e-cigarettes - they have to be better than regular fags, right?

[ThatBintAgain]

I am extremely stupid in that the last few years I've taken up a bit of light smoking over the summer months. It's an association with sunshine, beer gardens and ice cold drinks that I struggle to break. Last year I quit cold turkey in September, became instantly ill and stayed ill for 6 months. Started again in April (I KNOW!) and became better.

Anyway, it's time to quit again and I wanted to avoid the 6 months of feeling crap again so I've just bought an e-cig thingy, thinking it will be less brutal than cold turkey and better than smoking proper fags. (Have been on anything between 1-5 menthol fags a day since April. More on nights out.) Thing is, I'm prone to being anxious about my health and am wondering how safe inhaling these e-cig vapours are. (I AM FULLY AWARE HOW UTTERLY ABSURD ON EVERY LEVEL AND HYPOCRITICAL THAT SOUNDS!) I've bought through Totally Wicked who sound like they regulate their products better than most.

I'm planning to stop completely ultimately but thought that this would be the way to go short term. What do you think? (I'm neurotic and utterly illogical, I know...)

(Only me who smokes?!)

I don't know myself, but I know several people who have switched.

They all seem to swear by them, and I'm including a couple of very heavy smokers in that.

I did read somewhere that they are going to impose all regular smoking restrictions on them soon in France (age limit, not allowed to smoke inside etc). Not sure if that is because there are some harmful effects, or if it is to discourage people from getting hooked on the nicotine.

Two of my friends who have been VERY heavy smokers for years have managed to stop 'real' fags completely on them.. seriously they must be better than the real thing.
Nicotine in itself is apparently no more evil than caffeine. Of course long term effects of 'vaping' as it's known isn't yet known but cutting out the tar and other nasties has to be a good move.

I tried my friends (I'm an ex smoker of the fairly heavy variety) and she has one that had a little tank on it and didn't look like a ciggie, but it FELT like the real thing when I inhaled.

I had to force myself to hand it back....

I suspect they will be legislated soon mostly because the government isn't getting any revenue from them like nicotine replacements!

Personally I would give it a go!