2 years

[sofarsogood]

That's how long ago I started vaping as of today. Please, no congratulations. It wasn't that hard and millions of other people are doing as well. It took me 6 more weeks to go to zero cigs. And may be a year to fully adjust to vaping after so many years of smoking. I started a brother vaping a few months later. It took him 10 months to finally stop smoking. I think I was immune to relapse 6-8 weeks after stopping smoking, which is remarkable because I smoked a lot for a lot of years and was certain I was incurable.

I see younger guys at work start vaping, stop smoking, and never look back. I see others who are on and off the wagon over months and wonder about the different outcomes and what would improve the succsss rate. The guys closer to my age who smoke seem unreachable. The one vape shop I visit on rare occaisions says he has very few older customers. May be the older vapers are out there but they don't frequent that shop. However the vast majority of vapers I see are younger. The age gap surprises me since the benefits of switching only increase as you get older. Are there any demographics on who vapes?

I'm sure the bad press, increasing restrictions and lack of support are not helpful. Is there more stigma attached to vaping than smoking these days?

Then off my own topic to say vaping is more like pipe smoking than cigarettes. You can puff on one bowel of pipe tobacco on and off for half a day. Cigarette smoking is little episodes. Pipe smoking and vaping have a more similar rythm only you relight your vape with a button instead of a match.

 

[LoriP1702]

Well, I'm still going to congratulate you anyway.
It's a great accomplishment to stop smoking, even if it was easy, it was easy for me too. . (when I found vaping)
But still, I'm not going to just brush it aside.

You know, I don't know, my DH tried vaping, and he just doesn't like it. I think he would be one that would need the tobacco absolutes, I think they're called.
He doesn't like the flavors, and he doesn't like the saturation ?? of the vape. He says it's too moist.
He *definitely* doesn't like my high VG, bakery vapes.
He will vape when he absolutely can't smoke, while traveling, or on some golf courses...but, other than that, he's still a smoker. Thankfully, he's not a heavy smoker, but it's his choice. I don't push.

Interesting question though regarding the demographics, I haven't seen any, I'd been curious to know myself.

I truthfully don't see many vapers.

I was in a drive thru line last night, in the car ahead of me, the passenger was smoking, and trying her best to keep ALL the smoke outside the vehicle.
....I kind of laughed to myself, as I remember those days well.
It also reminded me that I need to make up something to carry, with basic info, the ECF site, etc., that I could give to someone if the right situation came up, I won't approach someone in a car, but I would have loved to have been able to talk to her about vaping.

 

[BreSha6869]

Congrats.... on getting your brother off the smokes.

I agree that many vapers are younger but I do see a lot more vapers in their 40/50's in the wild. I started vaping at 46 and quit my 30+ year habit the day I picked up my first vape kit.

 

[grandmato5]

The vape shop that I frequent here to socialize has a good mix of older people and younger people. I think the difference between them here is that the older people tend to stay with ego type equipment and the younger people use the TC and VW mods most often. I find it most interesting to see the wide range of professional people to the low income coming into the shop throughout the day to make their purchases. The shop here really does cater to everyone.

 

[SteveS45]

I just passed the 2 year mark of becoming a former smoker but it was really hard for me to quit. I had tried for a couple of years with dual use but always went back to smoking until I decided it was time to do it cold turkey. Very rough two weeks but then it just got easier and easier and even though I wanted to smoke I didn't.

Vape On Safely

 

[bnrkwest]

Fabulous!!!

 

[irwink]

I started vaping 3 months prior to my 57th birthday. I didn't start vaping with the intent to quit smoking but to get by in a smoke free work environment. 10 days later I smoked my last cigarette. Vaping enabled me to quit when nothing else had. That was 6 1/2 years ago. My experience with vapers at work is similar. The older people I've seen try vaping eventually go back to smoking generally while the younger ones don't.

 

[sofarsogood]

I started vaping 3 months prior to my 57th birthday. I didn't start vaping with the intent to quit smoking but to get by in a smoke free work environment. 10 days later I smoked my last cigarette. Vaping enabled me to quit when nothing else had. That was 6 1/2 years ago. My experience with vapers at work is similar. The older people I've seen try vaping eventually go back to smoking generally while the younger ones don't.

A coworker got me started vaping and for 2 years I vaped in peace on the 40,000 sq ft shop floor along with an increasing number of others. A few weeks ago management decided no more. The experience has been interesting. The younger vapers don't seem to be effected much. They seem far less dependent on nicotine and they seem only interested in the big clouds which is not ever going to be accepted in indoor work spaces.

