Question for the younger generation. Help??

[ctourtelot]

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this so please move it if necessary.

Bit of back story. I was a 2 to 2 1/2 pad smoker for many years. For a good part of that time, my kids harassed me frequently about stopping. Almost 3 years ago I found ecigs and haven't looked back. I even worked for about a year at an ecig retailer. During that time, my son (now 20yrs old) thought ecigs were awesome and when he started college, he brought a lot of his smoking friends into the store to help them get hooked up with ecigs. His whole life he's hated smoking.

Fast forward a bit...he joins a frat, starts partying, etc and took up smoking. It's gone beyond a social thing now to actual addiction. Even with watching me struggle and seeing me find a solution....it's after that he picks up smoking. It's mind boggling to me. WHY????

He's tried the ecigs himself somewhat. At first he said they were too harsh until I taught him how to draw on them properly. I gave him one of my spare ego batts and some liquid that he seemed to like, but I had to refill and charge it for him, etc. When it runs out and I'm not around, he just goes right back to smoking.

Now..after that long back story, I'll try to find a way to phrase this question. I've always thought that ecigs weren't really appealing to the younger generation for 2 reasons. The "cool/rebel" factor was missing and they are too much hassle/cost. But I have seen a few younger vapers on here so I'm hoping someone will chime in on this.

With my tax return, I've ordered my son his own batts, case, charger, liquid, PT, lanyard, blunt tip needle bottle (he has an extreme aversion to needles which is why I filled the clearos for him before) and some of the Vision Stardust cartos for ease of use. When he has working equipment, he seems to use them more than he smokes, but as soon as they require any maintenance, he's back to smoking.

He's getting ready to move out on his own again and I really want him to get off the cigs which is why I made these purchases, but I'm a bit afraid that it'll be a wasted on him.

Could any younger vapers give me some insight on what keeps you vaping and how you got started? At worst, I can use everything I got him for myself so it's not a complete loss but I'm trying to keep my hopes up.

Sorry for rambling, I'm just really frustrated with him right now and him smelling of smoke makes me sick. bleah

Thanks in advance.

 

[zerocool5878]

Unfortunately it comes down to him WANTING to quit. When he does the ecig will be there to get him off. Until then there is nothing that will make him do it.

 

[ctourtelot]

Hey zerocool,

Thanks for the response. I have gotten the impression from talking to him that he doesn't really like smoking but it's the stress that keeps him lighting up. I can relate to it completely and as much as I hate that he's addicted, he at least now understands why it was so hard for me to quit.

What bothers me the most about it is when he started smoking. If I was still smoking when he started, I could understand that somewhat, but to start after he has seen me struggle and FIND a way to quit, drives me nuts. Especially after bringing all his smoking friends in to try to help them quit...that's when my genius son picks up the habit.

It certainly isn't a case of being uninformed or not knowing about ecigs, etc. I sold them for crying out loud lol.

Maybe I shouldn't have dropped him on his head when he was little....

 

[airtractorbill]

what keeps me vaping is that it is a hobby collecting thing hell i go days with out a vape and havent smoked a cig or analog in over three yrs i have smoked when drinking but i can say this it hasnt been a pack in the three yrs i like that its cool to see what other people are doing with vaping and what they made i like that and all the flavors i have i know when i first started vaping i went through thre or 4 diff models before i found the one i liked and killed my craving i was a stress smoker and when drinking so for me i found something that was like the cigs i smoked strong throat hit and hot....

 

[ctourtelot]

I'm torn on that one airtractorbill lol. I'd like him to get excited about it, but seeing as he's having a hard time funding his 1/2 to 1 pad smoking habit at $3/pack, he really can't afford the hobby. I'm hoping that by setting him up with everything, he'll stop using cigarettes long enough to lose the taste for them. I'll buy him all the supplies he needs if it'll keep him off the stinkies.

OTOH, I also found from working at an ecig store that a lot of the time when ecigs are purchased as gifts for people who didn't ask for them, then tend to not get used much as there is no vested financial interest. I also have found that people do better starting out when they pick what suits them best.

I already know he likes my set up because he told me lol. I just don't know if he'll continue to use it when I'm not there to do the maintenance.

