How old are you, and why did you start vaping?

[DC2]

I am 46 and started smoking when I was 16 years old. I only smoked on average around 6 cigarettes per day, but I did that for 27 years. I had absolutely no intention of quitting, had never tried to quit, and never intended to try and quit. But my wife was always nagging me about how bad I smelled every time I had a cigarette, and so I wanted to want to quit.

About 2 1/2 years ago my sister was in town for Father's Day and we all went out for dinner. After dinner she pulls out an njoy NPro and let me take a drag off it, at which point I knew this was the solution I didn't even know I was looking for. The next day I drove 80 miles to the nearest Pilot Truck Stop and bought one, but I was having a lot of trouble getting it to work right, so I googled and wound up here.

I still smoke a cigarette now and then, just for the heck of it, but I'll never go back.

 

[CCC]

i'm 32, started vaping at 32 after smoking for 15 years.

 

[steveo9043]

im 23. First time I got caught smoking was when i was 13 (dont remember when i started) I ended up smoking 1.5 PAD for a few years. Last year I decided to get myself back in shape. I'm not addicted to working out but my lungs will not let me work out as hard as I want to. Decided to try the e-cig and even tho I have not completely given up analogs I am now down to around 5-7 on weekdays and 8-10 on the weekends. I will be completely off soon.

 

[TonyTT]

I'm 23, started when I was 18, pad for 5-6 years. Soooo glad to be free of the guilt. We all knew smoking was bad, but it it couldn't be helped. vaping has been the best thing to ever happen to me.
also, my friends who are either my age, or younger, don't really show any interest in vaping. The ones that do only give me the "I don't want to quit smoking, but I would like to use it to cut-down line". I kinda got over explaining vaping to people real quick. I'd rather just hold out for the people who show genuine interest, bordering on obsession. If a person joins ECF like I tell them to, I figure they're 90% of the way to quitting analogs

 

[singu]

I'm 30. Started to smoke around 14 and smoked 1.5 PAD a day...couriosity is what got me to vape..

 

[MikeJA]

43. I started smoking around 13. PAD until my mid twenties when I quit cold turkey for 5 years. Went through a difficult patch in life and...I can still remember this moment so vividly...had a cigarette. Took me all of a few days to go right back to a PAD.

I'd planned to quit analogs once I hit 40, but that came and went. It was just too difficult to even think about. I was completely aware of my cognitive dissonance regarding cigarettes, but just couldn't stop.

October 2011 a co-worker showed up with a Square brand disposable ecig. I was interested in it and picked one up for myself with no real intention of quitting analogs, but thought perhaps I could at least cut down a bit by supplementing an analog with an ecig here and there throughout the day.

I was analog-free two weeks after my first vape. I will never go back to the analogs.

 

[miss_kitty]

I'm 25 and I started smoking young but never stayed smoking until I was 21 almost 22. I would smoke between 5-10 cigs a day depending on what was going on and where I was. I started vaping cause my bf was interested in it. I quit vaping and smoking for 2 months or so when I had surgery then went back to smoking again. Was told by my surgeon that I couldn't smoke at all so I started vaping w/no analogs at all in early nov, been fine ever since.

 

[KeysBum]

Hey Ace, you started this. Are you getting all this on a spreadsheet so we can graphically see the info?

 

[AcePilot]

Hey Ace, you started this. Are you getting all this on a spreadsheet so we can graphically see the info?

Something like that

 

[Semiretired]

Age 13 seems to be the leading factor.

 

[AcePilot]

Age 13 seems to be the leading factor.

For sure. I am going to get all the numbers together tomorrow after work (working graves this week -eww) and put something together. I want to update it periodically as people leave their information, but would prefer to make the first chart using 100 people. We're almost there!

Thanks again everyone who has shared their stories!!

 

[Carless]

I'm 54 and have been smoking since.... you guessed it. 13.
I got interested in ecigs about a year ago and thanks to the research I did at this site, bought myself an Ego. It worked ok and I stayed off the analogs for a month, but got tired of fooling with the atty's and started smoking again.
Who remembers blue foam from aquarium filters and pyramid teabags? Lol.
Then a couple of months ago I had a major heart attack and had two stents implanted. Was told, of course, that I had to quit smoking.
So, I pulled out my Ego and started vaping again. Also bought myself a Provari. Now there are boge carto's and tanks and all kinds of other great accessories, so I'm as happy as if I had good sense.
Who needs analogs when you can use a PV all day without having to fool with it?
And today, I discovered how well LR carto's work with Ego batteries, so I can carry several flavors around with me in tanks to use on two PV's!
The really, really cool thing to me is the juice flavors and how good they taste, plus the fact that I am breathing much, much better now.
Vaping rocks!

 

[DC2]

Who remembers blue foam from aquarium filters and pyramid teabags?

I think I still have some of that blue foam around here somewhere......

 

[zerominusone]

I'm 37. Smoked 2 packs of Winston a day since I was 14. I started vaping just to save a little money 'cuz cigarettes cost so much and just ended up picking up my pv instead of a cigarette.

 

[AcePilot]

Okay, so as of right now I have 71 posts that contained all the requested information. Some posts left out age/starting age so to keep the numbers consistent I want to only use posts that give both ages plus their reason. This is looking VERY interesting! Thanks again everyone!

 

[Keeno]

Well, since this is for research I'll volunteer the info...lol:

AGE: 44

STARTING AGE: 17

REASON: Rebel.....

HOW MANY: 1 pack per day easy since age 20 so that makes 24 year pack a day smoker.

 

[annah]

I've still got PTBs around, and I have fluval for my carts. Much easier now-a-days with all the new upgrades

 

[KeysBum]

You didn't ask us to say when we started, but it was 18 for me.

 

[Los Marauder]

Age-42
Started-15
Stoped Age-40

Started on Swisher Sweets, tryin to look like Clint Eastwood from his speghetti westerns with my older brother and all his friends. Went on to the good stogies at 18. Macanudos, Dunhill, Fuentese, around $1.00-$2.00 at the time.

Adopted 2 amazing special needs kids 10 years ago. Wife left us, needed the money because now those stogies are $3.00-$5.00 minimum. But couldn't quit.

Re-maried, to amazing woman with an amazing son with defiance disorder. Neede the money even more.

Found SmokeTip, and stoped clean. Finally Saving money.

Found the Echo Auto 650 for a cigar feel, and cheep juice. No more expensive cartomizers. Saving more money.

Wifes freind discovers ...., I discover I have another amazing "son" to which I am happy and truely honored to raise.

Dicover DIY and saving even more money.

Don't know how much cheeper I can get at this but I'm sure I'll find a way when need be.

 

[Carless]

I've still got PTBs around, and I have fluval for my carts. Much easier now-a-days with all the new upgrades

Yeah, I guess I might as well drink that silly tea. I'm never gonna get around to cutting up those bags to rig up my carts....