I began smoking when I was 12 (a few months shy of my 13th birthday).
When I started smoking, it was easy to give it up. Sometimes I laugh when people say that the first cigarette (or first pack) will have you hooked... because that's not true.
Smoking is a habit, and it takes awhile to develop. I quit smoking for a year in high school and began again after the death of a friend when I was 16 or 17. That is when I became truly addicted to cigarettes.
At about 20, I began trying to quit... over and over and over and over.
I've tried many of the products on the market for quitting smoking. I have tried two different medications (Chantix was the closest to getting me to quit, but the side-effects (namely the nausea) was so bad that I quit taking it, and consequentially started smoking again). I tried gum and lozenges (YUCK), and at 23ish, I had my first run with e-cigarettes.
I ordered a starter pack of Blus. I tried them for a week. I didn't quit. They weren't satisfying and the batteries barely lasted an hour (if even that).
About two months ago, my friend, who sells e-cigarettes and juice at the local Swap Meet convinced me to try an EVOD with an Ego battery. I tried to stick with it. The first day with it, I didn't smoke a single cigarette. But day two, I slowly started smoking again... but I knew this was much closer to getting me to quit than anything else I had ever tried.
I WANTED to like e-cigarettes. I lowered my intake of analogs by about half, but something was missing.
Nicotine wasn't enough to help me with my anxiety. Panic attacks would send me running back to cigarettes.
I looked into alternatives in juice, and ran across WTA juice. After looking into every single alkaloid in tobacco, and finding out that some of the trace alkaloids had an MAOI effect, it occurred to me that, as a person with depression and severe (and I mean SEVERE) anxiety, the MAOI effect was likely what had me hooked on cigarettes - not just the nicotine.
I thought... this is like giving Marinol to cancer patients (Marinol only contains one chemical that is found in, well... that green stuff - rather than the entire spectrum --- and was a big flop for many people, who found it wasn't as effective as their original medicine).
One chemical wasn't going to cut it.
And I didn't want to be dual using. I didn't want to be using e-cigarettes an still smoking. I wanted to switch.
I think this was essential, that for many years, I WANTED to QUIT smoking.
My friend who I keep trying to convert has no desire to quit. I keep giving her juice... but she uses it as an excuse to not go outside and have a cigarette, or something to tie her over till she gets another pack. (Sad day)
But the point here is that WTA juice allowed me to quit.
I haven't smoked a cigarette in over a month (my signature says a month and a week... and it's hard to believe that it's already been so long since... I haven't really noticed).
People say they're proud of me. I smile and laugh and tell them it wasn't difficult because I have the hardware that's right for me, and I'm still getting the same alkaloids (and as much as I want! (And I'm finally starting to slow down too - I've gone from 5+mls of juice a day down to 2-3mls in the past week or two)).
I wish I could convince more people to try what I'm using. And I don't mean just try it for a little while, or use it as something to get them through not having a cigarette - but really try it. Try it for a day, no smokes. Try to use it to not smoke. REALLY TRY TO USE IT TO NOT SMOKE.
I am certain if they did, if they had a desire to really quit smoking, and tried to use what I'm using to quit smoking... that they would have success, just as I have.
Nicotine-only juice works for some people, but some of us NEED that MAOI effect. Some of us aren't just addicted, some of us are struggling with serious mental issues that for many years, we've been using cigarettes to essentially medicate.
For people who smoke because they are anxious (not just anxious because they're having withdrawals, but those who began smoking because of our anxiety), we need the MAOI effect that we had with traditional cigarettes - and nicotine-only juice just ISN'T going to cut it.
I agree that people should try the nicotine-only juice first. Some people are simply addicted. But if that doesn't work, especially if they know that they have anxiety disorders that cause them to smoke, they shouldn't just give up when the nicotine-only juice doesn't work. They should try the WTA juice --- and for anyone who has anxiety or depression like I do (especially for those who have not had success with nicotine-only juice), I would not think twice about suggesting WTA juice, or offering them one of my 4ml vials with whatever flavor (that I have) that strikes their fancy. I wouldn't even think twice about loaning them one of my EVODs and batteries so they can try a refillable tank and something other than disposables or cig-look-a-likes.
