Since it's Father's Day, this makes sense. My dad is struggling with vaping, advice?

[Utsuru]

Hello again all, I'm back again in need of your help and input. I'll try to keep this brief, however I am a known and certified rambler.

First things first, I've been vaping for about 3 and 1/2 weeks, I use to smoke almost a pack a day. I'm currently living at home and my father, a soft-spoken, 64 year old Vietnam vet with a heart of gold, was intrigued about this whole vaping thing. He truly seemed interested seeing how easy it was for me to get off of cigarettes. He smoked two packs a day, or close to.

I took him to my local B&M, which is awesome(except high end mods are overpriced, everything else is reasonable) and I let him pick out something he likes. He ended up picking up two Kanger stick mods, one is an EVOD Mega, the other is a smaller VV type, I forget the name. They're both solid devices, I tested them before I let him use them and they are very similar to my MVP 2 and nautilus Mini, however the flavor is slightly more muted and it takes longer to heat up the coil in his devices. Other than that, they are very similar and I had no problem quitting using my setup, yet I understand everyone's experiences are different.

I've already typed more than I would have liked but I need to set the stage so you know where I'm coming from. Now, here is my problem.

He can't hit the freakin' things right. Drag, puff, toot, whatever, he's just not getting it. I've showed him a few dozen times easily how to "smoke" on these things. I understand it's a very foreign, new concept to him but I explained that it's exactly like hitting a cigarette, except you hit a button. That's it. Perhaps you take a longer drag to get a bit more of a hit, but still, it's the same thing essentially. For the first few things he held the thing with two hands. It's a little stick mod, it was cute and kind of hilarious but still, come on man, you can do it! Hold it like a cigar! It was frustrating. He now holds it with one hand and has gotten better with the button but he's still very much in the beta stages of vaping and I really wish it would have taken on better.

Another problem he has, or at least had, was he was lung inhaling the thing. I explained and explained how it's just like a cigarette however he insisted on lung inhaling the thing, and of course it's harsh and you cough and a crappy experience. I showed him how he could just puff on it like a cigar and still get nicotine, but I know he needs to feel that lung and throat hit like 99% of us here do. He made a tiny bit of progress but that brings me to my last point.

He holds the vapor in, like, his brain just doesn't say "EXHALE." He just like, slowly exhales almost ghosting the hit. I tell him, "BLOW IT OUT!" and it still takes him a few seconds to figure it out, it's sort of frightening that something so simple is giving him so much trouble. Like I said, It's just like a cigarette, with a button.

I let him try this sub-ohm setup a friend on the forums sent me and of course it was way too hot as he chose NOT to lung inhale this time, despite my explicit instructions to do so.

I just don't know what to do guys. I've been extremely patient and explained to him over and over again how to use them but I just fear he will never get it. He normally chain smokes and his two e-cigs just sit in the chair next to him and he takes a puff like every 10 minutes, which is no where near what he needs to be doing. I tell him "it's okay to chain vape on that thing" but I don't know. I try to lead by example and make cloud after tasty cloud but he just sits there having a nic fit instead and tries to sneak cigarettes late at night or early in the morning. It's like he's part embarrassed to use the ecig, like a 64 year old would be to wear skinny jeans or wear beats by Dre, but what is most embarrassing is smoking cigarettes that taste like burnt hair when you have two great working setups right next to you filled with banana waffles and vanilla cafe latte. I just don't get it.

This turned into a 3,000 word essay and I apologize but I just had to vent my frustrations. There's nothing I want more than for my dad to be successful getting off of cigarettes, but I fear he's just content with smoking until he dies.

I guess what I'm finally getting at is, do you have any advice, any tip you can give me? A video, a link, a few words, anything? I'm desperate. Perhaps you were like me and helped your dad get off of cigarettes. I just need help, it would be great to have my pops around for as long as possible and it kills me to see him kill himself with those stupid things.

Thank for any input you can provide and I hope I didn't bum you out, here, have a picture of a bread cat.

