, creates a disturbance. Let's be discreet. Let's not banner our new found freedom. Let's keep that freedom free.

Beware the FDA. Like all governmental agencies, they have an agenda. Example: Every day 3000 young people become regular smokers, 6000 teens under 18 smoke their first cigarette, and more than 1000 adults die prematurely as a result of an adolescent decision. Clearly, a problem to be addressed. Let's recall the November 1998 multi-state tobacco settlement, — estimated at $246 billion over the first 25 years — that was to attack the enormous public health problems posed by tobacco use in the U.S. Well, how’s that working for us? As of November 30, 2011, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs to the lowest level since 1999, the very first year they received settlement funds. Fiscal Year 2012 will collect $25.6 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only 1.8 % of it - $456.7 million - less than two cents of every dollar in tobacco revenue to fight tobacco use. Where's the FDA? Where has all the money gone? Alien theft? Chewed up by the family pooch? Ask your revered congressman and good luck with an answer. Uncle Sam has absolutely no interest in your health or well being, only in your money, and E-Cig users will continually face his voracious taxation appetite.

Like twins, we tend to consider tobacco and nicotine as one-and-the-same. Let's separte them. Understanding Nicotine: Nicotine is a natural product of tobacco. When a cigarette is smoked, it releases many chemical messengers- neurotransmitters- such as acetylcholine, norepinephrine, vasopressin, histamine, arginne, serotonin, dopamine, autocrine agents, beta-endorphin and other tongue twisters that are responsible for most of nicotine's effects. Effects that are, in fact, positive. Nicotine appears to enhance concentration, memory, alertness and arousal, reduces pain and anxiety, extends the duration of positive effects, and increases sensitivity in brain reward systems. There is evidence that nicotine itself has the potential to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease, has been shown to delay the onset of Parkinson's disease, has a mild laxative effect reducing symptoms of ulcerative colitis, and reduces the chance of breast cancer among women carrying the very high risk BRCA gene. Nicotine is unique in comparison to most drugs as its profile changes from sedative to pain killer to stimulant in increasing dosages. Therefore, when using the E-Cig, the effect upon your system will depend on how much you "puff" but if you'll follow the advice given by other members, you'll have no problem. Nicotine does not induce weight gain. Contrary to popular belief, nicotine does not cause cancer and is not a known carcinogenic. In cigarettes, cancer is caused over a long period of time due to smoke inhalation and the burning of various carcinogenic chemicals. In fact, while tobacco and nicotine have been used for centuries, lung cancer was unknown until the invention of the machine rolled cigarettes in the late 19th century. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has not evaluated nicotine in its standalone form or assigned it to an official carcinogen group. And, technically, nicotine itself is not significantly addictive, as nicotine administered alone does not produce significant reinforcing properties. But beware the word "significantly;" a word often used in the political arena and therefore highly suspect. Of course we become addicted to E-Cigs if for no other reason than the pleasure derived from them. But, unarguably, and until the medical society proves otherwise, it's a far, far safer -and cheaper- addiction than cigarettes. Enjoy yourselves.

Just a follow-up to my earlier post. The more I use and become familiar with the E-Cig, the more I like it. Once again, the convenience of leaving the house with just an E-Cig in my pocket versus a pack of cigarettes and lighter is great, not to mention not having to dash outside for a quickie every half hour. Recently tried refilling my cartridges and found it to be very easy and will significantly reduce overall costs by a wider-than-expected margin. I'm experimenting with the number of times a cart can be refilled. Too early for an opinion but thus far I've refilled one three times without problem. My present "dilemma" is that I have over four cartons of regular cigarettes in the drawer! To avoid just giving them away, I've been smoking one every morning, however, because they're "lights," I just don't get the nice"hit" that I do from the E-Cig.

