I understand why people stay on smoking with vaping, they are letting the analog control them.
This is not how it is for me, and with experience of moderation, comes great control. When I say I could stop (smoking) at any time, I mean this. I realize for many smokers, this is not the case. I have experience of going cold turkey. Before picking up vaping, that choice was readily available to me. Still is.
Prior to vaping, being a 'social smoker' or one who uses it moderately didn't make sense to me. Wasn't part of my experience. I knew of at least one close friend who was able to do this (and hasn't taken up vaping). I always wondered how he could go sometimes a full week without a smoke, and then have say 5 in a night and not give into the subsequent cravings. I'm sure us (ex)smokers all know a person like this.
With vaping, as I said in OP, it makes for moderate smoking very easy. In fact, if I were to go to say a pack a day and still vape nearly as much as I do now, I'd probably get to a point pretty quickly where I loathe smoking, despise the taste (compared to vaping) and likely deal with noticeable changes to my health (persistent cough being near the top). With moderate smoking, I honestly notice no changes in health.
I do not wrestle with a desire for smoking. I believe giving myself full permission helps greatly. From my times of going cold turkey, I know the mindset of 'denying myself' any / all desire to smoke. I'd watch a movie where a character would light up, and even after not smoking for 2 years, just that experience, would induce a craving. Then the self talk that amounted to 'I shall deny this" seemed to feed the craving even more. But as most who have done the cessation thing probably realize, if you can wait out that craving for around 10 minutes, you'll see it dissipate. Go away. With thoughts of, 'really, I wanted a smoke? Why?'
Smoking in moderation is a different animal, different experience.
I compare it to being a social drinker. I was never a big time drinker who sought it daily, but was in my early days a binge type drinker that kinda sorta couldn't wait for the next party event, looking for that buzz. Social drinking didn't make sense to me then. Why have only one or two drinks with alcohol if you could just as well have non alcoholic beverage and still be social? Now, I am a social drinker. Now, I get that. I can take it or leave it, and more often than not in social gatherings where most are drinking, I don't. Though I give myself full permission to drink.
I honestly wish more vapers were moderate smokers. Not ex-smokers wrestling with an addiction that previously led to horrible experiences and very noticeable changes to their health. But, I really do recognize both from my experience and observation of many others, that smoking can lead to cravings beyond simple moderation. So, is probably a no-go for a great many vapers, now ex-smokers. I do get that, though do still wish moderate smoking was more prevalent in the community. I think the political fight would be easier to wage, with likely a vastly different approach.
But this will likely remain my unfulfilled wish, and am very glad for the perspectives shared in this thread. Even if I may not agree with some of what's being said.
Added before submitting: wrote all ^this^ up before reading beyond page 1, and see, on p.2 and p.3, at least some of what I'm saying already being said. Do wish to say Tanti that I value your perspective and glad you shared what you were compelled to post.
of course, the ONLY reason I started vaping was to save money.