TLDR: Do you have advice to help my dad ease into vaping? He's having a hard time getting use to them.

 

[jseah]

It's really hard to say, because each person will be different. Whenever you start vaping, the coughing is very common because it will take a couple to a few days to get used to the larger volume of vapor that comes from ecigs versus analogs. He should vape it however he feels comfortable doing. And don't worry so much if he can't quit smoking cold turkey and supplant it solely with vaping. Even if it just cuts one cigarette out a day, that is one less cigarette he is smoking. There are many people who dual use for days, months, or even years.

 

[dbrandt01]

My dad is now smoke free for 3 and a half months with vaping. I moved back in at home too when I started going to college after I was dischaged from the Army. The button thing was hard for him as well. I just tell him, before he puts the drip tip in his mouth, push the button. When he takes it out, left off the button. He seemed to learn pretty quick with that break down. With the lung hitting thing. My dad had a problem with mouth to lung even though he did it with a cigarette. It just wouldn't work for him with vaping. Lung hitting was the way he got the hit he wanted. Maybe your dad always held smoke in when smoking cigarettes? I know a few smokers that do this, so they carry that on to vaping. My dad used to be embarrassed to vape, now he chain vapes it.

What was the subohm setup? My dad used to have an eGrip. Now he uses an iStick 50w with an atlantis tank at around 23 watts and it's perfect for him.

Also, could it be the juice? Does he express any opinions for that? My dad absolutely HATED any flavor. Desert, the fake tobaccos, fruits. Anything he hated and didn't want to vape. I vape unflavored, I buy the stuff and mix it myself. He said instantly with a smile on his face, "This is the closest thing to a marlboro light I have ever had. I like this the most than the flavors I tried".

I think I touched a little on each problem you mentioned.

 

[roxynoodle]

I had a hard time getting the technique down. It IS different. Tell him light and long, like a gentle breeze. When we smoke a cigarette, its a harder, faster hit, and then inhale to the lungs. Not vaping, even m2l.

He needs to practice. It was a good week before I was managing with consistency, and much longer than that before I had it right each time. He's trying to smoke it, I guarantee you.

 

[Rixsta]

Yeah as others have touched on, it's just a case of persevering with him, it is really hard to say what would help.
I can say though, he has you to help him and it was a pleasure to read such a heart warming story of a loving Son trying to help his dad quit smoking.
All you can do is keep trying but don't push him to hard or he might end up hating the thing. A little thought, maybe try him on the halo ecigs or something like that where you don't have to press a button, then build up from there..

 

[dionysuskiss]

I second the unflavored. When you have smoked for so long, it's hard to wrap your brain(or taste buds in this case) around the fact that those "flavors" and the cigs deliver the same thing. It does taste like a light cigarette, more so than any tobacco flavor. Once he gets his sense of taste back, it will be easier to try the other stuff.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I don't M2L. I fill my mouth and exhale through my nose. For whatever reason that is the way that I started, and I just can't seem to...do it any other way. I get taste and I smell it. Seems simple. It did take awhile to get my taste back, though. But, my doctor and dentist are happy.

Anyway, my wife is a so-so vaper and still smokes. But, she does vape, so she gets whatever I have moved from and that she can handle...which is an MVP2 and Nautilus. I have enough Nauties that she has 4-5 flavors available at any time. She chooses the flavors and I fill. I set the MVP and and tanks and she charges it. I hope that she will get more into it, but until then, I watch over it.

 

[Utsuru]

Thank you all for he input so far. I got him to at least puff on it like a cigar starting yesterday by using a straw analogy. When you drink using a straw you don't pull the liquid with your lungs, you create a vacuum with your mouth. He just has to figure out how to combine that with a little inhale and then exhale.

However I never noticed if he holds in his cigarette smoke or not, now that I think of it, he never had a strong exhale. I'll continue to try and be patient and work with him and I think once it "clicks" he will be on his way.

