Sorry my iPad is buggy! Told you it would be long but I want to give you perspective and empowerment. Point is, you were an innocent child taken advantage of and manipulated by a ruthless industry, NOT an idiot or the mature man you are now. It should make you very angry that you identify with Joe Camel!
Smokers understand smokers, our governments, anti tobacco lobbies, and medical people have failed us.
So, of first importance is to meet the need for your nicotine cigarettes. Nicotine is not the enemy, for most people it is of benefit. First, have you been taught how to inhale for maximum absorption of nicotine and if you want that cigarette throats hit, do you know how to get it? With the new devices and good technique 24 mg tends to be too high for many people. Also, it's not so much about how much, how long or what you smoked as much as it is about our individual tolerance and metabolism. The trick is to keep serum nic levels up, and to use what you need be it 3 mg or 60 mg. I'll expand on this in a bit, hang on.
Next,there seems to be this unfortunate divide between the mouth to lung vapers and the direct lung set. Over the years I have learned to use and enjoy both styles, and the past 5 years or so the gap between the advantages and disadvanges of each style has narrowed. Most smokers but certainly not all smoked mtl. I recommend starting out with the style that you smoked most often. But the draw is longer, slower and more gentle. Often because the lungs are just so full of gunk a deep lung hit is not possible, and as you are vaping s 24mg juice I will assume you either have a throat of steel or are doing mtl. I will guess as well based on what you said you are a flavour man.
Now, again in my experience with converting smokers to the vape side I prefer to set them up for success. It is pretty much accepted that most folks who successfully quit smoking long term do it cold turkey. I believe this is because of detox from the cigarettes, it can be intense without tools and support many people break down and smoke again. I have suggestions for symptoms, but I aim to have folks make a successful switch and smoke their last cigarette as soon as possible to get the body healing so they can feel how much better they feel.
Now where I live we have these stupid laws. Folks can go into a vape shop, try devices or juices or even be told that this is by far and large the most successful and easy way to quit smoking. Even to quit nicotine and vaping should they wish. So, I have a variety of equipment and juice at my home and I often welcome in complete strangers so they can learn and try things to find what may work best for them.
Now, research shows that quitting smoking has the best success with preparation. So, depending on the person, I usually have them order devices online, if they like a juice not available in our local shop I have them order it. While they are waiting, I have them change their smoking habit. I tell them not to try to quit or cut back at all. But to change their cigarette brand to the competition. So, you smoking camels might try Marlboro or whatever is available. Apples to apples though...if you are smoking regular filter buy regular filter just an unfamiliar brand. I am not for one instant telling you to pick up smokes after three weeks of detox what I am trying to say that if you have those camels around as a safety net, chuck them and buy something that doesn't taste familiar to your brain.
Next, I tell people to change their smoking location. If they smokedin the house, go outside. Clean the house or hire someone while they wait on their package. Wash the curtains, rugs, blinds, sheets, fan blades, light fixtures. Plain vinegar instead of fabric softener in the wash for a while. Vinegar also works great to get smoke goo off mirrors and windows. Tsp on the walls. Buy a product like zeolite or air sponge and work on getting the nasty smoke smell out because it will at then least bother them and at the worst make them romanticize the smokes. Don't forget about the car!
Now if an outside smoker, change location. Back porch instead of front. Or buy a cute new patio set and put it on the other side of the deck. Be nice to yourself, this is the single best thing ever you have done for YOU ever, and it will improve your life immeasurably and in turn the lives of your loved ones. You have kids? Remember when you had your first cigarette and how you got them. This is how we lower the smoking rate despite the efforts of big tobacco and the sheer incompetence of government, lobbyists and health care people.
Next, I tell them smoke as much as you wish. BUT, very important journal your smokes. Get a little pad and pen and rubber band it to your smokes. Go to your new smoking spot and smoke consciously. Ever smoker is a pro. Like driving a car we have practiced and practiced smoking and are unconsciously competent. I want people to not check email, the newspaper, talk on the phone. I want them to notice. How they drag, how it tastes, how it feels, what is going on with their mind, body, emotions. Why they wanted that cigarette. How long they smoke, if they chained how was the second, third cigarette different and why did they want it? Just be honest with themselves, know their habit, understand their needs. Guilt, punishment has no place here. We are now mature adults, hopefully responsible at least MOST of the time. This act of writing, for each and every cigarette they have until whenever they smoke their last is important.
I have them do more writing. I ask them to create two lists. Exhaustive lists. One is everything they love and like about smoking. No judgement, just honesty what sucking on burning leaves does for you, or maybe better said what you perceive it does for you. Think about this, add to it as much as you want. Go back to it if you think of something else. Then put that list away, in a our sock drawer or something for a rainy day. The next list is why they want away from the slavery of big tobacco. This one goes on the fridge, the bathroom mirror, someplace visible and accessible, but private if they wish.
See vaping is NOT smoking. Smoking is low tech, vaping is not. We must accept, especially during the first few months of our quit that we will have bad vape days. Days where our tanks leak, Our coils die, our batteries die, we drop our favourite mod, spill our favourite juice, nothing tastes right, we step on the cats tail and he takes a chunk out of our ankle while running to the phone, have a fight with our spouse, want to pull out our hair crap days from hell. This is life and dammit we WANT a cigarette! Now!
