Can e-Cigarettes Help You Quit Smoking?

This certainly isn't the answer, unless you think a "nifty anodized colorful case" and a bunch of chemicals as bad as those found in actual cigarettes is the solution. I've tried just about everything available to quit, and this is something I'll simply ignore as a dangerous gimmick promoted to help the gullible open their wallets and continue hurting themselves.

From a July 2009 FDA press release:

FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze. Electronic cigarettes, also called "e-cigarettes," are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user. These products are marketed and sold to young people and are readily available online and in shopping malls. They are also available in different flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which may appeal to young people.

The FDA's Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of electronic cigarettes. In one sample, the FDA's analyses detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans, and in several other samples, the FDA analyses detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines. These products do not contain any health warnings comparable to FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes. Because these products have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval, at this time the agency has no way of knowing, except for the limited testing it has performed, the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user.

But wait, the antifreeze filled cancer causing e-cigarettes are normally 3 easy payments of $39.99 plus processing and handling. But if you call in the next 20 minutes, we can't make this offer all day, we will send you a second e-cigarette free. Just pay the normal $19.99 processing and handling for each. That makes it OK. Dying from cancer would normally be bad, but since we can do it twice as fast for free (except the additional P&H fee) then it is now good.

Don't forget the added benefit or looking cool while doing it... But seriously Sue, thank you, those are serious concerns and I hope people take note, however the video is not a product promotion, more of a product introduction as we try to show people what we consider interesting products in the tech industry. When I first saw these at the trade show, I was amazed at the list of chemicals on the packet as I thought some of them might be toxic. Glad you found the proof. FirstZoom Reporter

Hi FZ,

Hope my tone wasn't too strident, and thanks for your clarification of the FZ blog. A friend has this product, or one like it, and it seems to work for her. To me it's just replacing one deadly habit with another. But I give her props for trying to quit; the rest of us are just waiting for that magic pill to take the urge and withdrawal nastiness away.

As I've said before, I've tried just about all avenues to stop but guess I don't have a strong enough desire to stop.

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?

None. The light bulb has to want to change. ......

" The light bulb has to want to change."

That's it! Until your mind is right with not smoking, you're doomed.

A good case of asthma helped me quit. Still find myself craving one after three months, though.

You are still going to crave them for years to come. But it is much easier to shrug off as time goes by.

While e-cigarettes are not as healthy as not smoking at all, they look to me to be alot healthier than smoking cigarettes. Cigarettes themselves already contain a greater level of Diethylene glycol than e-cigarettes do. Cigarettes also contain Acetone, Cadmium, Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, arsenic, DDT, Ethanol, Butane, Methane, Polonium and even more carcinogic materials. Because the e-cigarrettes do not combust their material they do not create a harmful second-hand smoke effect.

In my opnnion they are clearly the lesser of 2 evils and if they could be used as a quitting smoking product instead of a replacement they might not be that bad after all.

http://www.healthnz.co.nz/RuyanCartridgeReport30-Oct-08.pdfe-cigarettes

http://www.ecigarettesnational.com/pages/E-Cigarette-Fact-vs-Fiction.html

Ah, but both of the sites you mention advocate e-butts for different reasons.

The first promotes e-cigarettes because the Website founder "is New Zealand's most experienced researcher on smoking policy and cigarettes" and also managed research for Ruyan in China on their new e-cigarette nicotine inhaler. There may be a vested interest there, but it seems the true focus is in attaining a smoke-free Kiwi state.

The second Website is an e-cigarette retailer. I would trust FDA stats before trusting this site.

I agree that e-sticks are likely the lesser of two evils. I'll just stick with the low-tech poison for now.

I smoked for 21yrs. Gave up about 6 yrs ago. I can say that nothing makes you quit except yourself. If your mind is not into it you won't quit. I have also made a point not to even touch a cigarette or bud since giving up. No drag, pull, anything. Left it alone completely. First 2 months was hard but then it just got better. Now I cannot stand the smell of smoke or how smoking people stink. And yes, if you smoke, you stink of cigarette smoke. Your clothes, your car, your house, everything. You just don't realise it. If I could quit anybody can. I am not special in any way or better. I just wanted to stop after I woke up one night weezing and could not breathe. Within a week the weezing went and I have not had breathing problems since. Everybody is always trying to save everybody else but themselfs. If you stop you are saving your own life.

Conrads,

I can endorse what you say. I gave up smoking (will power + patches) last year after nearly 50 years of 20 a day and succumbed to "just trying it out again" after 6 weeks. I soon went back to 10 a day and then - with a work colleague - tried one of these "e-cigarettes". It didn't work! There was nowhere near the same "hit" of nicotine and the outcome is that we both continue to smoke. Horrible habit! Should never have started! Will try to quit again soon (when brain prepared for it - it HAS to be willpower!

You must really do it. But this time don't say you are going to try. Say you are stopping smoking, period. Make a point of it not to even touch it ever again. It is not so hard for the right reasons. One thing I have learnt was not to avoid the places where people smoke or people that smoke. When people offer, just say, no thank you. You have to quit in your normal routine.

Ya sure ya betcha, just like e-sex inhibits real sex.

My wife bought a set of BluCigs for the sake of just saving money. They end up costing the equivalent of $1.50 a pack. She ended up quiting before going through the initial flavor packs. I think part of the reason was a bit of a flaw in the design. She could only take a few puffs before she needed to take it apart and clean it to make it work again. She started being ok with just taking a puff or two because she didn't want to screw around with it. after smoking for 15years she's been smoke free for over 6months. We gave the BluCigs to a friend but they weren't feeling satisfied with smoking them and went back to regular cigs.

One wonders what the market research on this was to develop it in the first place.