Day Two

[Heavy Smoker]

I haven't had any more situations where I've felt the need to hide my vaping, but this has been a really quiet week so far with few social occasions beyond the one on Day 2. I had one cigarette yesterday and one today, but mostly to contrast the difference and not because I was dying for one. I am really glad that equipment has developed so much, and that I have this forum to ask questions. It is shocking how technical it all is, and I suppose it is a bit like a parachute -- anything goes wrong and I'm back to cigarettes. Thanks for the tip, Just Me, regarding blowing clouds over people. I got a new atomizer and I'm a bit shocked by the amount of cloud production. But what an amazing feeling to be able to vape basically anywhere I am!!! No planning in advance (except for set-up and juice of course), freedom to vape in the empty elevator of my building -- I have never smoked in an elevator in my life, so this was sort of a thrill. In so many ways, this is better than cigarettes. At least that's how I feel on Day Four.

Thanks all for your support and advice. Still looking for stories of how it feels to hang with smoking buddies while vaping. I feel a bit like a turncoat. I know this sounds crazy, but smokers are a tight-knit group as many of you know, and I met many of my friends as a result of hanging out smoking together. I will absolutely get past this, but thought some others might have some experiences that would help.

 

[daviedog]

Yep my 1 year no cigs vapeversary is this next weekend. Vape got me off of a 40 year 1+ pack a day smoking habit.
And there are very few vapers around where I am.

Happy Anniversary..

 

[RoseJ]

I haven't had any more situations where I've felt the need to hide my vaping, but this has been a really quiet week so far with few social occasions beyond the one on Day 2. I had one cigarette yesterday and one today, but mostly to contrast the difference and not because I was dying for one. I am really glad that equipment has developed so much, and that I have this forum to ask questions. It is shocking how technical it all is, and I suppose it is a bit like a parachute -- anything goes wrong and I'm back to cigarettes. Thanks for the tip, Just Me, regarding blowing clouds over people. I got a new atomizer and I'm a bit shocked by the amount of cloud production. But what an amazing feeling to be able to vape basically anywhere I am!!! No planning in advance (except for set-up and juice of course), freedom to vape in the empty elevator of my building -- I have never smoked in an elevator in my life, so this was sort of a thrill. In so many ways, this is better than cigarettes. At least that's how I feel on Day Four.

Thanks all for your support and advice. Still looking for stories of how it feels to hang with smoking buddies while vaping. I feel a bit like a turncoat. I know this sounds crazy, but smokers are a tight-knit group as many of you know, and I met many of my friends as a result of hanging out smoking together. I will absolutely get past this, but thought some others might have some experiences that would help.

You know, it might surprise you if you just bite the bullet, and "come out". One of my very first experiences with e-cigarettes was in a group of smokers. One of the guys in that group had one of those cig-a-likes (wow, look at me using jargon!). Everybody else in the group was real interested, and nobody scoffed or teased. In fact, I think it was not long after that, that I tried it too.

Think about it like this. Is there actually a smoker out there who hasn't wished they could quit? Or at least thought about it? No, I don't think there is. So chances are, your smoker friends will be super-interested and ask you lots of questions.

At the very least, they'll just get used to seeing you in the group with your e-cigarette. Try it!

 

[VNeil]

Thanks all for your support and advice. Still looking for stories of how it feels to hang with smoking buddies while vaping. I feel a bit like a turncoat. I know this sounds crazy, but smokers are a tight-knit group as many of you know, and I met many of my friends as a result of hanging out smoking together. I will absolutely get past this, but thought some others might have some experiences that would help.

I would suggest just taking the plunge and coming out. And be prepared for the occasional "It's worse than cigarettes, you know". My advice on that one is to sidestep any debates on that, if these are friends you want to keep. After you've been vaping a while and done your research you will be better prepared for that battle.

 

[JCinFLA]

@RoseJ - I'm from a small town in FL, too, and I don't hesitate to vape in the parking lot from my car to the store door, walking down the sidewalks in my town, etc. I've gotten a few "looks", but it's funny...most of them have been immediately followed up with questions like, "Do those things really work?" "Has that helped you at all to quit smoking?" Even had a man approach me outside a Walgreens when I stopped to tie my shoelace, and ask if what I was using was one of those e-cigarettes. Ended up, 5 minutes later...giving him a way to reach me if/when he decided to give them a try to quit the smokes.

So, I say...go for it! Don't worry at all about being around "small town Florida" folks and vaping. What they're actually thinking...may not be at all what you're guessing they're thinking!

