# smoking and biking



## grimcow (Mar 28, 2011)

I kinda hope I'm not the only one who does this but I smoke a pack a day and still ride a decent amount... IV been hoping more biking= less smoking as I usually smoke less after a long hard ride. Now I gotta assumebid be a way better rider if I didn't smoke so I'm gonna try n quit it soon. Any suggestiins to stop that compliment mountain biking? Or any one done this? Advice? Its been 10 long years and I'm 25 so I'm thinking now or never


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## kumarpr227 (Apr 8, 2010)

I also smoke. I am not a racer but ride for fun. I notice my smoking holding me back on Uphills and all out sprints that are more than .8km. Other than I don't notice my smoking holding me back.

I do know that if I quite smoking everything would be better on the bike. I have been a regular smoker for about 4 years now. I quite cold turkey for one mth last year and had no problems. I bought a pack after a long,hard day, and bam I was back to my old habit.

My advice is when you quite, quite cold turkey. Smoking isn't something you can ween your self off of.

Good luck I wish you success.

Also let us know how your riding changes when you stop the habit.


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## egapal (May 15, 2011)

No doubt, it is a tough thing to do. Early on, you may need to avoid some activities that you relate to smoking including drinking or people that don't support your efforts. 15 years later there are still some triggers that tempt me. Below are a couple of things to think about it. I pulled it of the net so its gotta be true, right?

Okay, off my soapbox, good luck!!

"How Quickly Do the Benefits of Quitting Start?" 

* "Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and
pulse rate drop to normal and the body temperature of your hands and
feet increases to normal."

* "A mere 8 hours after your last smoke, the carbon monoxide level
decreases and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal."

* "Just 24 hours after your last cigarette, you substantially lessen
your chances of having a heart attack."

* "Two days after your last cigarette, you will notice that your
ability to taste and smell is enhanced."

* "Three days later, your breathing should be noticeably better
because your lung capacity will be greater."

* "Your circulation will improve and your lung functioning will
increase up to 30% within two weeks to three months after quitting."

* "Between one month and nine months, the cilia in your lungs will
regenerate, allowing your body to clean your lungs and reduce
infection."

* "One year after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease is
half that of a smoker."

* "Five years after quitting, your risk of stroke is reduced to that
of a nonsmoker."

* "Ten years after quitting, the lung cancer death rate is about half
that of a continuing smokers. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat,
esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases."

* "Fifteen years after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease
is that of a nonsmokers.

(U.S. Surgeon General's Reports (1988, 1990)


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## grimcow (Mar 28, 2011)

Guess ill give it another shot.... one things for sure chicks hate. Cold hands.


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## jpeters (Nov 19, 2010)

Yeah bro I smoked for like 12 years and if it wasn't for my wife I would have never quit. I can say from experience its not easy but after a few maybe 6 months its all good. It gets to the point where you can't even imagine smoking again the smell will start to piss u off.


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## mrice0118 (Nov 28, 2009)

I quit a few years ago with the help of Chantix. Made me a little nauseous in the mourning. Nothing too bad and helped tremendously. Save the money you spend on Cigarettes and tread yourself something after a year of not smoking. That gave me an additional thing to look for when not smoking. Good Luck if you choose to quit.


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## zeppy (May 21, 2011)

egapal said:


> No doubt, it is a tough thing to do. Early on, you may need to avoid some activities that you relate to smoking including drinking or people that don't support your efforts. 15 years later there are still some triggers that tempt me. Below are a couple of things to think about it. I pulled it of the net so its gotta be true, right?
> 
> Okay, off my soapbox, good luck!!
> 
> ...


I smoked for 10 years. I'm on day 11 of being an ex-smoker. The timeline right there helped motivate me quite a bit. I quit cold turkey and have just been chewing regular gum (a lot!!!) to avoid smoking.

I never thought I could do it, but it's actually not as hard as I thought. It's mostly psychological.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

I smoked for like 25 years; played soccer for like 30 and there were dudes faster than me that smoked before, during and after games ( I typically didn't until after and was amazed that others could do so all the time). There are a lot of biking ex-smokers and not many still lightin up that I see. 

I quit cold turkey twice. 1st time was before #1 daughter was born. I made it better than 5 years and work was killin me. Out drinkin w/ a bunch of my Euro buds and started up again (dumbest move everrrr). Smoked for ~3 years and quit cold turkey a 2nd time. 

I suggest you try cutting back and kicking it w/o Chantix or other stuff. A good way to do it is as you are leaving on vacation so that you are in a different environment that won't have you thinking about lighting up every 5 seconds  

A friend of mine did Chantix and was all over the place cryin one minute and ready to kick everyone's arse the next. It is not easy to quit but possible on your own (with support of friends & family). Good luck.


