I quit smoking.  I'm still a slave to nicotine - and I don't care - so now I'm vaping.  All the feel and all the hit with absolutely none of the health risks.  No smell, no poisons, no blocked sinuses, lousy tasting mouth, stained fingers, less headaches and a whole lot better feeling in general.

I'll probably be vaping for the rest of my life but at least it's safe.  As for weaning myself off nicotine, I have no intention of doing so.  It's a very, very safe substance in the diluted amounts smokers get and it is also beneficial in that it can help to reduce and even prevent certain degenerative neurological conditions.

Besides which, I like a lot of the rituals involved with smoking, I like the feel of the back of the throat hit, blowing smoke rings and all that stuff.

If you're still smoking traditional cigarettes, give vaping a go.  I'm positive you won't regret it.  

 

 

congrats Sam, I tried but now i'm on 20 rocks per day............. I guess by vaping you mean those false cigarette thingies?, I've tried patches, exercise, 24 hours sleep, nothing works for me, even recycling my own butt ends :(     Guess I'm just one of the incurables

I quit smoking about 25 years ago.  I still have cravings, but I just choose not to participate. Turns out I'm asthmatic, I have congestive heart disease, and a couple of other things that would have possibly killed me earlier if I hadn't quit smoking.  You hang in there, Sam.  It's worth the struggle.

Congrats, Sam.  That's a tough thing to do.  Some of us have to quit cigarettes little by little.  After having major surgery for colon cancer I no longer smoke while doing push-ups.  But I'm gonna build from there.

Well done Sam.  you're quite right, if you are happy with vaping stick to it.  It's all the other stuff you don't need.

There have been too many poser users that used to be on this forum who have, over the years, succumbed to lung cancer.  And of course the risk for every other type of cancer is also increased.

Not to mention you have kids so you need to be healthy for them too.

Again well done. I'm very proud of you.  You face adversity and you do something positive.  Wonderful.

Love esther

Congratulations - I'm glad to hear those e-cigarettes are working out for you... they sound like a great alternative to smoking tobacco to me...

:) 

Congrats, that's a huge step! It's a huge life change, now onto the biggest one of them all, I do hope you will find that life changing experience as well......

Attached Link: Vapestick Electronic Cigarettes

Thanks for the positive words, folks.  In all truth, it's not such a big step from smoking to vaping.  I've been increasingly worried about my health, especially the effects of smoking.  I have asthma, both my parents were smokers; my mother died some years ago as a direct consequence of smoking.  The ultimate cause of my father's death was indeterminate but he had cancer pretty much through his whole body.  If these vape cigarettes had been around 20 years ago, I'm sure both my mom and dad would still be alive.  I've already had one cancer scare late last year - fortunately all clear - but I was beginning to think it was all Game Over.  I've had numerous respiratory infections, pneumonia, been hospitalized a few times and even so, couldn't kick the habit.  This way is dead easy because - here's the real magic - you're not actually quitting.  Just quitting all the toxins and antisocial parts.

Saxon, it's an electronic cigarette, not one of the ones you get at the quit smoking places.  These gadgets give you the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette but along with a harmless amount of vapour, which feels just like smoking.  You actually feel like you're having a cigarette when you use it, so it's pretty much a win/win situation.

For those who pay store prices for cigarettes or tobacco, it also makes a huge saving.  For me - I used to buy tobacco from a "Friend of a friend" and roll my own, not so much of a saving in financial terms but the health gains are enormous.  The Royal College of Surgeons and the British Medical Association have given these things their cautious approval.  Cautious because they have no long term data but on the face of it, there's nothing about vaping that's in the least bit dangerous.  My own doctor strongly approves and recommends anyone who can't quit smoking to switch over.

If you're really wanting a safer alternative to cigarettes, try out one of the disposable ones.  They will give you a reasonable idea of what to expect.  A full kit can cost from around £30.00 up to around £70.00, which would probably equate to $50-$100.  Cartridges cost about £7.00 ($10) for a pack of 4, which is equal to around 160 cigarettes.  There are various nicotine strengths, from zero to high (I use the high strength) and various flavours, such as Tobacco, Menthol, Apple, Cherry, Vanilla, Chocolate...

I have absolutely no association with this company and nothing to gain from passing on this info - they don't have a referral scheme - but if you need more info, take a look at this site, which is where I bought my kit from.  I got the Vapestick Max starter kit and 4 packs of cartridges.  I received them the day after I ordered, too.  There are loads of other companies but these seem to be the market leader in the UK.  

 

 

Sam, I've been doing the same myself.  I decided to pack the fags (cigarettes) in after one of my lungs collapsed a few weeks ago and scared the crap out me.

