I too advise people wanting to quit to try the combination e-cig, allen carr and rapid nicotine cessation.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post your comments.

I can understand what you are saying about nicotine as an isolated drug. I’m open to the possibility that it has some positive effects on certain diseases but for me this isn’t a good reason for 20% of the population to nurse an addiction. I don’t think having an addiction to a substance that dictates how you act and how you live your life is a positive thing.

I use words like “addiction” and “Drug addict” because they accurately describe the situation for someone who feels the physiological need to smoke. I agree though that phrases such as “Shackles of addiction” are emotive and should probably be left out of serious discussion but I write this blog for fun as well as informational purposes and I like the way that some words sound

Is it your opinion that a cigarette smoker is not addicted to nicotine? I see your point you are trying to make but when I was trying to give up smoking on my multiple failed attempts I was definitely addicted. I met the dictionary’s definition of someone who was addicted ie. I had a “Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance”. Sure, heroin or Valium may have stronger physical withdrawal symptoms but that doesn’t mean that nicotine isn’t addictive.

I don’t buy the fact that nicotine is a calmative. I’m a MUCH calmer, more content human being now that I don’t imbibe nicotine. When I was a smoker and while using electronic cigarettes I had a certain illusion that nicotine calmed me down but only because getting my nicotine hit satisfied a craving that made me anxious. This is my personal experience and maybe for other people nicotine from e cigarettes or wherever other source actually improves their life.

Yes, I do think that its possible to live in our society without being reliant on addictive drugs of any sort, you just have to make the choice and put in a little effort

Anyways, thanks again for posting Rod, it was an interesting read and made me think

The only problem I have with what you wrote was that you seem to be very down on nicotine. Don’t want Nicotine in your life? Then don’t eat any chili peppers, cauliflower, tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes, as well as many teas. They ALL contain nicotine. Did you know that people who use nicotine are far less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease?

You really throw the words “addiction”, “Drug addict”, “Shackles of addiction” around, almost in an irresponsible way. Nicotine is a drug yes, but so is caffiene, it is very difficult to take anything into your body that doesn’t contain some sort of drug. When do we all stop drinking coffee and tea because we don’t want DRUGS in our lives? Nicotine serves a very important need in our society. Besides being a stimulant, it is also a calmative. When people are under high stress, it relaxes them and helps them think clearer so the problem causing the stress is easier to resolve. “Addictive”? The alternative is Valium, Librium, Xanax or Prozac. Hmmm, when you quit those drugs abruptly, you run a high risk of seizure… I would call THAT addictive, hmmmm, the FDA approves of them. I think I’ll opt for nicotine. But I’ll do it without tobacco, regardless of what my authorities are paid to say. On the other hand many people have walked away from nicotine, no seizures, only anxiety caused from cessation of their “HABIT”, not addiction.

Addiction is a much stronger word than you make of it. To be addicted means that you have replaced a normal hormone with an outside agent that the body does not make, like Heroin, which replaces endorphin’s and makes the gland that produces endorphin’s shrivel and go away, now thats addiction!! You cannot live normally without endorphin’s after you have damaged the gland so severely. It will actually cause pain to eat food and have it go through your digestive tract. Our society throws these labels around much too easily, so easily we forget what the words mean.

I think the E-Cigarette IS a possible help for cessation of peoples “habit” of nicotine intake without the associated anxiety, providing the ability to step therapy down to 0mg, ever think of that? And YES, I agree with you, life is different without ANY drugs associated with it, but is that realistic in our society? To be realistic, our government would have to follow the US Constitution, TO the letter. Congressmen and Senators would have to go to jail for their abuse of the trust we place in them everyday. Mass murderers will have to be killed to stop their genes from being reproduced. People will have to stop using the authority entrusted to them for their own selfish reasons instead of serving the citizens who entrusted it to them. The guys on wall street that have caused the demise of the world economy through their greed, would have to go to jail instead of getting more money to fill their needs for greed, OUR money. Will any of this happen? I think not.

Its the same with electronic cigarettes, some people love them and others think that are a heap of shit. Suppose we all just have to try anything we can get our hands on until we find the stop smoking aid that works for us.

The truth is you can’t quantify “want” over a physical addiction. It’s stronger in some and lighter in others. The same logic goes for limits of willpower and physiological changes in the brain.

Great article on pointing out the benefits of reducing nicotine in your life without making e-cigarettes out to be evil. These life saving devices need to be more popularly accepted as a way to live a healthier lifestyle for those who haven’t been able to quit.

As for the book, it’s just my opinion. I’ve heard people say they were able to quit after reading the book but for me it was utterly pointless. It boils down to 300 pages of motivational speaking “you can do it!” Not at all the practical guide I thought I was purchasing.

I am slowly cutting back my nicotine intake and hope that in a few months I’ll be off of nicotine completely. Once I’m off nicotine I’ll be off of the e-cigarette and that’s it for nicotine for me.