I have never smoked a cigarette. I just think that all addictions, no matter what it is, are beatable. No matter the addiction there comes a point when you just "can't resist." This is the point where you must resist in order to get over the hump. Some people have more of these stages than others, which is the case for most physical addictions (cigs, etc).
E-Cigs are definitely a solid option, but nicotine is still toxic, and you're still addicted to something: the e-cig itself.
I just look at it like this: If someone is try to lose weight, they can't be cooking macaroni and cheese at midnight. But they also can't be heating up a plate of grilled chicken, either. The chicken might be healthy, but it's still calories and it's counterproductive to the goal: losing weight. Totally restricting yourself, really fighting yourself from going and grabbing the food, is a much harder struggle, but it gets you closer to accomplishing your goal of losing weight.
Great points here.
I know I had one friend who literally started spending twice as much money on E-Cigs than he did on Newports. Obviously this did nothing to cure his addiction and was never able to stop smoking for more than a couple days, no matter how many times his girl made him try.
They are not meant to be sucked on all day long, they are meant for people who are serious about trying to deny themselves so they can "relapse" with it once or twice a day and not be setting themselves back with actual nicotine. It's really just a fancy oral fixation.
Funny story: when I used to smoke, I never mixed alcohol and cigarettes (whereas everyone else I know says they smoke twice as much when they're drinking). I never really found cigarettes overly enjoyable when I was sober either, they were just something to do when I was with friends or I was smoking that other stuff. Just another vice I could spend my money on. When I realized that was stupid and I didn't want to be a "social" smoker trying to "look cool" anymore, I found out that quitting was extremely enjoyable for me. Turned out my selective smoking habits were actually a great builder for my will power. I even kept that last half-full pack in my top drawer as a constant reminder/temptation to test myself.
After that I was inspired to quit caffeine, dessert (all sweet/sugary foods), and my new fad is fasting while only eating 1 big meal per day. I smoked for around 6 years and been a non-smoker for around 3-4 years now. My advice might not work for you, but I truly believe the commitment to denying yourself works better for most people (over the long run) than trying an E-Cig that you're always giving in to. After a little while you get that Marine boot-camp mindset where you're pushed to your limit and it's like, "every part of this sucks, but I'm going to pretend that the suffering is pleasure because it's making me better."
