# Your car smells so good...



## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

I get _a lot_ of riders commenting that my car smells so good... at least three or four a night. Usually I just say thank you. But some ask me what it is, if it's something I'm wearing, or if it's an air freshener I use... Sometimes I like to make them guess. On more than one occasion I've had women try to surreptitiously smell me (and a few who were more overt).

But none so far have guessed my secret...

I used to be a smoker, but four years ago I switched to an electronic cigarette (quit smoking the first day, and never even thought about going back). I pretty much chain vape whenever I don't have riders in the car. What they're smelling, that everyone loves so much is the vapor I exhale from my e-cig.

Usually mint chocolate, blueberry, or peach mango. I mix my own liquids to save money (costs me under $10 a month), and so that I know exactly what's in it (I use FDA and USP certified ingredients). The mint chocolate tends to elicit the most comments.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Just Some Guy said:


> I get _a lot_ of riders commenting that my car smells so good... at least three or four a night. Usually I just say thank you. But some ask me what it is, if it's something I'm wearing, or if it's an air freshener I use... Sometimes I like to make them guess. On more than one occasion I've had women try to surreptitiously smell me (and a few who were more overt).
> 
> But none so far have guessed my secret...
> 
> ...


I just 1 Starred a rider who had 2 people wanting to bring their lit smokes into my car - to think they could be using these E Ciggies ans have people wanting yhem to be around!


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## UberSonic (Jul 22, 2014)

I vape too! Desert Gold is my flavor of choice when on the road. A turkish blend that makes the car smell real good. Get plenty of compliments on it.


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

I was worried last night that my car would smell.... three very drunk girls I picked up at a bar in Hermosa Beach lit a pipe in the back seat and by the time I pulled over to explain the rules I thought
I would never get the smell out.... the ride lasted another 20 minutes and with 2 windows open the Ganja smell was gone.

Not that many late nite pax would complain.....


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## TomNashville (Jul 20, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> I was worried last night that my car would smell.... three very drunk girls I picked up at a bar in Hermosa Beach lit a pipe in the back seat and by the time I pulled over to explain the rules I thought
> I would never get the smell out.... the ride lasted another 20 minutes and with 2 windows open the Ganja smell was gone.
> 
> Not that many late nite pax would complain.....


They straight up smoked weed in your vehicle? To me that's an instant drop off on the side of the road, 1 star and a cleaning fee!


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## getemtheresafely (Jul 1, 2014)

what proof would you have of the "mess left in your car"??


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## LAuberX (Jun 3, 2014)

Yep. Pipe full of weed.

Too drunk to kick out...my rating and my car survived the way I handled it.


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## YetiUber (Aug 5, 2014)

I'd have no problem if any rider wanted to use their e-cig on a trip. Smoking not allowed. I'm a vaper myself (1.5 yrs non smoker now). Vaping is starting to catch on in Australia.

I've taken an Uber Black in Sydney recently and asked if I could vape and the driver didn't really know what it was. I explained it to him but said I wouldn't be upset if he said no, he declined politely so I told him no problem. It is his car after all.


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

YetiUber said:


> I'd have no problem if any rider wanted to use their e-cig on a trip. Smoking not allowed. I'm a vaper myself (1.5 yrs non smoker now). Vaping is starting to catch on in Australia.
> 
> I've taken an Uber Black in Sydney recently and asked if I could vape and the driver didn't really know what it was. I explained it to him but said I wouldn't be upset if he said no, he declined politely so I told him no problem. It is his car after all.


It's starting to be at least known here, if not really catching on. I think the main hindrance to it becoming much more popular are the crappy Blu e-cigs, and other such brands sold at gas stations and convenience stores. Smokers try them, and most don't find it satisfying enough, so they assume they're all like that. But give them something with better liquid, and more power (ideally adjustable wattage to get the best flavor and vapor), and it's a totally different experience.


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## TomNashville (Jul 20, 2014)

getemtheresafely said:


> what proof would you have of the "mess left in your car"??


