Am I allowed to write about my (positive) IQOS experience?

[Rossum]

If you managed to get them through.

No muss, no fuss. Since I had no idea what else I could call 'em, I declared 'em on my customs form as a carton of cigarettes. The total value of things I had on that form was only a small fraction of the $800 allowance you get without paying any duties, so they took a quick glance at the form, stamped "Admitted" and that was the end of that.

My strongest advice is if you want it to work, stay with it for two weeks. There is a definite adjustment period.

Context: I haven't smoked a cigarette in 4-1/2 years. But sometimes I still feel something is missing, and I'm curious whether an occasional Heet will fix that. Unfortunately it will be at least a few days before I try 'em; I've caught a nasty head cold (the first since I quit smoking) and I'm gonna wait until I'm over it.

 

[stols001]

Hope you like it @Rossum if it weren't so dang expensive I would get one for the husband to try. Of course he won't even try snus, he is so lacking in adventure! He also manages to like, reduce his cigarettes for a few days, then like, acquire something like food poisoning and then use that as an excuse to smoke for the next several days.

Anna

 

[Rossum]

Hope you like it @Rossum if it weren't so dang expensive I would get one for the husband to try. Of course he won't even try snus, he is so lacking in adventure! He also manages to like, reduce his cigarettes for a few days, then like, acquire something like food poisoning and then use that as an excuse to smoke for the next several days.

Cost doesn't phase me, particularly since I'm looking at this for occasional use. FWIW, the carton of 200 Heets cost me 45 Euros in the duty-free shop.

I haven't tried snus either. Partly because I've never found anyplace to buy the Swedish ones locally, and partly because I have enough troubles with my teeth already. For my 60th birthday next year, I may just go the route that you did, which is to start over with a new (artificial) set.

 

[Hotwire]

Well I believe it will fix it just fine. It's whole tobacco. And it will work especially as you have not been a daily smoker for some time now so are not comparing it to that which is a major pat of the adjustment period.

It may however get you addicted to HEETS, be warned, I cannot quit. I don't even want to though. I'm just happy I feel better with it than smoking....

 

[Hotwire]

Cost doesn't phase me, particularly since I'm looking at this for occasional use. FWIW, the carton of 200 Heets cost me 45 Euros in the duty-free shop.

I haven't tried snus either. Partly because I've never found anyplace to buy the Swedish ones locally, and partly because I have enough troubles with my teeth already. For my 60th birthday next year, I may just go the route that you did, which is to start over with a new (artificial) set.

Did you get the IQOS device also? You cannot light the HEETS

 

[Hotwire]

Hope you like it @Rossum if it weren't so dang expensive I would get one for the husband to try. Of course he won't even try snus, he is so lacking in adventure! He also manages to like, reduce his cigarettes for a few days, then like, acquire something like food poisoning and then use that as an excuse to smoke for the next several days.

Anna

Yup the old excuses... Mine was digestion. My digestion would get so messed up I'd have to smoke to get it back to normal...

Also sleep, and that was no excuse, just a fact, no cigs at 9pm and before bed = no sleep.

It's a tough gig...

I couldn't give it up. Down to 4 a day but not quit. If not for IQOS I'd still be a self hating addict on those 4 a day. Sad but true.

HEETS still give me a little stomach aggro tbh, but it's still less harm than smoking...

 

[Rossum]

Did you get the IQOS device also?

Yes, of course. I think I would have preferred the dark blue, but all they had in the duty-free shop was white. I had originally hoped to make it to the flagship store in Frankfurt to try-before-buy, but unfortunately, that didn't work out. I got the yellow HEETS.

You cannot light the HEETS

Right, that would be like buying e-liquid without having a vaping device.

 

[Rossum]

Yup the old excuses... Mine was digestion.

This is actually one of the things I'm missing about smoking. How to put this in acceptable terms.. That first cigarette in the morning would always get things moving. Vaping has never really done that for me.

 

[faygeleh]

thanks for sharing, i've been pretty curious about these things

 

[Hotwire]

This is actually one of the things I'm missing about smoking. How to put this in acceptable terms.. That first cigarette in the morning would always get things moving. Vaping has never really done that for me.

IQOS does it

 

[Hotwire]

Oh and finally the one best tip I have which I learned of of youtube is press the button first and let it heat for ten seconds and then insert the HEET - rather than follow the official directions of put the HEET in and then press the button -for a better 'aerosol' experience and also for less long term wearing of the blade as there is much less resistance once the blade is warm rather than cold Also less resistance means less compacting of the tobacco so it produces better 'aerosol.' And regarding youtube, ignore the video showing tar covered, gunky chambers etc, it's propoganda bs, literally impossible for an intelligent person who doesn't use 100 HEETS a day and never cleans their device to get it in that state, impossible. Cheers

 

[Hotwire]

One persistent health issue I have still is stomach irritation. I guess that's just me and nicotine though as got it with cigs, gum and vape too.