Knowing that I quit this easily, I have become a big supporter (and boaster) of e-cigarettes.
I am SO PROUD to finally be a non-smoker.
But I won't sit here and tell people that it's completely safe. I don't believe in that.
I will say it's safer. But I'm only interested in getting current smokers to try e-cigarettes. I'm interested in harm reduction, and helping people find something that will help them quit smoking.
Every time I hear someone say they aren't satisfied with their e-cigarette or juice, I just step in and ask "Have you tried WTA juice?" (NO JOKE)
I wish there were more vendors that sell WTA juice. I understand that nicotine juice is extremely cheep to produce, but I can only think of two vendors that sell WTA juice (Aroma and WholeCigs - WholeCigs being the only vendor that sells 100% VG juice, which is my preference because I like the bigger clouds and less throat hit (this stuff is SO SMOOTH ^_^)), and I think I've only seen about three vendors that sell it.
I happily pay the extra price knowing that this is the stuff that has gotten me to the point where I have been offered a cigarette and I smile and just say "No thanks, I'll just vape" or simply "I vape now".
And honestly, I'M STILL SAVING MONEY - I AM SPENDING LESS MONEY ON THIS JUICE (even with the price of coils as I don't rebuild mine) THAN I SPENT ON CIGARETTES.
I spent anywhere from $100-$150 on cigarettes every month. I can spend about $50 on DIY juice (at 36mg, cut with VG to about 10-12mg) and it lasts me longer than a month - add about $2-$5 for coils a month, and a miniscule amount for flavorings (I doubt I'm even spending $1 a month on flavorings - and the price of the VG is negligible) I'm saving $45-$95 (or more) each month. That saving means more money for necessities, more money for cat treats (and toys), more money for fresh produce, more money for all sorts of things that I wouldn't normally have had the money for (and sometimes, for trying out new hardware, like my favorite tank (the Aerotank)).
I can say that I'm done looking. I'm done searching for ways to quit. I'm satisfied with what I'm using.
Completely satisfied.
BEYOND SATISFIED even.
My EVODs, Aerotank, Ego-twists, and WTA juice is all I need. (That said, I'll certainly try more flavors in the future, and I'll probably eventually try more tanks... but I'll probably stick with my Ego batteries because they're simple and I like that they're hand-sized (I know everyone loves their Provaris, but they're way out of my price range, and they're HUGE)
Vaping has made an enormous change in my life.
And there's is absolutely no reason why I should have to go backwards. There is absolutely no good reason why I should be forced to return to a terrible habit that grabbed me when I was a teenager because some crackpots won't look at the damned facts.
I've spent a good time doing research on e-cigarettes. I've looked into so many studies. I've read articles, watched broadcasts. I've spent hours and days and weeks on this forum and the wide internet filled with information on this stuff.
When I first got my EVOD, the first thing I did (like I do, obsessively with nearly everything else) was scour the internet for information, so that I would be as well educated of a consumer as possible.
In a month I've gone from barely knowing how to clean my hardware to being able to troubleshoot problems with EVODs and mixing my own juice.
It has been an INCREDIBLE experience - and I am so happy about it!
Especially knowing that when I go to have surgery on my chest, and next time I see my doctor, I can happily say that I don't smoke cigarettes - and won't be running a massive risk of infection related to being around smoke (and that e-cigarettes don't mess with my stomach the way that cigarettes did (my nausea (which is chronic) has been honestly reduced by quitting smoking).
I feel like I want to tell the entire world my story, and share with them my experience. I want people to know that they CAN quit smoking, but still enjoy the benefits they gained from tobacco (like the MAOIs).
I want to show people that even for a person who has tried for many years to quit, there's still hope... they just need the right tools.
And I know those tools with be different for every person. But now that I have my tools, and see that it can be done, I'm happy to try and show others that they can do it too.
^_^
Thank the Universe for e-cigarettes (and, of course, the creators of e-cigarettes --- and also to the vendors who sell WTA juice).