He smokes menthols and he tried minty juice but got tired of them. I forget the brands, but in one tank he has "wake n vape" a vanilla cafe late coffe flavor, and "king kong's breakfast" which is a banana, waffle and maple syrup. They both taste so ridiculously good.

Thanks again for all of your input and support. I was getting frustrated but I'll just remain patient and work with him. I'd still appreciate tips of people who have helped older folks quit using vaping, your stories are greatly appreciated.

 

[dionysuskiss]

Maybe you could put just a touch of menthol in the unflavored. Not mint, but a menthol cig flavor. Mint by itself is too sweet to a menthol smoker.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

The vapor "bubbles" cling to the hair in the nose and are absorbed there, too. Lungs really aren't needed, unless big, big clouds are wanted.

I noticed that a lot of fruit flavors have a touch of menthol, for that..effervescence or citrusy effect??

 

[dbrandt01]

I found mint type vapes are weird. This is me personally, I smoked menthols unless I rolled my own and I dipped Copenhagen Mint. I hated the mint type vapes. It made my nose run more haha. Patience is key, support is just as important as well. My dad once he got a setup and unflavored he quit smoking after 3 days. Not smoking in the mornings with coffee was the hardest for him. He learned to fill up the tank quick as well, which was my biggest fear on teaching with him.

It won't happen overnight for some people. It's hard to break someone of a habit. I was lucky with my dad once we found a good setup for him. It's hard at first, the rewards once accomplished is worth it. My dad after 2 weeks could smell and taste stuff better. He was amazed at how bad cigarettes smell (My mom still smokes, but she's more stubborn than my dad with vaping and doesn't want to ) but when she's ready and asks I'll help her the same way.

 

[Grimwald]

I also suggest unflavored liquid.

I'm just about your father's age. My wife and I started at the same time. I didn't know at the time, but people smoke differently. I was always a mouth to lung smoker, I didn't know there was another way to do it. I just assumed that everyone smoked that way. However, my wife was straight to lung smoker. I've been married to her for 40 years, but I never knew that. Funny, but it was just never a topic of conversation.

Needless to say, vaping was easier for me than it was for her. She got the hang of it, but it took her a while longer.

I hate to recommend this, but you could have him smoke a normal cigarette (just for research mind you) and try to observe his smoking technique.

 

[Utsuru]

I also suggest unflavored liquid.

I'm just about your father's age. My wife and I started at the same time. I didn't know at the time, but people smoke differently. I was always a mouth to lung smoker, I didn't know there was another way to do it. I just assumed that everyone smoked that way. However, my wife was straight to lung smoker. I've been married to her for 40 years, but I never knew that. Funny, but it was just never a topic of conversation.

Needless to say, vaping was easier for me than it was for her. She got the hang of it, but it took her a while longer.

I hate to recommend this, but you could have him smoke a normal cigarette (just for research mind you) and try to observe his smoking technique.

That's exactly what I'm going to do when I see him tomorrow.

I will also try unflavored with a touch of menthol. Thank you guys.

 

[nvadasz]

Hello again all, I'm back again in need of your help and input. I'll try to keep this brief, however I am a known and certified rambler.

First things first, I've been vaping for about 3 and 1/2 weeks, I use to smoke almost a pack a day. I'm currently living at home and my father, a soft-spoken, 64 year old Vietnam vet with a heart of gold, was intrigued about this whole vaping thing. He truly seemed interested seeing how easy it was for me to get off of cigarettes. He smoked two packs a day, or close to.

I took him to my local B&M, which is awesome(except high end mods are overpriced, everything else is reasonable) and I let him pick out something he likes. He ended up picking up two Kanger stick mods, one is an EVOD Mega, the other is a smaller VV type, I forget the name. They're both solid devices, I tested them before I let him use them and they are very similar to my MVP 2 and Nautilus Mini, however the flavor is slightly more muted and it takes longer to heat up the coil in his devices. Other than that, they are very similar and I had no problem quitting using my setup, yet I understand everyone's experiences are different.

