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Congrats to my Wonderful Son and his lovely fiance who will marry today...lots of love to them both. My NOPE is for them too, hope they have a long and wonderful life together xx

I'll start off by declaring interest here. I have vaped heavily previously and while I no longer vape a number of my family still do so. I certainly hope vaping is the lesser of two evils and more qualified people than me seem to think that it is. During my annual physical a couple of years ago, the doctor recommended that I switch to vaping if I was not prepared to give up smoking. Terminology is probably where we should start in framing the discussion. A little while back Public Health England endorsed a statistic that assessed vaping as being 95% less hazardous than smoking. Now it is important to look at the wording there. I don't like the way people actually throw around the word safe or safer in relation to vaping. We should be talking about how hazardous it is and it falls short of abstinence. And here we also get onto the fact that there is more than one way to vape with a myriad of different devices. Certainly the basic devices, that are similar in usage to cigarettes, seem to largely be falling by the wayside and a more common sight is sub ohm vaping. Think the vast clouds that you see spewed forth from any number of people walking along the street these days. I think most people who use these do so because they actively want to vape and some people will continue to do so for ever more. This doesn't mean that electronic cigarettes can't be used to give up nicotine, but it is unlikely that those people will be thinking in that way. Martian makes a good point about the addictive nature of vaping, although I believe it to be a little more nuanced than a question of pure addiction. I think what you are seeing is people with compulsive behaviours using vaping at extreme levels as you don't tend to get the same negative physical feedback when you over indulge. I know I used vaping in a fairly extreme manner and I think one of the things we are in danger of is seeing illnesses develop in different ways. For me I was unhappy with the mental turmoil. My compulsion meant I wasn't enjoying the precious time with my family as I was constantly looking for an out. In terms of a push to allow people to vape anywhere they want it should not be given the time of day. It is ignorant, ill mannered and puts the desire of the individual to do what they want, when they want, above having the best possible environment for a community as a whole. I am not surprised that young people are trying vaping and some will go on to smoke regular cigarettes beyond that. However I don't buy the arguments that I hear about it being a gateway to smoking. Most people will choose the things that they want to experience in life up to the point where the potential negative effects scare them too much to try it. I think those kids that vape and then move on to smoking were always going to smoke. Ideally people will choose not to smoke and for those that do, when they give up, the best outcome would be that they manage it cold turkey. If they can't stop cold turkey and need an aid then by using Champix/Chantix or the route I took in NRT. But here's the thing. If the people I love were to say to me it is smoking or vaping, I can't go without, then I'd plead with them to switch to vaping. I would love both my brother and sister to do so, because smoking will get them all too soon. I'm near certain that vaping would not be doing them the same level of physical damage. So really the question is what does quitting mean? Is it getting off nicotine in its entirety or is it getting off cigarettes? I think that is going to be one for the individual to make their minds up. There was an interesting programme on TV here a couple of years back, a copy of which has been loaded to the dailymotion site for anyone that wants to watch it. It is informative, but given the subject matter, obviously doesn't have all the answers by a very long way. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5875ke

NOPE!

I've ordered the wine !!!.....I hope it's enough ...there will be some hard partying ....

NOPE

#NOPE

NOPE! Congratss Catlover. They look gorgeous.

NOPE!

^^^Thank you Shane, this was them at a friends wedding...not there own.

Congratulations to you and your family. They look great. I hope they have many happy years together.

Good Morning fellow NOPErs. Hope you all have lovely weekends. Today is Global Forgiveness Day, yep its on the calendar of special days. So on Global Forgiveness Day I would like to take this time to forgive myself for wasting all the time, money and healthy lung tissue smoking, yes it was stupid, yes it was a mistake and yes it more than rolled the risk dice with my own future but I don't hate myself because of it, I forgive myself and I move forward as a reformed, non smoker. So to a world without forgiveness and to a life where I resent myself for decisions that can't be changed but have been corrected I say: . NOPE ... not today, not tomorrow, not ever, forever! Topic of the day: Still being Patriot... but it has to change tomorrow cos its sundee.

Thanks everyone! Im pure chuffed! Im getting a bit impatient though, i just want to be on The lido deck!!! But it will come. I was in the supermarket after work today picking up some rum and i noticed the long queue at the kiosk. Thats where you need to get fags in the supermarket and there is always a long queue and always only one server!!! I walked past them all thinking poor souls waiting for their fags and geez i dont miss waiting in that queue! Funny how times change. Feels great to be doing something so blooming positive.

