Swapping one addiction for another...

[cyclicscooby]

I had that exact quote from an auntie-inlaw..
As far as I'm concerned it made me quit fags within a day.. end of.. And I no longer have to worry about being caught with weed, as it made me quit that too, within a week, after 20yrs a daily toker... Gotta be better hasn't it.. !?!

I AM still a addicted to nicotine, as I have (to have) a puff as soon as I sit up in bed in the morning.. Just a few, THEN get dressed..

It's FAR more sociable and interesting than smoking.. Would we all be here now talking about B&H with such vigour, I doubt it..
Fags are a nasty means to an end, vaping is ACTUALLY nice..

As it stands at the mo, before theres any proof that vaping is very harmful, my thinking is I'd carry on with zero nic cuz I enjoy it, but maybe one day I might quit completely and consider that a stupid comment..

Whatever, I'm not coughing up nasty stuff in the morning, and feel healthier..

Screw the silly woman... She did ask, but came away none the wiser, whereas you ARE wiser, cuz you quit fags...


Luv Chrisie xx

 

[hariboholmes]

Its the same as a Heroin addict deciding to quit and using methadone or Subutex (sometimes for many years) to get his/her life back in order without suffering the crushing withdrawels that come with long term opiate use. Is he still a junkie?

Imo an addiction is only a problem if it is causing problems Heroin (Diamorphine) in its purest form is not particularly dangerous in the correct dosage and administered in a safe sterile enviroment,Just like nicotine.

Vaping to me is a safer way to keep me from engaging in a dangerous pastime in order to acquire my nicotine fix it is harm reduction in its purest form.

Am I still addicted? yes, am I still a smoker...certainly not!

 

[yappycat]

After reading the replies here and bouncing the ideas about in my head I think I've sussed why I got my knickers in such a twist yesterday lol. The part of me that gets annoyed at the phrase is that so many people use it against vapers and it doesn't really sting because its an intellectual judgement - after all we all know that vaping is waaay safer than smoking and we have scientific evidence we can use against the 'haven't given up anything' part of the statement. The sting comes from the second part, 'swapped one addiction for another' - thats a moral judgement. The word addiction has such negative connotations in our society. If they said 'you just swapped one hobby for another' I wouldn't be offended...but who the hell refers to smoking as a 'hobby'?

 

[deleteuser47111]

You haven't swapped one addiction for another, you are still addicted to Nicotine. All that differs is the method of delivery.

 

[city461]

I wouldnt say swapped addictions.. You are still addicted to nicotine your just feeding the addiction in a different way...
However the addiction to collecting as much shiny gear as possible is a whole new can of worms..

 

[rawhead]

Haven't given anything up ?

Here's a short list of some of the things you've given up :

• Acetone – found in nail polish remover

• Acetic Acid – an ingredient in hair dye

• Ammonia – a common household cleaner

• Arsenic – used in rat poison

• Benzene – found in rubber cement

• Butane – used in lighter fluid

• Cadmium – active component in battery acid

• Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes

• Formaldehyde – embalming fluid

• Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid

• Lead – used in batteries

• Naphthalene – an ingredient in mothballs

• Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel

• Tar – material for paving roads

• Toluene - used to manufacture paint

 

[JesusFoggingChrist]

I thought the tabacco companies added chemicals into their fags to keep you addicted?
That being said, iv been off the fags for 2 years now, puffing away on my ecig, but i do it out of enjoyment, not out of addiction to nicotine. I mean...iv never craved my ecig, i can and have gone all day without it plenty of times.
Nicotine is as bad a caffeine, another 'drug' that im not addicted to ,1 cup to wake me up IF im tired and thats it. I can honestly say the only thing i am addicted is sugar, but guess what, get a sugar craving and i puff on my sweet eliquid...curbing from the food...weight loss. Funny ey.
That being said...i only get a sugar craving when im bored and not doing anything. Same when i smoked,
Only had one when i was not doing anything, nothing to take mind of it. So is addiction a physical thing or a mental thing? If its a physical thing would that not be being dependant? My grandfolk, lifelong smokers, both COPD, but them stopping smoking now would probably kill them faster because their bodies are dependant on it now.

