Up date and complain ;)

[Dinis]

Hello everyone, Today i complete four months and 6 days without smoking. without smokinga at all, i mean. Nothing, zero smoke. period.

I say this because sometimes when I come here i see posts that - excuse my sincerity-, do not help me at all. For example I do not see where is the incentive to those who are trying to stop, read that there are people who claim to be non-smokers when they actually use the e Cigarette during the past 18 months! I'm sure we can all do better. Of course I admit that the e cigar can be a good help but for how long? People are willing to use it until when? I admit I quit smoking without aid is not for everyone but i also fear that the widespread overuse of e Cigarette is counterproductive to those who come here seeking help. Okay. Had this to say. Be well and N.O.P.E!

[yellowsnowdrop]

Firstly, well done on the amazing cold turkey quit.4 months is a fabulous effort. I think maybe what you need to understand is that a 'cold turkey' quit is not actually something everyone can do (I know that I couldn't) mainly because it's extremely hard and a LOT of people need some other form of nicotine just to get them over those early weeks and months.

Research has shown E Cigs to be about as harmful to health as a cup of strong coffee,in other words the risk to health from an ECig is negligible. Does it truly matter how long someone uses an ECig? Have to say in my opinion it doesn't because if it stops someone from smoking the real thing then that's a victory

The incentive for those trying to stop is in reading posts from the fantastic folk on here who have successfully given up cigarettes using Ecigs and are therefore qualified to offer help and advice rather than just saying 'I gave up cold turkey, no reason why you can't as well' which is how I read your post (excuse my sincerity here) Those using Ecigs,which is how I quit, are technically NON SMOKERS,in that they no longer use cigarettes.I no longer use my Ecig and haven't for around 9 months but that was my choice and it was the scariest thing I've EVER done.When and how people stop smoking or indeed using Ecigs is up to them and not anyone else, nor,IMHO,is it up to anyone else to dictate how people should quit based solely on how they themselves did it.

Again,HUGE congrats on an awesome quit.

H

[Hidden in reply to yellowsnowdrop]

Here here Helen, I didn't actually use an ecig but know how they have helped so many people. At the end of the day I would say it doesn't matter how you do it just do it xx

[Betts in reply to yellowsnowdrop]

Thanks Helen, and well said. Debate is good, and there are lots of question marks around everything, so no end to it. I am so glad not to be smoking cigarettes, and its been hard, still is. Dinis is obviously very proud of the achievement, and should be. Good for Dinis!

[jillygirl Administrator Queen Bee]

Well done Dinis, 4 months is brilliant. I dont know if you noticed but Pete has put a poll on about different Nicotine replacement therapies, It will be interesting to see which one turns out to be the most popular. Keep up the good work. So far the E cig is the most popular.

[monky Administrator Cake eater]

Hi Dinis and a massive well done to you for reaching 4 months quit and cold turkey too I truly take my hat off to you pal

As for people like myself using e-cigs and other forms of NRT to help us to quit smoking, I cant see the harm in that, because I know a lot of people are like me and just dont have the will power like you and some others have to quit cold turkey

I thank you very much for putting your point of view forward and I'm sure a lot of members would agree with you, but some of us need more help than others to quit and no matter how we do it, we have to quit the fags !! because they are lethal !! and that is the main point of having a forum like this one, to help people to quit which ever way they can

PS, so sorry about your badge, but we have been having a bit of trouble with badges on here just lately or perhaps my 1 brain cell had gone a bit wonkey

Your doing a great job Dinis, you keep it up now

[glolin LONG TERM WINNER]

Well done Dinis on your 4 month quit. I totally agree with Helen. I too have quit cold turkey, but I feel that we have all given up the cigarettes and all the chemicals that go with them.

There is no right or wrong way, just whatever way works for each individual. All of us who have quit smoking are winners and I know that I feel very proud to be one of them.

[Dinis 3 YEAR WINNER]

Thank you for your answers and the little debate.