 

[northwestfarmtn]

he needs a good reason to quit. sorry to say his father wanting him to is not a good enough reason. you know deep down how great smoking seems in the beginning when you can still breath. for me it was something that smoking was preventing me from doing, I can not mention what that was on this forum but pretty much he needs to find that thing. what kind of kid is he, obviously he likes to party and thats a sure way to coddle a smoking habit, I stopped drinking 7 years ago, I didn't have to deal with that drunk smoking fiasco, so that is gonna make it harder for him. that thing that could get him to stop could be a girl, a hobby that smoking impedes, could be anything really I think you just have to find it and maybe point out to him that your not gonna be able to do that if you keep smoking(including the girl ) but don't pester him it will just make him want a cig. stay vape supportive and find that thing he will quit for, it has to be very important to him.

 

[ctourtelot]

Hi nothwestfarmtn,

For starters...I'm his mom not his father lol. However, as I've stated before he doesn't really like smoking and will happily use an ecig the majority of the time as long as I'm there to do the maintenance. I asked the younger vapers for input mainly to try to find a way to make that aspect less daunting for him. His moving in with a roommate in about a week and I got him everything he'll to last him awhile with vaping. He's mentioned that he smokes due to stress and he seems to do well on the ecigs as well. I guess when all is said and done, he'll take the easiest route until he makes a decision to do what he needs to..just as we all have.

I'm really hoping that these Stardust cartos perfom like I've heard that they do. If refills were easy and they last a long time it could be just what he needs.

I just found out that he got my car towed last night and the impound fee is going to wipe him out financially especially since he's trying to get moved. No better time to set him up with free nicotine than when he can't afford cigarettes lol

Maybe the universe will work in my favor on this.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[northwestfarmtn]

oops sorry mom I think once you get him through a few days he will find vaping easier and if being financialy whiped helps thats great seems like a perfect time to switch and hopfully by the time he can afford to spend money on cigs he will see how easy it is to vape. I hated smoking for at least 10 years before I switched, not to sure if not liking smoking is enough. does he know how to maintain it????? seems pretty easy if he just takes the time to do it, not sure what pv you got him but for me dripping a few drops in a carto a few times a day seems easier than getting in my care driving to the store getting out my wallet paying for cigs getting in my car opening a pack getting one out finding your lighter and lighting a smoke. there is something to be said about being able to just push a button any time any where. I hope you can open his eyes, and maybe you just need to find a virtually maintenance free PV, I have an ego with a cartomizer, a few drips now and then and it stopped me from smoking. I smoked for 17 years a pack and a half a day, planed on slowly phasing out cigs but it was so easy to just switch to vaping I did. had some rough patches at night but vapvapvaped my way through it. since he is low on cash use it to your advantage, free food is always a motivator when you are low on cash and have a vape only policy at your house. Thats all I got I hope you are successful and I hope I didn't just hope on here and run away with your thread. Have a nice day and Keep smiling.

 

[ctourtelot]

What I have given him to use previously was one of my ego 1100mah manual batts and modded XL Ce2 clearomizer with some menthol juice I got by mistake and don't use as he's a menthol smoker. At first he said they were too harsh, but then I taught him how to draw on them properly and he'd sit and blow vape rings like a pro. He went to a friends for a couple days awhile back and I sent him with some regular filler cartos (prefilled) and some of my old XL 510 batts to hold him over. He told me later when I asked about them that he didn't like them and preferred the original setup.

However, I dislike having to fight with the ce2s but I keep using them because of the performance and consistency I get from them once I get them modded. He had issues with the tubes coming off, etc and he hates needles so I filled them for him.

I got him his own 1100mah ego batts (one is a PT), charger, enough liquid for at least 3 mos vaping, a lanyard, a Stardust carto, a blunt needle style bottle for filling, and a case. I know he'll need more cartos, but I only picked up 3 of them to try and then they were OOS again so hopefully the one will keep him going until I can order him a few more.

I think this will be the best fiddle-free setup for him. I think I'm just going to ask him when I give it to him if he is committed to using it. If he's not, I'll keep the stuff for myself. I can't afford to spend the money just for it to sit on his dresser unused.

 

[Travis798]

I'm not quite a young-un anymore but I'm not old either. I've always personally enjoyed all the fiddling with these things, but when I got my mom on them, she wanted no mess-no fuss. I was able to keep her going while I was around, but since I work on the road, I can't always be there. I got her started on the Boge 2 ohm cartomizers a couple of years ago and she still happily uses them, as do I.

The boge carto's work very well, are of good quality (A DOA is so rare I don't remember the last time I had one) and can easily be refilled simply by dripping into them from the top, so no needle required. Perhaps you can pick him up a couple of 2 and 3 ohm carto's and a drip tip for him to try. The ease of use is a big plus in my book. I tried the ce2s once and hated them personally.