@HeavySmoker - I have friends and relatives who are still smokers. When I get together with some of them every now & then, they smoke and I vape...with not even a second thought about it. Some of them do ask a few questions about it, but only because they're interested in how they work, what the parts of a set-up are called, what good do they do, what do they cost, etc. NO smoker has ever given me the "they're worse for you", or "you're inhaling anti-freeze", etc. kind of comments. Nor have I felt uncomfortable or weird around them while vaping. I've found the sarcastic comments or questions usually only come from life-long non-smokers who are against smoking AND vaping, as if there's no difference between them! So...give it a shot with your friends/buddies. Who knows? Maybe you can also help others get interested enough in vaping to try it for themselves.

 

[RoseJ]

@RoseJ - I'm from a small town in FL, too, and I don't hesitate to vape in the parking lot from my car to the store door, walking down the sidewalks in my town, etc. I've gotten a few "looks", but it's funny...most of them have been immediately followed up with questions like, "Do those things really work?" "Has that helped you at all to quit smoking?" Even had a man approach me outside a Walgreens when I stopped to tie my shoelace, and ask if what I was using was one of those e-cigarettes. Ended up, 5 minutes later...giving him a way to reach me if/when he decided to give them a try to quit the smokes.

So, I say...go for it! Don't worry at all about being around "small town Florida" folks and vaping. What they're actually thinking...may not be at all what you're guessing they're thinking!

Well, I should have said "neighborhood" rather than "town". We live in a neighborhood of 80+ year-old people, who don't like these "young people" moving in, and will complain and be suspicious at the drop of a hat. It's slowly changing with normal attrition and more people our age moving in.

My husband and I walk around the neighborhood every day, and he often takes his e-cigarette. It's a bigger silver one, and we heard from a third-party that it's believed by some to be a "drug pipe". We think it's funny, but my point is, I'm not "guessing" at all.

However, I agree that it's something I need to get over, especially as I'll soon be cigarette-free. I've never been known as a conformist or for passivity, so I suspect it won't be an issue for long.

 

[Heavy Smoker]

Thanks JCinFL for sharing your experience with smokers/non-smokers. It's Day 7 now and I went the last three or four days without any regular cigarettes (weird that I can't even remember, huh?) but sill have not been back in social situations with smokers (other than my partner, who smokes 1ppd), so I will cross that bridge when I come to it. However with this knowledge, I don't think it will be a problem. I have been with a non-smoker and opted not to come out as either a non-smoker or a person who vapes. We were in her home having a quick cup of coffee, so it wasn't natural for it to come up. I just vaped heavily in the hallway before ringing her bell, and then afterward. I'm going to check elsewhere on the forum for protocol for vaping in non-smoker's homes. I assume it is "no" but would like to know the reasons since I vape at home all the time and cannot smell anything. I would enjoy not having to go out on the balcony when vaping at parties and when visiting friends...
Again, thanks for all the advice. It is very comforting to know that you guys are here to answer my questions. Armed with four batteries, two vaporizers, three back-up coils and four bottles of 18% juice, I'm feeling ready for another week of my post-cigarettes life!

 

[Heavy Smoker]

Oh, and thank you RoseJ. I feel like we are in this together!

 

[TheVapingKitty]

Good luck on your journey!

 

[JCinFLA]

From the start here - Let me apologize if this is fairly long. But I think it's something we all might want to think about as vapers.

@HeavySmoker - Funny you should respond to my comments today, especially after a conversation I had with my nephew's wife just last Friday.

Alittle background on her and her family situation - She and my nephew are strict vegans, very health conscious, hardly ever get sick, and have never smoked a day in their lives. They are also protective to not expose their 4 kids to smoke, fumes, etc. When we get together for family celebrations and the like at someone's house (never theirs though)...I could always tell the smoking habit several of us had wasn't to her liking, even though we all went outside.

When our family got together for this Christmas, she saw me vaping on the screened porch, came out briefly and asked what it was called again (vaping). She'd seen me vaping at our last family get-together, but never commented on it. Said she was amazed that I definitely was still not smoking because of it. Gave me a "way to go" comment, a pat on the shoulder, and a smile!

Then, she calls me last Friday for just a chat about our Christmas get-together mainly. All of a sudden she says pretty excitedly (paraphrasing here): "Guess what? A close friend of mine, who's always been a smoker, came over yesterday for a visit. She's always gone outside frequently for a cigarette in the past. So when she went out again this time I assumed it was for a smoke. I wanted to know what she wanted to drink, so I went outside on the front porch. First, I was just shocked that she wasn't smoking...she was vaping! After a few minutes, when I actually got a good smell of what she was vaping...it really smelled good. So I told her to come on in to vape. It's going to make my house smell wonderful!"