I suppose all the money I'll save will end up being spent in the Marketplace :)

Good for you Sam!!  I know several people who've been using the e cigs & they are working for them.

I tried a bunch of tips & tricks that didn't work before I quit smoking 6 years ago. What it took was for a doctor to tell me that the shattered bones in my leg would heal better if I didn't smoke. Oddly enough I never even had withdrawals. (maybe the week in the hospital under the influence of pain killers had something to do with that..LOL)  Still crave a smoke once in awhile but it only lasts for a few seconds.

I've been thinking of trying out the e-cigarettes. Lord knows my lungs aren't going to take much more of the regular ones ;).

Laurie

I know a couple of heavy smokers at my job that switched and they seem pretty satisfied with their e-cigs (they say it does take some getting used to). I've smoked about a pack a day for the last 30 years more or less, and have been considering trying it out.

I once managed to quit cold turkey for a few months but inevitably went back... ditto with the patch, I would just end up smoking while wearing the patch. It seems that a penchant for substance abuse and addiction is a genetic predisposition in my family. I've managed to leave a lot of really frightening habits behind (Hell, the underbelly is educational) but cigarettes and coffee are the ones that I cannot and will not surrender. Anyway, quitting outright just does not seem to be a viable option for me so any less harmful alternative is worth investigating.

Glad it seems to be working for you! :)

I can give up ciggies I think, but never coffee. LOL.

Laurie

According to my experiences with very addictive medication (all legally prescribed, I hasten to add) I don't appear to have an addictive personality.  I can - and have - quit even the strongest meds with little or no fuss and absolutely no craving.  Nicotine, though, seems to be several orders of magnitude above those things.  It's said that it's as addictive as heroin.  That's enough to keep me away from heroin, no matter how curious I could ever be.  That, and the fact heroin allegedly makes you feel like God, is better than sex and so forth.  No thanks.  

It's not just the physical addiction to nicotine, though.  The quit smoking people forget there's a whole series of rituals around cigarettes/cigars/pipes or whatever.  With these e-cigarettes, you get to keep the majority of 'em, while still retaining your health.  They even do e-cigars, believe it or not.  I reckon it'd take nothing to change the basic product form factor to make a viable e-pipe, too.

Granted, the market and the basic tech is still young - five years, I believe - but it's already a credible alternative to traditional cigarettes, or "Analogs" as the nerd vapers call 'em.  Yep, like everything else, there's a whole subculture of early adopters with their own hierarchy and jargon.  Me, I just want something to do what I want and do it well enough at a reasonable price.  Anyhow, the thing is, if the products are this good at such a young age, imagine how they'll be when the whole thing is a mature tech.  Smaller, more powerful units that last longer, lower prices and so forth.  I believe the major tobacco companies have been caught with their pants down over these things but now they want a slice of the action, since their traditional market is dying out (in more ways than one).  I reckon it can only be a good thing for the future of these products and - on a selfish note - a continued and improving supply.

@ Laurie & primorge - Give it a shot.  Really.  What have you got to lose, other than maybe $100 bucks?  I took no time getting used to them - but then, I wanted to use them, just didn't have the cash - the only slight drawback you may find is a bit of a sore throat for a few days.  You may get a throaty cough as you clear all the crap out of your lungs but you'll definitely feel much better overall.  For me, the change was almost instantaneous.  I couldn't believe how much of a difference it's made to my pain levels - I have arthritis - and my general health, in such a short space of time.

Above and beyond all this, though, keep in mind, I don't want to quit.  I love smoking.  It's an enjoyable - if very simple - pastime, which, apart from the harmful effects, has many positive aspects to it.  I just don't want to kill myself in the process. If I can find something that makes me switch away from the old "analog" smokes, you can do it, too.  

 

 

 

 

I've been using the lozenges for about 10 years or so. No one even knows I'm using them. Shucks, I regularly pop one in during church, in an airplane, about anywhere. :)

Congrats Sir Therapy! I wish you all the best.

Quote - I quit smoking.  I'm still a slave to nicotine - and I don't care - so now I'm vaping.  All the feel and all the hit with absolutely none of the health risks.  No smell, no poisons, no blocked sinuses, lousy tasting mouth, stained fingers, less headaches and a whole lot better feeling in general.

I'll probably be vaping for the rest of my life but at least it's safe.  As for weaning myself off nicotine, I have no intention of doing so.  It's a very, very safe substance in the diluted amounts smokers get and it is also beneficial in that it can help to reduce and even prevent certain degenerative neurological conditions.

Besides which, I like a lot of the rituals involved with smoking, I like the feel of the back of the throat hit, blowing smoke rings and all that stuff.

If you're still smoking traditional cigarettes, give vaping a go.  I'm positive you won't regret it.  

