Habits

It's now been over a year since I have been using electric cigarettes.  They have become a part of my life, part of my routines, and regular cigarettes are no longer a part of my life.

Just like any other habit, I have learned the nuances of vaping, such as how many drops to put in the filter for that just-right vape, or when I need to wash out the filter, or when the atomizer is getting ready to go out so I'd better order another one.  Things like that.

My favorite e-cig is the Vapor Tokers Fatty USB.  Vapor Tokers rebrands the mega 510 very nicely with very good prices and shipping, so I stay with them.  They are out of Hawaii, and the shipping time has been awesome.  I go through about two atomizers a month.  I just had to replace my USB battery after about four months, and the replacement went out in three days. *sigh*  So I have to order another one.

But the USB e-cig is AWESOME!  I don't have to charge it, but just keep it plugged in to my computer, or my truck while I drive (I have a plug for the cigarette lighter that takes a USB plug), or by my bed or chair plugged into an AC plug with the USB plug in it.  But, if I have to be mobile, I just unplug the cord from the end of the battery and take the e-cig with me -- and it stays charged for several hours!  It is so practical for me because I always have a freshly-charged battery with little or no fuss at all.  I am completely sold on the USB batteries because I don't have to fuss about charging and recharging batteries.

So one of the habits/routines that I now do is to grab my e-cig still attached to its cord, my bottle of smoke juice, and just plug the cord into my truck plug (or wall plug if going to sit and read).  It's like grabbing my pack of cigarettes along with a lighter and an ashtray.  So even though the habit is the same, the items to support the habit have changed.

Which brings me to my other thoughts.

The "experts" say that nicotine is addictive.

I say BS.

And I'll tell you why:

When I first started vaping, I ordered "low" nicotine smoke juice.  After awhile, I switched and went to "zero" nicotine.  After about a month of "zero" nicotine, I went back to the "low" because my allergies were out of control and I remembered a couple of doctors telling me that nicotine does have its benefits -- which they didn't have the time to tell me why, but I assume one benefit is to help dry up my snot nose and weepy eyes because my allergies are never as bad as they are when I don't smoke.  My allergies have always been ridiculous when I'm not smoking and my medication intake about triples when not smoking.

But about six months ago I decided to go to "zero" nicotine again regardless of my allergies becoming miserable, because I was worried about what all the "experts" say about nicotine being bad for you.  I figured that maybe Alegra and Claritin etc. would be better for me than nicotine.  So I've been vaping "zero" nicotine for about six months now (and doubled on on those 24-hour allergy pills).

So, if the nicotine is the addictive factor in smoking cigarettes, then all those nicotine patches and gums and etc. are correct in weaning you off of that drug, right?   And that you would be "jonesing" because of no nicotine, right?

Welllllll........... I'm here to tell you that I'm sucking on a dead battery just so I'm not falling apart from not being able to vape.  And remember, I don't use nicotine.  And sucking on a dead battery works sort of okay; it just isn't nearly as satisfying because I can't take that big lungful of vapor.

So obviously it's not the nicotine that's a problem; it's the HABIT.  Habits are horrifyingly hard to stop, and I'm having a hard time not practicing my vaping habit.  It's amazing how stupid all of us can be to believe all that crap out there.