I'd take the pic of the pipe in their hands.


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## TomNashville (Jul 20, 2014)

LAuberX said:


> Yep. Pipe full of weed.
> 
> Too drunk to kick out...my rating and my car survived the way I handled it.


Too drunk to kick out? I've left people on the curb for being too drunk, didn't even let them get in! You are much more compassionate to those who make poor decisions than I am!


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

TomNashville said:


> Too drunk to kick out? I've left people on the curb for being too drunk, didn't even let them get in! You are much more compassionate to those who make poor decisions than I am!


http://www.independent.com/news/2013/jun/18/taxi-company-sued-passengers-death/

The case is still ongoing... so we may, or may not, be responsible for babysitting people who are "too drunk".


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## TomNashville (Jul 20, 2014)

Just Some Guy said:


> http://www.independent.com/news/2013/jun/18/taxi-company-sued-passengers-death/
> 
> The case is still ongoing... so we may, or may not, be responsible for babysitting people who are "too drunk".


One huge difference is that the cabbie was paid up front for a fare, our fares are calculated based upon time and distance, so if we end the ride, we are no longer being compensated. Plus, there are no absolutes in law, there is always a reason to eject a passenger, especially if the passenger turns violent. Imagine ejecting a violent belligerent drunk that later gets hit and killed by a car, would you have been expected to take a beating to save his ass?


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

TomNashville said:


> One huge difference is that the cabbie was paid up front for a fare, our fares are calculated based upon time and distance, so if we end the ride, we are no longer being compensated. Plus, there are no absolutes in law, there is always a reason to eject a passenger, especially if the passenger turns violent. Imagine ejecting a violent belligerent drunk that later gets hit and killed by a car, would you have been expected to take a beating to save his ass?


Sadly the law and logic don't always agree... if the cabbie loses the case, it _will_ set a precedent, and similar lawsuits are very likely to follow. Whether you're likely to win or not, it will cost you a lot of money. I wouldn't hold my breath on Uber being willing to back you up either. In fact they'll probably say you were acting on your own against their policies so they can try to get themselves out of the lawsuit (even though obviously they'd be the real target since lawyers always go for the deepest pockets, but sue everyone even remotely involved just in case). 
I've been called to testify in civil and criminal cases on more than one occasion while working in EMS. I was even named in a malpractice suit once, even though I never had any contact with the patient, because I was on scene treating another patient (3 car MVA, 7 patients total). I and my partner were quickly dropped from the suit once it was determined we had no patient contact, as were two of the other crews, but one of the crews was not so lucky... although it was eventually decided that they had done nothing wrong, it still took almost three years to resolve.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Just Some Guy said:


> Sadly the law and logic don't always agree... if the cabbie loses the case, it _will_ set a precedent, and similar lawsuits are very likely to follow. Whether you're likely to win or not, it will cost you a lot of money. I wouldn't hold my breath on Uber being willing to back you up either. In fact they'll probably say you were acting on your own against their policies so they can try to get themselves out of the lawsuit (even though obviously they'd be the real target since lawyers always go for the deepest pockets, but sue everyone even remotely involved just in case).
> I've been called to testify in civil and criminal cases on more than one occasion while working in EMS. I was even named in a malpractice suit once, even though I never had any contact with the patient, because I was on scene treating another patient (3 car MVA, 7 patients total). I and my partner were quickly dropped from the suit once it was determined we had no patient contact, as were two of the other crews, but one of the crews was not so lucky... although it was eventually decided that they had done nothing wrong, it still took almost three years to resolve.


that's just crap when EMS personnel get hit with legal action after the event. As if they don't give 150%, for the benefit of an accident victim. With all the variables going on in the aftermath of an MVA any lowlife Lawyer could find some procedural error to try and exploit.

An MVA should be dealt with as if it was a war zone (which often is the case), with first responders protected every step of the way.


