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Smoke Vs Vapor; The Difference
Posted: Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:02:20 +0000
Electronic cigarettes are a relatively new product that has taken off in the last few years as an alternative to regular cigarettes. While many people do not think so, there is a huge amount of difference between the vapor that an electric cigarette emits, and the smoke a regular cigarette gives off.
Cigarette Smoke
Tobacco smoke is a mixture of toxic and harmful chemicals, over 2000 according to some studies, which are given off when a cigarette burns. When tobacco in a normal cigarette is heated up the combustion results in the production of volatile gases. These gases react with oxygen in the air and produce carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and water as well as ash. Normal cigarette smoke is not only dangerous for the smoker, but also those standing nearby. The smoke contains nicotine, tobacco and other chemicals that are released from the cigarette when it burns.
E-cigarette Vapor
The vapor that comes out of an e-cigarette has no smell or unpleasant odor. Unlike cigarettes there is no second hand smoke. While an e-cigarette does emit nicotine, it only heats it up and transfers it to the user through the vapor. There is no public ban on vapor, meaning they can be smoked where normal cigarette smoking is not allowed, such as inside clubs, restaurants and other public places.
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Electronic Cigarettes May Keep You at the Table
Posted: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:08:11 +0000
It is amazing to think of all of the places where smoking used to be permitted. Places like bars, restaurants and especially casinos were renowned for treating smokers like gold, and let’s be honest, what could be better than a long smoke when you have a few hundred bucks riding on a hand of poker? But those days are gone.
Can't Smoke and Play!
Welcome Electronic Cigarettes!
Although the vapor takes and feels real, electronic cigarettes are smokeless. The vapor won’t bother anyone, it’s legal, odorless, and totally harmless unlike second-hand smoke. Green smoking will deliver the exact dose of nicotine so you can maintain focus and not think about having to go outside for a “smoke break”.
The ability to use your Green Smoke electronic cigarette to smoke anywhere is just one of the many advantages this product offers.
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The Psychology of Smoking
Posted: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:33:05 +0000
It is well known that one of the biggest factors that keeps smokers hooked on smoking is the nicotine addiction. But if that was the only reason behind their behavior, then perhaps many more people would be able to quit.
The truth is that the motivation to light up is often a complex combination of psychological, emotional, and social factors, and these influences keep people smoking even in the face of wide spread knowledge that smoking is a costly habit that can quickly drain one’s wallet while it seriously deteriorates one’s health. Consider, for example, that three years ago researchers discovered that smokers with a damaged insula, a region of the brain associated with emotion and feelings, were able to quit with little time and effort.
Here is a rundown of the key psychological factors and motivations that keep people smoking:
Smoking is a matter of conditioning. For many smokers, the act of smoking becomes an ingrained habit or ritual carried out with little thought at certain times of the day, with specific people and places, or under given circumstances. For example, some smokers are accustomed to having a cigarette with their morning coffee, during their lunch-break at work with other co-workers, and during moments of tension or anxiety.
Smoking affects one’s social status. Smoking often plays a prominent role in one’s cultural and social identity in addition to one’s sense of self. Targeted and highly successful marketing initiatives by the major tobacco companies, associate smoking with the concepts of beauty, masculinity, femininity, intelligence, and sophistication. Just consider the appeal of infamous Marlboro Man or Joe Camel as well as the vast parade of cultural icons and role models who have promoted smoking.
The act of smoking itself can also become a social activity since fellow smokers may be more likely to bond with one another. as well as a major component in certain peer relationships.
Smoking is a mood enhancer. Once someone becomes a committed smoker it causes several changes in the brain- the biggest one being that the smoker with not feel normal until he or she has satisfied the body’s nicotine craving. Throughout a smoker’s day, the smoker will oscillate between feelings of stimulation and a sense of relaxation- the result of the body’s demand for and intake of nicotine. The different feelings merely represent different parts of that process.
Smoking becomes a dependency. Smokers eventually start believing that without a smoke they will not be able to calm down or concentrate. While this may technically be true to a certain extent should a heavy smoker be deprived of a cigarette as explained above, these withdrawal symptoms are nevertheless temporary- usually lasting no more then 2 weeks.
Smokers like to live on the edge. Smokers tend to be risk takers- which, by the way, is why teens are in general more susceptible to taking up the habit. The more that smoking becomes taboo it simultaneously ads a certain mystique to the act and thus attracts those who want to be seen as independent and rebellious.
Smoking prevents weight gain. Smoking reduces one’s appetite and provides an oral fixation that can be an effective distraction from food- a concept that has been promoted in cigarette advertising. Many women in particular smoke because they believe that it will help them stay slim or lose weight, and one of the most popular reasons why women resist quitting is due to the possibility of weight gain.
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Sorry, E-Cigarettes Aren’t for Kids
Posted: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:17:05 +0000
With all the confusion and controversy surrounding e-cigarettes, many have been claiming that these products are being marketed to kids as well as adults. This could not be further from the truth. Like all products containing nicotine, e-cigarettes are only for sale to those who are over 18.
