# Nicotine Addiction Poll



## Gizmo (17/6/15)

Just a poll that I am interested to see the outcome of.

Reactions: Like 1


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## free3dom (17/6/15)

This is missing an appropriate option for me: "I don't know, and I don't care...pass me my vape!"

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## DarkSide (17/6/15)

@Gizmo, really quite a coincidence you posted this, as I wanted to create a new post, this evening, for the very first time, whilst making myself my nespresso fix, had this terrible urge / crave for a ciggie, just could not understand this, never happened before. Emptied the Arctic sub tank, fitted a 0.2 ohm coil, found my Beard Vape Nr 5, 18 mg, filled the Arctic with this high octane, onto the new SMOK 80, sat outside by the pool with nespresso and vaped myself almost into oblivion. After this, definitely no more ciggie craving...Is this normal and / or have any other members experienced this....or is it just me? No Worries, will not touch a ciggie, just could not believe that I had this sudden crave...out of the blue, as they say.
Regards

Reactions: Like 1 | Can relate 2


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## n0ugh7_zw (17/6/15)

"I am less addicted" Might be a bit of a hard one to judge. 
Because Like in my case, I vape 3mg juice, Which on the face of it, might make people think i'm less addicted. 
When in fact I'm going through anywhere up to 20mls of juice in a day.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Can relate 3


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## Silver (17/6/15)

Definitely less addicted 

When I was a smoker I could not go for more than an hour without lighting up. 

Now I can easily go for a few hours without vaping. 

The urges I get to vape are far milder than those I got to smoke. 

I am happy. No intention to quit vaping at this point. Maybe in a few years. Am enjoying the journey too much!

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Can relate 3


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## Silver (17/6/15)

DarkSide said:


> @Gizmo, really quite a coincidence you posted this, as I wanted to create a new post, this evening, for the very first time, whilst making myself my nespresso fix, had this terrible urge / crave for a ciggie, just could not understand this, never happened before. Emptied the Arctic sub tank, fitted a 0.2 ohm coil, found my Beard Vape Nr 5, 18 mg, filled the Arctic with this high octane, onto the new SMOK 80, sat outside by the pool with nespresso and vaped myself almost into oblivion. After this, definitely no more ciggie craving...Is this normal and / or have any other members experienced this....or is it just me? No Worries, will not touch a ciggie, just could not believe that I had this sudden crave...out of the blue, as they say.
> Regards



I have also sometimes had a big urge to have a cigarette. Less so nowadays but a lot in the first several months. But even now I sometimes get an urge for a smoke. I also pull out the high octane and the urge goes away

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Thanks 1


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## DarkSide (17/6/15)

@Silver Thank You, relieved and since my "almost vape overdose" by the pool, no craving, will keep the "high octane" in my laptop bag, for "just in case".
Regards

Reactions: Like 2


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## Redeemer (18/6/15)

I used to say I smoke for health benefits, of my colleagues, so I don't smack one over the head! I got terribly agitated if I hadn't had my ciggy fix regularly on a stressful day.
Now I seem to be calmer, I take my usual vape breaks, but not with the old 'have to get my fix NOW feeling. So must be less 'addicted' to vaping than I was on stinkies. 
I also get the occasional craving, and just pick up a vape and after a good few puffs its all good again.
The best is in the mornings, I no longer wake up and crave, I can easily start my day now and in between take a few vapes, where when I was still on stinkies, as soon as the alarm went off I switched on the bed lamp and start looking for a lighter...

Reactions: Like 2


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## Marzuq (18/6/15)

ive gone with less addicted but honestly i dont believe im addicted to the nic anymore. i vape 3mg purely because juices without nic just doesnt not taste the same to me. as if its flavour is not as pronounced. maybe its all in my head

Reactions: Like 3


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## baksteen8168 (18/6/15)

Marzuq said:


> ive gone with less addicted but honestly i dont believe im addicted to the nic anymore. i vape 3mg purely because juices without nic just doesnt not taste the same to me. as if its flavour is not as pronounced. maybe its all in my head


Then this shall be my vote too. Exactly the same scenario.


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## Kuhlkatz (18/6/15)

I'd consider myself 'Less Addicted'. I don't have any urges any more to 'get my fix right now' and can go for extended periods without vaping. Not that I vape less, as I'll grab my vape every time it's within reach and I still chain-vape in traffic to ensure the safety of other commuters. I dropped to 6mg, but still have a few 12mg jooses on hand for the odd silver in between. 
Vaping 0mg in my mind is a bit like robbing a bank without taking any of the money - some risks there, but no real rewards. I suppose those that do vape 0mg, still do it for the flavour and/or the clouds, just like I enjoy drinking far too much coffee or tea or the odd 'Oros'.

