Sludge,
I've been dieing trying to find the answer to this. Don't know if it is of your realm but here goes. I smoked three packs of cigarettes a day before discovering e-cigarettes. I do not know the nicotine delivery of a cigarette, but I now consume about one ounce of liquid containing 2.1% nicotine per three days.
Has my nicotine consumption become greater or lesser?
Thanks,
Sarg
Hey Sarge, I can fire from the hip on this one. I too switched to the e-cig vaporizer units after a two pack a day + a pipe habit.
The problem with the e-cigs is the as follows:
1. You are still putting particulate matter into your lungs. 99% of the vaporizers and cartomizers out there do not actually vaporize, they burn, so there is really no benefit there except the amount of products of combustion are much more limited. For instance, in the USA all our smokes and wraps are dosed heavily with flame retardant chemicals. Vapes don't have that crap.
2. The real issue is the propylene glycol used as a "sweetener" in vape juice. When heated in the presence of glycerine (the other main component of the juice) a vapor of ethylene glycol forms. You may recognize that one as it is most commonly known as antifreeze. Yup. That is right, you are inhaling automotive engine coolant steam. E.G. crystallizes in your brain and causes permanent cell death. Just ask any puppy or kitten that has drank some Rotella 50/50! Interestingly enough the medical treatment for E.G. poisoning is ethanol. As in they give you an IV with grain alcohol in it!
3. The flavorings are a real issue too. The bulk of them are methyl salicylate derivatives, which is the same base chemical in aspirin and wintergreen! There is not enough data on how these interact after heating and how they interact with our meds.
So, if you are a "vaper" or e-cig user, use your head. There is no safe way to smoke. Period. Contrary to popular belief, there is absolutely no data to support the claims they are safer. But, speaking from experience and a biochem degree damn there finished, I can tell you they are safer than regular smokes.
I suggest skipping the corner store e-cigs though, they have all sorts of nasty shit in them, often worse than regular smokes. I buy mine at a vape shop and only buy the juice that does not contain PG.
More later, Imma go to the store with my wife while screwed up on pills.
I have the munchies....