Do you vape?

[fantalimon23]

I know this will attract judgement but I'm not asking for criticism, just discussion.

Never been a smoker but recently took up vaping. Dh does it and so do a few friends. I was curious. We are going through a very stressful time in life - young dc and no help, demanding job, house renovation. I was winding down in the evenings using booze and junk food which wasn't good for me either so I suppose I just wanted to try something that helped relax me. I do enjoy it but I don't think I'm 'addicted' per se, for example I don't take it out with me during the day and don't miss it. I just use it in the evenings.

Anyway bizarrely I have health anxiety which is quite ridiculous when I think of all of the unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms I have. But I do worry about the vape. There is so much conflicting info out there - loads of sources saying it's much better than smoking others saying it's as bad or worse. All the alleged health issues they can cause but no definitive studies as they've not been around long enough.

So I guess I'm wondering if you vape, why? What does it bring you? And do you worry about the health impact?

I've been vaping the majority of 2024 so far. It's the only way I have managed to stay off the fags. I do feel like a twat when vaping out and about and will eventually try and knock it on the head. But for now it's taking the place of my roll ups.

Ooh?? It just opens up on my phone and I don’t subscribe to The Times

Oh that’s weird @Mumof2NDers. I’ll try again after work.

Scientists at University College London analysed samples of cheek cells from vape users and compared these with those from cigarette smokers. Both groups had similar changes to the DNA of cells in their mouth.
These changes were, in turn, linked to the future development of lung cancer in smokers.
This is from the article

Nope, I don't and my husband doesn't. My mother and step father do after quitting smoking a couple of years ago. I don't really see that it's any better and would much rather they didn't.

I vape but I used to smoke, for a very long time and vaping has stopped me from smoking. I have noticed though that people who never used to smoke or only smoked when out drinking occasionally are now vaping all the time which seems odd to me, as I have always thought of vaping as a stop smoking thing.

I do intend to give up vaping at some point and reduce the nicotine level until I am down to no nicotine and then I can give that up totally. Not sure how long that will take to do but I am going to do it at a slow pace.

No. I don't understand why people would take up an addictive habit knowing the risks.

I can understand why 80 year olds smoke. They grew up thinking it was good for them (or at least not bad for them) and got addicted. I cannot understand why anyone under 50 smokes - they grew up knowing it was really bad for them.

Vaping as a replacement to cigarettes is different - weaning off something bad with something that hopefully isn't quite as bad.

Seriously, if you worried that much you either wouldn't have started or you'd be taking steps to give up.

Which is what you need to do.

No and I think people look ridiculous with them hanging out their mouths.

But you said you suffered from health anxiety didn't you?

And surely inhaling any foreign substance directly into your lungs cannot possibly be good for you?

I don't vape. I've never smoked either. My 88 year old mother vapes and has used it t over the last 18 months to come off an almost lifelong cigarette habit which began when she was 18. She had to do this when a severe dose of pneumonia over Christmas and New Year 2022 came close to killing her.

I will be honest - being around my mother now that she is on vapes is far preferable to the thick cloud of smoke that always accompanied her everywhere.

Vapes have their place when it comes to helping people to quit smoking and edging heavy smokers like my mother away from cigarettes, but buying them when you have never smoked just to begin a nicotine habit is madness. Nicotine is the highly addictive element of tobacco products. It speeds up heart rate amongst other things so can be dangerous too.

My DD3 had a vape for a while when she was in sixth form. Silly arse, and she knew it!! Fortunately she gave it up completely during her first term at university and hasn't replaced it with anything else apart from the usual student drinks.

good grief

saying that i find it weird

and you are throwing out words such as vitriol , insults, judgement 🙄

yes, i think it’s weird

for some reason you have taken a very big hump with that word.

brace yourself

the Op says i’m being vitriolic for finding it weird

“ridiculous” is probably a hate crime in the OP’s eyes

I do and I hate it, costs unnecessary money and I’m terribly addicted. Wished I’d never started. Because it’s so much more accepted than smoking I tend to end up doing it all the time. I’ve cut down on the nicotine content by half and tried several times to go cold turkey but struggle. Don’t know how to move forward and get off it completely. I did once before when I was pregnant although the morning sickness helped with that. And then stupidly started again. Huge mistake.

Yep, I do. I gave up smoking 2 years ago, and I am now vaping. I enjoy it and have no plans to give it up.

@ForNaiceHiker I'm just wondering what your purpose is here given that you seem to have nothing worthwhile to add to the actual topic in question other than to call me weird.

Your repetitive replies are weirder...

For those of you happy to vape, would you be happy for your children to vape (especially if they had no desire to smoke)?

the irony

very bizarre that all the posters saying ridiculous or gross seems to have bypassed you op

but me and my “weird” comment seems to have cut you very deep

If you read my replies I said below that 'looking ridiculous' isn't really an issue to me since I don't do it outside of my home. If people think it's gross that's down to them. I suppose it is a bit.

I take issue with you saying I'm 'fucking weird' vaping because of kids and a reno which kind of comes across as a bit of a superior way of saying look at you not coping with life, how tragic.

Either way you've derailed the thread with adding absolutely no valuable input to the actual subject of vaping so I'll leave it there. Have a great weekend :)

This product is being marketed for children. It's completely unregulated and the counterfeit disposables are an unknown. Those are the ones that children get hold of.

Popcorn lung is just one potential risk, who knows what the other ones are? There's talk of banning disposable vapes in Wales; the sooner the better too.

I don't understand adults who've never smoked taking up this habit? If you have children then you're setting them up for this too.

Popcorn lung isn't relevant, the chemical is banned in the U.K. and has been for some time
The chemical is in cigarettes in much greater quantities but nobody is going on about smoking and popcorn lung...

@NC03 many of the vapes people (especially children) get hold of are not legal ones so I assume it could be a problem

True and they should 100% be banned
But that's a bit like.. someone buying fake alcohol and ending up in hospital because of it
Legal regulated alcohol is fine but you can't buy fake vodka with antifreeze in and then say all vodka should be banned because you bought under the counter stuff knowing it could be dodgy

I do also agree disposable ones are a big issue. Mine is a reusable so the only waste is the liquid bottles (100ml ones) and a small metal coil

It is relevant, so many counterfeit versions the chemicals in which are completely unknown and those are what are being sold to children who don't have 'adult' access. They should never have entered the UK and there is no established disposal route for them.

I work in the electronics industry and the number of calls I get from schools (primary as well) asking for help with vapes from children. It's horrifying.