When I started smoking, it was easy to give it up. Sometimes I laugh when people say that the first cigarette (or first pack) will have you hooked... because that's not true.
Smoking is a habit, and it takes awhile to develop. I quit smoking for a year in high school and began again after the death of a friend when I was 16 or 17. That is when I became truly addicted to cigarettes.
At about 20, I began trying to quit... over and over and over and over.
I've tried many of the products on the market for quitting smoking. I have tried two different medications (Chantix was the closest to getting me to quit, but the side-effects (namely the nausea) was so bad that I quit taking it, and consequentially started smoking again). I tried gum and lozenges (YUCK), and at 23ish, I had my first run with e-cigarettes.
I ordered a starter pack of Blus. I tried them for a week. I didn't quit. They weren't satisfying and the batteries barely lasted an hour (if even that).
About two months ago, my friend, who sells e-cigarettes and juice at the local Swap Meet convinced me to try an EVOD with an Ego battery. I tried to stick with it. The first day with it, I didn't smoke a single cigarette. But day two, I slowly started smoking again... but I knew this was much closer to getting me to quit than anything else I had ever tried.
I WANTED to like e-cigarettes. I lowered my intake of analogs by about half, but something was missing.
Nicotine wasn't enough to help me with my anxiety. Panic attacks would send me running back to cigarettes.
I looked into alternatives in juice, and ran across WTA juice. After looking into every single alkaloid in tobacco, and finding out that some of the trace alkaloids had an MAOI effect, it occurred to me that, as a person with depression and severe (and I mean SEVERE) anxiety, the MAOI effect was likely what had me hooked on cigarettes - not just the nicotine.
I thought... this is like giving Marinol to cancer patients (Marinol only contains one chemical that is found in, well... that green stuff - rather than the entire spectrum --- and was a big flop for many people, who found it wasn't as effective as their original medicine).
One chemical wasn't going to cut it.
And I didn't want to be dual using. I didn't want to be using e-cigarettes an still smoking. I wanted to switch.
I think this was essential, that for many years, I WANTED to QUIT smoking.
My friend who I keep trying to convert has no desire to quit. I keep giving her juice... but she uses it as an excuse to not go outside and have a cigarette, or something to tie her over till she gets another pack. (Sad day)
But the point here is that WTA juice allowed me to quit.
I haven't smoked a cigarette in over a month (my signature says a month and a week... and it's hard to believe that it's already been so long since... I haven't really noticed).
People say they're proud of me. I smile and laugh and tell them it wasn't difficult because I have the hardware that's right for me, and I'm still getting the same alkaloids (and as much as I want! (And I'm finally starting to slow down too - I've gone from 5+mls of juice a day down to 2-3mls in the past week or two)).
I wish I could convince more people to try what I'm using. And I don't mean just try it for a little while, or use it as something to get them through not having a cigarette - but really try it. Try it for a day, no smokes. Try to use it to not smoke. REALLY TRY TO USE IT TO NOT SMOKE.
I am certain if they did, if they had a desire to really quit smoking, and tried to use what I'm using to quit smoking... that they would have success, just as I have.
Nicotine-only juice works for some people, but some of us NEED that MAOI effect. Some of us aren't just addicted, some of us are struggling with serious mental issues that for many years, we've been using cigarettes to essentially medicate.
For people who smoke because they are anxious (not just anxious because they're having withdrawals, but those who began smoking because of our anxiety), we need the MAOI effect that we had with traditional cigarettes - and nicotine-only juice just ISN'T going to cut it.
I agree that people should try the nicotine-only juice first. Some people are simply addicted. But if that doesn't work, especially if they know that they have anxiety disorders that cause them to smoke, they shouldn't just give up when the nicotine-only juice doesn't work. They should try the WTA juice --- and for anyone who has anxiety or depression like I do (especially for those who have not had success with nicotine-only juice), I would not think twice about suggesting WTA juice, or offering them one of my 4ml vials with whatever flavor (that I have) that strikes their fancy. I wouldn't even think twice about loaning them one of my EVODs and batteries so they can try a refillable tank and something other than disposables or cig-look-a-likes.