I've already typed more than I would have liked but I need to set the stage so you know where I'm coming from. Now, here is my problem.

He can't hit the freakin' things right. Drag, puff, toot, whatever, he's just not getting it. I've showed him a few dozen times easily how to "smoke" on these things. I understand it's a very foreign, new concept to him but I explained that it's exactly like hitting a cigarette, except you hit a button. That's it. Perhaps you take a longer drag to get a bit more of a hit, but still, it's the same thing essentially. For the first few things he held the thing with two hands. It's a little stick mod, it was cute and kind of hilarious but still, come on man, you can do it! Hold it like a cigar! It was frustrating. He now holds it with one hand and has gotten better with the button but he's still very much in the beta stages of vaping and I really wish it would have taken on better.

Another problem he has, or at least had, was he was lung inhaling the thing. I explained and explained how it's just like a cigarette however he insisted on lung inhaling the thing, and of course it's harsh and you cough and a crappy experience. I showed him how he could just puff on it like a cigar and still get nicotine, but I know he needs to feel that lung and throat hit like 99% of us here do. He made a tiny bit of progress but that brings me to my last point.

He holds the vapor in, like, his brain just doesn't say "EXHALE." He just like, slowly exhales almost ghosting the hit. I tell him, "BLOW IT OUT!" and it still takes him a few seconds to figure it out, it's sort of frightening that something so simple is giving him so much trouble. Like I said, It's just like a cigarette, with a button.

I let him try this sub-ohm setup a friend on the forums sent me and of course it was way too hot as he chose NOT to lung inhale this time, despite my explicit instructions to do so.

I just don't know what to do guys. I've been extremely patient and explained to him over and over again how to use them but I just fear he will never get it. He normally chain smokes and his two e-cigs just sit in the chair next to him and he takes a puff like every 10 minutes, which is no where near what he needs to be doing. I tell him "it's okay to chain vape on that thing" but I don't know. I try to lead by example and make cloud after tasty cloud but he just sits there having a nic fit instead and tries to sneak cigarettes late at night or early in the morning. It's like he's part embarrassed to use the ecig, like a 64 year old would be to wear skinny jeans or wear beats by Dre, but what is most embarrassing is smoking cigarettes that taste like burnt hair when you have two great working setups right next to you filled with banana waffles and vanilla cafe latte. I just don't get it.

This turned into a 3,000 word essay and I apologize but I just had to vent my frustrations. There's nothing I want more than for my dad to be successful getting off of cigarettes, but I fear he's just content with smoking until he dies.

I guess what I'm finally getting at is, do you have any advice, any tip you can give me? A video, a link, a few words, anything? I'm desperate. Perhaps you were like me and helped your dad get off of cigarettes. I just need help, it would be great to have my pops around for as long as possible and it kills me to see him kill himself with those stupid things.

Thank for any input you can provide and I hope I didn't bum you out, here, have a picture of a bread cat.

TLDR: Do you have advice to help my dad ease into vaping? He's having a hard time getting use to them.

Number one, coming from a 62 year old (me), don't ride him. It sounds more like it's your frustration than his. At 64, how can you think of smokin' a waffle, or get your head wrapped around inhaling a cup of Joe. Seriously...get him some tobacco flavored stuff. Also, another suggestion is get a mod and tank that resembles a cig as close as possible, it will feel more natural in his hand. I'm thinking maybe an Ego with a CE5 on top. If it takes two hands to handle that whopper it too big... Explain to him, as you have, but with a bit of patients, he doesn't have to blow clouds (that's a note to you too). Just tell him again to "smoke the thing". "Push the button and take a drag, Dad". On another note, I kinda feel as though you think 64 is old, maybe toooooo old to understand things. Got news for you youngin' as long as we have our health and mind, we can still do more than just sit on the front porch.

Just saw one of your posts on another thread, and I see you got Dad into a 45ml tank. Too big for a starter in my opinion. I've been vaping for over 6 months and still use a mini. I just find the bigger stuff too big. Started with an Ego with a CE4 and went to Aspire CE5 (better wicking) then to a iStick with a Mini Nautilus.

