Smoking is an addiction. It's not a habit. It's an addiction. If you're going to beat an addiction there have to be a lot of changes in your lifestyle. I know from personal experience.

I have never been a smoker. I was a drinker. Putting down the bottle was difficult enough and can still be a challenge even after two decades of sobriety. I do know that for me drinking non-alcoholic beer or faux wine didn't help. That's why I don't think "vaping" or using e-cigarettes is a useful tool for those attempting to stop smoking.

Let's be clear here if you're vaping instead of smoking real cigarettes in an effort to quit or cut down on your tobacco use good for you. The desire to quit is the biggest component of beating an addiction or for those who can't  handle the "a" word, changing a habit.

So much of addictive behavior is physical and behavioral. If you sit down and smoke a pretend cigarette that behavior is still in your psyche. It will make going for the real thing easier if the pretend cigarette isn't available. Part of your change is literally changing how you sit, where you stand, who you hang out with, and what you use to occupy your time and mind.

Another concern I have about vaping is there appears to be a large inconsistency in the nicotine delivery when you compare one device to another or one "vape juice" to another. You might also puff more on an e-cigarette than you would a regular cigarette to get your nicotine fix.

The bottom line appears to be this. Quitting is quitting. It means putting down the e-cig, the real cig, hiding the lighters, and throwing out the ashtrays. If you really want to quit you can. There are folks that can offer advice on how you can be successful in doing that. If you're taking the steps to vape on your way to quitting why not take the next step and put all of it down? I believe you can do it.

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