Did it take you more than one attempt to quit smoking?

[collinsmcrae]

I started vaping to save money, and not to quit smoking honestly. Health wasn't the primary reason. vaping could turn out to be seriously detrimental to our health, so I am hesitant to even view it is a safe alternative. Safer, probably, but we really can't be sure how dangerous vaping is, or Isn't.

Anyway, I didn't have a tough time at all. I mean, I was getting my nic fix and it simulated smoking well enough. It hardly even felt like I was missing anything. For a while I was smoking and vaping. I then made the choice to only carry an ecig with me to work, so that I only smoked at home. I then started vaping more and more and smoking less and less. For a while vaping just didn't cut it when I was drinking (mind you this was back in the ego style days), and I would still have a cig after meals and with coffee and such. But then a funny thing happened... As the technology got better and better, and my vaping tastes more refines, I started to get more satisfaction from vaping and I no longer enjoyed cigarettes. I didn't really plan that part out, it just happened naturally. At this point I feel that the draw is too weak with cigs and I don't enjoy them. I've been vaping 100% for nearly 2 years now.

I will admit to smoking a cigarette once in a while when I'm out drinking. Not because I crave one, but because I could and I felt like it. I prefer vaping, so I don't sweat having an occasional cigarette for old times sake.

 

[Kivrin]

Before vaping....lots of attempts

After vaping....just once

 

[K_Tech]

Hi everyone!

I'm working on a blog post for E-Cigarette Direct/the Ashtray Blog, aiming to give some advice to people who've tried vaping but didn't take to it, and I'm looking for a bit of input to pin down the most common reasons smokers struggle to switch.

I was wondering if some vapers here with more experience than me on this front would be able to offer some insight (personally I chain-vaped like a lunatic for the first few days and managed to quit first-time). I have a few specific questions, but if there's anything you want to add then obviously feel free!

Did it take you more than one attempt to switch? If so, what was it that made the difference and helped you finally make the transition?

Sort of, yes. I tried quitting smoking off and on over the years using various methods, including cigalikes, with limited and/or short term success. What did it for me was a refillable tank system and variable voltage.

Or if you still smoke and vape, what's the main thing holding you back from switching completely?

N/A. I had my last cigarette about 12 hours after I started vaping.

Do you know anyone else who struggled to switch or was a dual user at first but quit smoking on a subsequent attempt? What made the difference for them?

I only know one guy that after two years is still a dual user. He vapes around the house and on his days off, but claims work stress is just too overwhelming without cigarettes.

How important a factor is support (from other vapers or stop-smoking services) when you're trying to switch?

I guess I'd say it's pretty important, but the only interaction I get with other vapers is through this forum. I don't really know a lot of vapers out in the wild.

I will say that my family and friends were very happy I quit smoking after 30 years, and support my vaping.

And lastly - what's your number one piece of advice for someone trying to switch?

Take a look at how much you spend on cigarettes, and don't be afraid to spend as much as you can afford on your first setup. I think it will pay off in the long run.

Any input you could offer would be very much appreciated!

Cheers!

 

[JackLebeau]

Again, thanks so much for your comments everyone! I really appreciate the stories, insights and advice Seems like a huge theme across everyone I've asked is the quality of devices, but it's interesting to see other people mentioning flavours and other factors too.

 

[Hans Wermhat]

Best advice I can offer is to remember that it's not just nicotine you are addicted to. There is a cocktail of addictive drugs and chemicals in analogs mixed by chemists to intentionally strengthen your addiction. The tobacco companies spent millions of dollars generations ago to research ways to get people hooked faster and make it more difficult to quit, knowing the whole time that they were selling you a poison that would cause you to die a slow, painful death. Looking at it this way helped me to find the will power to stick with vaping, and you will need a lot of will power to break the addiction.

 

[93gc40]

No, after 40 years of smoking. It only took 6 months of learning to Vape to no longer smoke, cigarettes. Been 11 months since I had a cigarette. I am now a smoker, who doesn't Smoke.