Let's see if google translator helps me clarify what I think. I have nothing against E.Cigs or other forms of aid to smoking cessation. Be clear. Incidentally, it said in the post. The issue that concerns me is to know that there are those who pass using e.cig for years and years substituting one thing for another, and definitely not ending with any of them.

Then I also have to say I'm not so optimistic about the E.Cig. There seems to me, at all, that is as innocuous as one cup of Cafee. In fact, the scientific community is still very reluctant in relation to e.Cig.

In short: E.Cig, yes sir, sure but not for life!

Hugs

[Briarwood Administrator Ducky in reply to Dinis]

Hello Dinis, first I would like to congratulate you on your 4 month quit, that's wonderful and well done to you

Secondly I would mention that this is not just a cold turkey site but a quit support for everyone, no matter what their preferred method of quitting is

We are compassionate to all and we do not judge, that is the aim of this site

Everyone is different and no 2 quits are alike as no 2 people are alike

The main point is that we are all striving to quit the best way we can and support one another on this difficult journey

[jillygirl Administrator Queen Bee]

Thought this might interest some of you.

E Cig Health Risks | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Facts

Electronic cigarettes are proving popular for smokers and ex-smokers too. Some people turn to electronic cigarettes when looking for a suitable alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Others smoke them simply when they are in an area where smoking is not allowed - like a bar or restaurant. Regardless of the way a smoker uses an e cigarette, the question often arises about whether e cigs are safe or simply another dangerous smoking device similar to tobacco cigarettes.

What you need to know about e cigs

Not sure if e cigs are safe? Most people aren't 100%. There have been no notable scientific studies that have observed the effects electronic cigarettes have on human health over the longer term. Of course, this is purely because e cigs are a relatively new device. It takes a long time of consistent public use before any direct conclusions can be made regarding the safety of medical products, tobacco products, food products, and drink products - e cigs are no exception.However, most authorities have concluded that electronic cigarettes do not pose a significant threat to human health. Any carcinogens present in some e-liquid cartridges are only found in the tiniest of traces - considered to be far too small to cause any damage to human health. Some people are worried that electronic cigarettes can be used as a gateway to tobacco cigarette consumption, especially for minors. This is why many governments have chosen to ban the selling of e cigs to people under the age of 18 - just to stay on the safe side. All of this speculation leads the interested observer to conclude that there is little currently known about the potential e cig health risks.Healthy couple enjoying e cigs in bed

What smokers think

When considering electronic cigarettes in comparison to tobacco cigarettes, it is obvious that e cigs can only be a far safer alternative. Most smokers agree that any potential damaging health effects caused by e cigs pale in comparison to those that the average smoker risks on a daily basis. Electronic cigarettes have far fewer chemicals than tobacco smokes, which can have over 4000. Some of the chemicals contained within tobacco cigarettes are highly toxic and dangerous to human health - and many of them are not even by-products of tobacco burning, but are instead chemical additives mixed in by manufacturers looking to hook users on their cigarette brands.

Conclusion

Whether e cig health risks are real or not is an ongoing argument still open to discussion. As of now, only very little scientific evidence is available to verify the conclusions on either side of the coin. What this means for you, as a potential e-smoker, is that the decision to smoke or not to smoke electronic cigarettes is largely your responsibility. As of now, there are no laws banning the use of electronic cigarettes in the UK, and they can be purchased by anyone over the age of 18 - even in popular bars and pubs. E cigs will likely continue to remain legal, and they will probably only be banned if credited scientific evidence arises which validates the possibility that they could be dangerous to your health. As of now, smokers will continue to see them as an effective and safe alternative to the smoking of tobacco cigarettes.

[TerryOR 3 YEAR WINNER]

Well, last time I tried to stop cold turkey I had a month of severe headaches. I find with the e-cigarette I just get a mild headache now and then, and I started with 18 nicotine

And lowered it to 15, ( you lower it until it is just fruit flavor).

