to feel positively evangelical about electronic cigarettes?

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

I was reading the AIBU thread about the husband vaping in the house with a newborn. I was struck by the passionate testimonials from former smokers, saying they couldn't have done it without e-cigs. I had tried a puff one of those things that look like a cigarette and was underwhelmed. But I didn't know about the more advanced set ups where you can fill them up with your flavour of choice. Anyway, I was intrigued. I smoked a pack a day for 25 years, and never quit more than a few months at a time, no matter which methods I tried.

nb84 encouraged me to give it a try and told me what to buy to get started.

I ordered a starter kit that night. It arrived the next day and I fell in love. I have three of them, now (one always charging, one near to hand, and one in my purse ready to go) and eight different flavours of the juice.

I don't want to smoke cigarettes any more. I like this better. It tastes really good. It feels good. And it doesn't stink. My hands, clothing, and breath don't reek anymore. I don't have to keep going outside. I don't have to feel like a smelly pariah. My husband can't smell it even when I'm sitting right next to him.

And I don't have to try and not think about the fact that my mother died of cancer after spending her last decade debilitated by emphysema.

And instead of paying £8 a day for fags, I can buy a week's worth of juice for £10. The hardware was less than £20 to get started and will require only £10 a month going forward. Of course, I can spend more. Many people geek out on it as a hobby because the gadgets are fun and constantly improving.

I'm not worried about putting on weight like people usually do when giving up the cancer sticks. In fact, I snack less. I no longer crave sweets. I would normally nibble all day, especially Haribo sweets. I don't want them anymore because I am tasting a bunch of sweet flavours all day long.

I'm so happy that I want to tell everyone - every smoker and everyone who loves a smoker - about it.

[Rachel778]

Ive had few lapses (only a few roll ups) but I love my vaping :) I am looking forward to watermelon. american cigarette , margarita and vanilla flavours next :)

[waterlego6064]

Stayaway It's understandable to have reservations or objections to the ecigs, but I think it's narrow-minded to say that Champix is the answer for everyone. It made me feel very ill and I have a history of MH problems so it wasn't suitable for me. I'm sure we could all agree that there is probably is no 'one size fits all' solution.

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

"I'm a week without cigarettes using the Stoptober campaign. I started smoking again in December after giving up for 10 years. I've tried ecigs but they don't work for me. The way I give up is to change my routine.

I've had cravings but I think (for me anyway) it is better to find something else to do rather than replace smoking with vaping.

If anyone wants to stop I really do recommend the stoptober app and pack."

That is fantastic, Llareggub! Good for you!

I would recommend that people try to simply quit smoking, first. They may be in the minority for whom it takes. But if repeated attempts and various methods vail, then vaping can be a life saver.

[Beastofburden]

People who advise on smoking cessation using established methods. May well find the rush to vaping irritating. So much goodwill, care and thought has gone into established addiction management and we don't want to throw that away or be dismissive of it.

But the fact remains that sadly it is not as effective as society needs it to be.

I think we badly need some independent research, so we can evaluate the genuine downside of vaping.

Of course it is healthier not to smoke. I am not about to take up vaping. But in many cases its a choice between vaping and smoking.

[sonlypuppyfat]

I am desperate for my DM to try one of these, she must be spending a fortune on fags. I so hate the smell of smoking and the smell gets everywhere she gave me some icelollys for my DCs I handed them out they said ugh are these from grandma the smell had even got into the freezer.

[forumdonkey]

I'm an old time vaper - 3yrs and 3 months When I started on them they were causing quite a stir when I vaped in pubs as hardly anyone had ever seen one. I love love love my ecigs and over the years they have improved dramatically.

I've been banging on about them for years and I have friends who were happy to stay on cigs and just had them for when they couldn't get out for a real cig but have ended up loving them more than the real thing - result not wanting to smoke!!

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

By the way, the easiest quit I ever had was Navy boot camp. Cold turkey, and I never jonesed an instant. For ten weeks my life was turned upside down and regimented. There were no trigger situations like bars, cafes, or watching television. Just lots of physical exercise and being yelled at.

I bought a pack the very first day after I passed-in-review, as did every other smoker in my division.

[Beastofburden]

somly gross, sounds like my Dsisters house!

[Feminine]

I wonder if any non-smokers ( never smoked) will take them up?

[BitchyRestingFace]

Oh OP, I smiled reading that, I was exactly the same when I "discovered" vaping. Ignore the naysayers and doom-mongers.

Really don't understand the "but you're just swapping one addiction for another!" rhetoric. I mean...yes. And? We've swapped a noxious, expensive, miserable habit for a clean, fragrant, affordable, relatively harmless one. Do you people never have a morning coffee? An afternoon cup of tea? An evening glass of wine? A post-prandial dessert? You don't need any of these things, you just ENJOY them. You should just quit them all and live a life of po-faced asceticism

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

Feminine, I think some will. In fact, I have seen a couple on the forums. They seem to be pretty rare and they get the liquid without any nicotine. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but if people want to breath flavoured steam, that's their business.

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

I know someone who chewed the gum because they thought it would help them lose weight.

But, there are people who compulsively eat dirt. One guy ate a bicycle. People are weird.

[Beastofburden]

fem I wouldn't. I don't think it would appeal. I don't want what smoking offers.

This fits with my thoughts about an earlier poster who said that katy would always have an addiction. I have an autistic and LD son. If he starts a habit that is anti-social, such as flicking lights on and off, I don't think, hmm, be good to teach him not to be autistic and LD. I think, how can I divert this behaviour onto flapping of hands which is less annoying?