So now, this is what I recommend. When they get their stuff, I tell them to come over to my house again. I show them how to use it, battery safety, coil changing, some tips about trouble shooting. I say if you forget, or have a problem call me any time day or night. You come to me or I will go to you if you are frustrated and we can't sort it over the phone. I love smokers, but I hate cigarettes and I believe that a retiring smokers deserves the best understanding, compassion and support that I can give them. So, when we do the shopping, I always have them commit and set up for success. When we were smokers we always had a spare lighter, we got more smokes before we ran out. If heaven forbid we ran out we ewwwww smoked our buts, if none of our lightares worked, like a true addict we made fire with the toaster, the BBQ, the toaster oven, a blow torch. Some of us drove to the store at questionable times, to questionable places, under questionable circumstances if we just needed a damn cigarette and spent money we did not have.
So I advise people to start with 2 mods. One ideally like your alien. Where they can change their power settings a little up a little down. Ideally at least 75 watts so it grow with them. A popular, solid machine well loved, that appeals to their hand, their Sense of style, their lifestyle. Then a smaller, lower powered stealth device. A second tank for their daily driver, extra coils for each tank and Three juices. I say buy each juice the highest you can get, and buy the same in zero. More nic to start is better. If it's too harsh or they get nic sick we add zero.
About flavours, tobacco I get it. Really I do. I looked all over when I started mistakenly thinking I wanted something to taste like my cigarette. Now I can't stand most tobaccos. I always have folks buy at least one tobacco juice, if they insist they need tobacco as their adv (all day vape) I say ok, np. BUT one of the juices must be something other then tobacco or tobacco blend. Mint menthol tends to be popular even in non menthol smokers. Especially if you had a non smoking spouse or job and brushed your teeth, used mouthwash or gum or mints for your breath. Many established vapers, I believe the majority like fruits. Strawberry and cream, watermelon, lemonades, berry blends tend to be favoured. If the thought of fruit boggles your brain right now perhaps a coffee, or a danish, a creme brûlée, or hot cocoa- traditional warm treats will appeal. The biggest secret I can tell you is flavour is for most of us THE most important thing. So if a juice sounds remotely appealing, is recommended, seems popular with people and or is well reviewed on a site and by a few youtube folks try it. If you get it and it's good but not great breathe it by leaving it open for an afternoon then steep it by putting it in a dark cupboard for a week or two, shake it up a bit when you remember. Try it again and chances are it's great. If still just good but you don't loooooooooove it shelf it. Juice keeps about two years and chance it high your taste will change. There is a reason many of us start with tobacco and end up with something like fruit. If it starts to approach it's expiry date and you still don't love it give it away, it may really help someone else get away from cancer sticks. Point is, find something, anything even if it's bacon and egg flavour juice that you love enough to vape for hours but is totally different from tobacco. At least one like that. You need to have something else for when you get vapour fatigue, have a bad day, whatever. Something else to scratch that funny itch.
Now about that little stealth unit. This is not just your backup it is your cigarette. I actually label them cigarette with a label machine. What I like right now are the suorin drop, it's s bit of a pain to fill and a funny shape but it can work either mtl or dl when folks don't know yet or did lung hits on cigarettes when they were stressed or nic deprived. Just got a joyetech batpack love it, it uses AA batteries, throws off great flavour from what looks like an old school carto tank which is easy to change. We are going camping with the kids, I am thinking woo hoo no need to take tons of mods and charged batteries. Love that, but of course I will take backups and lots of different juices! The other one I recommend is often an ego air or innokin t18. I use an Eleaf I care, it looks a bit like a lighter and is very discrete. Point is, this one is the new cigarette 2.0. We put in that tobacco juice at a higher nic strength. It must be a super yummy, mouthwatering juice. If they want an adv that is tobacco, I recommend they buy like a premium super gourmet juice.. like TriBeCa, bobas bounty, anything from black note. I do not refer people right away to WTAs, nic salts, snus etc etc. Just tobacco flavour, one step up in low power, high resistance device. To be used when they need it. Mtl inhale long and slow. Hold in mouth, inhale to lungsand hold,exhale through nose slowly. Goal is no vapour so we get total absorption, plus we learn how to stealth vape.
That conscious cigarette thing applies here too, at home in their smoking spot or wherever they need if out an about. But it is conscious, because if we meet their nic needs with their main device and juices properly these are those emotional cigarettes. I want to see people learn how to manage their lives like a healthy mature adult not stuff their emotions with a cigarette like a teenager. So I tell them it is totally ok if you need a burning tobacco cigarette. Stop telling yourself I Will not smoke, I can't smoke, I won't smoke. This is self destructive and drives the powerful sub conscious brain to read I will smoke, I need a smoke, I must smoke now etc etc. Say to yourself at that trigger moment, I will DELAY a cigarette. Vape on your regular device, try changing flavours for about 15 minutes. See how you feel. If you still have an itch grap your cigarette 2.0 and go sit in your smoking spot which is If you are at home outside, clean and comfy no smoking paraphernalia. Do your writing.
