Hacker News Reader

Comment by rawfan | Hacker News Reader

I quit smoking 7 years ago and helped a dozen people to quit as well.

NONE of the people I know who used e-cigarettes were able to quit for good.

Here's my recipe:

1. Quitting sounds hard but it isn't. The majority of people who try to quit, actually succeed. 2. Don't use ANYTHING as a substitute (no chewing gum, no patches or e-cigs). Substitutes usually can never replace the original and will just keep you "hooked". 3. Read affirmative stuff (like news stories, studies). Reading about a study that showed most people quit for good, actually helps. As does reading about the consequences for continueing to smoke.

That's it. Just quit. It's easy, you'll be off cigarettes in no time.

Everyone can do it. Smoking is totally a 90s thing.

View on HN

And the one person I know who had tried various ways to quit over the years got a vape set, tapered down gradually to no cigarettes over about 6 weeks (I think on day 1 she only had half a pack instead of her usual ≥ 1 pack habit), and hasn't had an actual cigarette in over 2 years. Different people seem to respond better to different approaches.

I know the initial success is great. The question is, will she be able to stay off cigarettes for good (and ecigs, too). Most ecig-users I know went back to cigarettes without hesitation when they forgot to bring extra liquid to the party and they got drunk. Even after years of abstinence from real cigarettes.

Everything anyone here will say is anecdotal of course.

I think (as someone who hasn't touched a cigarette in two years, and hasn't touched an ecig since February) that the most important part is that you have to taper down the nicotine content of the ecigs, otherwise you're just replacing one nicotine delivery system with another and not making any progress. The leap between being nicotine and tobacco free and a cigarette is far greater (mentally and physically) than between a nicotine supplement (ecigs) and a cigarette.

Occasional relapse isn't actually a terrible thing. One cigarette every half a year isn't going to kill you, probably, or at least it's not going to kill you faster than all the other unhealthy things you do.

If it's easy to switch back after you've had your relapse, the only real issue is with the all-or-none definition of quitting.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com