See I never tried to QUIT smoking. I tried switching over to the Vape instead, in order to save money ON smoking. I didn't even realize I had quit smoking until the wife asked for a smoke, she ran out, and I NOTICED that I had run out about 2 weeks before. Well after going to the store to buy some for her and well me, I was out of smokes after-all. I tried one. It tasted like crap and burned my throat. Apparently I had quit smoking.

 

[bluecat]

Did it take you more than one attempt to switch? If so, what was it that made the difference and helped you finally make the transition?

I tried to switch at first by vaping only. I was still irritable so I went to dual use. I decided not to stress it and if I quit smoking, then I quit. If I didn't then I didn't. Took roughly 2 or 3 monthly just by not having a smoke here or there. Then I just decided I would buy another pack. It still wasn't easy after 2-3 months. Finally after a year the yearning for a smoke subsided to just a faint whisper. I used some WTA which got rid of the "phantom" smoke smell I woudl smell as the first thing I woke and the last thing before I fell asleep.

Or if you still smoke and vape, what's the main thing holding you back from switching completely?

Yes, I still smoke cigars. Nothing is holding me back. I enjoy cigars.

Do you know anyone else who struggled to switch or was a dual user at first but quit smoking on a subsequent attempt? What made the difference for them?

Nope. Three of my neighbors smoke. None of them have any interest in vaping.

How important a factor is support (from other vapers or stop-smoking services) when you're trying to switch? Support was not an issue. I didn't need or want it. Somethings I believe one must do on their own. This was one for me.

And lastly - what's your number one piece of advice for someone trying to switch? Don't stress it. It is okay to dual use. Gradually cut back on the smokes.

 

[JohnnyDill]

I smoked for THIRTY years. Tried to quit many times. FAILED every attempt. Nicotine gum. Zyban. Cold turkey. Slowly cutting down. Tried the Blu ecigs, too. Not good enough.

When I got my first decent starter kit & eliquid delivered, {July 31, 2013} I have not smoked a single cigarette since. {Halo Triton & Halo Torque 56/Subzero mix} I used that setup for six months until, out of curiosity, got into the Kayfuns with 18mm batts. The rest is history. These days, DIY eliquid & home-made bottom feeding mechs rule my vaping world. I found my vaping Nirvana.

 

[Maytwin]

My first attempt to switch was using a cigalike and it didn't work for me at all. 2 years later and having discovered how much things had moved on, I tried again with vv/vw and refillable tanks and after a couple of weeks of both smoking and vaping, I realised I could give up the cigarettes and simply stopped buying them. I would say that for the first couple of weeks I found it a bit of a chore filling/cleaning tanks etc but it's now just something I do without thinking about it, so I would say for me it did take some perseverance at the beginning - but it was most definitely worth it

 

[DavidOck]

Did it take you more than one attempt to switch? If so, what was it that made the difference and helped you finally make the transition?

Or if you still smoke and vape, what's the main thing holding you back from switching completely?

Do you know anyone else who struggled to switch or was a dual user at first but quit smoking on a subsequent attempt? What made the difference for them?

How important a factor is support (from other vapers or stop-smoking services) when you're trying to switch?

And lastly - what's your number one piece of advice for someone trying to switch?

45+ years smoking, tried everything BUT drugs to quit, couldn't do it. Went to a local B&M and got my first gear, and struggled for the first week until I got a chance to go back and get a higher nic level. That's all I needed - of course in flavors that I liked. For me, the right flavor, nic level and the "hand to mouth" did the trick. A bit over 3 years as an ex-smoker now.

Support and encouragement (especially from all the fine folk here!) is, imo, VERY important. No matter the quality of the hardware, each item seems to have it's quirks. Without "tech" support, it's easy to get frustrated with a leaky topper, poor 510 connection, and so on. There IS a learning curve with each component, but odds are very good that someone here has made it up that slo9pe and can provide the one bit of info that cures the problem.

