Hello, I'm Pierce. Just, well, introducing myself.

[PierceB]

Hi. Let's see. By way of introduction:

Started vaping within the last year. Maybe a somewhat unusual route. I was a (very) heavy smoker for 20+ years, but quit 9 years ago. I tried to quit smoking exactly once, and honestly didn't find it nearly as hard as I expected . . . my 2-pack habit was ruining my health, and I wanted to breathe more than I wanted tobacco.

All my friends think my decision to start vaping is a major backslide. I don't feel that way. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but vaping doesn't make me want to smoke cigarettes again and doesn't seem to be doing my health any harm. I don't pretend that it's healthy, inhaling things other than air is inherently not so good I think, but it feels just slightly "worse" than if I started on the patch or something. And an awful lot more pleasurable.

With some trial and error, I've found plenty of juice I really like. Like a lot of people it seems, I started with tobacco flavors, but that passed. Current favorite the vape kitchen opus line, but that changes daily pretty much.

I haven't tried dripping or building my own coils, tho I do have a basic knowledge of electronics and generally love tinkering. I've bought several mods and just as many tanks, but it seems everything has a trade-off. Right now, in my hand, I have a vaporflask lite with a crown tank on it. Love the feel in my hand, but I go through batteries really fast with it. Bought a Sigelei 213 this week, and regrettably I don't like it much.

Ok. This is already too long. Been reading this forum since I first started vaping, glad to finally register.

 

[Eskie]

Hi and welcome! Vaping for pleasure is fine. I would imagine you're choosing juices without nicotine. Can anyone promise it's 100% safe? No. But it sure beats smoking.

 

[dcfluegel]

howdy! and welcome!

 

[PierceB]

Actually, I'm vaping at 6mg of nicotine. Seems silly to become re-addicted, but (no surprise) I love nicotine. I loved smoking cigs, right up until I didn't love it anymore -- or at least other things became more important. Revisiting nicotine in this way isn't something I'd call prudent, but it is awfully satisfying.

 

[Eskie]

Well, if you have to use nicotine, vaping is a lot better way to go. I'm vaping a 24 mg juice, but I'm a tootler, and stops cigarettes less than a year.

 

[JC Okie]

I love vaping. I smoked for 40 years and have been vaping, instead, now for almost six years. I'm sure your friends who think that you are "back-sliding" have a few pleasures or "vices" of their own.

Life is short. (The older I get, the more I understand that statement!) If you want to vape, vape. There are sure a lot of other things you could be doing that would be worse for you.

After six years of thoroughly enjoying this new hobby of mine, I feel healthier and happier than ever. I imagine the air that I breathe is probably just as "unhealthy" as the vapor I inhale. The difference is, the government isn't trying to make a case against that air, so we aren't told/reminded every day about what it contains.

My bottom line: I'm an adult and if I want to do something that may or may not hurt me, it's my call. As long as I'm not hurting anyone else, I don't really pay much attention to the opinions of my friends or those who feel like they have a right to judge my activities.

 

[Whitesoxfan2579]

Hi Pierce, welcome

 

[Chuck64]

Welcome to ECF!

 

[AXIOM_1]

Welcome to ECF! Yeah, I had a 40 year smoking habit but I quit smoking via the nasty habit of chewing tobacco. I then found myself addicted to chewing and so I found vaping which helped me quit chewing..... I don't know how safe vaping is but I do know how UNSAFE that smoking tobacco is.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

It sure beats smoking. I vape at such a low level of nic and not consistently throughout the day, but I do enjoy it.

I used to live and work in the city and breathing chemicals was a given. My doctor and I tracked my tests and they all got better. I don't really even think about vaping as a potentially bad thing. I often sit on the porch in the evening looking at the Arizona sunset and vape. I think that is very healthy. After that I usually go out and track zombie cactus. Yep, vaping is a lot healthier than smoking.

Welcome and have fun!

 

[PierceB]

Thanks all. Didn't mean to over-stress health concerns. I can't say I especially educated myself before starting to vape, but once I found how much I like it, I read everything I could find. And clearly you know my conclusion, as far as balancing health & pleasure.

My wife still smokes a couple cigs at night after work. I don't think that's especially unhealthy, but I think it's probably on par with my all-day vaping. And, yeah, nearly all my other vices were shed long ago. I'm not looking for hypocrisy in my concerned friends, and I'm not telling them about why I don't drink a bottle of wine every night -- they're grown people who can make their own choices too.

Sidenote: if you happen to have the same taste in juice as I have (today), this agua fresca from VK is amazing. Ignore the description on their site; the name of the juice is more accurate flavor profile than what they say the flavors are.

 

[Eskie]

I looked it up and based on your recommendation that sounds really nice. I might have to order a bottle. I've been ordering so much stuff the last week or so I'll probably enforce some restraint and get in the end of next week.

And if I could only have a few cigarettes a day like your wife, I'd probably still be at it. But for me it was either a pack and a half a day, or vaping. I'm sticking with vaping.

 

[PierceB]

That's pretty much exactly what I tell my wife when she beats herself up for the evening cig. If I could have cut down to even 10, I wouldn't have considered quitting. But 50 cigs a day was appreciably messing me up (no surprise).

9 years out, I have no interest in cigarettes. They don't bother me, I don't mind the smell or being around them, but if they somehow developed a cigarette that didn't ruin your health and was packed with vitamin C, I still wouldn't take up smoking again. I think I had a lifetime's worth of that stuff.

Also, thanks again for the warm welcome. It's not the norm in forums, as you all probably know.

 

[Falconeer]

Welcome aboard!

My own take on the nicotine thing is quite simple - if you have ever tried alcohol free wine you might have found it lacked both body and balance; e liquid sans nicotine is the same to my mind.

If I had to I could go down as low as 3 strength nic, but below that there is no "prickle" and the mix is so out of balance as to be unpalatable - but that's probably just me.

 

[BrotherBob]

Welcome and glad you joined.

Seems silly to become re-addicted, but (no surprise) I love nicotine.

Might like to read:Public Health England under fire for saying e-cigarettes are 95% safer
I used to like nic too, hey, do what you like.

 

[Robvapes]

Welcome aboard!

My own take on the nicotine thing is quite simple - if you have ever tried alcohol free wine you might have found it lacked both body and balance; e liquid sans nicotine is the same to my mind.

If I had to I could go down as low as 3 strength nic, but below that there is no "prickle" and the mix is so out of balance as to be unpalatable - but that's probably just me.

I couldn't agree more. That sums up my experience with trying to cut out the nic. Looking back I don't know why I was so hard on myself when trying to cut it out.

 

[tpedwards]

Completely agree Falconeer.
Welcome to ECF Pierce this is the best place to share your thoughts and experiences, vaping or otherwise with like minded people.