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## sunset1123 (Apr 28, 2009)

Smoking or not smoking is a choice. Just make it every day. I was a pretty light smoker, and "occasionally quit for a while" when I noticed myself smoking more than usual out of habit rather than as a conscious decision. Eventually, it was the bike that gave the reasons I needed to just not smoke anymore. I wanted to go further, and harder. I noticed the ill effects of smoking during hikes and runs, and by extension on steep hike-a-bikes. 

Smoking is good. Not smoking is also good. It depends on your priorities. Mine just didn't line up with the enjoyment of smoking coming first anymore, so I just stopped buying the cigarettes and rode more, ran more. It is SO much easier to quit if you have a consistently high activity level. Never bought into any of the "quitting aids" but they seem to help some people.

So if you are a smoker who is trying to quit, just DO it... and I wish you success in your efforts. If you are the type who loves to light up at the top of mountain passes and take it all in, Prost! I think I'll just stand upwind though, thanks.


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## FireLikeIYA (Mar 15, 2009)

I smoked for over ten years. During that time I tried quitting several times with most of the attempts being half hearted. The longest period that I was able to give it up was for a year and on my 1 year anniversary I started back up! My last year of smoking was the worst as I was up to almost two packs a day... I just got out of the service... living off my savings... partying and just "living the dream" when I finally got burned out on it all. I learned that the best way to quite was to change your environment so when I started dating a new girl I decided to quite. I never told her that I smoked and stopped cold turkey. I convinced myself that I wasn't a smoker and just kept reminding myself of what a nasty habit it was every time I had the urge. Here it is 8 years later and I am still smoke free (and married to that girl). I am so digusted with cigarette smoke now that I can smell it in my car with the windows up stopped at a red light and another car close by has someone smoking in it. When you smoke you know it smells bad (and at times good) but you have no idea until you quit how horrible it really is.


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## Adam_B. (Apr 7, 2011)

I smoked for about 8 years and just quit cold turkey 2 years ago. I had tried numerous times to quit but being in the Army I'm surrounded by smokers and our schedule actually revolved around numerous smoke breaks. When I was trying to quit there would be multiple times a day where I was the only person in the office because everyone else was outside smoking:madman: so I would sit there and obsess about it until I would finally give in. 

Then there were the deployments to Iraq where a carton of cigs was only $5 and the stress level was through the roof so quitting wasn't an option there either. What I ended up doing was when we left Iraq the last time I was there I threw away all my cigs. The long plane ride actually helped me start my journey into quitting. Once we got back to the States we got a 4 day weekend and all that time was spent with my wife and daughter and I didn't even think about a cigarette once. After that 4 day we were back to work for a couple weeks. Those couple weeks were extremely hard because we weren't actually doing much but re-integrating back to garrison so there was a lot of time spent standing around doing nothing with people smoking all around me. They would see me not smoking and offer me a cigarrette.:madman:

After the couple weeks of re-integration we got 30 days of leave. These 30 days were spent with my wife and daughter and also family back home. None of which smoke. It was very easy to forget about cigarettes because I wasn't around them and my routine was changed. After I had not smoked for those 30 days I had no interest in cigarettes anymore. The smell even smelled gross to me. I would be sitting in my truck in traffic and I could smell other peoples cigarette smoke from there cars in my truck and it would annoy the hell out of me.

I think the best way to go about quitting is to remove yourself from other smokers and change your routine for a while. Maybe take short vacation. When you get back let the smokers in your life know that you are really trying to quit and to please respect that. Its much easier to quit when you don't have your friends talking about smoking or offering you cigarettes.:thumbsup:


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## cptseavette (Feb 18, 2011)

Watching someone you love slowly die of lung cancer will make you quit. When i was young my mom smoked. She quit about 25 years ago but the damage was done and developed cancer 10 years later. One lung had to be removed. Several years later (this winter) cancer in other lung. Nothing will save her. She had to come to her children again and tell us she is dieing of cancer. Each week getting worse. Dont put your kids through this. Quit forever and hope its not to late.


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## Bakudan (May 19, 2011)

I went from a pack a day to a pack a week. I think I only smoked for like 1.5 years but I still found it very difficult to quit. I quit cold turkey last year as a challenge to myself 'cause I was stuck in a dead end job after a few months of unemployment and felt like I had accomplished nothing at all that year. Trying to quit was what I'd hoped to be my lone accomplishment that year. I still miss it sometimes when I get stressed at work and have smoked at least 3-4 cigarettes since I quit smoking. Since I started getting more into biking in the last two months I don't even want to touch cigarettes again.