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## UberDC (Jul 12, 2014)

I get frequent compliments on the smell of my car but I don't smoke. I use a Febreeze air vent clip.


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## KrisThuy (Aug 6, 2014)

darn u mean the air inside ur car that people are breathing are from ur mouth?

hehe sorry man
i always been not like the smoke smell because of how it smell i dont like smelling the smoke because the smoke is coming out of the other dudes mouth then we breath it in :/ disgusting stuff

i appologize to smokers out there


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## ElectroFuzz (Jun 10, 2014)

KrisThuy said:


> darn u mean the air inside ur car that people are breathing are from ur mouth?
> 
> hehe sorry man
> i always been not like the smoke smell because of how it smell i dont like smelling the smoke because the smoke is coming out of the other dudes mouth then we breath it in :/ disgusting stuff
> ...


I'll play the devils advocate.
You can say the same thing about the air you exhale in your car.
But there is a big difference, propylene glycol (used in ecigs) is an air disinfectant.
They are actually using it in operating rooms to kill airborne germs.

That said, I would never vape in my car.


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## KrisThuy (Aug 6, 2014)

ElectroFuzz said:


> I'll play the devils advocate.
> You can say the same thing about the air you exhale in your car.
> But there is a big difference, propylene glycol (used in ecigs) is an air disinfectant.
> They are actually using it in operating rooms to kill airborne germs.
> ...


isnt it bad to smoke disinfectant stuff?

i know we exhale air but its not as much as u blowing it towards my nose :// lol


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

ElectroFuzz said:


> I'll play the devils advocate.
> You can say the same thing about the air you exhale in your car.
> But there is a big difference, propylene glycol (used in ecigs) is an air disinfectant.
> They are actually using it in operating rooms to kill airborne germs.
> ...


I can also say that I have not had a single cold, cough, or sore throat in the four years I've been vaping. A fact which I feel is attributable to the antimicrobial properties of propylene glycol.


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## YetiUber (Aug 5, 2014)

Just Some Guy said:


> I can also say that I have not had a single cold, cough, or sore throat in the four years I've been vaping. A fact which I feel is attributable to the antimicrobial properties of propylene glycol.


Lol, I think not.

I have never had a year that I've ever been so sick. I can easily attribute that to having a baby (and all the germs they pick up in daycare). I vape most of the day.

Ecigs will not stop you from getting sick! In fact, its always best not to let friends 'have a go' on your ecig (mine always want to try).


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

KrisThuy said:


> isnt it bad to smoke disinfectant stuff?
> 
> i know we exhale air but its not as much as u blowing it towards my nose :// lol


Not at all. The CDC actually did a study on it when they were developing aerosolized antibiotics for use in the event of a biological weapon attack. As ElectroFuzz pointed out, it is commonly aerosolized in hospital ventilation systems to kill airborne bacteria and viruses. They've also started using higher concentrations aerosolized in oxygen and delivered directly by mask for patients with acute pulmonary infections. The amount you'd need to inhale to cause any negative effects is insanely high, some studies have shown 18mg/kg/day will cause a slight decrease in hemoglobin levels after 28 days. So just to keep the math simple, lets say you weigh 220lbs, that's 100kg. So you'd need to inhale 1800mg per day to see any ill effects. I chain vape most of the day, and at most I go through 6 to 8mg in a day. Even working in an environment where it's aerosolized in the ventilation system, and you're inhaling it all day, you still wouldn't come anywhere even remotely near that dosage given the concentrations at which it is used as an antimicrobial agent.


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

YetiUber said:


> Lol, I think not.
> 
> I have never had a year that I've ever been so sick. I can easily attribute that to having a baby (and all the germs they pick up in daycare). I vape most of the day.
> 
> Ecigs will not stop you from getting sick! In fact, its always best not to let friends 'have a go' on your ecig (mine always want to try).


Maybe you're not vaping enough then. How many mg a day do you average? PG or VG base?