Even though I also have that stupid notion every now and again that an analogue ciggy would be nice, I know that it doesn't taste nearly as good now as it did before I switched to vaping.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Winner 2


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## Matt (18/6/15)

Marzuq said:


> ive gone with less addicted but honestly i dont believe im addicted to the nic anymore. i vape 3mg purely because juices without nic just doesnt not taste the same to me. as if its flavour is not as pronounced. maybe its all in my head



I had the same going from 3mg to 0mg feels like a huge step down it was easier to go from 6mg to 3mg. I had to go from 3mg to 1,5mg to 1mg and now 0.5mg without losing that feeling that the flavour is less pronounced.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Alex (18/6/15)

I don't believe that nicotine is an addictive drug.

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Andre (18/6/15)

Alex said:


> I don't believe that nicotine is an addictive drug.


Agree, many articles to that effect posted on this forum, e.g.: http://www.ecigssa.co.za/nicotine-gets-the-blame.t11902/

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Silver (18/6/15)

Ok - @Andre and @Alex

I recall that issue about the other chemicals in stinkies that rewire our brains to becoming addicted.
And that a never-smoker doesn't seem to get addicted to pure nicotine.
(If I've recalled correctly.)

Anyhow - for me as an ex-smoker that has "had my brain re-wired by the stinkies" - I do still get cravings for the vape - and I have noticed that if I vape a very low nicotine strength (eg 3 or 6mg) I want more all the time. But if I vape 18mg, then I feel "satisfied" for much longer... 

So not sure what's happening or whether I am still addicted to anything or not - but it seems like I am.

I wonder if not smoking for a long time can "re-wire your brain" back to how it was before the stinkies?

Reactions: Agree 2 | Can relate 1


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## johan (18/6/15)

I'm with you @Silver, I think our brains weren't "rewired" but properly "welded" , but I must admit, the odd craving is not that intense and 12mg does it for me.

Reactions: Like 1


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## phanatik (18/6/15)

Marzuq said:


> ive gone with less addicted but honestly i dont believe im addicted to the nic anymore. i vape 3mg purely because juices without nic just doesnt not taste the same to me. as if its flavour is not as pronounced. maybe its all in my head



This would be me as well. somehow 0mg nic juices just misses something

Reactions: Like 1


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## Andre (18/6/15)

Silver said:


> Ok - @Andre and @Alex
> 
> I recall that issue about the other chemicals in stinkies that rewire our brains to becoming addicted.
> And that a never-smoker doesn't seem to get addicted to pure nicotine.
> ...





johan said:


> I'm with you @Silver, I think our brains weren't "rewired" but properly "welded" , but I must admit, the odd craving is not that intense and 12mg does it for me.


No doubt in my mind that for each person the memory grooves cut by the stinkies will take a different time to heal, if at all. But, addiction per universally accepted definition means heavier dependence over time, which is not the case with vaping - to the contrary.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2 | Thanks 1


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## johan (18/6/15)

You are 100% correct @Andre, addiction _per se_ requires a continual increase of whatever substance, to satisfy the "happy place" in the brain. I don't need more nicotine, in fact I need less. But there is something that is still causing a slight craving from time to time - maybe its a deep rooted unconscious memory that can be satisfied by even o nic vape, who knows?

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2


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## devdev (18/6/15)

Silver said:


> Ok - @Andre and @Alex
> 
> Anyhow - for me as an ex-smoker that has "had my brain re-wired by the stinkies" - I wonder if not smoking for a long time can "re-wire your brain" back to how it was before the stinkies?




I think this is what is referred to as 'brain plasticity' or 'neural plasticity' - our brains have the ability to establish new neural connections, and if those connections are constantly repeated (by learning a new skill/behaviour) at some point the connection becomes more 'permanent'. The use of the word plastic implies an ability to be molded and changed - hence why we refer to polymer based materials as plastic. The ability to establish these connections also explains why practicing certain tasks (mental or physical) will result in an improvement in that individual's ability to perform such tasks, and is also linked to the concept behind muscle memory.

I recall watching a program about addiction at the beginning of the year, and they discussed how humans are hard wired to be addicted to salt - we have to have salt in order for our bodies to function - and that this same mechanism for addiction can be hijacked by other addictive substances. More info on Nat Geographic site: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...aine-cravings-addiction-genes-brains-science/

Of course what this does not address is other forms of compulsive addictive behaviour such as gambling, internet & pornography addictions (yes these can all classified as forms of addictive behaviour). I think the difference with these non-chemical dependencies is in the mind of the individual addicted to such behaviour. The typical process of weighing up certain kinds of behaviour on the basis of 'risk vs reward' has in some way become perverted. In other words even though the person knows they should stop gambling, they compulsively pursue the behaviour (seeking reward) irrespective of the risks involved (like landing up unable to make monthly rent payments) whereas a non-dependent person would identify when the behaviour was placing their everyday life in jeopardy. 

Anyway, that is my 2c. At the end of the day I am just some guy who knows some stuff, and I am not a psychologist.

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 4


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