 

[scrumpox]

After reading the replies here and bouncing the ideas about in my head I think I've sussed why I got my knickers in such a twist yesterday lol. The part of me that gets annoyed at the phrase is that so many people use it against vapers and it doesn't really sting because its an intellectual judgement - after all we all know that vaping is waaay safer than smoking and we have scientific evidence we can use against the 'haven't given up anything' part of the statement. The sting comes from the second part, 'swapped one addiction for another' - thats a moral judgement. The word addiction has such negative connotations in our society. If they said 'you just swapped one hobby for another' I wouldn't be offended...but who the hell refers to smoking as a 'hobby'?

At first I thought you didn't really understand harm reduction, but now I see that your problem is with the concept of being an addict.
There is a negative connotation to the label, some people may choose to use it in a derogatory sense. It's really up to you to own it and deal with it.

Being an addict to anything ... drugs, gambling, exercise, collecting teapots, masturbating, whatever ... is only a problem if it negatively impacts you or those around you. Caffeine and nicotine addiction are not particularly problemmatic in themselves, indeed they might have social benefits. However, nicotine addiction through smoking tobacco is injurious to health, both to yourself and others, so switching the delivery mechanism to vaping is a harm reduction strategy that allows you to continue your addiction in a far safer way. It's a bloody good, positive step to take.

Unfortunately, due to the propaganda from the tobacco control lobbyists, nicotine addiction is viewed as a problem because it's bundled together, almost inextricably, with smoking. Tobacco control want all forms of nicotine use to be eradicated. That's tempered only by the vast millions which Big Pharma sloshes around to exclude their NRT products. So pure nicotine in a patch or gum = good, pure nicotine in a vape = bad.

Describing the switch from smoking to vaping as merely replacing one addiction with another is not only a very negative perception of a positive and perfectly reasonable choice, it's actually incorrect. It's the same addiction to nicotine. But what you've quit are all the harmful and unwanted chemicals and emissions. You will probably also save yourself a good amount of disposable income which can be used much more beneficially. What you've given up are most if not all the negative impacts of a nicotine addiciton ... for yourself and those around you.

Being an addict to anything is nothing to rejoice about, but quitting smoking certainly is. Remaining a nicotine addict is only a problem if it negatively impacts you or those around you.

 

[yappycat]

...
Unfortunately, due to the propaganda from the tobacco control lobbyists, nicotine addiction is viewed as a problem because it's bundled together, almost inextricably, with smoking. Tobacco control want all forms of nicotine use to be eradicated. That's tempered only by the vast millions which Big Pharma sloshes around to exclude their NRT products. So pure nicotine in a patch or gum = good, pure nicotine in a vape = bad.

Describing the switch from smoking to vaping as merely replacing one addiction with another is not only a very negative perception of a positive and perfectly reasonable choice, it's actually incorrect. It's the same addiction to nicotine. But what you've quit are all the harmful and unwanted chemicals and emissions. You will probably also save yourself a good amount of disposable income which can be used much more beneficially. What you've given up are all the negative impacts of smoking tobacco ... for yourself and those around you.

Being an addict to anything is nothing to rejoice about, but quitting smoking certainly is. Remaining a nicotine addict is only a problem if it negatively impacts you or those around you.

This kinda nails it really, the statement is contradictory and ambiguous. When you view it from an intellectual standpoint it's completely illogical, but when viewed from a moral perspective it 'feels' like it could be right - because of the way we are urged to view the concept of addiction in a negative light. Of course I've heard people trotting out that 'not quitting just swapping' line a dozen times, but yesterday after actually having quite a positive convo about vaping with someone then hearing them say it got me actually 'thinking' about what it actually meant, to the person saying it and to me...and why it riled me so much when I know it is esentially just a crappy cliche.
I know I've done myself a BIG favour by 'swapping' cigarettes for a mod. I know that I have given an addiction up - the addiction to smoking, perhaps NOT the addiction to nic but at least now I'm in a position where I have more control over how much nic I am consuming. Furthermore, so what? - personally I don't think nic is harmful unless consumed in excess. I KNOW that I'm justified in being proud of myself for quitting cigs, and I'd still recommend vaping to any smoker in a heartbeat.

This is more of an intellectual exercise for me than a case of self doubt just in case anyone has got the wrong idea

 

[vandykevapes]

smoking = early death
vaping = more time to enjoy buying shiny things