It's also nice to have a little extra money since gas prices seem to like going up. Better than paying someone to slowly kill me.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Quitting will be one of the best moves you ever make. I smoked 2 packs a day for 30+ years before quitting 6 years ago. No way will I ever smoke again.

Don't be down on yourself if you try and fail. Just give it another shot.

Zyban made it much easier for me to quit and I highly recommend using one of the non-nicotine meds to give you an edge.


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## CT3 (May 27, 2010)

i just started using an electronic cigarette about a yr ago its a great alternative if you cant quit cold turkey. all the nicotine not of the tar, and hell of alot cheaper. I spend about 30mo instead of 30/wk


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## 475856 (Feb 6, 2010)

Depending on your habit, think of the $$ you burn on a weekly basis. It adds up over the years, and than think of the nice bike you could have bought or the bling you can add to it...


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## ARCHAIC (Jun 4, 2011)

Chantix works like a champ!! take the morning pill with food & it will help with the nausea (not real bad & didnt last more that 5-10 min for me) other than that i had no other side effects. Its an awesome feeling to not smoke anymore!! good luck to you !


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## AllisonWunderland (Jun 7, 2011)

*STOP! *

C. Everett Coop, MD -- former US Surgeon General, has a major tome out. "Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation." It's a fat book, like 3", but it's written for both MD's and the public.

There's a chapter about the cycle of quitting. How one stops, thinks about relapse, relapses. This cycle might continue for a year or more depending how much you smoke, how hooked you are on this addiction.

Mostly what he says about this cycle is that you need to commit to stopping and then keep at it as long as it takes. Fall off the horse and get back on. Every time you work at stopping, you get more and more able to overcome the addiction.

There's a good discussion about the hormonal / biological / chemical effects of smoking. There's a zillion nasty drugs / chemicals in ciggie butts -- and the ciggie butt companies add chemicals (ammonia) to get the nicotine into your system faster, keep you hooked.

Discussion about how and how long it takes for your body / system to get past the addictive cycle.

You're doing one thing to stop that's very constructive -- exercise. The exercise is providing you with the hormonal reaction in your head (endorphins) that act like nicotine. Also, you're realizing that smoking affects performance -- aerobic capacity is greatly compromised by smoking.

Never hurts to Google "Smoker's Lungs" -- get some images of what it's doing to you.

Smoking significantly screws up your hormonal balance. It ages you greatly -- destroys cells, compromises growth, healing, recovery.

Many health plans offer smoking cessation coverage. They know it's a money saver in the long run. Check your coverage to see if you can get some medical support.

There are support groups, most of them free. Your doctor, or the local hospital can likely make some connections for you.

Helps to stop hanging out in places and around people who smoke, who "approve" of smoking. I found that when you're around (when I'm around) people who don't approve of smoking, I wasn't smoking.

Mostly, you need to decide that you want to stop -- seriously want to stop, above all else.

Let me "testify" here . . . Disabled veteran with PTSD and "substance abuse issues." I've tried and been hooked on just about anything you might imagine. (No needles!) Smoking, drinking, pot, caffeine, an array of over the counter and street drugs.

It takes every fiber in your body and soul to stop. You have to want to stop and be deadly serious about it. And it's a deadly serious addiction. I can give you a big long list of friends, relatives, colleagues who have died from smoking.

Center For Disease Control (CDC), estimates that 1 in 2 smokers 50% die of a smoking related health issue.

You're on the right track! You want to stop, and you're getting exercise.

Keep going! :thumbsup:


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## rebel1916 (Sep 16, 2006)

Start dipping. It is way better for you. Also, I find it helps me stay true to my marriage vows. Cause chicks ain't coming near you with a pinch between your cheek and gum,


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## HighLife420 (Apr 5, 2011)

im not where near a pack a day smoker, but i smoke....ive been trying to quit for a long time...im slowly starting to move away from them...maybe 4-5 per day now.

It more than likely hinders my performance...but right now, im just having fun. Could be worse i guess...could just sit around on the couch and watch TV while smoking =)


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## T10irons (Oct 6, 2006)

Find a camelback that will hold an O2 bottle!! Just kiddin. But imagine getting Emphysema and slowly dying from drowning in your own fluid.


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## curtboroff (Sep 21, 2010)

My oldest son was 5 and kept telling me how unhealthy smoking is and that I should quit. So I made a deal with him; you quit picking your nose and eating boogers, and I will quit smoking. That was 7 years ago, and we still talk about it. 

Cold turkey can work with the right incentive.