Knowing that I quit this easily, I have become a big supporter (and boaster) of e-cigarettes.
I am SO PROUD to finally be a non-smoker.
But I won't sit here and tell people that it's completely safe. I don't believe in that.
I will say it's safer. But I'm only interested in getting current smokers to try e-cigarettes. I'm interested in harm reduction, and helping people find something that will help them quit smoking.
Every time I hear someone say they aren't satisfied with their e-cigarette or juice, I just step in and ask "Have you tried WTA juice?" (NO JOKE)
I wish there were more vendors that sell WTA juice. I understand that nicotine juice is extremely cheep to produce, but I can only think of two vendors that sell WTA juice (Aroma and WholeCigs - WholeCigs being the only vendor that sells 100% VG juice, which is my preference because I like the bigger clouds and less throat hit (this stuff is SO SMOOTH ^_^)), and I think I've only seen about three vendors that sell it.
I happily pay the extra price knowing that this is the stuff that has gotten me to the point where I have been offered a cigarette and I smile and just say "No thanks, I'll just vape" or simply "I vape now".
And honestly, I'M STILL SAVING MONEY - I AM SPENDING LESS MONEY ON THIS JUICE (even with the price of coils as I don't rebuild mine) THAN I SPENT ON CIGARETTES.
I spent anywhere from $100-$150 on cigarettes every month. I can spend about $50 on DIY juice (at 36mg, cut with VG to about 10-12mg) and it lasts me longer than a month - add about $2-$5 for coils a month, and a miniscule amount for flavorings (I doubt I'm even spending $1 a month on flavorings - and the price of the VG is negligible) I'm saving $45-$95 (or more) each month. That saving means more money for necessities, more money for cat treats (and toys), more money for fresh produce, more money for all sorts of things that I wouldn't normally have had the money for (and sometimes, for trying out new hardware, like my favorite tank (the Aerotank)).
I can say that I'm done looking. I'm done searching for ways to quit. I'm satisfied with what I'm using.
Completely satisfied.
BEYOND SATISFIED even.
My EVODs, Aerotank, Ego-twists, and WTA juice is all I need. (That said, I'll certainly try more flavors in the future, and I'll probably eventually try more tanks... but I'll probably stick with my Ego batteries because they're simple and I like that they're hand-sized (I know everyone loves their Provaris, but they're way out of my price range, and they're HUGE)
Vaping has made an enormous change in my life.
And there's is absolutely no reason why I should have to go backwards. There is absolutely no good reason why I should be forced to return to a terrible habit that grabbed me when I was a teenager because some crackpots won't look at the damned facts.
I've spent a good time doing research on e-cigarettes. I've looked into so many studies. I've read articles, watched broadcasts. I've spent hours and days and weeks on this forum and the wide internet filled with information on this stuff.
When I first got my EVOD, the first thing I did (like I do, obsessively with nearly everything else) was scour the internet for information, so that I would be as well educated of a consumer as possible.
In a month I've gone from barely knowing how to clean my hardware to being able to troubleshoot problems with EVODs and mixing my own juice.
It has been an INCREDIBLE experience - and I am so happy about it!
Especially knowing that when I go to have surgery on my chest, and next time I see my doctor, I can happily say that I don't smoke cigarettes - and won't be running a massive risk of infection related to being around smoke (and that e-cigarettes don't mess with my stomach the way that cigarettes did (my nausea (which is chronic) has been honestly reduced by quitting smoking).
I feel like I want to tell the entire world my story, and share with them my experience. I want people to know that they CAN quit smoking, but still enjoy the benefits they gained from tobacco (like the MAOIs).
I want to show people that even for a person who has tried for many years to quit, there's still hope... they just need the right tools.
And I know those tools with be different for every person. But now that I have my tools, and see that it can be done, I'm happy to try and show others that they can do it too.
^_^
Thank the Universe for e-cigarettes (and, of course, the creators of e-cigarettes --- and also to the vendors who sell WTA juice).