The trick will be to find what works for him as far as vapor, flavor, throat hit, and simplicity. What you are looking for is out there, but it might not be what you use yourself.

 

[Cadaoryn]

Im 21 and i utilized vaping to quit tobacco. Im in afghanistan currently vaping away and a pv does just as much justice as a cigarette as far as stress reduction. The problem is smoking at that age is the excuse to stand around for 10 minutes at a time and BS with one another...the social aspect of smoking, and the fact that generations before us have marketed them as a fashion statement seemingly. If anything, ask if he will quit smoking before leaving college at least. From there there are a ton of options for quitting, since vaping isnt for everyone.
-Vaping
-chantix
-patch
-gum
-etc.

just ask your son to promise to quit before he's out of college and see where it goes from there.

It does seem perhaps image may be an issue. Since college kiddo's typically care most about their image, they dont want to carry around a clunker. Id try a manual joye 510 or something small with extra batts. I personally have an evo VV, which is rather big, but i for one, dont care what people think of me.

 

[ctourtelot]

Hi Travis,

He does like the way my current set up works and used it almost exclusively for about a week. I guess the battery ran out or he ran out of juice while he was away from home and picked up a pack of smokes. He'd been bringing them to me if they needed refilling etc.

I've heard a lot about the Boge, but haven't tried them. I used filler cartos for a really long time but they just can't compare to the performance of the ce2s for me. I fill up the same 9 or 10 ce2s every week or so and go a month or 2 without cleaning them and they just work. Eventually they wear out and I buy another 5 or 10 a couple times a year. I bought a 100pack of 3mil BG syringes that I mod them with and I always pull out the cap and reseat it further away from the coil for better wicking.

I still get leaks and juicing, but after all this time I rarely notice it anymore. I just blow it out or wipe it and go back to vaping.

My son's issue with refilling was because of the needle. He had a bad experience at the ER once when a tech broke the needle off in his arm and since then he can hardly handle looking at needles. Since the Stardusts can be easily filled with just a bottle, I'm hoping that will work for him to keep him using it. They have a smaller capacity than the XL ce2s I use, but he doesn't vape as much as me either so it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm taking cost out of the equation for him right now. I've taken the learning curve out of it as he already likes my setup and has seen that it works well for him. The only thing I can't do for him is make him use it. That's why I was asking younger vapers what the best attraction to vaping is I guess. Most younger vapers haven't already had the health issues from years and years of smoking, etc and I'm thrilled to see them get on vaping before that happens. However, because of the youth, a lot of younger smokers think these are stupid, cost too much and don't have the patience to fiddle with them to get them to work.

Thankfully since technology keeps just getting better, I think these are getting seen more as cool gadgets than dorky fake cigarettes. That could have an upside and a downside. It'll help younger smokers stop using tobacco sooner, but if they develop the cool factor that smoking has always had, it could become an issue with minors as we've seen.

I'm really glad that I didn't have this issue while my son was still a minor. I'd want him to stop smoking, but wouldn't want him using an ecig telling all his friends how cool it was.

Sorry rambling.

 

[ctourtelot]

Just an update for everyone. I gave my son the kit (minus the Stardusts..they aren't in yet) and he's thrilled. He's starting a new business venture and went to a meeting the other night and realized he was the only person there who stepped out for a cigarette. He told me that if I hadn't beaten him to the punch and given him the kit that he was going to come ask me what I had.

He seems pretty determined and left for the evening with his PV in hand and smiling. I got a big hug, an "I love you" and a "thanks, Mom"

WIN

 

[JC Okie]

Sometimes things just work out the way they're supposed to.....

Love a happy ending.

 

[HerbVisions]

Im gonna take what sounds like an older way of puttin things, and re phrase it. I am 23 years old and smoked for 10 years almost 11. I was ALWAYS aware of the health hazards, as my mother did a good job of reminding me. But unfortunately if "You show someone fire, they want to touch it. You tell them it will hurt them, they will touch it anyways. It's only once they get burnt themselves and see and feel the pain, that they know they should have listened."

You son sounds like a smart guy, he will get it. He is experimenting. We all do, my mom told me not to try drugs. I did.....and they freaked me out...(most of them lol) and now I don't dare touch them, let alone think about it. Life is meant to experience and learn. Keep pushing it onto him, trust me if your annoying him then your making your point correctly, and don't worry about him "getting mad" your his mother, and it will always be that way.