NOPE and nope to fried chicken...

Came searching for my Friday Fluffy hugs from @Wee fluffy me, but they're nowhere to be found. Despite the quivering bottom lip, Nope!

Nope

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations @Jetblack for being 9 months smoke free! Well it is official, you have reached the 3/4er mark on your way to the first year of freedom. What a great quit you have there. Your presence and persepective on the baords always brings something new and interesting to a thread. Keep up your stella efforts. Hope you celebrate well and spoil yourself rotten the 75% mark really is a great achievement.

Congratulations @WeegieWoman for being smoke free for 8 months!! Well done Weegie. What a wonderfully strong quit you have going. Thank you so much for all your many contributions and the great support you off to everyone on the boards. 8 months is such great work. Keep rowing towards that Lido Deck because your 2/3rds of the way there now. How you do something non-gym related to spoil yourself for this fantastic achievement.

NOPE (congratulations catlover)

Ahhh ...... NOPE! Congrats on your son's marriage CL

NOPE!!!!!!

Good Morning NOPErs. ITS FRIDAY ... that has to be worth a yay. Well I've checked the calendars, and its another quiet day in Aus, the UN offers International Day of Co-operatives which are a great tool out of poverty for underprivileged communities and more often to not aid women and the environment but hands down, without a doubt the US is today's winner, winner chicken dinner quite literally as they celebrate Fried Chicken Day... now I have an issue with this because I don't eat meat on Fridays but even if you are super health let it be the one day a year you endulge... as as me kid always says "Why can't it be like Simpsons, why can't we order extra skin?" NOPE .... not today, not tomorrow, not ever, forever ! Topic of the day: Patriotic Movies or Songs.... yep still, waiting on a letter.

I'm unloading the beer right now! Oh Boy ....... that was close!

NOPE!!!

Nope! I'm a nicotine addict who no longer smokes.

#NOPE

NOPE - smoking sucks! Happy Friday, everybody!

Gday its NOPE for me C

NOPE!

NOPE!!!!!!

I'm working on providing the cookies for the parties but it may take a while.....

Smokers are at a higher risk for 12 different types of cancer: Mouth & throat, esophagus, stomach, larynx, lungs, blood, kidney, pancreas, liver, cervix, bladder, colon & rectum.

"The safer alternative." So, we can state with some degree of certainty that vaping is most likely safer than the deadliest commercial product in the history of mankind. I don't think the threshold can be lowered anymore than that.

edam?

What..... how did that happen..?? Zeerroooo

NOPE!

All of the Summerbies have their 1/2 decade are coming up, which is amazing, isn't it?! I have to admit that I love seeing the newbie milestones... 3 days, 1 week, 1 month, 4 months, 6 months, etc... these accomplishments are HUGE, perhaps dare I say even more huge than the 5 year mark? Definitely more huge IMO, you guys are the real MVPs...

Aye, aye Captain! My crew is assembled and ready to start cleaning up.

@reciprocity you got that Lido Deck spick and span for our very special 5 year celebration on the 7th??? I warned you it was going to be a bug couple of weeks so you best get Cheif Pierre to pull his finger out.... 7th has Nancy's 5 year woohoo to freedom, so that lido deck had better be shining cos Nancy's a classy chick not like some of us and she deserves the best. We also have a 5 year shout out for someone who used to be a regular, a couple of 2 year recliner parties, a massive 6 year celebration mid month, a 3 year drinks, another 5 year and a 4 year shout out and we bring home the month with a brand new inductee to the Lido Deck and a 2 year recliner party.... so best get your minions ready for some tidying up cos its one busy month. Clearly July is a very good month to quit.

It was my stellar clue wasn't it?

Do you know what cheese is made backwards?

Aye, Im making a honey glaze for a roast gammon on sunday, is it going to be like a make shift fly catcher?

Congratulations weegie on eight months quit! And for all you contribute around here

Wow Weegie! 8 months is great. Looks like your quit is a keeper. Congratulations!

Congratulations on your 9 months Jetblack!

No, did the big fly take a rolled up newspaper to a guy in slippers?

-16 7:30 and already hotter than the pits of Hades

Im not fussed about vapers, its their quit. There are some people who would bash folk for using for example patches or gum. I used patches and lozenges and i wouldnt be here without them. So i just think do whatever you goto do to not smoke. Thats the only thing we all have in common here, not smoking fags.