Admittedly I do also take 2g of vitamin C a day as well. Being around sick people as frequently as I am (some _really_ sick), I like to keep my immune system strong.


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

KrisThuy said:


> darn u mean the air inside ur car that people are breathing are from ur mouth?
> 
> hehe sorry man
> i always been not like the smoke smell because of how it smell i dont like smelling the smoke because the smoke is coming out of the other dudes mouth then we breath it in :/ disgusting stuff
> ...


Vaping e-cigs smells nothing like smoking a cigarette.


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## YetiUber (Aug 5, 2014)

Just Some Guy said:


> Maybe you're not vaping enough then. How many mg a day do you average? PG or VG base?
> 
> Admittedly I do also take 2g of vitamin C a day as well. Being around sick people as frequently as I am (some _really_ sick), I like to keep my immune system strong.


Usually 60/40 or 70/30 mix and 18mg nic.
I'm also on the vitamins but its winter and there are lots of flu bugs around. I'm also rarely sick, so that's why I put it down to our 9 month old daughter this time.

All I know is that vaping has improved my overall health by allowing me to give up traditional cigarettes. I understand propylene glycol is used widely in various instances but have not read any reports of what you are referring to.

Anyway, don't want to open a can of worms here about the safety of vaping overall. At face value, it certainly helped me quit tobacco and I promote it to friends and strangers anytime I'm asked.

As a side note, I'm a fan of candy cane from Pink Spot Vapors. It's expensive but very smooth and flavoursome. I'm keen to get into mixing my own flavours soon but I have so many bottles of juice to get through yet!

I'm wondering if I might put up a sign in my vehicle when I start driving... Like, No Smoking Please - Ecigs Permitted.


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

YetiUber said:


> Usually 60/40 or 70/30 mix and 18mg nic.
> I'm also on the vitamins but its winter and there are lots of flu bugs around. I'm also rarely sick, so that's why I put it down to our 9 month old daughter this time.
> 
> All I know is that vaping has improved my overall health by allowing me to give up traditional cigarettes. I understand propylene glycol is used widely in various instances but have not read any reports of what you are referring to.
> ...


Being in the medical field, I've read the actual studies, and not just the summaries sometimes mentioned in various articles. Essentially vaping is good, and actually has _health benefits_ in many cases. Nicotine is actually used medicinally for the treatment of several diseases (eg neuropathy in diabetics, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, depression, etc). There are _some_ circumstances where it can be detrimental though. For example while nicotine itself is *not* a carcinogen, it will increase the growth rate of some types of tumors if you already have cancer. I could go more in depth on the medical studies of both nicotine and propylene glycol if you really want, but it gets very technical. Suffice to say that PG is definitely not bad, and neither is nicotine (in most cases) when isolated from the other nitrosamines in tobacco. It's primarily the other nitrosamines and the byproducts of combustion that make smoking so bad for your health (and those around you). Don't believe the propaganda from the FDA, they frequently ignore the studies that have been done, as well as misrepresent the findings of some studies. Their agenda is to ensure that they can profit by taxing electronic cigarettes as they do tobacco, and to ensure the high profits of the pharmaceutical companies producing smoking cessation medications/devices which they know have a low success rate (thus ensuring continued sales).

As for a sign, here's one from the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association.










or this one...


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## kalo (Jun 28, 2014)

TomNashville said:


> Imagine ejecting a violent belligerent drunk that later gets hit and killed by a car, would you have been expected to take a beating to save his ass?


It's a problem. You'd better have a video or witness in the case above. That's why drivers are taking such a chance in this job NOT having liability insurance while running a business. Drivers are not factoring this potential "cost". A cost that would be life changing. Drunks in our cars magnify this potential liability 10 fold probably. Even with the video, drivers likely will have to foot the bill for defense in the this type of case.


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## TomNashville (Jul 20, 2014)

kalo said:


> It's a problem. That's why drivers are taking such a chance in this job NOT having liability insurance while running a business. Drivers are not factoring this potential "cost". A cost that would be life changing. Drunks in our cars magnify this potential liability 10 fold probably.


