I was getting restless waiting for the train and without thinking pulled my electric cigarette out of my pocket and had taken a couple of long puffs at it before noticing the evil looks that I was getting from my fellow travellers. I held my e cig up for them to see while guiltily saying “It’s an electronic cigarette, safe and legal to smoke in public places.”
The evil looks quickly turned to interest and I heard comments like ‘I’ve heard of them’, ‘they are supposed to be good’ and was asked by an elderly lady who looked as if she thought it was a wind up ‘What are they?”
I showed them my e cig as I replied ”This is a battery, atomiser and a nicotine cartridge. Although the cartridges contain nicotine they do not contain the 4,000 plus harmful chemicals that cigarettes contain. The smoke that you see is just harmless vapour not second hand tobacco smoke”.
An elderly couple were the most interested, they asked me if electronic cigarettes really were safe to smoke. My reply was “As far as I’m aware they are and without the tar and chemicals they have got to be much safer than the effects of smoking normal cigarettes”.
“Aren’t they just as addictive?” a young man asked.
“Yes” I replied, “but I am using them the same way that I would use nicotine patches to wean myself off tobacco”.
I went on to explain that you can get nicotine cartridges in different strengths just like nicotine patches and that this way of quitting smoking was working for me. I told them that after several weeks of no cigarettes I felt fitter and healthier and that I was using the electronic cigarette less and less because I had mainly lost the habit while I was dealing with the addiction.
“Where can you buy them from?” Several of those around me wanted to know and when I told them the Internet lost some interest, but then I could hear them working a way round it with comments like “We can go on the computer at the library”, “…mobile goes on the Internet”.
The amount of interest was amazing and especially from the older end. I’ve seen that before when I’ve been out and about with my e-cigarette. What I think is that after smoking for many years they are getting more and more symptoms of just why tobacco cigarettes are bad for them and that’s frightening. Like me they have probably tried to stop smoking and failed many times and the possibility of a new way that might help them is bound to be of interest to them.
However, no matter how much interest there is a sticking point. As always I was asked how much e-cigs are while I was waiting for the train.
Prices vary, but I paid £50 for my starter pack and 25 extra cartridges – enough to last me for at least 6 weeks. After that there is only the much lower cost of cartridges or refill fluid. I’m personally saving over £20 every week.
As I saw my train approaching and fellow travellers interest waining I asked myself “What price health?”.
Are you struggling to stop smoking? I was but not any more. Just click on giving up smoking to follow my progress, or visit the stop smoking forum. Grab yourself a free copy of How To Stop Smoking Forever
|
I agree that the electronic cigarette is the way of the future for people who want to quit smoking but also for people who really could care less about smoking. With all the health benefits using the electronic cigarette and all the downsides to smoking tobacco cigarettes it baffles me why the FDA is having a hard time approving them. I have been using the electronic cigarette for 2 months now and have not touched a tobacco cigarette since. Funny thing it I didn’t even want to quit smoking. Great article keep them coming.
Maybe the FDA is worried about the loss in taxes from cigarette smokers and tobacco companies, or perhaps pressure from anti smoking lobbyists.
I’ve been using e cigarettes for almost 2 months and never want to touch a tobacco cigarette again. I didn’t want to stop smoking either but my health was starting to suffer from smoking and I had to do something about it before it was too late. There has been a visible improvement in my health and I feel better and fitter than I have done for years. Today I was up and about for 8 hours before I took a few drags to keep my tobacco smoking workmate company. So my nicotine addiction has lessened greatly too.