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

[AcePilot]

Forgive me if this has been done before, but I searched the threads and found nothing.
I'm extremely curious about how old we all are. I am always reading posts in the new members forum and see that people have been smoking x amount of packs per day for x years.
What made me curious: I was at a dinner party recently vaping outside with the smokers and was asked about what I was smoking and if they could hit it. I responded and told him it was a nicotine vaporizer and he lost all interest in "hitting it." He was about my age and had no interest in knowing any more about it and continued smoking and abandoned the conversation. It did however peak a woman's interest and I explained more about it to her. She was late thirties, early forties and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.
I know a few people around my age that vape, but many more that prefer smoking and have no desire to vape. 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.

It would be neat to see everyone respond with their current age, the age they started smoking, and why they started vaping. Financial reasons? Health issues? Nagging Spouse? Gadget lover?

I'll start.
I'm 24, smoked a bit over a pack a day for 6 years, (first cigarette at 13, PAD by 15) and started vaping at 21 because my husband was always worrying about my future health, found a Gamucci ad on the Internet and bought it for me. I couldn't turn it down because I am a gadget nut and well... A few kits later i was hooked.

 

[Batsu]

i'm 28 years old and i smoked a PAD since i was 16, i got into vaping for my kids. they hated the smoking.

 

[luvinit]

I'm 51 and have been smoking on and off since I was roughly 13. yes, 13. Health and expense, my two main reasons. My dad, a life long smoker, died of lung cancer at the age of 56. And yes, I continued to smoke... not good! I agree with you, most people here seem to be of the more "mature" variety.. and we definitely do know that we are NOT invincible! As for the expense, I haven't saved a dime since I started this a little over a month ago, but I don't care about that.. I'm having so much FUN with this!! And no analogs in all that time is big for me.. I'm trying to convert everyone I can, but haven't had much success with that, and I don't like to push... so I'll continue to vape, and I won't stink or cough like my smoker buddies! Nice ta meecha, AcePilot!

 

[AcePilot]

i'm 28 years old and i smoked a PAD since i was 16, i got into vaping for my kids. they hated the smoking.

That's an excellent reason congrats on making the switch!

 

[keyzygirl]

Im kinda old and I started vaping so that Ill live to be really old.

 

[rem700]

52 smoked 2 pad for 35ish yrs, Tried the ecig because of the riseing costs of analogs figureing to just use on occasion dropped to 1/2 pad the first day and went total ecig within the first week.
The rest of my family was amazed as I never intended to drop the analogs it just happened.

 

[AcePilot]

I'm 51 and have been smoking on and off since I was roughly 13. yes, 13. Health and expense, my two main reasons. My dad, a life long smoker, died of lung cancer at the age of 56. And yes, I continued to smoke... not good! I agree with you, most people here seem to be of the more "mature" variety.. and we definitely do know that we are NOT invincible! As for the expense, I haven't saved a dime since I started this a little over a month ago, but I don't care about that.. I'm having so much FUN with this!! And no analogs in all that time is big for me.. I'm trying to convert everyone I can, but haven't had much success with that, and I don't like to push... so I'll continue to vape, and I won't stink or cough like my smoker buddies! Nice ta meecha, AcePilot!

Nice to meet you! I agree, it's far more fun than smoking ever was. I didn't save any money for about the first year but calmed down after that and just reordered things as I needed them.
So that puts you at smoking for about 38 years.. What awesome devices these things are! Not only are they fun, but helping people who have smoked for decades... That's nothing short of amazing.

 

[whitepony]

i am 26 got into smoking at 16 by the time i was 24 i was a 2 PAD smoker i got suckered by blu and that started the whole ball rolling but my current device will probably be the last as it is a reo grand

 

[jpracing]

43. Smoked 2pad for about 23 years. Started analogs at the age of 12.
Started vaping because I felt my resistance fading. Particularly when I play sports.
1 month into vaping and 20 mods later, analogs are just a memory.

 

[Newwell]

I'm 58 & my DH is 63. We both started smoking when we were about 13. Both of my parents were basically chain smokers. (Mom was a teacher & there were teachers' smoking lounges back then.) My DH's dad smoked. I didn't become a full-blown smoker until I was 16 or 17. He was 18 & in Vietnam.

We both quit analogs, 1 1/2 pad each, a little over a month ago because of vaping. Actually it was an "accidental quit". I purchased a "Couples E-Cig Kit" so we could use them when we went to our daughter's house. We ran out of cigs, "You going to the store? Nope. Me neither" & started vaping. Yipppeeee! Haven't had an analog since.

I, too, have run into "hesitation" on the part of smokers when I've been vaping with them & they are smoking. Just MHO, but I wonder if it isn't a guilt thing. I assure them that I am not a raving anti-smoker, not trying to convert them or run them down. Vaping is just what I do now & love it.

So blessings to all & vape on!