What you are talking about falls under the heading of a "duty to rescue law", laws that actually require people to help others. These have been found largely unconstitutional. There are laws on the books in 10 states that require people to call the police to assist "strangers in peril". Perhaps the best way to handle drunken passengers that you eject would be to eject them, but call the police before leaving to notify them of drunken people at a specific location.


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

TomNashville said:


> What you are talking about falls under the heading of a "duty to rescue law", laws that actually require people to help others. These have been found largely unconstitutional. There are laws on the books in 10 states that require people to call the police to assist "strangers in peril". Perhaps the best way to handle drunken passengers that you eject would be to eject them, but call the police before leaving to notify them of drunken people at a specific location.


Generally there are three scenarios where you _may_ _have a_ _duty to rescue_.

*Special Relationships and Circumstances*: You may have a duty to rescue someone as a result of a special relationship that exists between you and the person in danger, such as between a teacher and a student.
*You Created the Danger*: If your own negligence creates a danger to another person and causes that person to require rescuing, you will usually be found to have a legal duty to rescue the person in danger.
*You Began to Rescue*: If you begin to rescue a person in peril, you may have a legal duty to finish your attempt. The court usually applies a reasonableness standard. If you began a rescue and then stopped, the court may find that you may have a duty to continue if a reasonable person would have done so under the circumstances.
The second, and possibly the first and third could apply in our situations. Depending on where you eject the passenger, you _could_ be creating the danger. Especially if they do not know the area, it's a high crime area, a roadway were pedestrians are not permitted, or possibly even they're too intoxicated to know where they are. A good attorney could argue for this one easily in just about any situation. It is conceivable that initiating transport of a person obviously too intoxicated to care for themselves _could_ be construed as "you began to rescue". As for the first one... that's going to depend on a detailed analysis of Uber's usage agreement.

I'd also point out that CA (Uber's home state) is one of the states with duty to rescue laws, as is MA.

For me personally as a medical professional, I have a whole set of other issues which could come into play if I could be considered to have initiated care of a patient. So I am very careful in what I say or do when transporting intoxicated riders.


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## TomNashville (Jul 20, 2014)

Just Some Guy said:


> Generally there are three scenarios where you _may_ _have a_ _duty to rescue_.
> 
> *Special Relationships and Circumstances*: You may have a duty to rescue someone as a result of a special relationship that exists between you and the person in danger, such as between a teacher and a student.
> *You Created the Danger*: If your own negligence creates a danger to another person and causes that person to require rescuing, you will usually be found to have a legal duty to rescue the person in danger.
> ...


Duty to rescue is also weighed against personal safety. If for example, a drunk attacked you, and you discharged him, or as in the case of another member on here, someone grabbed her steering wheel, I would say you are completely in the right to eject someone, to CYA, it might be wise to call the police as well, but I would think that your liability should end there.


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

TomNashville said:


> Duty to rescue is also weighed against personal safety. If for example, a drunk attacked you, and you discharged him, or as in the case of another member on here, someone grabbed her steering wheel, I would say you are completely in the right to eject someone, to CYA, it might be wise to call the police as well, but I would think that your liability should end there.


Depending on the state, if there is an issue of personal safety, you may be required to call the police, and wait nearby until they arrive. But if you kicked them out solely because they were just an annoying drunk, or because they were vomiting in your car, you could certainly have some legal issues. As we're all independent contractors, it's our responsibility to check our own local laws on the subject. Some may be very surprised to find out what their legal responsibilities are when dealing with intoxicated passengers. At least in my case I'd be able to testify as to my professional medical opinion whether the intoxicated rider was competent enough to be left on their own if I had to kick them out. But at the same time it also means I'd be held to a higher standard than most drivers would.

Of course most of the time the drunk you kicked out wouldn't even know that they could file a lawsuit even if the situation would have allowed for it. They may not even remember what happened at all in the morning...