I about dropped the phone! Non-smoker, very health conscious, kind of judgemental at times, protective of kids around smoke, etc., and she told her to come on in the house and vape???

So, if SHE can get educated about, and accepting of, vaping...I'd think anyone can! There's hope for us to get through to the now smokers and to the life-long nonsmokers as well. Everyone should be doing their part to help them possibly change their views towards it. I think it will benefit everyone.

 

[VNeil]

From the start here - Let me apologize if this is fairly long. But I think it's something we all might want to think about as vapers.

@HeavySmoker - Funny you should respond to my comments today, especially after a conversation I had with my nephew's wife just last Friday.

Alittle background on her and her family situation - She and my nephew are strict vegans, very health conscious, hardly ever get sick, and have never smoked a day in their lives. They are also protective to not expose their 4 kids to smoke, fumes, etc. When we get together for family celebrations and the like at someone's house (never theirs though)...I could always tell the smoking habit several of us had wasn't to her liking, even though we all went outside.

When our family got together for this Christmas, she saw me vaping on the screened porch, came out briefly and asked what it was called again (vaping). She'd seen me vaping at our last family get-together, but never commented on it. Said she was amazed that I definitely was still not smoking because of it. Gave me a "way to go" comment, a pat on the shoulder, and a smile!

Then, she calls me last Friday for just a chat about our Christmas get-together mainly. All of a sudden she says pretty excitedly (paraphrasing here): "Guess what? A close friend of mine, who's always been a smoker, came over yesterday for a visit. She's always gone outside frequently for a cigarette in the past. So when she went out again this time I assumed it was for a smoke. I wanted to know what she wanted to drink, so I went outside on the front porch. First, I was just shocked that she wasn't smoking...she was vaping! After a few minutes, when I actually got a good smell of what she was vaping...it really smelled good. So I told her to come on in to vape. It's going to make my house smell wonderful!"

I about dropped the phone! Non-smoker, very health conscious, kind of judgemental at times, protective of kids around smoke, etc., and she told her to come on in the house and vape???

So, if SHE can get educated about, and accepting of, vaping...I'd think anyone can! There's hope for us to get through to the now smokers and to the life-long nonsmokers as well. Everyone should be doing their part to help them possibly change their views towards it. I think it will benefit everyone.

Just a general suggestion to people... regardless of how friendly someone is, if you fog up their house they may not appreciate it. So if you are angling to vape in someone's house, it might pay to use or learn stealth vaping, including the right gear and power selection and the right liquids. Especially if you are used to blowing 100% VG clouds at 30+ watts . It may also pay to use unflavored since you never know how someone will react to your flavored liquid smell.

 

[JCinFLA]

@VNeil - I totally agree with you! That's why her friend just automatically went outside to vape...like she always had done to smoke. She didn't try, nor would I, to stealth vape in a friend's house, just as I wouldn't try to sneak a smoke in a friend's house when I smoked.

My nephew's wife also told me her friend was using "her new Starter Kit" that looked alot like what I had used at first. So I know she wasn't sub-ohming and blowing huge clouds on the front porch. Might have resulted in a different reaction if she had been.

 

[MudVaper]

Thanks JCinFL for sharing your experience with smokers/non-smokers. It's Day 7 now and I went the last three or four days without any regular cigarettes (weird that I can't even remember, huh?) but sill have not been back in social situations with smokers (other than my partner, who smokes 1ppd), so I will cross that bridge when I come to it. However with this knowledge, I don't think it will be a problem. I have been with a non-smoker and opted not to come out as either a non-smoker or a person who vapes. We were in her home having a quick cup of coffee, so it wasn't natural for it to come up. I just vaped heavily in the hallway before ringing her bell, and then afterward. I'm going to check elsewhere on the forum for protocol for vaping in non-smoker's homes. I assume it is "no" but would like to know the reasons since I vape at home all the time and cannot smell anything. I would enjoy not having to go out on the balcony when vaping at parties and when visiting friends...
Again, thanks for all the advice. It is very comforting to know that you guys are here to answer my questions. Armed with four batteries, two vaporizers, three back-up coils and four bottles of 18% juice, I'm feeling ready for another week of my post-cigarettes life!

You are doing great, better than I have and that is so wonderful to read about.