Best of luck, sorry for rambling. But my mother wa a huge part in me quitting. Now for my journey......on helping her out.

 

[singu]

Glad to hear everything worked out. Now you have a vaping buddy..

 

[ctourtelot]

Thanks for the responses. He hasn't bought a pack since I hooked him up with his kit. I also gave a bunch of my unused equipment to his new roommate along with about 6 months worth of liquid. He seems to be doing really well with it

 

[edotman]

Thanks for the responses. He hasn't bought a pack since I hooked him up with his kit. I also gave a bunch of my unused equipment to his new roommate along with about 6 months worth of liquid. He seems to be doing really well with it

Thats good to hear, I haven't actually started vaping yet but I just ordered my eGo-T which should be arriving in a day or two, I'm 23 so I guess I could be classed as the younger generation, all I can really say is that from the sounds of things he probably hasnt been smoking for too long, I myself started at the age of 15 and when you smoke for around 8 years or so you really start to feel the detrimental effects tobacco has on your body, maybe because he's not been smoking that long he hasn't had time to really appreciate just how damaging tobacco is for us, the only way he's going to switch to and stay with vaping is if he has a real good reason to, and feeling the negative effects after prolonged tobacco smoking is the reason most of us are here.

If he's sticking with the vaping now then thats good to hear, I hope he sticks with it, but if he for whatever reason he does go back to cigarettes, then it could just be a case of giving it some time and letting him actually feel the negative effects of tobacco smoking, that'll give him the motivation he needs to stay on the vape! Also if he hasn't been smoking for too long i.e less than 4 years then it will probably be easier for him to make a permanent switch to vaping rather than someone who'se had the habit for 30 years! Either way I wish you and your son all the best, be patient with him because I'm pretty sure he'll soon figure out how bad tobacco smoking will affect us!

 

[ctourtelot]

Thats good to hear, I haven't actually started vaping yet but I just ordered my eGo-T which should be arriving in a day or two, I'm 23 so I guess I could be classed as the younger generation, all I can really say is that from the sounds of things he probably hasnt been smoking for too long, I myself started at the age of 15 and when you smoke for around 8 years or so you really start to feel the detrimental effects tobacco has on your body, maybe because he's not been smoking that long he hasn't had time to really appreciate just how damaging tobacco is for us, the only way he's going to switch to and stay with vaping is if he has a real good reason to, and feeling the negative effects after prolonged tobacco smoking is the reason most of us are here.

If he's sticking with the vaping now then thats good to hear, I hope he sticks with it, but if he for whatever reason he does go back to cigarettes, then it could just be a case of giving it some time and letting him actually feel the negative effects of tobacco smoking, that'll give him the motivation he needs to stay on the vape! Also if he hasn't been smoking for too long i.e less than 4 years then it will probably be easier for him to make a permanent switch to vaping rather than someone who'se had the habit for 30 years! Either way I wish you and your son all the best, be patient with him because I'm pretty sure he'll soon figure out how bad tobacco smoking will affect us!

Thanks for the input. I know he hasn't been smoking very long because he started smoking AFTER I started vaping and I've only been vaping for about 3 years. My timing seems to be good on getting him his own kit. He's getting into a business venture and he went to a meeting and realized he was the only one outside smoking when it was over. That seemed to be enough motivation to quit. Also he just moved and switched jobs so he's broke right now and can't afford cigarettes lol.

 

[bobalex]

My daughter saw me struggle with trying to quit smoking her whole life. She bugged me about it for years. Then I found out she had started smoking.

Skip ahead a couple of years ...

My starter kit arrived March 6th 2010. I easily quit smoking that day. I got a little evangelical about e-cigs and made all my smoking friends/family try them. And everybody quit and switched over to vaping. Well ... almost everybody.

My younger sister, a fellow computer geek, and my daughter, just didn't feel compelled enough to stick with e-cigs. It came down to one simple fact. They were young enough to still think they were bullet-proof. And ... they thought e-cigs were too much of a hassle.

Last Christmas I got my daughter an Elite kit:

THE ELITE 808

The Elite cartos are easy to fill, the battery lasts quite awhile, and it's a great looking PV. It turned out that style was as important to her as quitting smoking. And a cool looking hassle-free e-cig finally did the trick for her.

Now she's bugging her smoking friends to try e-cigs.

Success!