 

[Ford]

I'm turning 45 on Tuesday and I started smoking when I was 13. I eventually moved up to at least 15 to 20 analogs per day. I quit 2 years ago and started smoking bullseye cigarillos but they started to make me sick. I also have taken champix and I don't really want to discuss this but it did work for a bit !
I started vaping on december27 2011 (20)days now ! And I have not had a analog since . I am still quite excited that I have actually quit and I'm loving vaping.
I quit to prolong my health and look after my body better as I like to keep active and retain a good physique . Also I have 2 boys 8 and 6 and I want to live long enough to see them graduate and get married and have children of their own....they really wanted me to quit smoking as well and they are proud of me for doing so.
I started off with a Joye 510t and I am waiting for my Ego t LCD with 1100mAh to come.....
Thanks,

Ford

 

[boog]

39- smoked a carton of reds a week for 24 years...
I got tired of rising prices and declining taste/quality of marlboros...

 

[cags]

will be 58 this year. smoked since I was 18. 2+ pad.
started vaping feb 2011 - I wanted to go from 2 pad to 1 pad because of money only. I have no kids and no desire to live to be 100 (is the government going to take care of me?)
after 2 months of vaping I found myself at 2 cigs a day(!) which I still smoke because I choose to I still consider myself a success. after the first 8 or so months of going crazy buying stuff I calmed down and even with the shopping sprees I still spent less than I was spending on cigs.

 

[AcePilot]

I'm turning 45 on Tuesday and I started smoking when I was 13. I eventually moved up to at least 15 to 20 analogs per day. I quit 2 years ago and started smoking bullseye cigarillos but they started to make me sick. I also have taken champix and I don't really want to discuss this but it did work for a bit !
I started vaping on december27 2011 (20)days now ! And I have not had a analog since . I am still quite excited that I have actually quit and I'm loving vaping.
I quit to prolong my health and look after my body better as I like to keep active and retain a good physique . Also I have 2 boys 8 and 6 and I want to live long enough to see them graduate and get married and have children of their own....they really wanted me to quit smoking as well and they are proud of me for doing so.
I started off with a Joye 510t and I am waiting for my Ego t LCD with 1100mAh to come.....
Thanks,

Ford

Happy early birthday! 20 days cigarette free is awesome!

 

[trailwalker]

i am 51 soon 52 started at 18 ( long time ago) i didn't plan to quit i just got my pv so i could keep up my nic in the house wife had to quit so i decided no smoking in the house . i also work around a lot of places that or tobbaco free . but i found i didn't need analogs any more so i finly ran out after 1 a day for a month LOL. and just didn't buy anymore.
TW

 

[Dougiestyle]

38
Smoked 1.5ppd
Started when I was 13 (seems to be alot of that)
Started vaping because I wanted to have my nicotine where the gov said I shouldn't/couldn't, plus the financial saving (yeah right), also I wanted to breathe better/quit coughing/stop stinking.

 

[AcePilot]

i am 51 soon 52 started at 18 ( long time ago) i didn't plan to quit i just got my pv so i could keep up my nic in the house wife had to quit so i decided no smoking in the house . i also work around a lot of places that or tobbaco free . but i found i didn't need analogs any more so i finly ran out after 1 a day for a month LOL. and just didn't buy anymore.
TW

It's funny how many people don't mean to quit but do. I had mine for a few days before I really gave it a whirl. I woke up on my day off and told myself I would smoke if I wanted to, but was curious to see how long I could go using my Ecig. So I kept puttering around the house puffing on that crappy little Gamucci Ecig. Once I hit the 12 hour mark, I wanted to see if I could go a whole day without smoking and just kept going. I still craved cigarettes but not bad enough to cave and purchased a few more devices til I felt perfectly content.

 

[AcePilot]

38
Smoked 1.5ppd
Started when I was 13 (seems to be alot of that)
Started vaping because I wanted to have my nicotine where the gov said I shouldn't/couldn't, plus the financial saving (yeah right), also I wanted to breathe better/quit coughing/stop stinking.

Hmm... Thirteen does seem to be the unlucky age where a lot of us started smoking. I look at thirteen year olds now and think to myself "man... They look like they should be playing with barbies! I started smoking at that age?!"

 

[TVC70]

I'm 41 (going on 14, so I've been told ). I smoked 1.5 pad for 17 years and then a pipe for 9 more years. Gave up tobacco because I was finally tired of reeking of smoke, coughing, burning holes in my clothes, etc., and had reached the age where I knew the habit could come back to bite me at any time. Conga rats, AcePilot, on giving up the evil weed at so young an age. Wish PVs had been around when I was in my 20s.

 

[Semiretired]

Why - financial, health and just plain wanted to. I swore to get off analogs when they went over $1 a pack. I always knew it was bad for me and why was I spending so much money just to shorten my life. I tried just about everything to quit (patches, gum, hypnosis, chantix, etc...) - quit once for about 6months or so, but slipped back one night when some friends and I were enjoying a few beers and all of them smoked...

I'm 55 and like a few other I saw I started around 13 maybe younger - I just know it has been a long time. I've been vaping for about 4 months now and still have a couple of analogs a day. Went from 1 - 1.5 pad to just a couple within the first week or so - the ones in the morning and after meals are still keeping me going though. I can force through them, except the one in the morning, but I guess that time will come. For now I am happy. In a weeks time I am smoking less than I used to smoke in a day - so it is hard to argue... There was a time in my life when I smoked over two pads a day this got me further than all of the other things I tried all put together and I am not going back this time...