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

[SilentEcho13]

21 years old. I used to smoke a PAD from age 17 or so, along with cigars and hookah.

I sort of got into vaping because it was a "cool" form of smoking. That was a couple of years ago. Now, I use it to kick out my old smoking habits. I still enjoy a cigar or a hookah occasionally with friends, but I'm all vapor all day otherwise.

 

[jstcroix]

Hi Acepilot,

I am 42 and smoked 1 pack of rolling tobacco (Drum) every 3 days. My first cigarette I started when I was 13. Of course in the beginning you don't smoke as much but the longer I smoked I smoked more and more. I started vaping 5 days ago.

I had been thinking to quit for a long time because of my kids (7 and 16 year old) and the bad habbit that they might take over from me like I did from my parents. I always loved to smoke and thought nothing would help me quit ever becaue i am very stubborn. I tried nicorette gum, patches and acupunture with no result.
Then last week a friend of me had an e*cigarette and he said he didn't use it a lot. He knew I just tried acupuncture and it didn't work out. He asked do you want to try the Ego-T and if you don't want it anymore or you are done with it just give it back. I said, sure.
The moment I started vaping I was sold and haven't even thought of another analog. I truly ahopem the happiest person in the world and my husband and kids are very proud of me. I still can't believe that after smoking for 28 years I succeeded to quit.
Now I love vaping and don't have to go outside anymore. My husband is almost convinced he wants to start vaping too.

I hope we all stay of the analogs and keep up the vaping. It's the best invention ever.

 

[Detroit]

i tryed smoking first at 13 then stopped and started again at 21 smokin pack 1/2 a day and am now 24 and been vapin for about 2 months now lovin it way more then i ever did analogs!

 

[John Phoenix]

I'm 43 started smoking at 18, been vaping almost 1 year. Switched cus I could not quit with regular methods and didn't want to die of smoking related illness in the future.

Youngest I've seen so far in this thread is 19. I would like to see people at least 15 and up who vape. You only have to be a certain age to buy tobacco products but you can post at any age. We know there are tons of teen smokers who are interested in vaping lurking on this forum.

I think the more teen smokers who make the switch and be vocal about it, the better they are able to help other teen smokers. You teen vapers are Tops with me! You made the right choice. Oh and make some youtube videos too !!

 

[wootze]

66, grew up on a tobacco farm near Winston Salem. 2 pad from 15 thru 50's, then 1 pad until 64. Bought Green smoke stuff for a year with occasional American Spirit. Then, box mod from MV, Reomini, finally, provari. Waiting on Zen mini.

Despite all the tobacco, am in great health. (Lots of heavy smoking 90 year olds hereabouts). Vaping has definitely improved the quality of my life. I switched because its a much more enjoyable process, for me and anyone nearby.

 

[arkador]

I am 33
started smoking at age 19 when my office was the smoking lounge at the office

While smoking, I would get a sinus infection about every 8months, it is getting more and more expensive, and I have kids now.

Since quitting, I have saved almost $1000 on analogs, and only spent about $300 on vaping.

I breathe easier, and stink less. to me it is win-win-win.

 

[cjf1961]

I'm 50, smoked for 33 years and decided that I needed to find another way to salvage my sanity and my pocketbook. Although my sanity is mostly intact, my pocketbook, well, it's been fun...... It'll be two years the end of the month that I quit the analogs and don't think I will ever give up vaping, but will definitely "NEVER" go back to analogs. One of the best decisions I've ever made and very happy to be here.

 

[Taniger1]

45, I smoked for 32 (yep THIRTY two) years anywhere between 1 to 2 ppd, I never do ANYTHING by halves LOL. I started vapeing cause I was sick of the taxes. I had NO intention of quitting smoking!! I still smoke on "rare" occasions though (ok I take a drag or two, notice how nasty it is and put it out). So I guess I havn't really quit!!! I do find I prefer the taste of my pv though as do most of us who "dabble" with smoking I'm sure.

 

[CarbonThief]

I'm 36, smoked irregularly in high school and the Marine Corps after graduation. While in the service I got into pipe tobacco with some friends, but nothing like a regular habit. Then 3 and a half years ago, my wife left me for two months, with our 8 month old son in tow, and we both started a regular habit. I smoked 5 or 6 cigarettes a day for a few months at this time, then gradually it went to 10 or more, probably an average of 10 to 12 a day for the past three years. Nothing as heavy as many on here but totally addicted, mostly to the ritual: the oral fixation, the breaks while at work, the break from family and household duties when at home.

I started vaping about 5 months ago, cheap store bought cig look-a-like, telling myself that I would gradually use it more and decrease the analogs. Didn't really happen, I barely touched the PV after the first week, realizing now that's because it was a pretty poor model. Then over the Holidays I made up my mind that the pack I had at New Year's would be my last, and officially quit on the 4th (yeah I bought one lat pack after New Year's. But really what's a New Year's Resolution without breaking it!), thanks to a new cig look-a-like called a cigalectric. The battery, of course, keeps dying after 4 or 5 hours of chain-vaping, so I bought an NJoy the other da to check it out, while waiting for a few more paychecks to upgrade to the Provari, tank, punched cartos, e-juice etc.

Can't wait for the Provari!