Let’s take a look at some of the facts:
- Responsible suppliers treat e-cigarettes just like any other nicotine. They are not deliberately sold to minors anymore than regular tobacco cigarettes.
- E-cigarettes are marketed to current smokers. E-cigarettes are not marketed to children or even non-smokers. They are targeted to existing smokers as an alternative to using tobacco products.
- The cost may make it prohibitive to most kids. Most starter kits run between $80-120. It then costs on average $50 per month to continue using the product.
- Adults like flavors, too. While e-cigarettes do come in several different flavors, such as mint, chocolate, and even bubble gum, which many people claim are there to attract kids, they are only there to provide diversity in flavor for the adults that smoke these cigarettes just like flavored alcoholic drinks or even flavored nicotine gum.
- The electronic needs of the e-cigarette make them more difficult to hide. Since the device needs to be charged to work, much like a mobile phone, children would find it harder to hide it from their parents.
- E-cigarettes are generally purchased via credit cards. The products are available to people with credit cards, thus prohibiting purchase for most minors.
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Illustration: Switch to Electronic Cigarettes
Posted: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:57:48 +0000
Smoking E-cigarettes are a smarter choice over tobacco cigarettes
Now that there is an alternative to tobacco cigarettes, smokers who found it difficult to quit cold turkey can consider switching instead to e-cigarettes.
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E-cigarettes and Propylene Glycol (PG)
Posted: Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:44:32 +0000
E-cigarettes have been the subject of a lot of criticism recently from numerous anti-smoking groups as well as the major tobacco companies. Much of the controversy has been focused on the chemicals these products contain. E-cigarettes have been touted as an electronic “black box” that could easily deliver a harmful cocktail of substances to the unsuspecting user. Little attention, however, has been given to the primary ingredient in e-cigarettes, Propylene Glycol (PG), a substance that according to research actually provides several health benefits.
The e-cigarette is a device in which a cartridge emits vaporized air, nicotine and a combination of chemicals which makes users feel like they are smoking a real cigarette. The primary ingredient in e-cigarettes, Propylene Glycol has been known to prevent infections like pneumonia, influenza and other respiratory diseases when vaporized and inhaled.
Several studies also point out that Propylene Glycol can be a powerful germicide. In a study carried out by Dr. Oswald Hope Robertson in University of Chicago in 1942, mice who first ingested Propylene Glycol and were then exposed to various diseases did not contract them as compared to the control group that had not received Propylene Glycol. Researchers discovered that as little as one part of PG in 2,000,000 parts of air was able to kill out many air-suspended bacteria like streptococci and pneumococci.
In short, while no one would argue that smoking a real cigarette is detrimental to one’s health, e-cigarettes still carry a stigma, however it is a good alternative with many unique benefits.
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How Does Smoking Affect the Environment?
Posted: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:37:51 +0000
Any smoking environmentalists out there?
Smoking is not just bad for you and those around you, this nasty habit produces a tremendously negative environmental impact.Here are a few ways in which smoking affects the world we live in:
Smoking Releases Toxic Chemicals into the Air
Cigarettes have over 4000 chemicals in them that are released into the air anytime someone lights a cigarette and these chemicals eventually reach our atmosphere. Though you may not be so impressed with your tiny plumes of smoke, keep in mind that over 30% of North Americans currently light up and in other developing countries the percentage is much higher.
Smoking Produces A Lot of Litter
Many anti-smoking sites are quick to point out that discarded cigarette butts pollute the land and water ways and that it takes about an average of 25 years before these butts decompose. Many of the toxins within a cigarette butt are known to leach out poisoning anything that comes into contact with it. Though it is less publicized, cigarettes also come in an outer packaging which is often wrapped in plastic and just as carelessly discarded
Smoking is a Fire Hazard
“Say no to forest fires!” Well… not if you are still smoking. Countless acres of land, property, and lives have been lost due to discarded, smoldering cigarette butts. For some examples of smoking-related fires, go here.
Tobacco Production Pollutes the Land
Growing tobacco plants draw on soil nutrients faster than many other crops. In order to preserve the soil’s fertility these nutrients are replaced with fertilizers. In many poorer countries, however, local farmers not afford to buy fertilizers. Infertile soil is then abandoned in search of other land.
Moreover, tobacco is a very fragile plant that is particularly susceptible to diseases and insects and crops must continually be sprayed with strong insecticides to prevent loss.
Cigarette Production is a Big Resource Guzzler
It takes millions of trees to produce and package cigarettes. Tobacco companies use over 4 miles of paper every hour during the manufacturing process (about 1 tree for every 300 cigarettes). Moreover, before the tobacco can be used it must go through a curing process that involves heating it at high temperatures for a week’s time. Many poor countries can only afford to use wood for this process resulting in significant deforestation. A vast number of trees are also cut down each year to produce cigarette packaging, cartons, shipping boxes, matches, and matchbooks.
Smoking Wastes Taxpayer’s Dollars
Though many people have heard about medical costs associated with smoking, less emphasized costs include the clean up of smoking-related litter, and the use of resources used to fight forest fires, not to mention any money (however little it is) spent on anti-smoking initiatives.
In short, if you are into living green, stop smoking! You’ll not only save your lungs; you’ll save our planet.
