Sazerac

Hey Reci ! This is one of my favorite posts of yours So, You're a Newbie - I Was a Newbie Once Too By reciprocity, January 28, 2018

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Congratulations, Reci, on your TWO YEARS of Freedom ! Thank you for all your marvelous contributions here, you make my world a better place. Hope you celebrate wildly !

What a splendid testimonial, M'life. You have shaped your story in a truthful and accessible way. Thank you for taking the time to share it with all of us. We are behind you and beside you.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

While you sleep your cilia are scrubbing the tar and nicotine off which stimulates your sense of taste and smell. You are doing really great, Opah. It is really cool to watch you build a sturdy quit and to see you jump in and be an important part of community. I am so happy you are here. Your emotions can be all over the place while you return to your original human state. Water your eyes, they will grow. Try and understand your anger, it will dissipate Remember how much fun you had last weekend ? Imagine yourself back in your sanctuary.

Starting cocktails three days early is always a GOOD thing. S

Hey Kenzie. Congratulations on quitting smoking. It may be helpful for you to remember why you started smoking again. Was it, 'I'll just have one ?' or ? I believe that immersion in your education about nicotine addiction is the number one component in a successful forever quit. So, please, even if you think you know everything, read read read until your eyes bleed. Watch the videos, even if you have seen them before. Understand your addiction, inside and out.

Well darling nicotine free creatures, Since January is almost over, February approaching and the Sun is thin, many feel dark as well, some have SAD, some ARE sad. Turn on your sun lamps, find the sun and expose your face and hands, take your Vit D3 and B's and C's. Hang in there, the Light is coming back.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Great post, Peter.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Congratulations, Jack, on your First Month of Freedom ! @notsmokinjo is absolutely right, please make sure you reward yourself ! The Significance of Rewards

Congratulations, Raidermom, on your Two Months of Freedom

Congratulations, Mrsguest, on your First Month of Freedom !

This is a great post, Peter. Thank you. and now for you, Missy ! More tattoos for you ? I CONTROL MY LIFE

We have four seasons here in NOLA. Oyster, Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab season.

Here are your own words, M'life, Posted August 24, 2018 "So, somehow you feel like you don't care anymore. Maybe it's the depression, anxiety, or just some sh☆tty situation. Let me tell you this: you do care and you definitely give a lot about it. You used to think you didn't care, because it was easier and less vulnerable. Back then, it was your only way to survive. But now things are different, you have changed. Be honest with yourself and listen to the soft voices. They want to be heard. They will help you continue this journey. X" and my words, I am sorry the relationship didn't work out and is causing distress. Please be kind to yourself. Stay true to yourself. You needn't make a bigger catastrophe by smoking. Stay close. Drink Deep From The Cup of NOPE. You have built a strong and sturdy quit, trust yourself and protect it. S

Hello Peter, welcome to the QTrain, you may see familiar names from QSMB. We are lucky to have them. Glad you are here and congratulations on your Sixteen Years of Freedom ! Please jump in whenever you have time, your experience is invaluable. S

This is from Red Orbit How Long Does Nicotine Stay in Your Blood and Body Arch January 21, 2019 Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances, which makes smoking a habit that’s notoriously hard to shake. And even if one manages to quit, traces of the substance will still be present in one’s system days after going cold turkey. E-cigarettes are considered a less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes. However, e-cigarette cartridges contain as much as 21 to 85% nicotine. The body won’t know the difference so it will absorb the nicotine just the same. So, how long does nicotine stay in your blood and body? To get the answer, you should take a closer look at the way and rate the human body absorbs this dangerous toxin. SMOKING AND NICOTINE INGESTION Tobacco companies make sure to provide a variety of cigarettes to suit individual nicotine addicts. On average, a single cigarette has 12 milligrams of nicotine, about 1 milligram of which reaches the bloodstream. Once inside the bloodstream, nicotine tests measure nicotine concentration in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). This depends on individual smoking habits. For example, the average smoker may have up to 50ng/ml of cotinine – one of the nicotine metabolites – in their blood. But for heavy smokers, the levels can reach a staggering 500ng/ml. HOW LONG DOES NICOTINE STAY IN YOUR BLOOD? It’ll take about a couple of hours after smoking for your body to remove 50% of the ingested nicotine. On average, it can still be detected in the bloodstream for one to three days after you stopped smoking. The primary nicotine metabolite, cotinine, can show up in blood tests even after 10 days. The time it takes to fully purge either nicotine or cotinine from the blood may depend on the severity of the smoking habit and individual metabolism. As for the tests, they can be divided into two categories: quantitative test for the amount of nicotine and qualitative test for the presence of the substance. But you are not out of the woods after three days. Most of the tests also look for the major nicotine metabolites, cotinine and anabasine, which are both alkaloids that stay in the blood for much longer than nicotine. There is also a strong possibility of a false positive. The culprit for this is the chemical called thiocyanate, which appears in the bloodstream as a result of smoking but is also common in some medications and foods like cabbage and broccoli. HOW LONG DOES NICOTINE STAY IN YOUR URINE? Things are a bit different with nicotine urine tests. For casual smokers, detectable cotinine levels can be present in urine for up to four days. This might go up to three weeks for heavy smokers. The amount of cotinine or nicotine detected depends on the timing of the urine sample. For example, those who haven’t quit smoking may have up to 1,000 ng/mL of the substance in their urine. But a couple of weeks after quitting, the levels usually drop precipitously but may stay above 30 ng/mL, the threshold for a positive result. The labs use different reference ranges to interpret nicotine tests. So, if need be, you might need to go over the results with your physician. HAIR FOLLICLE AND SALIVA TEST Besides blood and urine, trace amounts of nicotine stay in your saliva and hair follicles. In fact, certain hair follicle tests might show positive results up to a year after the last nicotine exposure. But generally, traces of nicotine usually stay in hair follicles for about three months. When it comes to saliva, it takes your body about four days to purge the saliva of nicotine and cotinine. Unlike hair follicle tests, saliva is commonly used to test for nicotine. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE NICOTINE LEVELS Some common rules are applicable here. As previously stated, certain individual factors also apply and may be responsible for a prolonged presence of the substance. Smokers can be divided into three categories. Those who smoke once a week are considered light users. Their body generally gets rid of traceable nicotine in about three days after the last exposure. Moderate users are those who smoke a few times a week and they may expect to test positive for a couple of weeks after quitting. People who smoke on a daily basis fall under the heavy user category. The nicotine in their blood, urine, and saliva might linger for up to twelve months. But there are other factors that come into play. With age, it becomes more difficult for the body to deal with nicotine. And the genetic makeup may also play a significant role. Certain studies indicate that Caucasian and Hispanic people metabolize the substance quicker than African and Asian people. Hormones and liver enzymes may influence the amount of nicotine in the body as well. For example, women who take estrogen or are pregnant might get rid of nicotine faster than men. HOW TO PURGE NICOTINE FROM YOUR BLOOD AND BODY Abstaining from cigarettes and other products that contain nicotine is the best way to get the toxin out of your system. During abstinence, the cells work hard to remove traces of nicotine from your body. In addition, there are a few things that you can do to expedite this process. The first line of defense is being well-hydrated. In other words, the more water you drink, the faster the nicotine leaves via your urine. An antioxidant-rich diet helps as well. Some of the foods you should go for include carrots and oranges. They contain immunity-boosting antioxidants and fibers which may accelerate nicotine removal. Another way to boost your metabolism is to take up exercise. Nicotine and all of its metabolites are released through sweat when exercising. THE FINAL PUFF If you haven’t stopped smoking, now is as good a time as any to start. After abstaining from nicotine for a few months, there’ll be no need to wonder how long does nicotine stay in your blood. REFERENCES: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2946180/ https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/3/176 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0091743579900124 https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Anabasine#section=Top https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/15D8BBF6393C6093C2076546E6515457/S1834261214000279a.pdf/nicotine_pharmacology_toxicity_and_therapeutic_use.pdf https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/23/suppl_2/ii30 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/electronic-cigarettes-good-news-bad-news-2016072510010

