Later Thoughts:
Purely my opinions, some of which are rather preachy.
--If you can manage it financially, get a starter kit to loan out to others that ask about e-cigs. All smokers have heard of them and you'll be surprised at how many will want to try them.
--If you can't afford to keep a loaner kit, you can send them to Walmart or some other store like that. They have cheap throwaways so that a person can try ecigs once and see if it is for them. I tell them they can try the throwaway and if they like it, I can tell them where to get the "good stuff". My particular favorite happens to be SI.
--The only knock I have against SI: I'm seeing an awful lot of SI business coming from word-of-mouth referrals. I'm also seeing people having to ask repeatedly for business cards from SI. I know that they cost money to create, but by not sending out the cards, they're losing some business. When I'm on the smoking patio I don't normally carry a pen and paper to write down the name and web address. I see that the business cards are nice and flashy, but perhaps they could get less expensive cards to mail out with each order. I've made multiple orders, but only received cards with one order. There were only 5 cards and I had handed them out within days. I'm now out again.
--As has been brought up in other posts, drink lots of fluids. Water is preferable. When I vape a lot during the day, my mouth and throat either dry out or get numbed to the point where I can barely taste my vapes. Water helps.
--I'm finding that I'm using the Volt as a pacifier. Always reaching for it, always using it. I've begun to try to ease off at bit. It's not as enjoyable if I'm chain-vaping. By the middle of the day I'm finding that I'm doing it more out of habit than enjoyment. The fact that I can vape almost anywhere at any time is actually becoming a disadvantage for me. I need more self-control than I did with cigs.
--There is a "dorkiness" factor in the beginning with vaping for many people. When you're around other smokers, it can feel as if you are "pretend" smoking. Doesn't last long, but it's there. After you get over it there's a desire for people to see you doing it and ask you about it. That's been my experience, anyway.
--When smokers ask me about vaping, I usually give them a quick run-down of what it really is and the benefits, but I ALWAYS tell them to do their own research and not just take my word for it. I usually steer them towards ECF because of the sheer amount of info.
--I can now walk up a flight of stairs without being winded.
--When I go to bed, I don't have that whistle in my breathing.
--I still have the occasional urge for a smoke. Sometimes it's a really strong feeling. I will probably always have this from time to time. Ex-smokers usually seem to have to deal with this even after years after quitting.
--The first week of vaping, I was doing it everywhere at work. Smoking patio, hallways, other people's cubes. Took me awhile, but I finally figured out that this was rude. No, it's not smoke, but it's still rude. Flaunting it around the office just made me look like a jerk and I decided that wasn't the image I wanted to project to others, especially smokers whom I might actually influence to stop smoking. Plus, I'm inviting some other jerk to complain and get vaping banned to the smoke patio like the smokers. What can I say? I was a bit giddy for awhile. Now, I only vape at the patio or at my cubicle. It's more polite.
--When I give out a loaner to someone, I try to make sure I tell them "how to vape". Before I started telling them this, I talked to a woman I'd loaned one out to. She said she tried it, but it wasn't working. I asked her to show me what she was doing and, sure enough, she was taking quick puffs. The coils didn't have a chance to vaporize the liquid and she was getting nothing out of it. Now, I make sure I show the person how to do it correctly.
!! The technology is so simple it was easy to imitate and now is becoming a standard....but it started here!!