 

[Pikeybarsteward]

I do not think SNUS is legal in the UK or I'd try it. Though it might make me nauseous like the gum did when I tried it.

Only the sale of snus is banned in the UK so you can buy from out of the EU . Check out Snusline.com . UK snusers have been importing for years without much hassle .

These days there's always some chancer on Ebay UK prepared to sell you a pot for a tenner as well .

Some snus makers have also marketed 'chew bags' which are entirely legal for UK sale . They re basically 'stealth' snus by another name . Last time I looked Snuffme.co.uk had a fair selection of types .

Excellent thread . I'd be keen to try IQOS myself. From what you've said I can't help thinking you might get on better with one of these dedicated 'herbal' vaporizers to get your tobacco alkaloid fix . Have you tried any ? These style of devices have been about for decades and they're pretty advanced bits of kit now.
My oldschool Storz and Bickel Plenty has a good sized 'bowl' and sounds a lot less hassle than the IQOS tech .

Vaping tobacco(or shisha for that matter ) is easy enough to make, but you can even buy it now from Toque.

 

[suprtrkr]

If it works for you, I say go for it.

 

[Hotwire]

Only the sale of snus is banned in the UK so you can buy from out of the EU . Check out Snusline.com . UK snusers have been importing for years without much hassle .

These days there's always some chancer on Ebay UK prepared to sell you a pot for a tenner as well .

Some snus makers have also marketed 'chew bags' which are entirely legal for UK sale . They re basically 'stealth' snus by another name . Last time I looked Snuffme.co.uk had a fair selection of types .

Excellent thread . I'd be keen to try IQOS myself. From what you've said I can't help thinking you might get on better with one of these dedicated 'herbal' vaporizers to get your tobacco alkaloid fix . Have you tried any ? These style of devices have been about for decades and they're pretty advanced bits of kit now.
My oldschool Storz and Bickel Plenty has a good sized 'bowl' and sounds a lot less hassle than the IQOS tech .

Vaping tobacco(or shisha for that matter ) is easy enough to make, but you can even buy it now from Toque.

IQOS is IT for me now. It is really not fiddly at all, is very easy and consistent. Loading HEETS rather than loose leaf is easier for me. Cleaning is easy. Also the experience is very pleasurable to me. As good as a cig now and each one satisfies me. I've found my final thing. So happy \i found something that makes me confidently and I mean really 100% say that i don;t need a cig ever again any more. Had 2 beers with a mate the other day - the ultimate test - and IQOS still did the job.

I feel lucky it's allowed in the UK.

No doubt the device will get better over time, though I truly am happy with it where it's at now... I just hope they don't try doing better, more heavy aerosol producing versions etc and attract a load of media hysteria... I really want things to just stay as they are... Am moving to Korea soon and it's available there too (and HEETS are cheaper.) Hoping it stay that way there also....

 

[Rossum]

Update: I wasn't really over the cold I got on the way back from Europe when I left for Florida the following weekend and I totally forgot to take the IQOS stuff with me. Now I'm back in PA again for a but (I have business stuff to attend to this week) and I finally opened the packages and tried it. Reaction after one (yellow label) HEET:

• It replicates the experience of smoking a cigarette far more closely than vaping does.
• It doesn't taste particularly good (yellow label). I think it's fairly close to a Marlboro Light, and I never cared much for those (or any other variety of Marlboro), but I do understand they're quite popular.
• After a puff or two, the aerosol is quite warm, the way I remember a cigarette being when it's down close the filter.
• It definitely produces a different "head" than straight nic, nic salts, or even WTA liquids. I would describe it as calming or relaxing in a way that vaping just isn't. It confirms my suspicion that there's stuff in burning or heated tobacco that we just don't get in our vapes.
• It didn't irritate the heck out my windpipe like the last cigarette I had more than four years ago as an experiment after having switched to vaping for 3-4 months.
• There's essentially no side-stream smoke/vapor; only that which is exhaled.
• It's nowhere near as smelly (stinky?) as smoking a cigarette.
• I can totally see where this would work as a substitute for smoking for a fair number of people who tried vaping and didn't take to it. I know one such person and I'm gonna have her try it this week to see what her reaction is.

All that said, I'm not about to switch from vaping to using IQOS, and wouldn't even if I could get them here, and even if they were free. However, I can see myself having one once in a while.