 

 

Okay, I thought you were going to do something a little more drastic, but this change is good.

I may do that Sam...I'll swipe the hub's e-ciggie that he used before he went back to the real thing ;). I would however, like to quit completely. I've already smoked myself into early COPD and besides, it's an expensive habbit, even with the cartridges ;).

Laurie

Quote - Okay, I thought you were going to do something a little more drastic, but this change is good.

I was also expecting something a bit more drastic - Gender reassignment surgery? Yes a good change all the same.

Congrats! I been vaping with the eGo-C for about 6 months now. Its great! Some of the flavors you can get are fantastic!

Well done Sam!!!!

LOL, for some reason, I figured that's what it was, and I'm not even sure I knew that you smoked. Congratulations! I'm going to have to try them. Giving up booze and the Chronic are child's play compared to tobacco. 

@lmckenzie, booze is horrid... the Chronic is Mana.

Quote - > Quote - Okay, I thought you were going to do something a little more drastic, but this change is good.

I was also expecting something a bit more drastic - Gender reassignment surgery? Yes a good change all the same.

Hehe, same here. Well done Sam.

 

I wonder if there's a higher concentration of addictive personalities on this forum than in the general population? You know, when you think about all the overflowing runtimes and people buying stuff twice because they forgot they already had it, and hanging out on forums when they should be working, and so on...  

;-)

15 months ago I switched to an e-cigarette. After 2 months I realized I don't need it and I quitted smoking completely. :) I smoked over 16 years and round about two boxes per day.
But it's a really good decision to use an e-cigarette, Sam.

Well done Sam keep it I admire you and your encouragement for others to follow you.

I have never smoked or to be totally accurate only had an attempt for one week when I was 18.  Around the same time my Grandfather died, he was one of the role models in my teenage years who I can still picture with a pipe in his mouth.  I watched him die with lung cancer over a long period and in those days there was little in the away of treatment, it was not nice.  Despite this my uncle, who started my interest in phjotography which lead on to Poser and the like, used to smoke 40 a day.  I lost him many years ago at the ripe old age of 50.

I hate cigarettes and the companies that sell them but I am all for anything that can keep people happy without the major health implications.

Hey, Sam!

Glad to see you made this wise decision. I think it is one you will not regret. I am in the same boat as you - I have been a 2 1/2 - 3 pack a day smoker for over 50 years. The 3rd of January this year I was taken ill and went into hospital for an emergency operation. In the process I lost 18" of my colon. I spent 7 days in ICU and then spent 3 weeks in rehab. Needless to say, I had no opportunity to smoke during this time. My wife brought me an e-cigarette which I was hoping would get me by.

No such luck. The ome she purchased fr me, brand name NJOY, is ineffective and about the most worthless piece of crap I have ever tried to use. It came w/ 5 refills, and a couple of them didn't even work! Needless to say, I was very disappointed.

I want to give this a real try. I haven't had a smoke in over 45 days, and although doing okay, I still have the craving. I am determined to not go back to that terrible habit.

From what you describe, your experience w/ what you have purchased is a good one. I am not unwilling to spend $100 or so to get something that will give me a little satisfaction, but being on a rather limited income, can't just throw my money around. My issues with what I have used thus far are lack of any real "smoke" when inhaling, the taste is crummy, and they seem to last me about a half hour. I would be most appreciative if anyone can steer an old man to something that might fill the bill. I Googled "vaping" but I am a bit confused by the results...

TIA

C~

congrats  Sam   this  is  a  very good  thing    quittin aint  easy but  you can  do it

I quit 4 months ago  and  haven't had  a  smoke   since and  i  been  smokin  since  i  was  in   my   teens

which  means  i  gots   more  to  spend  on  products  for  poser and  of  course  better   health 

@ charlie43

you can talk to your  doc  about  chantix  it is  what  i  used  it  blocks  the  nicotine  receptors  in  your  brain  and  it  takes  away the  urges to smoke

i smoked  for  50 yrs  or more  and still get the  ocasional  craving   but  tell  myself   hell  no!! you quit  now  not   no  more   smoking

Attached Link: http://www.veppocig.com/product_images/uploaded_images/the-elegance-of-a-rolls-royce-but-hardcore-tough-300.jpg

Your best bet is probably not an ecigarette but a vaporizer like this. They don't look much like a cigarette, but they give a hit more like a real cigarette ;). Sort of expensive to start when you get a starter kit, but much cheaper afterward since they're reflillable and the bottles of the liquid you use can last for weeks and aren't very expensive. You can also get them in standard and low resistance models. Low resistance gives a bigger hit when you take a drag ;). The ecigarettes are weak, expensive and hard to find the cartomizers, which aren't refillable. And they lie and say you can get something ridiculous like 500 puffs when the average smoker may get a hundred. If they're lucky. LOL.