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## CHUM (Aug 30, 2004)

i smoked for almost 25 years....to really kick the habit i started racing....

if ya wanna quit....start racing (and try to be competitive)...all the associated training, diet, etc you'll be forced to quit...

worked for me


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## rmi (Jan 14, 2010)

Never considered myself a smoker, but I definitely could suck down a couple cigarettes while at the bar. It was hard to even consider the idea of drinking socially and not smoking, for a while. Flavored toothpicks really helped me out with the hand-to-mouth/oral fixation issues associated with not smoking:










Smelling like cinnamon/mint/tea tree is WAY better than smelling like old butts.

Ryan


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## HighLife420 (Apr 5, 2011)

its really not as bad as people think. I ride with a few people, none of which smoke...however, they are normally behind me....WAY behind me. I dont find myself out of breathe at all. I dont huff and puff....maybe 1-2 times after doing a really steep climb (which most people walk). 

I know its not good for me, its an awful habit...i hate that i love it as much as i do though. For me the toughest times are in the morning with my coffee or playing poker/blackjack (love a cigar and a drink).


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## HighLife420 (Apr 5, 2011)

why are people posting bad rep for this? I dont understand it....

contact mods about this...its got to stop...if you dont agree with a post, its fine...but leaving bad rep for that is unacceptable.


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## grimcow (Mar 28, 2011)

Well sound's like the excercise will help... gotta end it before school cuz ill be stressing hard on my degree.. thanks for the replies... quitting drinking was easy once I had à reason. Guess I gotta do the same thing


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## fromthecoast (Aug 22, 2006)

I've got to quit as well. Went without smokes for a good stretch but then fell right back into it. I've been thinking of quitting for the last while but haven't taken the steps. It is a hard habit to break. Reps on the chewing sticks. I'm going to try that to at least help me cut back.


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## monical (Jun 15, 2011)

*Thank you*

Thank you for this very useful information,well I will commend you for posting in a forum tailor made for you.


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## MoabiSlim (Apr 22, 2011)

I smoked for well over ten years. I tried to quit cold turkey on far too many occasions. Then one day, I drank some grapefruit juice. It was cold and sweet, yet had a slightly bitter tang to it. For some reason, I loved this taste...
A couple minutes after drinking this tasty grapefruit juice, I lit up a smoke. It was the nastiest taste I ever tasted in my entire life! Somehow, the combination of grapefruit juice with the flavor of cigarette smoke was just absolutely revolting to me! So did I quit smoking? No! Not at that time. However, one day I was biking up a really steep hill and my heart began beating way too hard and I was practically out of breath. I almost collapsed while on my bike. I stopped and laid down on the side of the road with by bike still between my legs. I promised myself and God, that if I survived that day, I would quit smoking cigarettes for good.
I then returned home, jumped in the car and drove to the grocery store. I purchased six half gallons of grapefruit juice and a pack of Marboros. 

Whenever, I'd get the notion to smoke, I'd pour a glass of grapefruit juice, drink it down real fast a light up. The taste was entirely too revolting to continue to smoke. I ended up smoking only about half the pack during the entire week that it took me to quit. 

Considering that I smoked 1.5 packs a day, I considered half a pack in one week quite an accomplishment. 

I haven't smoked since that week of grapefruit juice and half a pack of Marboros many years ago! :thumbsup:


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## jpeters (Nov 19, 2010)

MoabiSlim said:


> I smoked for well over ten years. I tried to quit cold turkey on far too many occasions. Then one day, I drank some grapefruit juice. It was cold and sweet, yet had a slightly bitter tang to it. For some reason, I loved this taste...
> A couple minutes after drinking this tasty grapefruit juice, I lit up a smoke. It was the nastiest taste I ever tasted in my entire life! Somehow, the combination of grapefruit juice with the flavor of cigarette smoke was just absolutely revolting to me! So did I quit smoking? No! Not at that time. However, one day I was biking up a really steep hill and my heart began beating way too hard and I was practically out of breath. I almost collapsed while on my bike. I stopped and laid down on the side of the road with by bike still between my legs. I promised myself and God, that if I survived that day, I would never ever smoke another cigarette again.
> I then returned home, jumped in the car and drove to the grocery store. I purchased six half gallons of grapefruit juice and a pack of Marboros.
> 
> ...


Nice:thumbsup: lol I quit but not that way thats funny. I think quiting was the best thing I ever did but I know what its like trying to quit. I remember it was like the cigarette was my best friend and I couldn't wait to get one. Its so hart to quit but after a few months it gets better for sure I cant even smell them now:thumbsup:


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## rider49152 (Mar 17, 2010)

MoabiSlim said:


> Then one day, I drank some grapefruit juice. A couple minutes after drinking this tasty grapefruit juice, I lit up a smoke. It was the nastiest taste I ever tasted in my entire life! Somehow, the combination of grapefruit juice with the flavor of cigarette smoke was just absolutely revolting to me!


