Open thread, May 17-31 2013

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

Has anyone tried e-cigarettes as a method to quit smoking or at least ameliorate the effects of smoking?

I smoke about a pack or two a week (3 a day minimum, sometimes binging once a week) and would like to reduce that in order to increase my chances of living longer. Anyone have experience they can share?

If this evidence is of interest to you, I still have not bought any more packs since converting to electronic cigarettes. If you have not yet converted, I would highly recommend doing so. If you are interested, I will message you my apparatus and places to purchase it at.

0gwern13y

Yes: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%28%22e-cigarette%22+OR+%22electronic+cigarette%22+OR+%22electronic+nicotine%22+OR+%22personal+vaporizer%22%29+quitting+smoking

0scaphandre13y

Rather than an e-cig, I currently occasionally use a portable vaporiser, into which I place hand-rolling tobacco. It raises the raw tobacco to around 250*C, so nicotine is carried in gas and can be inhaled. Nothing is combusted. It's slightly larger than a AA battery and it looks like this. This gives more nicotine hit, much less lung cancer than smoking and uses cheaper consumable materials than e-cig (you can buy hand-rolling tobacco everywhere, need less than depleting possibly-expensive e-cig cartridges). It is also likely that this vaporising gives more MAOI hit than e-cig, contributing to both the high and addictive properties. Wiki link Subjectively, I enjoy this more than than a e-cig. I have actively promoted the use to this device to friends to try to get them off cigarettes.