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

[Doll]

I'm 21, ive been smoking a full pack a day since i was about 14, had my first
cigarette at 8 (what a brat right) i never really felt i could quit until i seen a
starter kit in a gas station, i bought it, tried it figured this would be easy.
i tried, found ecf, bought mods DIYed juice, aall the while i was still smoking.
figured i'd ween myself off. nuh uh, never worked and i gave up Now a year
later i noticed i was up to almost two packs a day, scared me, now here i am
pulled out all my vape gear and im tobacco free and feel better than ever. I
dont want to have my guy breathing secondhand or dealing with the stink or
worrying about me, i dont want that stuff for myself. now i have a much higher
quality life ahead of me Plus its MUCH easier to
nag on brother to stop smoking without being a hypocrite

 

[melloyello]

im 42, started vaping 10 months ago by buying an analog lookalike. once i started using it, i knew there was potential even tho the batteries kept dying every 2 hours. i started smoking when i was 15....the past 15 years i was a 2pad smoker.

3 days into vaping i stopped smoking all together and i havent wanted a cigg in months.

 

[StarrzChylde]

Wow... Reading everyone's stories hits me right in the heart and makes me love vaping even more! This can be such a lifesaver to those of us out there who were willing to give it a try. We kick some serious ...! lol

Ok, enough of that. I'm 31 and I started smoking at.... wait for it... 13. My father was a smoker and I used to sneak cigs from him. I kept going with that until I turned 18 and could buy them for myself. I had managed to quit a few times, usually for about 2 months at a time, and only longer when I was pregnant. How I managed that 8 months with pregnancy hormones and no nic still amazes me. (I have twins and they were born a month early. I had actually managed to start another quit right around the time I got pregnant. Divine intervention?!?!?!)

I never really meant to quit smoking. I loved it. I loved that action of it. It relaxed me, or at least I thought it did. It gave me that 10 minutes of peace and silence on the back porch, that time with no kids and a really good book. The only part of it I always disliked was the smell. I used to keep 2 to 3 bottles of body spray in my car to hide the smell on me when I walked into work.

So, fast forward to about a year ago. The hubby and I are huge techies, loving our gadgets, and he happened to come across a blu ad. I knew I should quit and figured something like this would give me the best of both worlds. The only good thing about blu is as I researched the POS I managed to run into ECF. I did some research and went with an ego tank instead, but ran into serious problems with that as well and ended up back on the analogs.

Fast forward again to the beginning of December 2011. I've recently been promoted at work and have to stay in the building if there is no other management staff around. So, when my boss goes on vacation.... yeah, no analog breaks for this girl. I KNEW this time I wanted to quit. I wanted to quit because of work, not only because of being stuck there when the boss was gone, but so my cowrokers and students wouldn't smell it on me any more. I wanted to quit for my kids, to see them grow up and see my grandkids someday. I wanted to quit because my father died of lung cancer, and my step-dad is fighting throat cancer as I type this. I wanted to quit FOR ME, to be healthy and able to sing like I used to.

I found my old ego batts and went to the vape shop in the next town for some cartos, a tank, and juice. It was effortless this time. I found that last pack of cigarettes lasted me over a week and haven't bought another one since!

 

[azzaman]

I'm 24, smoked for a bit over 6 years. I used to roll my own, smoked between 25 to 30 cigarettes a day. I tried quitting through all the usual methods, gum, patches and cold turkey, nothing worked. Vaping has been the smoothest transition to being tobacco free. I had my last cigarette a few days ago and it was so easy. I get the right amount of nicotine from my pv, and everyone around me is happy. The 'you're going to die of lung cancer' joke got real old.

 

[s3anvap3s]

I'm about a month away from 30! I started smoking at 17. I never considered myself a "smoker" (proud vaper now though) but at over a pack a day who was I kidding? Denial is a powerful thing! Why did I quit? I noticed that just walking at a normal pace and talking was making me winded. I couldn't keep up with my 2 boys. I came down with a cold and wound up getting an upper-respiratory infection compounded with a sinus infection. That was the real kicker for me. I felt like I had emphysema! I bought a cheap starter kit and haven't looked back. Now I love vaping on cartos, tanks, direct dripping. I've got a decent mod and currently looking for a VV mod. I love it! And after only a little over 2 months of no tobacco I can run and play with the kids and not have to stop for a breather! The best part is I got my wife to kick the habit, her two sister, and 2 neighbors to stop as well!!!! My mom and father-in-law have all but stopped smoking using the eGo-t.

 

[Strigoi]

I'm 33 and started vaping to quit smoking. I started with a Magma from Volcano (about 2 years ago) and upgraded from there. It's been almost a year and a half now since I've had a cigarette.

 

[deemer]

I am 29 and smoked for ten years working my way to 2 pad. I tried vaping because someone asked me about electronic cigs and I had never heard of them. I told that person it sounded like rediculous nonsence to me. I live in North Dakota and going outside to smoke when it is 20 below is not fun. I picked one up thinking it would be nonsence but might cover me when mother nature was really bad. Turns out it is rediculous awesome, better in every way, haven't had a smoke since.

 

[AcePilot]

Alright... So I finally put some numbers together and this is what I've come up with.