My sister in law stopped because she smoked like crazy and had a collapsed lung, but she was too late, died of cancer shortly after. My dad and my sister both tried to stop and couldn't, neither of them are with me anymore. My sister died young, she smoked like a chimney. There are millions who have stopped and are very proud of it, there are millions of others who tried and couldn't, and they are no longer with us. I say, whatever works for you, just keep trying. If the patch helps, gum,e-cigarette, or hitting yourself on the head with a mallet, just keep trying.

[astrids 20 Months Winner]

I find this discussion important and necessary ...

Here is my take: first I think that no ex-smoker should impose her way of quitting onto anybody else, the best we can do is to learn from each other, respecting our differences and perhaps finding examples that may apply ...

I started smoking when I was 13 and an endless number of quit attempts with nicotine replacement products failed; I could not get off them. Now, 35 years later I went cold turkey for the first time. I realized that I wasn't just a smoker but a nicotine addict and will always be a nicotine addict. My addiction cannot be cured with more nicotine. In my case, gums, patches, and e-cigs mean a permanent feeling of withdrawal, in other words a real cruel joke. I know that a single puff from an e-cigarette will spoil the quit for me.

But everybody is different and even nicotine addiction works differently for different people. I think the age you started smoking matters a lot. E.g. I cannot fathom that there are social smoker, but they do exist and I can only be jealous. I know that for me one puff means that I'll be back to a pack a day in no time.

Just one more point, if you have not figured out yet how your addiction works, keep in mind that nobody makes money from you going cold turkey (well, maybe a therapist in some cases), but a hell lot of people do make money from nicotine replacement products; with all that pressure and advertisement, rejecting them does take some additional strength. That is not to,say that they evidently really work for some people. I just know that e-cigs aren't an option for me, just as I cannot be a social smoker, but I'd definitely go for it if I could.

[monky Administrator Cake eater in reply to astrids]

Hi Astrids, its lovely to see you and thank you for your comment

I myself, like you, started smoking at the age of 13 because I new no better and it was the in thing to do at the time !! God, if only I new what I know now

Yes Astrids, there are social smokers, as there are social drinkers they only smoke or drink when they are socialising !! Dont ask me how that works, it must be something to do with habit and not addiction

Like you say, we are all different in body and mind and its a lot harder for some of us to quit than others but my logic is, no matter how you quit the cigs, its got to be more healthier for you cos were not getting all those poisons in our bodies which come with cigs and they are about 4,000 of them !! Smoking cigs can be a killer !!

As you say, the people who are manufacturing the NRT products are making money out of us, but !! how many Years have they been researching these products and how much has that cost !! I think we have to give and take sometimes Astrids

A massive well done to you for going cold turkey cos I know, I could never do that I admire you Astrids and I bow down to you

Please stay strong and focused on your quit and thank you again for your comment

Please feel free to reply to me

See you soon Astrids

[astrids 20 Months Winner]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for your input.

I am here because i am not doing well, looking for support, advice and any tips and tricks that have helped others. Quitting smoking is insanely difficult after decades of training your body to live with/on nicotine and organizing your entire life around it.

And this holds for whatever method you use. for some of us cold turkey is actually easier than gradual reduction with nicotine replacement. It would be great if that could also be acknowledged here. No, cold turkey quitters are not superheroes. Some of us have actually tried everything else before.

Pete, I believe you could actually do it too, if you would give it a try. It is not harder than with NRT. The torture is over a lot quicker. Do you seriously believe the pharma industry would have bothered developing these products if they would work like miracles and everybody using them would successfully quit? No, I do not think that anybody here owes anything to companies who make profit of our addictions. The longer we take those products the better for them, I used gums for a decade in addition to cigarettes, for example, whenever I boarded a plane.

I am thrilled to see that they actually work for some people here. And I have tremendous respect for all of you who got of them. I am convinced though that you are the superheroes, since for me what you are doing is a lot harder than quitting cold turkey.

But everybody is different. I'd appreciate though if those of you who are still using nicotine would not look at cold turkey quitters as insane, that's exactly what these companies want you to do.