To ask if people think vaping is addictive

[Sarahcoggles]

Following a conversation with my DS age 12, I’m curious about what people think.

YABU - not it’s not addictive like cigarette smoking
YANBU - yes it’s as addictive as smoking

It is as addictive because nicotine turns on receptors in the brain, there are just less rubbish chemicals in vape -although who knows the long term effects of vape?!

One look at my DD who has taken up this vile habit and I can categorically tell you it’s addictive. And horribly expensive. Even she regrets starting it up now.

On a frivolous note, great user name. I bought my first ever ball dress there: shimmery blue shot taffeta. How I loved that dress!

I have voted yanbu, but in reality it depends.

Not all vape liquids contain nicotine.

People vaping take more draws on it then they would cigarettes and in places that they would never dream of lighting up a cigarette. If using the nicotine vapes - as a previous poster said - nicotine receptors are forming in the brain and as there are more receptors the brain demands more nicotine. People walk around holding them, sucking on them every couple of minutes - it’s the hand to mouth thing that is also addictive - I liken it to a baby with a dummy….

Compared to tobacco smoking it has fewer addictive compounds, which is why some people fail to stop smoking even when using nicotine replacement products (which includes vaping). But nicotine is addictive by itself so the answer lies somewhere in between you both.

Vaping is just the tobacco industry 's way of keeping a new generation addicted and handing over their cash.

If it has nicotine in it, it absolutely is as addictive as smoking, yes.

Its is addictive. Took me years and several attempts to stop vaping after I used it to stop smoking. I found stopping vaping harder than stopping smoking as it wasn't smelly in the same way as cigarettes, didn't leave an unpleasant taste, and didn't have the same health concerns. Vaping was also a lot more convenient than smoking, but still had the nicotine

And our lungs aren’t designed to be taking in steam and moisture - who knows what’s going to come out in a few years? They’ve already talked about popcorn lung caused by vaping. After all smoking was seen as harmless, and even good for your health back in the day. I am old enough to remember going out to pubs, clubs etc when people could smoke anywhere and the blue fog of the smoke, coming home with stinking clothes - vile.

It's as addictive as NRT products ie. hardly at all. It's nicotine combined with chemicals in tobacco smoke that boosts the addictiveness of cigarettes. These chemicals are absent in vapour products.

@Skelligsfeathers

Vaping is just the tobacco industry 's way of keeping a new generation addicted and handing over their cash.

Pish. Vaping wasn't invented by the tobacco industry and they mainly bought out existing vape companies. They invest very little in vapour products, just rebrand generic Chinese products. They are however investing billions in heat not burn technology which use real tobacco.

It’s scary to see how many young people have taken up vaping now. A group of about 10 very young teen girls stood outside Selfridges last week all had vapes. Couldn’t believe what I was seeing, they were dressed up to the nine like adults but with vapes and Redbulls in hand. Grim.

If you’re vaping liquid with nicotine in it then yes, of course it is.

@Lockdownlard

And our lungs aren’t designed to be taking in steam and moisture - who knows what’s going to come out in a few years? They’ve already talked about popcorn lung caused by vaping. After all smoking was seen as harmless, and even good for your health back in the day. I am old enough to remember going out to pubs, clubs etc when people could smoke anywhere and the blue fog of the smoke, coming home with stinking clothes - vile.

Popcorn lung is a load of crap

A December 2015 Harvard study concluded that diacetyl, which is associated with popcorn lung, is present in e-cigarettes

Diacetyl is present in much higher quantities in cigarettes! Also it's banned in vapes/e cig liquid in the U.K.

Vaping is 95% safer than smoking, and there's a lot of info about it now it's been around a while, it's a valid NRT
It all depends on whether it has nicotine or not. Do I agree with kids taking it up? No. Is it better they're doing that than smoking? Yep

@Punilux

It's as addictive as NRT products ie. hardly at all. It's nicotine combined with chemicals in tobacco smoke that boosts the addictiveness of cigarettes. These chemicals are absent in vapour products.

Can you link the research proving this? The studies I’ve read don’t support this statement.

In my experience it’s much more addictive. Smoking is so unfashionable now, that it’s almost unheard of to smoke inside. Even finding somewhere to smoke outside is tricky. Everyone I know vales in their house and so does it almost constantly. I work in a secondary school and we catch more kids vaping inside than we ever did smoking.

vapes!

If there is nicotine in it, yes it is addictive.

Everyone I know who vapes is a previous smoker, and they all say they vape a huge amount more than they used to smoke and none of them want to stop.

Nicotine is by definition addictive, it isn't just receptors in your brain, it literally rewires your nervous system in a way that your nerves react slower without nicotine in your system.

Vaping in itself is not addictive. Nicotine is highly addictive, whether smoked or vaped. That is why Big Tobacco is currently pouring billions into promoting their brands of nicotine vaping products, eg BAT sponsoring the McLaren Formula One team.

I gave up smoking in July and took up vaping. I far prefer it and it's so much cheaper as I was spending a fortune on fags. Trouble is, I can vape in places I wouldn't have smoked, so in a way, I'm far more dependent on it than fags. The house doesn't stink and nor do I though.

And yes it's addictive if you have nicotine in your juice. I guess it's a bit like alcopops, the alcohol is hidden by sweet flavours, making it more appealing to the younger generation. It still gets you hooked though.

I asked the guys who work in my local vape shop if they'd ever smoked and they both said no. I asked why they took up vaping (they vape away in the shop!) and they said it looked fun, you can experiment with flavours and different vapes, and it was something to do. Seriously.

It seems such a shame (understatement) that something meant to just be a deterrent (NRT) for actual smoking has become so popular in it's own right. Maybe it should be on prescription only.

After giving up smoking 4.5 years ago I took up vaping.

I have used nicotine free cartridges as well as the lowest I can find.

I would say I'm completely addicted - I can smoke in places that I wouldn't have when I smoked and I never don't have a cape on the go.

I don't always use the 6mg nicotine as if I can get the nicotine free I will use them so I don't know if I'm nicotine addicted but I definitely would miss not having the constant cape pen in my hand.

The only upside is that my menthol ones that I smoke don't seem to smell.

I wish I could give up though tbh.

Of course it is.

It is the most addictive substance NICOTINE without the other toxins, but it's the nicotine not the toxins that is addictive.

If course it is. I know because I am addicted to a vape. I used it to quit cigarettes but the addiction simply moved onto the vape.

Vaping itself is a habit. Just like smoking is. It is the hand to mouth, replacement for drinking, eating, stopping, resetting, action that is the habit.

For many people that is harder to break than the nicotine addiction is. In any given cigarette there are additional chemicals including vanilla. Vanilla is in there for the same reasons Macdonald's put it in their cooking oils - it is just about the most addictive substance going. Benign, but useful.

Vaping is still being shown to be less harmful than cigarettes. Not harmless but less harmful.

All the complaints, armchair psychology etc, neglects much of the science. For example: vapers drag more often - yes, because they can vape more continually than they could smoke. So they self medicate differently. Less nicotine, more hits, keeping brain levels more constant. Less naggling demand and 'binge' behaviour.

I was a smoking cessation counsellor for 20+ years. I saw the difference vaping made to almost every client I had who turned to it. Skin, pallor, smell, measurable health indices, finances, etc etc.