I discovered the exact same thing! Quit smoking over 10 years ago but while quitting, used to make myself eat a couple of slices of grapefruit before allowing myself a cig and that helped quite a bit.

I stopped and started many times before finally quitting for good. The most dangerous time is after you quit and think you'd be fine to just have one with a friend since you don't feel the need to smoke anymore - the road to hell!

The other thing that worked for me is self-hypnosis. Just relax and keep telling yourself that you hate cigarettes and they make you feel nauseous and sick to your stomach. After a while you'll start to belive it and they don't seem desirable anymore.


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## Grease_Monkey (Jun 15, 2011)

Do NOT believe people who say that it ain't that bad or that smoking doesn't affect their performance because it's just not true. If they stopped they would notice a pretty good difference on their health and capacities when riding or basically doing anything physical. I'm trying to quit right now and it's been pretty tough. I had to find things to replace my usual cigarette like on breaks at work or in my car this was very difficult but when I did it helped a lot. When you crave , drink a big glass of cold water, eat dark chocolate or go ride your bike harder than ever! Whatever suits you! As time will pass without smoking you'll realize that you feel better and are more capable so it will encourage you.

P.S: I'm french canadian so sorry for English grammar and errors!


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## ski_adk (May 10, 2009)

I quit over a year ago after smoking 1 pack/day + for over 10 years and yes, I've noticed a dramatic improvement in my cardio. I can get up long climbs a lot easier now, and had my proudest moment last season when I managed to ride all of puke hill (1200' foot climb to a top elevation of 9900') in 1 single shot without rest. 

When I quit, it wasn't like "that's it, I'm done, cold turkey, never again". I decided to stop, used nicorette for the first couple weeks and then after chewing through the first pack, I gave myself the leeway to socially smoke if I really felt the urge. So, yeah, it was stop and go for a couple months, but I had stopped the habit and eventually I managed to go until about a month ago when a buddy got married and we had a good old fashioned guy's poker night. Smoked half a pack that night, 2 more smokes the next night after the wedding and haven't had an urge since.

Anyways, you know what's best for you. Whatever that is, just don't feel obligated to stay off the wagon if/when you fall off.


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## knutso (Oct 8, 2008)

I smoked grass up until my dad, who was a tobacco smoker, got lung cancer. I was with him during his fight and have not smoked anything since I experienced his death .. 

He had quit ten years before he got cancer, nicorette is what worked for him ..

My cycling has gone to another level since I cleaned up my act, I am 28 now and whenever I am bonking or whatever I think of my pop and focus on my form and get outta the saddle and take off .. you will be absolutely amazed how much more you enjoy riding when your body systems are functioning normally ..

You need to mentally say and believe " I am a non-smoker , I have already quit " , physically destroying any cigarettes you have may help stir up and squelch some habitually learned notions locked in your mind


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## Dwhitt1981 (Feb 1, 2011)

Not sure if someone has said this but I smoked for 10 yrs or more and I've been using a ecig. All I get is the nic and none of the bad stuff. But if you get one don't get it from the gas station. Go online and get a good one, one you can refill yourself. It cost me about $11 per month give or take to smoke. But the plan is to keep lowering the nic level in the fluid tell I'm smoking (vaping) a 0 nic fluid (e-juice).


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## HighLife420 (Apr 5, 2011)

Dwhitt1981 said:


> Not sure if someone has said this but I smoked for 10 yrs or more and I've been using a ecig. All I get is the nic and none of the bad stuff. But if you get one don't get it from the gas station. Go online and get a good one, one you can refill yourself. It cost me about $11 per month give or take to smoke. But the plan is to keep lowering the nic level in the fluid tell I'm smoking (vaping) a 0 nic fluid (e-juice).


i might check that out, thanks :thumbsup:


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## Dwhitt1981 (Feb 1, 2011)

I use a Joye e-go . The battery life is like two day before recharge. With the kit you get everything for two complete e-cigs.


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## Petti the Yeti (May 30, 2011)

I recently quit smoking myself. Tried many times, with many types of aids and alternatives. What finally got me to stop was going to the store every Monday and Thursday (my typical smoke buying days), buying a pack, going outside, and lighting one up. At the end of that cig, I would rip up the rest of the cigs. 

Essentially, I was paying $5+ for a single cig. Doing this, I started to realize how much money I was wasting, and simply stopped buying them. Havent touched one since.


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