I know adults who vape and talking to them about addiction goes as well as to be expected. Thank you for consolidating vaping information. I can send people here. @MarylandQuitter, may we have a place in that part of the forum to add our own research links and experiences dealing with vaping ? It isn't just children, which is particularly heinous, it is adult addicts that are blissfully unaware or in full addiction denial.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

Tomatoes may restore lung damage caused by smoking Published Medical News Today Friday 29 December 2017 From cutting skin cancer risk in half to supporting the immune system, a diet rich in tomatoes and fruits imparts many health benefits. Now, researchers have found that these foods may restore lung function in ex-smokers and slow lung function decline in all adults. A tomato-rich diet may slow smoking- and age-related lung function decline. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD, conducted the study. The findings were published in the European Respiratory Journal. The lungs begin to heal as soon as smoking is ceased. While the response is quick to start, lung improvement is incremental and can take many years. Furthermore, quitting smoking alone does not entirely erase the risk of developing a smoking-related lung disease. Another factor to consider is that the lungs are fully mature by 20–25 years of age. After 35 years old, lung function begins to decline, and breathing becomes gradually more difficult. In a nutshell: the diaphragm weakens, which decreases the ability to breathe in and out; muscles that keep airways open lose elasticity; alveoli lose their shape; and the area of the brain that regulates breathing sends weaker signals to the lungs. Previous research published by The BMJ has demonstrated that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of COPD in current and former smokers. In fact, each extra daily serving was linked to a 4–8 percent lower risk. The new study goes one step further to suggest that consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables — particularly tomatoes and apples — slows down the decline in lung function among ex-smokers over the duration of 10 years. Slower lung deterioration among all adults Compared with adults who consumed fewer than one serving of fruit or one tomato per day, those who ate more than three portions of fruit or more than two tomatoes experienced slower lung function decline. The scientists asked questions about other dietary and processed sources of fruits and vegetables, such as tomato sauce, but the protective effect was only apparent among those who ate fresh fruits and vegetables. This finding suggests that there may be particular components in fresh tomatoes and apples that help to repair the lung damage that results from smoking. What is more, a slower deterioration in lung function was observed in all adults in the study who ate a tomato-rich diet — including those who had never smoked. "This study," says lead study author Vanessa Garcia-Larsen, assistant professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of International Health, "shows that diet might help repair lung damage in people who have stopped smoking. It also suggests that a diet rich in fruits can slow down the lung's natural aging process even if you have never smoked." "The findings," she adds, "support the need for dietary recommendations, especially for people at risk of developing respiratory diseases such as COPD." Diet could help to combat COPD Garcia-Larsen and her team evaluated diet and performed lung function tests, including spirometry, among more than 650 adults from Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom in 2002 and again 10 years later. The connection between diet and lung function was most pronounced among ex-smokers. When the volume of air they could inhale was measured, former smokers who consumed a tomato- and fruit-rich diet had around 80 milliliter slower decline in lung function over 10 years. This indicates that specific nutrients could be playing a role in healing the damage caused by smoking. "Our study suggests that eating more fruits on a regular basis can help attenuate the decline as people age, and might even help repair damage caused by smoking. Diet could become one way of combating rising diagnosis of COPD around the world."

Congratulations, Opah on your FREEDOM ! and thank you so much for all you give to us.