I'm quitting smoking to improve my running time as I wish to join the Army. I'm on day 2 at the moment and I'm using patches but when the craving gets strong I vape using an electronic cigarette. Do you think my lung capacity will still improve whilst using the electronic cigs? It's the smoke and carbon monoxide that damage breathing isn't it? And that's not in electronic ones... Any thoughts?
Thanks!
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I'm quitting smoking to improve my running time as I wish to join the Army. I'm on day 2 at the moment and I'm using patches but when the craving gets strong I vape using an electronic cigarette. Do you think my lung capacity will still improve whilst using the electronic cigs? It's the smoke and carbon monoxide that damage breathing isn't it? And that's not in electronic ones... Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Morning and welcome to the forum!! I am using e cigs too to help me quit. As far as I understand, they haven't proved any lasting damage with e cigs yet, although they are still relatively new. The research I read is that your lung function might be reduced slightly for 20 minutes after a vape but then returned to normal after that. I also think a lot depends on which one you use - a more reputable one would probably be advisable until they are all licensed.
Anyhow, best of luck with your quit - this forum is great!
The e-cig is better for you than smoking but don't think they're harmless - nicotine is a pesticide so inhaling that can't be good for you and nobody really knows what's in the vapour!!
Using it sparingly shouldn't hurt, but don't think they're safe for long term use
The oxygen flowing round your body will be better so it should improve your stamina/recovery rate. You won't be taking in tar so I should imagine help lung capacity but you would still be maintaining a dependency on nicotine.
E-cigs are just a different nicotine delivery system to maintain your drug dependency and tend to be more of a lifestyle choice than a quit IMO.
If you wish to join the Army you must be prepared to be stationed or serving wherever in the world then need takes you. E-cigs are not legal everywhere in the world and they may not be easily available elsewhere so surely it would be better to get rid of the dependency all together or you face the possibility of being stationed somewhere they either cant be used or aren't easy to buy then you either have to stop nicotine then or (more likely) switch back onto tobacco.
Nicotine doesn't really do much for you, its a stimulant. When you start using it (and sometimes when you've not smoked for a bit) you get a head spin but once you are dependent the want for nicotine creates stresses on your body which using then relieves. It is the relief of the stress it has caused which makes you feel as though smoking relaxes you and you eventually associate smoking with situations which causes a conditioned response to light up in those situations which is where the habit side develops.
So quitting nicotine really just a case of understanding how the addiction works and dispelling the myths that your mind has built up over the years. Trading the truth for the lies if you like.
Have a read of the links in my signature there is loads of useful info and a couple of free quit smoking programmes.
Thanks Nic. You really made up my mind - if you have to ask, you already know the answer, right? Better than, fags but nothing's better than air! Thank you! Just reading the words dependencies and addictions etc makes my skin crawl at the weakness of myself... I want to be in the army about a million times more than I want to feed my addiction! Just have to use that as my mantra. Thanks
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