Image Courtesy: NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
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Top Reasons Why Smokers Relapse After Trying to Quit Smoking
Posted: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:12:48 +0000
Breaking a cigarette habit is tough- especially for long-time chain smokers. According to several studies (for example here and here), the majority of smokers who try to quit will relapse within the first few weeks, and this pattern is even stronger among those who try to quit “cold turkey.” Moreover, smokers maintain this pattern even after making several attempts at quitting.
While there are many reasons why a smoker who is trying to quit will have a hard time kicking the habit, usually smoking relapse will occur for one or more of the following reasons:
1. Smokers are unable to cope with the withdrawal symptoms.
Many smokers may not realize that nicotine withdrawal causes several side effects in addition to craving for a smoke, such as irritability, anxiety, depression, intense hunger, coughing, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms are temporary, usually lasting about two weeks.
2. Smokers use smoking as a stress reducer.
When nicotine is introduced into the body it produces a calming effect by increasing the levels of dopamine in the brain, a chemical that causes sensations of pleasure. One who is addicted to nicotine will also feel calmed by simply fulfilling the craving. Those who live in particularly stressful situations may find it very hard to quit smoking for good. This factor is particularly significant at a time when wide spread soci-economic stress is running so high- especially among low-income populations.
3. Smokers have positive associations with smoking.
Many smokers find it hard to quit because they have developed strong, often “positive” associations with smoking. They may associate smoking with specific situations, with a range of emotions, and with certain relationships or influential people. Smokers then find it very hard to experience these situations, emotions, or relationships without smoking.
4. Smokers fear weight gain.
As mentioned above, one of the side effects of quitting is an increased appetite. Many smokers who try to quit smoking, tend to misplace their craving for nicotine and turn it into a craving for food. As a result there can be excessive, and unwanted weight gain.
5. Smokers have a hard time breaking old habits.
After a while, smokers make a habit of reaching for a cigarette at certain times or under certain circumstances, and old, ingrained habits- especially those connected to an addiction- are hard to break.
6. Some smokers may have lost hope.
A small portion of smokers- either those who are considerably older, have already experienced adverse, irreversible effects on their health, or who have tried to quit numerous times only to fail- may have abandoned hope of quitting Some may feel that it is just “too late” or too difficult to kick the habit.
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The Daydreamer- Webcomic
Posted: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:02:46 +0000
Advances in technology over the past decade have been nothing short of amazing. Now we can have a movie theater/ music library/ powerful computer/video recorder/digital camera/GPS system (oh, and it’s also a phone) casually hanging out in our pockets. We can even have a virtual smoke. (hmmm… although we can’t yet do that with an iphone. Just wait; I’m sure they’ll be an app for it!) But alas technology can’t solve all of man’s problems…
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10 Ways to Quit Smoking Painlessly
Posted: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:46:25 +0000
Though there are many reasons why people take up smoking, when it comes to quitting, there are usually two major deterrents: the nicotine addiction and the ritualistic habit of reaching for a cigarette. To effectively quit smoking and to do it as painlessly as possible one must simultaneously kick both the addiction and the habit. (This is why some people who turn to anti-smoking products, such as the nicotine patch, find themselves unable to quit.)
Here are 10 relatively painless tips to keep in mind to help you live a smoke free life:
1. Take on a positive mindset. Make sure that you are clear about all the benefits you will enjoy once you have quit smoking. For example, calculate how much money you’ll save, or think about how many days, months, and years you may be adding to your life.
2. Take your smoking outside. If you habitually smoke in either your home or your car, gradually bring your smoking outside. Not only will this protect others from second-hand smoke and will keep these areas smelling fresh, but it is a step towards breaking old habits and building your self-control.
3. Try smoking less than a cigarette. The next time you by a pack of cigarettes cut off a quarter of the cigarettes from the bottom so that you will only be smoking three fourths of a cigarette. When your system has adjusted to that cut it down to half and then a quarter.
4. Try increasing the intervals between cigarettes. Start off by waiting to smoke your next cigarette for 5-10 minutes later than you normally would. As you build up your self-control and confidence, slowly extend the break between smokes by small increments of time.
5. Limit smoking before going to bed and after waking. Your sleep time may be the longest you go without a smoke. So take advantage of it. Try to hold off smoking a half hour before going to bed and for a half an hour after your arise.
6. Look for distractions. Whenever you are tempted to smoke, make sure that you can distract yourself with things that you enjoy doing- i.e. listening to music, speaking to a friend, taking a walk.
7. Get your friends involved. Recruit supportive friends and family to help you stay focused on your goal of quitting and distracted from smoking as well as offer encouragement along the way.
8. Buy a brand of cigarettes that you really don’t enjoy. This will act as a natural deterrent.
9. Keep any smoking related objects out of sight. As the saying goes “out of sight out of mind.” It also means that you will have to “dig” to get these items. This means you may be able to buy some time if the urge to smoke comes up when you are trying to hold back.
10. Put the money you are saving to good use. Smoking is an expensive habit. The money you free up by not smoking can be used for other worthwhile things. Where possible treat yourself. You deserve it!
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