Cigarettes vs Electronic Cigarettes: What’s the Difference
I am not a fan of smoking cigarettes…in fact I try to stay as far away from smokers as possible when I go out alone and most definitely when I go out with the kids. Almost everyone on my side of the family smoked at some point or another: my mom, my grandmother, my grandfather (who died of cancer), my aunt. Because I say the struggles that they had trying to quit time and time again, I myself never started…I have smoked .75 cigarettes in my life and it was nasty. Actually, my aunt still smokes although she has moved from cigarettes to cigarillos, which are basically mini-cigars, and I wouldn’t claim that they are any less unhealthy for her than the nasty tar and other chemical infested cigarettes.
When I asked JB (that’s what I call my aunt) why she still smokes, her response was that she is addicted to the nicotine and that she has an oral thing where it’s habit to basically have something in her mouth; apparently some people chew gum and some people smoke…I don’t get it but there you go. But, something came to my attention recently that I think might be a good product to act as a stopgap between smoking actual cigarettes and not smoking at all…what is it? An electronic cigarette. When I first heard of this I thought it was a virtual thing…like you have an avatar smoking for you online..but no that’s not what it is. An e cig is an actual device that allows a person to “smoke” without actually smoking. Basically the smoker gets to get the nicotine that they crave and have an addiction to, without inhaling all of the other crap and chemicals in real cigarettes. A side bonus is the fact that the “smoke” is actually water vapor so second hand smoke issues don’t crop up.
Now, I am not saying that I would start smoking e cigs for the fun of it…if you don’t have a habit why try and start one. But, I do think these would be an interesting and helpful way for addicted cigarette smokers to break their dependence slowly and gently…some people just can’t cut cold turkey. The bonus of these products is that the smoker cuts down on the nasty health issues associated with real cigarette smoking and they are cheaper than real cigarettes. I am of the mind that if any products out there can help someone get away from the nastiness that is cigarette smoking, a person should check them out to see if they are right for them and their family.
Aside from being much healthier in terms of that it contains no carbon monoxide, carcinogens, tar, and many other dangerous chemicals, you also have the option of controlling the amount of nicotine you take in. By doing that you can slowly wean yourself off of it.
Electronic cigarettes are a very safe way for those who are thinking of quitting, as one still gets the nicotine without the toxins. However, the FDA thinks it’s not a good thing so we all suffer until they get their act together, as the cigarette barons, who bank roll them, fear e-cigs as a threat to their existence.
Very interesting. My mom is a smoker. She has been smoking since she was 15. She is now 58. She has tried time after time to quit smoking. She has had very little success. After watching her try and after being a former smoker myself (8 years smoke free) I will have to say that people really do get addicted to the nicotine and the habit of needed something in their mouth. I think for me it was less of the nicotine and more of the habit. But for my mom it is both. I know after I quit I gained some weight. Because of the habit of needing something in my mouth. Trust me it is so weird. But now for me all is good. But I can only pray that my mom will quit for good. I’m wondering if this e cigarette would be an actual benefit to not only keep out the carcinogens but maybe even to help her quit. Thanks so much for the article. I am going to have to check this out further.