Struggling to get off traditional cigarettes?

[roselinuk]

I smoked trad cigs for 45 years, (40 a day in recent years) and repeatedly failed to give-up

I recently learned something after 3 months struggling with 18mg shop-made e-liquids, then buying PG/VG, nicotine and tobacco flavour concentrates to start DIYing... (BlueStar in the UK, online, were fantastic price and quality)

The flavour concentrates are actually MORE expensive than the 7.2% nicotine concentrate, ml for ml, and with no need to state the 'strength' of the flavour, the shop e-liquids were naturally saving costs by skimping on tobacco flavour.

Fast-forward to my first DIY e-liquid, (15ml PG/VG, 10 ml 7.2% nicotine, 5ml B+H tobacco flavour = 24mg strength e-liquid) and WOW!!!... a really good nicotine hit and realistic flavour, like I always wanted but never got with ready-made 18mg classic tobacco e-liquid from a shop.

If I had known this earlier, I would have searched for at least 24mg liquids to start with, and bought a tobacco flavour concentrate to 'top-up' the shop liquid flavour until I was ready to step down to more regular liquids. My early cig cravings would have been SO much less.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Hope this helps other heavy smokers who have struggled to 'give-up' because shop liquids just didn't hit the spot early on. I know now that I will never smoke tobacco again.

 

[CG138]

Nice! Yeah a good tobacco flavor I'd hard to find IMO. For lifetime smokers like yourself it's harder to find a satisfying vape. I'm struggling to come up with a setup that works for my uncle right now. Congrats on finding something satisfying. It's all about staying off the analogs

 

[AXIOM_1]

@roselinuk glad you were able to quit the death sticks

Great job well done.

 

[Sir2fyablyNutz]

Congrats on your journey @roselinuk !

 

[roselinuk]

@John Cavric This tip might help your uncle... The biggest barrier to me giving up was that I really liked smoking tobacco, and neither poverty, ill-health, or nagging lectures could ever beat that.

I found the cheap clearomiser starter kits were perfectly adequate once I created 24mg liquids with stronger than normal tobacco flavour. Once I could get the 'hit' and the 'taste' again, poverty, ill-health and nagging lectures finally won the battle.

Another thing, learning to 'stealth vape' (small device, no VG in liquid, hold it in lungs a few seconds = zero vapour to be seen), you can secretly satisfy cravings whilst in hospitals, supermarkets or cinemas! Now that's a real bonus!

 

[CG138]

@John Cavric This tip might help your uncle... The biggest barrier to me giving up was that I really liked smoking tobacco, and neither poverty, ill-health, or nagging lectures could ever beat that.

I found the cheap clearomiser starter kits were perfectly adequate once I created 24mg liquids with stronger than normal tobacco flavour. Once I could get the 'hit' and the 'taste' again, poverty, ill-health and nagging lectures finally won the battle.

That is my barrier at the moment. He's liking the menthol flavors but he needs more throat hit. I'm starting to dial in on exactly what he needs but it's hard when he lives 2 hours away.

I don't smoke shame or lecture. I just keep encouraging the vape. I think it helps when I show him posts like this so he can see it is possible.

 

[Chakris]

@roselinuk, Congrats!

You know what they say about hindsight being 20/20. I think a lot of us have had similar experiences when first staring vaping. In my case, I wasted a .... load of $$ on two cigalike kits before upgrading to a carto tank that was so more satisfying and kept me of stinkies for the first 11 months when I settled for a Provari and the Kayfun like tanks. My vape station has turned into a museum of discarded mods & tanks.

And then you have others who are still spending a lot of cash to get the latest & greatest device out there, be they hobbyist or collectors or just spendthrifts, they never seem to be satisfied.

But the most important thing for all of us is doing what it takes to stay off the cigs. I was a PAD smoker for 40+ years until I started vaping.
Nuff said...
Keep on vaping

 

[roselinuk]

@John Cavric Throat hit comes from the PG, vapour cloud from the VG. Try a high-PG mix for him.

As for the 'nagging lectures'... even if you personally don't do that, they are everywhere! (doctors, friends, no-smoking signs, on cig packets, etc, etc). And they just don't help! When yet another well-meaning person annoyed me with yet another warning that smoking was bad for me, I used to reply, "Really??? I never heard that! Tell me more!", and then they realised how ridiculous they sounded, and they shut up... lol

 

[WindyCityJoe]

Welcome @roselinuk

 

[Chakris]

@John Cavric & @roselinuk Just wondering if either of you have tried NET juice. (NET = naturally extracted tobacco) There are a number of places that sell them out there, Heather's Heavenly Vapes for example is where I get most of my juice from. The majority of it being NETs. Click the link in my sig.
Having said that, however, they still don't/won't taste exactly like smoke from a cigarette because there's no combustion going on.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

For me, I had to know that vaping nic would be sufficient to replace my cig nic. I started higher and got that reassurance. I just vaped when I felt the urge. 3-4 draws an hour or so. My sig block says so. There is a huge amount of stuff in these sub-forums. Here is a link to read...

E-Cigarette Success Stories | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[gingertalk196]

That is my barrier at the moment. He's liking the menthol flavors but he needs more throat hit. I'm starting to dial in on exactly what he needs but it's hard when he lives 2 hours away.

I don't smoke shame or lecture. I just keep encouraging the vape. I think it helps when I show him posts like this so he can see it is possible.

If he likes the menthol flavors Mount Baker Vapor has a rather strong menthol that might provide more of a throat hit. Good luck!