 

[yeebiz]

I am 36. I smoked a PAD for about 20 years. I quit cold turkey and I vaped for 6 months. Then...

I fell off the wagon for 2 months. Thankfully, I Never fully stopped vaping during that 2 months. I am back to 100% vaping for about 2 weeks now.

A warning to everyone. It was really easy for me to quit smoking with my first electronic cigarette. After going back to cigarettes for a month, it took me another full month to quit cigarettes again. It was 10,000% harder the second time.

NEVER stop vaping....

 

[nansc]

I too am older retired person,started smoking at 13 smoked 2pad for over forty years.I developed COPD and could not breathe.I couldn't even walk to my car I was so weak.Cough,cough,all day all nite.My husband who never bothers me about anything, started researching e cigs.I said no it'ts too expensive but I finally broke down and it worked.Wish I had tried it sooner.No coughing I can breath better.My blood pressure is down.I can't say you save any money though shopping for gear is so much fun.

 

[otrpu]

. . .It seems to me that vapers tend to be a more mature group, probably because they have grown out of the whole "I'm in my twenties and invincible" thing. . .

Or, possibly. . .it's because I found out about vaping. And the realization that: all my uncles are dead; most those I went to school with that smoked are dead; all those I worked a long career with that smoked are dead. This smoking crap. . .it's getting scary. I smoked tobacco for >52 years, >2Pad. I haven't had a cigarette for more than 10 months. And, now. . .I'm thinking in triple digits. JMHO

Cheers,
otrpu

 

[danielm]

im 18 started smoking when i was 13 and started vaping when i was 17 i was in a rehab group and my friends all had e cigs so i got one for my 17 birthday and a few months later i started modding and now im working on making an e cig buisness and selling mods that i make.

 

[pyro13g]

turning 44 soon. I was weezing a bit, hate the new paper of analogs, kids started driving and need the $$ savings for her. Analogs started making me get a headache/nauseous and the smell started to bother me. Smoked for about 26 years, time to call it a career and retire.

 

[BBanshee]

I am 28 years old and I started vaping originally to just try it and hope I quit smoking. After a few false starts (more then a few) I think I am mentally ready.

 

[EveThePirate]

Brand new vaper, just got my kit on the 22nd of January. 31 years old, smoker since age 17.

I've gone up and down in my smoking habits, mostly related to the price of analogs wherever I was -- ranging from nearly two PAD during a work stint in China, down to half PAD here in Virginia, and everywhere in between. Have wanted to stop for ages but kept finding excuses to put it off. Latest one being with the stress of having gone back to school. You know the drill: "I can't do this now, I'll quit when I graduate!" blah blah blah.

Then about two months ago my workplace declared the grounds were going 100% smokefree on Jan 1st. I'm often there 12+ hours at a time. No nicotine? Aw crap.

That was the last straw. A few pitfalls later, here I am a new vaper.

 

[JBVape]

Currently 18 started smoking when I was 16 And chewing when I was 17. Never smoked very long and I'm happy. But I enjoy the nicotine and this was definitely a much safer alternative. Plus it taste a whole he'll of slot better!

 

[Seaturtle]

Hey! I'm 38. I had my first analog when I was 11. Regular smoker by 15. I smoked on and off for 20 years at about 1/2 to 1 PAD. Decided to try an e cig after my son told my husband and I about them. Got one from a gas station and ewwww! But that got my husband wondering and searching the internet and here we are! As for saving money- HA! We have spent WAY more money vaping than we did on analogs, because it is so much fun!! About a week after we got our first Joyetech with a few bottles of ejuice, I wanted to DIY. So the orders began. We get a package in the mail just about every day right now. Some accessories for our Fireflys, but mainly flavors and mixing equipment. I have no idea how much we have spent up to now, and I DONT WANT TO KNOW! I figure we will have all we need pretty soon and we can chill out and only order things as they are needed. (Hoping)

 

[cuttinloose]

Wow!! Great thread..Got that warm fuzzy feeling while reading some of these..I'm 42..(did i just type that).Yea thats wild. Don't feel it..I started smoking in 7th grade. Loved it.. In the last 15-20 ys .That idea started to fade, tryed everything to quit. Felt like dying instead. Felt like I was killing my best friend. I have a friend for about 2-3 yrs kept telling me to try e-cigs.My last straw was having to go outside in the cold to smoke while she used her e-cig inside. Hmmmm. I went into it slow. Did both at the same time, Til the cig tasted bad,smelled bad, everything just bad. & all I do is vape now I feel better now in so many ways. I used to wash my hands,chew gum, & spray myself after every cig. Now I don't have to do all that 50 million times a day. When I exercise I don't hack up a lung either. Money??? Idk...This sure is fun, I vape now more than I smoked, It's been since December of 2010. I vape everywhere. But not to be rude.. Love when ppl ask me what is that your smoking...HEY the more the Merrier...Thanks to everyone

 

[trademark]

I'm 25 and I've been smoking since I was 12. Now that I wrote that, wow, that's 13 years of my life.

I started vaping August 2011 and never looked back. I wasn't really planning on quitting analogs and even skeptical with the whole vaping thing. but when my boyfriend bought a Lea starter kit, I was hooked on my first vape. Glad that I finally found something that I enjoy and not kill myself slowly!!!