I've looked into this, and from what I can tell the amount of study is too limited to say anything conclusive, and there are no inherent reasons to assume e-cigs are particularly hazardous.

Most of the risk seems to relate to lack of testing by the FDA (or similar institutions), or questions over the effects of inhaling particular chemicals that are otherwise harmless.

That said, of course the right approach is to say 'we need to test more; can't prove it's harmless'. But I would be quite surprised if e-cigs do turn out to be harmful (enough to ban them). And it seems pretty much impossible to me that e-cigs would get even close to being as hazardous as tobacco.

With that in mind, I generally advise smokers to consider e-cigs, and I advise non-smokers to stay away.

I would love to hear more arguments against e-cigs though. I don't feel a strong need to defend them, as I'm currently a heavy smoker and ideally I want to quit entirely at some point.

Of course there are "other chemicals" in them. Everything is a "chemical", and it's obviously unsafe to work with and vaporize pure nicotine.

In my experience, it's not very effective as a quitting aid. My knowledge could be very inconclusive, as there are specifically "quit smoking" flavors that I have not tried, but at least anecdotally, I've found myself smoking far more often with e-cigarettes than I did with tobacco.

The flip side of that is that I'm in far better health than I was, and my respiratory system has rebounded to the point where I no longer wheeze going up a long flight of stairs, and it's of course far less expensive than cigarettes were.

There may prove to be downsides, but the recipes themselves aren't exactly complicated. If you pay attention to what you're getting, and buy from reputable vendors, you shouldn't have to worry about secret ingredients, or whether or not it's being cut with arsenic or anything.

If you're very worried about it, you can make your own liquid too.

I hardest part I've noticed is judging the nicotine level you should start with. I started to high and ended up getting more addicted to nic then I had to begin with. After mixing the solution with 0% nic and slowly lowering the level I've successfully cut down my amount quite a bit.

I'm definitely in the 'more addicted' stage at this point, to the degree that I've rationalized away any need to quit. I'm actually entertaining something more like this[1], y'know, to have fun with it.

[1] - https://www.thevaporgirl.com/Images/products/batteries/TGBat...

I think the main problem with e-cigs is that you're still taking in the addictive Nicotine. When you "cut down" and delay smoking, that next puff seems even more "pleasurable" because you're now relieving yourself of the physical withdrawal. That sort of "pleasure" messes with your mind because you think it feels good when in fact you're simply getting back to what non-smokers normally feel like (by removing the withdrawal symptoms). And then, only having delayed the inevitable, you're able to go another hour or two, before you withdraw again, and need another fix, re-addicting yourself again and again. I really don't understand the point of trying to quit using a drug while continuing to use said drug.

IMHO the problem of quitting smoking is mostly a psychological one. If you can get your head on straight, the physical withdrawal symptoms are actually quite minimal.

And therein lies the rub -- I don't mind being addicted to nicotine any more than I mind being addicted to caffeine. To my current knowledge, they both seem relatively harmless, aside from the addiction, until and unless one tries to quit them, which causes withdrawals, and the cost is effectively negligible.

The main reason for quitting smoking had less to do with health concerns than cost, and not because the costs were unbearable, so much as that those costs were ridiculous. Ecigs have changed the equation, and so long as my nicotine budget stays lower than my caffeine budget, it's effectively negligible, however ignorant it might be.

As for the rest, you're completely right. It is a psychological problem. I'd need to see a good reason for quitting nicotine before my head can agree that there is one. I was worried about the costs rising, but they seem to be going the other way. I was worried about the health risks of nicotine, but indicators seem to be trending towards 'ecigs' are safe... and while I'm aware that the science could be wrong, incomplete, or even manipulated, I've gone from 'trying to quit' to 'meh, it's a harmless vice' mentally.

Well, now I know what I'm getting myself for christmas.

I don't have a link right now, but I recall there was a study done in Italy that indicated that e-cigs are quite effective as cessation aids. In particular the ability to slowly decrease the nicotine level, so that the smoker eventually only has to 'quit' the habitual side of things.

That's fair. To clarify further, "In my experience" means "in my personal, anecdotal experience".

That's actually quite emboldening to hear. If you find the link, feel free to email me (contact info in profile) or post it here. I'd love to see it, but no pressure.

it's also not conclusive that they harm you at all. this logical fallacy needs to quit being parroted by the willfully ignorant.

Isn't this what I said? Or should I take up two sentences saying the same thing...