When around smokers - which for me is almost always - I just whip out my vape like a smoke and go for it. Very little negativity encountered. When chided, which is rare, I just state - truthfully - that I like vaping better. If they are curious and ask about it, I tell them more. If they don't, I don't preach about how much better it is.

As far as vaping in the homes of non-smokers, I've only taken it for granted twice: at my brother's house because he used to always say I could smoke inside his house, but I never did. And once at a party where all of a sudden people began smoking something that is not supposed to be mentioned in this forum, lol.

I do not hesitate to vape in nonsmoking buildings in private, like the bathroom, if I feel no one will see the vapor.

I've had several people tell me it was okay to vape in their house or car once they realized it doesn't reek like tobacco. I don't push it too much in those rare situations though, maybe a puff or two here and there if I feel they are sincere and it would be disruptive to go outside.

 

[JCinFLA]

@MudVaper - You're from Valdez, Alaska! I'll be there from June 21-23 as part of a 17 day trip 4 of us are taking to Alaska. Just finished making my Valdez hotel reservations last night in fact. Small world, isn't it?

 

[nmackan]

What a wonderful think you decided. Welcome my friend and do it as you please. Funny you did not feel sorry when you are smoking (After 3 years I consider smoking is weird ) and vaping comes strange to you. I had hand rolled for 40 years they used to ask if there was anything in it? I had just been looking them with Mike Hammer smile and went on. If I dont do anything wrong I dont give a damn what other people think.
By the way you found your liquid well and this is a big chance. so this is it. Dont fight with stinkies in a week you will not be able to smoke one. (I wander what you will do when the taste of your old friend is not same again.)
Dont worry my friend anyone teases vaping is a poor thing. he is the slave of stinkies. Go ahead and happy vaping.

 

[MudVaper]

@MudVaper - You're from Valdez, Alaska! I'll be there from June 21-23 as part of a 17 day trip 4 of us are taking to Alaska. Just finished making my Valdez hotel reservations last night in fact. Small world, isn't it?

That is great! If you have time, we should catch up. The vape scene here is not much. I only know two regular vapers and you can't even buy Blu or something like it in town.

 

[djsvapour]

That is great! If you have time, we should catch up. The vape scene here is not much. I only know two regular vapers and you can't even buy Blu or something like it in town.

I am moving wherever this is!

Some of this thread has been about being embarrassed or uncomfortable vaping.
I was going to say that actually the biggest embarrassment in vaping is being caught vaping by another vaper and found to be using Blu (or Vaporfi...)

whoops....

 

[Grimwald]

I was a 40 year 3 pad smoker. When I started, I was always vape shy. Used a cig-size for out and about and that huge ego for home. Back then it wasn't normal to spot a vaper in the wild, and you heard about a cop stopping a vaper once in a while. All of that has changed. I have found that it is more of a curiosity and I may have helped some total strangers get started vaping (and maybe even helped 1 police officer).

Don't be shy...vape proudy.

 

[MudVaper]

I am moving wherever this is!

Some of this thread has been about being embarrassed or uncomfortable vaping.
I was going to say that actually the biggest embarrassment in vaping is being caught vaping by another vaper and found to be using Blu (or Vaporfi...)

whoops....

Now, now....

I still keep a few cigalikes handy for emergency/stealth mode and it has saved me from smoking a real cig more than once.

With that said, it would be kind of embarrassing - but not as embarrassing as doing something really dumb like standing outside in minus fifty degree weather in an ice storm trying to light a real one. Looking back, that is REALLY EMBARRASSING but I did it for decades, lol.

 

[evan le'garde]

I've put some thought into why it can be difficult to quit smoking by vaping.

To put it as simple as i can i think that the efforts to quit smoking by vaping are or can be easily overcome because the vaping takes place of the smoking and because of the effort to quit smoking is a primary concern a user will quit vaping.

Hang on, that may not be as clear as i'd like it to be. Maybe it's more complicated to explain than i first though.

I'll try this.

Vaping is so similar to smoking that on a subliminal or a subconscious level a person new to vaping may make the simple mistake of quitting vaping because the need to quit smoking is too strong.

That aint it either.

To quit smoking a smoker may choose to start vaping. And because the vaping has replaced the smoking the user will now proceed into quitting vaping prematurely because it's something they wanted to quit.

Nope !.

Vaping = Smoking.
Therefore a vaper will try to quit vaping, and succeed !. They just didn't know they were trying to quit vaping. I suppose some people will confuse vaping with smoking and quit the wrong thing.

I figure the odds be 50/50.

This is actually impossible to explain.

I give up. sorry !.