Number one piece of advice?
1: Backups. Devices will fail, and if you're relying on only one of anything, you're setting yourself up for failure.
1: Don't beat yourself up if you "slip" and smoke. Count the ones you DON'T smoke, and move on.

 

[tj99959]

I smoked for almost 60 years (ya I know .. I'm old). I can't even count the number of times I tried to quit smoking, and finally just came to the conclusion that the damn things were going to kill me.
One night I saw a friend vaping, and asked her about it. She showed me her (huge) little eGo-T, and showed me how it worked. The next day I found the little B&M that she told me about, and bought one ........ and a bottle of the worse tasting e-liquid I've ever encountered So needless to say, I continued to smoke that evening. The next morning I went back to that B&M and bought a different flavor, and I have never smoked another cigarette. That was almost 5 years ago.

So .... IMO, getting the right e-liquid is paramount in being successful at quitting. It needs to be the right nicotine content for you, and needs to taste better than what you smoked.

 

[AndriaD]

Best advice I can offer is to remember that it's not just nicotine you are addicted to. There is a cocktail of addictive drugs and chemicals in analogs mixed by chemists to intentionally strengthen your addiction. The tobacco companies spent millions of dollars generations ago to research ways to get people hooked faster and make it more difficult to quit, knowing the whole time that they were selling you a poison that would cause you to die a slow, painful death. Looking at it this way helped me to find the will power to stick with vaping, and you will need a lot of will power to break the addiction.

That's true, but I think the chemicals they add to make the smoke "smooth", to allow your body to accept something so toxic, are every bit as much a part of the problem as the chemicals they add to increase the addictiveness -- just look how many people have trouble learning to tolerate something as mild and innocuous as vapor, without coughing, or increased asthma... all the while thinking, I didn't have this problem when I smoked -- that's true, because they added stuff to make sure we wouldn't! Adding stuff to increase addiction, well that's just business; adding stuff to fool our bodies into accepting something so poisonous -- that's just plain EVIL!

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

So .... IMO, getting the right e-liquid is paramount in being successful at quitting. It needs to be the right nicotine content for you, and needs to taste better than what you smoked.

This is precisely the reason I could NEVER vape "unflavored" -- unflavored 85% Pg is not going to taste better than ANYTHING, not even burning cigarettes! No idea what unflavored VG tastes like, since if I vape more than 15% VG, I can't breathe at all, but anyone using a majority of PG isn't going to benefit from suggestions to vape unflavored -- and some of us have no choice but to vape mostly PG.

Andria

 

[tj99959]

This is precisely the reason I could NEVER vape "unflavored" -- unflavored 85% Pg is not going to taste better than ANYTHING, not even burning cigarettes! No idea what unflavored VG tastes like, since if I vape more than 15% VG, I can't breathe at all, but anyone using a majority of PG isn't going to benefit from suggestions to vape unflavored -- and some of us have no choice but to vape mostly PG.

Andria

Point being that everyone is different, with different needs. So don't be afraid if you need to experiment a little to find out what your specific needs are.

When I started, 24mg nic made me sick, and 12mg nic left me wanting, so I had to stay within those parameters. (18mg did the trick) 50/50 PG/VG worked well for me. The flavor that worked for me at first was a good RY4, after about a month I found that I liked 555 even better, then I found an espresso that I love, and I became open to all kinds of different flavors.

When I first started, that RY4 only came in 24mg and 12mg. So I had to buy a bottle of each, and combine them, in order to get the 18mg juice that satisfied my needs at that time.

 

[DC2]

Edit: I can't see the results to the poll without voting, though, and it's closed so I don't think I'm allowed - if you can see them, can you take a screenshot of the results for me, by any chance?

 

[OlderNDirt]

It only took one attempt to quit smoking by vaping. Having failed so many times previously, I game myself 1 week of dual use, but it only took 2 cigarettes over 3 days before quitting.