The new restriction reminds me of smoking days. There is the distraction of looking for a chance to take a puff or two without getting into trouble. It's far easier with vaping than smoking. I mixed up some liquid with no VG and find I can eliminate visible vapor when I exhale. (I already use 1% flavoring so odor is little to none.) It's going to be useful in other situations. A pico and SV rda is a small package but in a week or two I'll have an Evic Basic so everything gets truely small. Ideally the rig is completely concealed in one closed hand. Over the long run I hope we can wear them down and get back to discrete vaping on the shop floor.

I'm going to figure out how to be a vape magician and reduce vaping to nothing more than a subtle gesture.

 

[choochoogranny]

I started vaping 3 months prior to my 57th birthday. I didn't start vaping with the intent to quit smoking but to get by in a smoke free work environment. 10 days later I smoked my last cigarette. Vaping enabled me to quit when nothing else had. That was 6 1/2 years ago. My experience with vapers at work is similar. The older people I've seen try vaping eventually go back to smoking generally while the younger ones don't.

Like you, irwink, I didn't intend to quit. Was in my late 60's and only was interested for vacation purposes. I too see fewer "older vapers" than young, but I think it may be due to the fact they're retired so no restrictions on their smoking.......or are initially put off my the "huge" and unfamiliar mods out there.......or they've already quit the hard way. Also, smoking is by far easier, less complicated, something they know so well.

One must spend time which they may not have to learn a whole new language. Let me tell you, once you reach a certain age you really don't want to have to "fiddle" any longer. Perhaps when they're retired and have time, they'll be interested in taking up vaping again. At least they know about it now and taxes on the smokes are skyrocketing again.

 

[57chilicat]

Ok so I can't help but say CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[sofarsogood]

Like you, irwink, I didn't intend to quit. Was in my late 60's and only was interested for vacation purposes. I too see fewer "older vapers" than young, but I think it may be due to the fact they're retired so no restrictions on their smoking.......or are initially put off my the "huge" and unfamiliar mods out there.......or they've already quit the hard way. Also, smoking is by far easier, less complicated, something they know so well.

One must spend time which they may not have to learn a whole new language. Let me tell you, once you reach a certain age you really don't want to have to "fiddle" any longer. Perhaps when they're retired and have time, they'll be interested in taking up vaping again. At least they know about it now and taxes on the smokes are skyrocketing again.

When I started I was certain I would Never rebuild or mix and I sure wasn't going to carry one of those shoe boxes with the pipe fitting on the end. I had to eat my words on all of that.

First I got tired of plowing through coil heads which cost a few bucks each, especially when they occaisionally went bad in a few days. So I got an rda, struggled with the first build and after a few puffs lost interest in coil heads and tanks. I was buying pre mix online at a rate that would cost me about $360 a year but what spooked me was the FDA stuff. So I got some mixing supplies a year ago. The first batch was a success and that was the end of pre mix. I do stronly prefer small rigs. For normal use it's an SV rda on a Pico or VTC mini. I was determined not to fiddle until I discoverd the payback for doing it. It's worth the trouble for the improved experience and there is a noticable amount of money to be saved.

Havingn said all that, I've gotten a few people started vaping but had no luck persuading them to mix or rebuild.

 

[r77r7r]

No no no You made a decision to kick smoking to the curb. You researched, found, and successfully made it work for you.

That wasn't easy 2yrs ago coming into this with crappy top-coil clearos and iffy mods. Many gave up. You didn't.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

[Robino1]

Gonna have to go with the

​

anyway!

 

[choochoogranny]

You know, sofarsogood, I neglected to say C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S for your two years of achievement. Ain't nothing to sniff at either.

Was the same as you about learning to rebuild and DYI. Had no interest, just wasn't going to do it and I did quit cooking a few yrs. ago. 'Sides visiting all my fav B&M's around town once a month was my entertainment and I got a lot of lovely greetings and hugs from all. There is that reason for my avatar.

Since after 5 mos. I still wasn't tasting much of anything on my MVP v1 and PT 2, decided I might try some cotton balls. Wouldn't rebuild coils, just rewick them. Dang, if I didn't start tasting the juice!.......Then my curiosity got the better of me, and I bought approx. 3' of wire at the local B&M, brought it home, watched a half dozen youtube demos, and made my first coil. It worked! .......and I was hooked. I love being self sufficient....even if I have to wear that head magnifier thingydo AND use the stand magnifier from Harbor Freight.

Even though I've laid in enough DIY supplies for the "Deeming", I've not availed myself to all the recipes. I do know that unflavored tastes just fine and flavors can be purchased in the future. Right now, I still get my hugs from my local shops where my favorite juices are made. Get the best from both worlds.

All of them razz me about my new found ability to rebuild and appreciate that I do still buy their juices. It's been an unexpected and wonderful three year journey of discovery ........for someone who wasn't going to quit!