Laurie

Quote - @ charlie43

you can talk to your  doc  about  chantix  it is  what  i  used  it  blocks  the  nicotine  receptors  in  your  brain  and  it  takes  away the  urges to smoke

i smoked  for  50 yrs  or more  and still get the  ocasional  craving   but  tell  myself   hell  no!! you quit  now  not   no  more   smoking

However, if you happen to be a depressive or prone to seizures I wouldn't take Chantix at ALL. My family doctor said NO when my pulmonoligist wanted to prescribe it for me because I have a history of seizure disorder ;). And it tends to make depressives more depressed. Not a good thing when one is already depressed about not smoking to begin with ;).

Laurie

Ah, you can fill cartomizers.  The suppliers don't like people to know it but it's doable.  Most ECig forums will tell you how and there are even videos on YouTube.

My ECig isn't one of the UberGeek super duper customizable tank models, it's just a damn good mainstream one.  I can't be bothered with all the faffing around that goes with one of the elitist models; like most smokers, I want to do the equivalent of open the pack, take one out, light the damn thing and have a smoke.

With mine, all I have to do is change the battery once a day (I have a spare) and screw in a new cart every now and again.  I'll be refilling my carts soon but even if I don't bother and just continue to buy pre filled ones, it's still a whole hell of a lot cheaper than store prices for real cigarettes.  As I mentioned before, I used to roll my own and get my tobacco dirt cheap so the cost is about the same to me.  My main consideration is my health.  I still can't believe that I can smoke myself daft with this and still be healthy.

I am getting some of the other not so great effects of quitting, though; sore throat, a horrible cough, my asthma has suddenly gotten worse and I'm hawking up all kinds of rubbish.  According to my doc, that's supposed to happen anyhow and it'll soon be over when I have all the tar and other crap out of my system.

As for gender reassignment, as mentioned earlier in this thread, I don't think I'd be a suitable candidate.  A stocky guy with big broad hands and a gravelly voice (Claire says I sound like Barry White), a big Adam's Apple and stubble you could take paint off with.  I don't think I could ever pass for female.  :)  

 

 

Well, was just mentioning it as an option. LOL. I have a Bulldog ecig...bought it yesterday cause ya convinced me to give one a try ;). It gives a hell of a hit (in fact the first drag I took of it made me cough up a lung cause I wasn't expecting it...lol). It does feel like smoking a real cig and I think if I didn't still have tobacco and tubes left (I roll my own too), then I would smoke it and likely not look back ;). I have a couple cartridges extra so as soon as the tobacco is gone I'll be using that rather than the cancer sticks...hehe.

Laurie

I could never get along with those paper tubes.  I just used plain old papers.  Our keyboard player uses the tubes, though.

Good for you, anyhow.  I hope you have many long and happy years vaping.  Claire's still smoking so we have loads of tobacco and stuff around the house.  I gave her what I had left over in my tin when the ECig arrived.  Not regretted it one bit.  

I smoke way less now that I only smoke outside. I went from nearly 2 packs a day down to less than half now, and my clothes and furniture and all the belongings thank me for it. 

Tried the e-cig thing and it leaves a bitter oily film in my throat that I just can't tollerate, and I've read that its linked to higher risk of pneumonia and other lung issues due to the vapor. BUT if it works for others then great.

Good luck with it.

 

~Shane

for those that have tried the ecigs do you have a favorite brand?

ive smoked for over 20 years (camel filterless) and my kids want me to quit

i dont have COPD and im not a depressive personality but the docs said that chantix was not an option      i am an aggressive personality and they thought id kill people

im looking into the zerocig, the V2cig, and some disposables as well but need advice

Well, aside from the vaporizer types, the highest rated ecigs I've seen on sites that rate them are V2s and Njoy, but I can't tell you that for certain because I haven't tried them myself ;). The only one's I've tried are Blu's (took a few drags off the hubby's - thought it was a bit weak) and the Bulldog one I've got right now, which gives a more cigarette-like experience than the Blu did IMVHO.

I would suggest that you go to places that sell the ecigs and vaporizers and view the ratings: places like myvaporstore.com or madvapes.com (but those are US store sites).

Laurie

Congratulations Sam ! I smoked multiple packs per day for over 50 years. Tried the vape but went right back to cigs. On November 22,2021 diagnosed with cancer! I quit that day!

Jan.16,2022 right lung upper lobe was removed. Too this day I want another smoke!!!!!! I'm still clean! It's been a journey no one should take!

I pray for your success.

Jaxon

This is a twelve year old thread bumped up by a spammer.