I'm sure most have heard the statement "serious as a heart attack!" Vaping did for me what a heart attack and cardiac arrest could not!

I agree with those who said juice is the most important. Find that flavor you crave and wouldn't trade for a smoke.

ETA: WOOT! I just noticed I avoided my 10,000th cigarette! Appropriate thread to see that!

 

[DC2]

This is precisely the reason I could NEVER vape "unflavored" -- unflavored 85% Pg is not going to taste better than ANYTHING, not even burning cigarettes! No idea what unflavored VG tastes like, since if I vape more than 15% VG, I can't breathe at all, but anyone using a majority of PG isn't going to benefit from suggestions to vape unflavored -- and some of us have no choice but to vape mostly PG.

Not true.

I sometimes vape 80% PG unflavored and it tastes quite good to me.
Remember, we are all different.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that.

 

[VHRB2014]

When I first started smoking, at 16, I could stop for a while. I thought it was cool, I would smoke for 6 months, and quit for 6 months. Well, once I got into my twenties, that was`nt working anymore. Maybe all the "other stuff" I was using at the time had something to do with it, I just could not quit "like that" anymore. So at about 28 so started the attempts to quit. Tried the gum, that crap was nasty and burned my mouth. Tried the patches, not enough nic and bad dreams and irritation to my skin. I tried sheer will power off and on through all of this and when I was about 40 I actually got to about 6 months before I started smoking in the bathroom without telling anyone. What a drag that was, everyone knew, but I thought I was so cool.

I had tried ecigs back in the early 2K`s, but since I started smoking cigars by that time I did`nt like them cigalikes much, there was nothing there to satisfy. As the taxes on all forms of tobacco crept up and up, I knew there was a problem back in 2010. Man was it getting expensive to burn up tobacco. Like 200 to 300 a month expensive, just up in smoke.

In 2014 I tried sheer will power again. Had, to, try. I could not afford even the cheapest cigars at this point. I went for 7 days of agony, I was really Forked up, its like losing your bestest friend you know. Than I tried a ecig. It was`nt great, but damn if I did`nt feel like everything would be alright. Ya, this could work for me, so I went out and bought a evod VV and a PT2, and it worked. It was`nt fun the first two-three months, I had to learn about coils, had to start rebuilding as the factory coils were hit and miss. But it did work when I worked it HARD. When I gave it my all, it worked. Than I got a Fogger and a Panzer mech and shazzam, I was controlling my nic intake better then any cigar ever had. I was in complete control and the personal epiphany happened! This is a much better way of controlling ones nic intake then the ....-log system ever was.

Right now I`m vaping on a Bigfoot parallel box with a Vulcan RDA running at .2 and vaping my own DIY wasabi flavor. I vape for pennies a day with absolutely no remorse or guilt to its expense, or health concerns. The best thing about all of this is that I was able to lead my bestest friend and lover to ecigs and she`s never felt better and is much more healthy, and I no longer have to worry about her getting the big C before me.

I have`nt thought about or had a craving for a ciggy or cigar in over a year, its like ancient history now.

Randall

 

[AndriaD]

Not true.

I sometimes vape 80% PG unflavored and it tastes quite good to me.
Remember, we are all different.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that.

I guess, but... EUUUWWW. It just smells so chemical-ly to me. Seems like it would be like vaping... rubbing alcohol or some other harsh solvent.

Andria

 

[WereBear]

I'm not very good and giving up the things I love, but (like most people) I'm quite capable of neglecting things I love when something newer and better enter my life.

I still have no intention to "quit" smoking. Thanks to vaping though, I've gone from being a daily chain smoker to being a weekend smoker. I will buy a pack on Friday night when I pay my weekly voluntary tax (i.e. lottery ticket) and smoke as I crave them till it's gone and without craving them till next week. Lately I've been almost forcing myself to finish the pack (almost.) I've also caught myself taking vape hits while in the middle smoking an analog.

So my best advice is: Don't "give up" smoking, just find a way to enjoy vaping more.