 

[Bunnykiller]

dont try to get him off of ciggies at your rate... let him do it on his schedule.... some people require more time to make the transition. As far as "handling" the vape tools, let him experiment till he finds the right technique for his self. He does seem willing to make the transition... and also remind him vaping is not like smoking... its just another method of nic delivery that is kinda sorts like smoking because you inhale it... be patient

 

[englishmick]

Hey, I'm 64 too, and while I was reading your original post the thought going through my mind was GIMME A BREAK KID. You explained how to do it properly a few dozen times?

Change and learning new stuff does get a bit harder as you get older. As a fellow old geezer I'm guessing that what's appealing to your father might be that it's something he can do with you as much as it's about quitting smoking. Like a common interest. Use that. Encourage him to keep trying and ask him questions. Make it a fun activity you can do together rather than a training course. He'll ask for help when he wants that. Ya know.

Good luck.

 

[Sgt.Rock]

Another (almost) sixty year old dude checking in...

I agree with several of my peers here that you need to let him do this at HIS pace and not yours. I quit a 45 year addiction with vaping but like Frankie said..I did it my way.

I started with ego type junk and moved on over a period of about a year to Mechs and RTAs. I'm in my happy place now--I DIY my own juice, roll my own coils and it's all good.

 

[OlderNDirt]

As another of the older group, if he wants to quit cigs with vaping, let him go at it his way rather then forcing your way on him. I may have missed it, but I saw nothing about him choosing what flavor to vape, just what you believe to be great. If so, take him to a vape shop and let him find what he likes. Even make it a monthly or so Dad/son time.

Let's face it, we "older folk" can become a bit obstinate to you "young'uns", as well as dealing with difficulties performing the same tasks now that used to be simple at one time. Be patient with him, let him do his thing, and be there when he needs/asks for advice. For some, asking for advice seems like an admittance that we are struggling with something simplistic that most don't.

 

[GinnyTx]

does he want to quit smoking ciggies?

if he doesn't you know this is all in vain.


he sounds like he's our age..Ed smoked for 40 years me 30 plus..and our old lungs can't handle those fancy smansy big cloud hot things you kids vape on *lol* (damn I sound like my folks now) so Tootle puffer or whatever we are kind of stuff.

so you know the progression from there..start small and he'll work his way up as he can tolerate it.

I was a menthol smoker and I had a menthol liquid for the first week..then nasty nasty nasty. so if you do get him any menthol get those little 10ml bottles

 

[choochoogranny]

Well, think the "younguns" who were helping me in my first shop visit were scared out of their minds when I tootled my first toot and about laid out on the floor! Ha! Think several of them had their fingers hovering above the 911 buttons. Several more attempts weren't quite so dramatic, but my face did turn beet red and hubby was looking anxiously at the exit. BUT, by the time I left I had learned the long, slow and gentle method.

Wound up with six different juices I had sampled at the shop that I could somewhat taste, and my device of choice was the MVP 1 with the ProTank 1 mini. The MVP for length of battery time and I could hook up to an outlet and charge while vaping the thing. Was a chain smoker and somehow thought I wasn't quitting the smokes.

22 months later this 70 yr old grandmother who learned much that I know about vaping here and watching "how to" videos is free of a 53 yr smoking habit. Still using the MVP's, Cool Fire IV, ProVari's, iSticks, VaporShark, and recently the Kanger Kbox Mini with the Subtank. I am having a ball and try to visit all the new B&M stores to sample their juice wares and get to know them. Usually find at least one juice to bring home. My tastes have changed quite a bit over the past months; and don't forget, as people age so do their taste buds too.

Be patient with your dad, Utsuru. Give him some space and let him explore. You've done such a good thing in getting him started and you'll always be there to help and support. Kudos for your care and concern. Now give him this place to read and find him some more shops to visit......on his own. Nothing like getting the "juices flowing" like being "on the hunt"! LOL