On this day precisely 3 years ago, I became smoke free

Here's my story...
Hello my name is Rick and I am a smoker.
I started smoking at age 12, was given permission to smoke when I entered high school as mum thought it better to have me smoke, than smoking weed.
From the onset I was not your average smoker, I enjoyed combusting tobacco, at least back in the seventies, we were still combusting tobacco. I preferred rolling my own over tailor mades. Within a couple of years a developed a real penchant for variety alternating between tobacco blends and brands. The bottom line, I enjoyed tobacco, smoking was a side effect. Zooming right along...
Over the years I was able to sample a large variety of different tobaccos having travelled the world. My favourite by far were Dutch Tobaccos followed closely by English Tobaccos, each bringing their own bouquet of voluptuous goodness. My career exposed me to a variety of ethnicity and cultural backgrounds I quickly became a junkie of the finer things in life. From gourmet cooking to wine to enjoying premium cigars (some of you have seen my humidor).
Outside of enjoying a fine cigar coupled with the appropriate spirit, smoking was boring and I disliked it. It was a tiring habit, a bad one at that. I smoked because of habit and no longer pleasure, it is at this point that one goes Self! do something about it. I smoked for 41 years. As many of us I did it all over the years and failed. Based on my smoking history it is not hard to see why. The longest I remained smoke free was 5 weeks following laser therapy, the only method that worked for me. This failure is not attributed to the treatment but rather life circumstances at the time, working shift work I was unable to go in for a booster when needed. Nonetheless, I began smoking once again. When I decided to give laser therapy another go upon return from our honeymoon, they no longer existed

I began a quest to find an alternative method....
I had remembered an add I briefly saw on a TV channel some years before wrt electronic cigarette. The rest is history! My first kit was a SaferCig after weeks of research. It was a good kit but I still smoked, my neighbour now enjoys it. I joined the forums, my first forum was PEC, where the hoopla in those days was "the 510". Well I had nothing to loose. I ordered one along with some RY4 and got the kit during an afternoon. Woa baby, where have you been all my life. That day was the 07 Feb 2010. I had my last cigarette after supper that night.
The following morning I tail piped 10-12 hits of 24mg RY4 (drip tips weren't invented yet), gave myself a good buzz and that was when I knew I had smoked my last cig the night before. Over the upcoming weeks I tooted less in the morning and not so soon after getting up. It was at that point that I knew I was on the road to recovery. My crutch in the beginning was to find out as much as I could about the filthiness of cigarettes and supporting each other as vapers. The rest is history...
My proudest moment in vaping came last year were I was able to convert 4 seniors, two of which were prior vapers but gave it up because of what was available at the time. One of them is known as Fisherpal. Under my advice she has quit the forums and is doing extremely well and is still vaping to this day. We are in touch. I sent her an e-mail sometime after the holidays wondering what had become of her. I was tickled pink with her response to our communiqué. She quit the forums because she found what worked for her and is tired of chasing rainbows.
So.... lets celebrate
On this occasion JR Custom Turning extends to the community that has assisted me in remaining smoke free a few prizes.
- the #2 20mm rd; and
- a T2 starter kit
... ah ha, that's not all...
Until midnight on the 15th use coupon code 3YEARS and enjoy 10% off your order.
To enter the draw it is very simple. I want to hear your story in 500 words or less and answer a skill testing question... Sorry for folks that watch Cory's show you know me with trivia.
Skill testing question is...
What is the purpose of the coloured spot on a giraffe if any?
Provide your answer to me via PM here or to
sales@jrcustomturning.com
Please provide your story here in our main thread.
One entry per person...
Disclaimer:Do not answer the skill testing question in the open forum, to do so will void your entry.