The average age of a vaper: 36

Reason for trying ecigs/switching to vaping
Health Concerns: 51%
Curiousity: 18%
Financial Issues: 16%
Family Reasons: 11%
Social/public Convenience: 4%

Age we started smoking
Age 9: 1%
Age 10: 3%
Age 11: 1%
Age 12: 4%
Age 13: 28%
Age 14: 9%
Age 15: 9%
Age 16: 13%
Age 17: 16%
Age 18: 9%
Age 19: 2%
Age 20: 1%
Age 21: 0%
Age 22: 2%
Age 23: 0%
Age 24: 2%
Age 25: 0%


I think it's interesting/sick that the age we started smoking jumps from 4% at age twelve to 28% at age thirteen, then drops down to 9% at age fourteen. What on earth happens at age 13?!

Edit:
These numbers are based on the replies I have had up to this point. I'm aware that the average age of a vaper is not 100% accurate due to the fact that it does not take all vaping adults into account.
I would appreciate not receiving another smarty-pants message about how these numbers can't be accurate since I'm only using a small percentage of the vaping population. -duh
I don't claim to be a mathematician/number analyst what-not, I'm a seamstress... And this was just for fun.

Thanks again to everyone who has responded! I'm excited to see the numbers change with even more information.

 

[annah]

Trauma. Hormones, adolescence, trying to fit in, (peer pressure is worse in my opinion in middle school.) It's before most people learn to stop giving a flying fig about what the other kids think.

Other than that, I dunno. My husband started when he was 12. Because his older brother smoked, and it was cool.

Edited to correct typos- had 3yo on my lap.

 

[Dj Xy]

I'll be 33 next well was a pad since I was 18 had my last analog the day after I bought my first pv (a njoy from 7-11) little over a year ago

 

[jimbill]

40 in may smoked two to three ppd started you quessed it (13 years old) smoked about 26 years.Quit smoking over a year ago with the help of my trusty ego and never felt better just wish i would have started sooner.

 

[funkfist]

19 now, started when I was underage but I was already smoking analogs

 

[Airbrusher]

41 now. Started when I was 15 living on the dairies I grew up on. I would sneak one of my mothers cigs and sit outside to smoke it. Was a PAD marl guy by 17. I switched at 39 because I like being close to my wife and save money. Love it now.

 

[pfaber11]

44 got hooked at the age of 13 after joining the army cadets they all seemed to smoke. been using am e cig for 2.5 years on and off. only smoked for 8 weeks last year and none this year so far. only using unflavoured juice now as i find my atomizers last a lot longer and don't gunk up .

 

[Carless]

Alright... So I finally put some numbers together and this is what I've come up with.

The average age of a vaper: 36

Reason for trying ecigs/switching to vaping
Health Concerns: 51%
Curiousity: 18%
Financial Issues: 16%
Family Reasons: 11%
Social/public Convenience: 4%

Age we started smoking
Age 9: 1%
Age 10: 3%
Age 11: 1%
Age 12: 4%
Age 13: 28%
Age 14: 9%
Age 15: 9%
Age 16: 13%
Age 17: 16%
Age 18: 9%
Age 19: 2%
Age 20: 1%
Age 21: 0%
Age 22: 2%
Age 23: 0%
Age 24: 2%
Age 25: 0%

Thanks for compiling the information from our limited sample of vapors and sharing the results Acepilot, I found it interesting and appreciate your effort.

 

[Sweeney Todd]

Interesting statistics! I'm 38, and I actually started vaping not with the intent to quit smoking, but to supplement smoking because of the convenience of vaping. As I kept reading I realized that I could switch entirely, and decided to quit.

 

[VapeApe]

44 and started smoking analogs when I was 18. I dont even want to think how many years that is, makes me feel sick in my stomach. Ecigs is the only thing that has been even remotely successful to stop/switch.

 

[jnnfrlsw]

I'm 47 and started smoking my senior year in high school. Was hooked in a short time and was at close to 2 PAD. I decided to quit because of health problems and pressure from my family. I quit April 18 2009 and REALLY missed it. I tried the patch, chantex and used the gum till Nov. 2009. I was spending more on nico. gum than I had for cigs. Heard a volcano radio ad in Nov. 2009 and ordered a disposable and loved it. Found ECF and learned all I could. Haven't had a cig. or nico gum and will celebrate my 3yr smoke free in April. Ecigs have saved my life!

 

[MikeK0416]

I am 54 and started smoking at 16. I have tried just about every known method to quit smoking over and over since I was 18. On New Years day I put on a 21mg patch and tried using a medium nic level basic ecig. The more I used it the more I did not need an analog. I stumbled on this site and became incredibly relieved to find so many people have switched. I upgraded to an ego-t and a couple of other mods and am so happy to have found something that allows me to replace the habit. I always believed it would be so much better to be addicted to a healthier nicotine and now I find others have too. I have reduced the patch to 14mg and am using a med nic ejuice. I will get off of the patch in a couple of weeks and strictly vape.

Thanks to this site and ALL OF YOU

 

[CPT.SPALDING]

Hey,everyone i'm 32 years old and have been a PAD smoker since i was 17.
I started vaping last november because i want to be around to see my two little girls grow up.Plus smokes are about $ 12.00 a pack here in Canada.
If i didn't stumble across this community i would have smoked until the day i died.