GUNS N' ROSES and SIXX: A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba claims that he almost lost his life after trying to quit smoking by using electronic cigarettes containing dangerous chemicals.

Ashba, who has been trying to kick the habit for at least a couple of years now, posted a photo on Instagram on Wednesday of himself smoking a cigarette. This prompted one fan to ask him: "I thought you quit the cigs, man?" The guitarist then replied: "I did quit [cigarettes] for 9 months. However, I was smoking fake cigarettes that I bought in a mall in Poland which contained high doses of nicotine and antifreeze, which kills people."

He continued: "Nobody knows this, but I was rushed to the hospital put on heart monitors and I had eight of the best doctors trying to save my life. Poison control confirmed that the nicotine intake that was going into my body from the fake cigarettes was equivalent to smoking 33 packs of cigarettes a day.

"After doing a full body CAT scan, the doctors were amazed that every organ in my body was in perfect condition. They advised me to start smoking real cigarettes because my body would go into shock if I just stop smoking, so now I can wean myself off of real cigarettes and hopefully quit for good this time."

He added: "We purposely kept this out of the press but that is the real story of why I am smoking right now."

Electronic cigarettes, also called "e-cigarettes," are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.