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Any carcinogens found in a morning after, post-curry Fart?; walked into one in a Cab the other day - MAN! Could've killed a Brown Dog. 

I Was in the backseat gagging and Raj had the kiddie lock on the electric windows. Things were getting worse when I told him the car stank and could he open the windows.

"WHAT DID YOU STEP IN MAN!" Gungadin screams at me.

I hadn't stomped a chocolate log but the guy kept at me, so I got out. I felt like I had to scrape the smell off me.....


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## Django (May 5, 2014)

Just Some Guy said:


> Being in the medical field, I've read the actual studies, and not just the summaries sometimes mentioned in various articles. Essentially vaping is good, and actually has _health benefits_ in many cases. Nicotine is actually used medicinally for the treatment of several diseases (eg neuropathy in diabetics, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, depression, etc). There are _some_ circumstances where it can be detrimental though. For example while nicotine itself is *not* a carcinogen, it will increase the growth rate of some types of tumors if you already have cancer. I could go more in depth on the medical studies of both nicotine and propylene glycol if you really want, but it gets very technical. Suffice to say that PG is definitely not bad, and neither is nicotine (in most cases) when isolated from the other nitrosamines in tobacco. It's primarily the other nitrosamines and the byproducts of combustion that make smoking so bad for your health (and those around you). Don't believe the propaganda from the FDA, they frequently ignore the studies that have been done, as well as misrepresent the findings of some studies. Their agenda is to ensure that they can profit by taxing electronic cigarettes as they do tobacco, and to ensure the high profits of the pharmaceutical companies producing smoking cessation medications/devices which they know have a low success rate (thus ensuring continued sales).
> 
> As for a sign, here's one from the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association.
> 
> ...


I dont think there has been enough time in the vapor craze to determine long term health consequences. To say putting these liquid nicotine fixes into your lungs is a health benefit sounds a bit far fetched. The body handles most things in moderation well, but nicotine is a serious addiction and vaping it for most isn't a moderate activity.


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## Just Some Guy (Jun 10, 2014)

Django said:


> I dont think there has been enough time in the vapor craze to determine long term health consequences. To say putting these liquid nicotine fixes into your lungs is a health benefit sounds a bit far fetched. The body handles most things in moderation well, but nicotine is a serious addiction and vaping it for most isn't a moderate activity.


Vaping is relatively new, but the chemicals used are not. They have been extensively studied for decades. PG is used as a food preservative in addition to it's antimicrobial uses in medicine, it's in _a lot_ of foods. It's also used in makeup, asthma inhalers, etc.
I never said nicotine wasn't addictive, it certainly is, but does that in and of itself mean that it's bad for you? Caffeine is addictive as well, and the health risks of nicotine (when isolated from the tobacco plant and it's other nitrosamines) are about equal to those of caffeine. Smoking is bad, tobacco is bad, no one is questioning that fact, but nicotine got an undeserved bad reputation because of its close association with smoking.

Here's just a little of the medical research...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC526783/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...med_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=6
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...med_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=9
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1579636
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17878927
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...med_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=6
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...med_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=5

The health benefits of nicotine have been known since 1966, but it's been unpopular for researchers and medical professionals to talk about them because of all of the anti-smoking campaigns, and the negative effects of tobacco.


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## Django (May 5, 2014)

The bad part about addiction is the inability to moderate... A cup of coffee, a vape a day, one glass of wine, is moderate in my opinion. But most people who vape nicotine are doing it sun up to sundown and because the restrictions are less it seems easier to do more often then smoking. 

Sure those chemicals are safe to ingest perhaps, but is putting them into your lungs a different animal? Is putting warm vapors in general a different animal. There are exceptions to everything, you could smoke unfilters and live to be 100. Im just saying vaping nicotine all day isnt a health benefit like eating more fruits and veggies.

P.s. I bought a Volcano 10 years ago, so Im not that new to vaping...


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