As a newbie, I become quickly mired in the continuum of accessories, tastes and flavors advocated by E-Cig users when all I'm searching for are simple, personal opinions, preferably from older, veteran smokers. Primarily, other than menthol, I can't grasp the captivation for strawberry, chocolate, banana, and myriad other flavors. Are we talking cigarette smokers opting for a healthier choice or, are we competing with Baskin & Robbins? I drink Scotch but not with chocolate syrup. I've been smoking longer than most of you have been alive, perfectly satisfied with the flavor of tobacco. Anatomy of a Veteran Smoker: In about a month, I hope to celebrate my 79th birthday. Among my memorabilia, I have an engraved Ronson cigarette lighter given to me by my parents as a graduation gift. That is, my 8th grade graduation. Yes, an avowed smoker for some 70 years. Physical Condition: Small frame, 5'8”, 145 pounds. Suffered pneumonia at age 14, once again at age 36, but have not had a cold or influenza in over 40 years. Other than a topical cream for mild plaque psoriasis, I use absolutely no drugs/meds, and my doc claims he knows of no other senior my age who is med-free. Annual physicals have been consistently excellent. I'm food-apathetic, caring less about what it is, how it's prepared, and consider eating a waste of time. My love is chocolate -in any form and lots of it. Until two years ago, I abhorred and avoided anything remotely resembling exercise. Then, for some odd reason, I bought a WalMart $89.00 bicycle and have religiously ridden it for 5-8 miles every other day. In a nutshell, I've been blessed with remarkable health. Profile: Never been a heavy smoker, averaging some 25 cigarettes a day. I'm a neat smoker, not smoking in homes or cars. Other than a few vague attempts at quitting, cigarettes have been a welcome and integral part of my life, by far, my very best friends, standing by and with me through any and all of life's ups and downs. Five years ago, in a dedicated effort to stop, the wife and I sought the services of a hypnotist. After the session, the wife hasn't touched a cigarette since, sensitive to even the smell. Me? I couldn't wait to get outside and light up. Quitting is simple if one wants to quit; knowing that one should doesn't cut it -she wanted to quit; I didn't. There was, however, an uptick to her cessation. I decided to cut down, and have held my fags to about 10 a day for this five years. No, it wasn't an economy move, my cigarettes are imported at $2.00 per pack, but my last physical indicated emerging signs of COPD. No surprise. After all, despite light smoking and drastically cutting back, so many long years have pushed the old lungs to the limit, and no amount of cutting back -even quitting entirely- can reverse the damage. But, just maybe, I can hold the beast at bay a little longer with E-Cigs. Before jumping in, I tediously researched the effects of tobacco, nicotine and it's effective agents -Nitrosamines, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, vasopressin, histamine, serotonin, dopamine, autocrine, beta-endorphin, and all the other ill-sounding particles. Rewarding information. Personal conclusion: E-Cigs are a viable and much healthier substitute for cigarettes. I began my adventure on 9/21/12, using 24 mg disposable cartridges, now trying 16mg cartridges, and smoking but 1-2 cigarettes a day which I hope to soon eliminate. Surprisingly, it hasn't been anywhere near as stressful as I anticipated. For those having real difficulty, pay heed to previous comments: Hang in there, it gets better each day. A word of caution: For those who fear upcoming FDA reports, take their “expert” opinions with a grain of salt. The FDA is a puppet, at best a joke, fraught with fallacies and untruths spurned by government control. Want proof? Every day, 3000 young people become regular smokers, 6000 teens under 18 smoke their first cigarette, and more than 1000 adults die prematurely as a result of an adolescent decision. Clearly, a problem to be addressed. Remember the November 1998 multi-state tobacco settlement, estimated at $246 billion over the first 25 years, that was to attack the enormous public health problems posed by tobacco use in the U.S.? And how's that working for us? Well, as of November 30, 2011, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs to the lowest level since 1999, the very first year they received settlement funds. Fiscal Year 2012 will collect $25.6 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only 1.8 % of it ($456.7 million), less than two cents of every dollar in tobacco revenue to fight tobacco use. No complaints from the FDA! Uncle Sam has absolutely no interest in your health or well being, only in your money. So, E-Cig fans can look forward to being taxed and regulated to death but don't give up the ship. Fight it.