I have a much loved friend with an addictive personality, no question. When I first met her it was expressed as an eating disorder, and life threatening obesity. A few years ago she turned her madness impressive ability to focus onto a sport, and she is now fit and half her former weight. Anyone who tried to cure her eating addiction without channeling her addicitive personality was doomed to fail.

Now I am not saying Katy has an addictive personality as she is ex-forces and might find out where I live but you have to say she has got an impressive handle on all this in the two days or whatever that she has been vaping. That's why the geek factor, the fun, the kit, is so powerful.

I don't feel the need to reform addicted smokers and turn them into me. I just want them to be safer, and preferably not to stink me out ;)

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

Beast, that was awesome. The bit about your son, I mean. You GET it. Addiction defies logic. Even addicts often fail to really grasp it (that would be the denial). Non-addicts rarely get it at all.

[Beastofburden]

Katy :)

We parents of severely LD kids are used to inhabiting a parallel universe... Today he was playing with a toy that had been left outside . It was covered in snails. He just flicked them onto the lawn.."one snail. Two snails. Three snails". He was playing a counting game, not knowing he was meant to be grossed out by them.

[Feminine]

katy I was wondering, as despite having given up 20 years ago...they were starting to sound quite nice!

[StayAwayFromTheEdge]

No champix isn't without side-effects in the short term, but as yet nobody knows the long term of effects of "vaping" - even the name is bloody awful.

There are other options though - NRT, Zyban, intensive therapy.

The problem of addiction remains with eCigs - I suspect to majority will carry on using for many years - they are not addressing the issue of addiction and I will not be persuaded otherwise. Most people I have spoken to report using them much more than ordinary cigarettes as they are more socially acceptable.

[CatelynStark]

I'm in the pro-ecig camp too.

Having smoked for thirty five years, I've recently had a huge scare when I had to have a chest X-ray for a persistent cough and wheezy chest infection that antibiotics couldn't touch. I'm now on steroids and an inhaler :(

I signed up to Stoptober (plastered it all over my FB so my friends are encouraging me and I can't relapse due to the subsequent public humiliation :))

I'm reading Alan Carr's book for wimmin and have an app on my iPhone that charts how my body is recovering.

I'm on nicolite ecigs that I got from a pharmacy and I'm nearly at the end of day five!!!!

I can't believe how well I'm doing

Yes, I'm an addict and will always be a smoker who now doesn't smoke.

[Mojavewonderer]

Thanks Katy. I am off to a vape shop on Monday to pick one up for my hubby who is still struggling to stay smoke free. Hopefully this will help him :)

[olgaga]

Completely agree OP. I had my first cigarette aged 9 and smoked for 40 years, heavily for about 30.

I finally gave up for good 2 years ago (it'll be 3 years in Feb) when I began to struggle to breathe. I had patches and an inhalator at first. The patches gave me awful palpitations and terrible dreams. The inhalator and gum gave me the worst indigestion I had ever experienced.

I got so low, I began to think everyone would be better off without me. My asthma/COPD nurse rang me out of the blue to see how I was getting on, and made an urgent appt for me to see the GP for ADs. I was so lucky to get that help, but let's face it, it wouldn't have been there if I hadn't made the initial effort to give up.

I knew I couldn't carry on with the patches etc but fortified by the ADs I began to look for alternatives. That's when I discovered ecigs.

I can't recommend them highly enough. For those who say "It replaces one addiction with another" I'm afraid that's wide of the mark. it simply allows you to maintain your equilibrium by addressing your existing addiction in a way that patches and other nicotine replacement therapy fails to do.

My COPD nurse tells me she is not allowed to recommend ecigs, but she hears more and more success stories involving them all the time, noting that ecig users never feel the need to go back to tobacco.

My Dental Hygienist also approves, and told me that she and her DP gave up smoking using ecigs.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link but if you google JAC vapour and PureVape those are the ones I use.

In my case it has been a lifesaver. My lung capacity had dropped to 60%, its now 85% and improves at every review. I need nhalers to maintain my airways and will probably die prematurely through the damage already done, but hopefully I'll live long enough to still feel proud that I managed to give up tobacco and cannabis despite my underlying mental health problems as a result of a traumatic childhood.

I don't tend to vape in front of anyone but as it's odourless I can use it discreetly whenever I need to.

I've no doubt the Govt - and actuaries - will become increasingly concerned at the diminishing tax revenue (currently £9bn) as compared with £3.5bn spent on treating smoking related disease, especially as fewer and fewer smokers and ex-smokers will die prematurely, and more and more of us will drain state pension and occupational funds.

I've got no doubt at all that ecigs will be regulated soon and be as widely available and heavily taxed as alcohol to stop this drain on tax revenue!

[Beastofburden]

stay " even the name is bloody awful"

Unlike Zyban and Champix?

:)

I know they will stay addicts. If we had a reliable, definite cure for smoking I wouldn't be in favour. Personally I have never smoked at all.

[CatelynStark]

Katy, I've just ordered the ego/ce4 that you recommended with a silk cut tasty-likey, a vanilla cupcake and a chocolate 5ml thingy. I'm excited now!

If vaping is the way forward for me, I'm after a pink sparkly one for Christmas

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

The pink sparkly one is the one I bought as a backup!

Those flavours sound delicious. Let me know how you get on.

[CatelynStark]

:) Will do.