For a while, I had no idea what I could write about on Steemit, but I think this is a good topic as it has a chance of helping some people--smokers and the people who love them ;)
You can probably already tell by the picture that I'm talking about vaping.
I'm not promising anything, but if this worked for me, I honestly think that there's a really good chance that it'll work for almost any heavy smoker, for a couple of reasons:
When I started vaping, the idea of quitting smoking wasn't even on my radar...I mostly bought a vape because I happened to see one in an ad (and also just for fun)
And with barely any effort on my part, I ended up quitting smoking within a month--that's how easy it was
Vaping covers all the addictive aspects of smoking--chemically, physically, emotionally(?)(depending on the situation)--while being even more convenient, because it doesn't burn or smell
It's actually kind of fun to get into on its own, especially if you're into customization; there're lots of really good flavors to choose or mix for the chemists, and tons of hardware options for the gearheads
The nicotine level is adjustable, and since the delivery system is the same, so you really don't need to make any major changes (I think nicotine is still carcinogenic though, so please keep that in mind)
I'm not kidding, I really quit smoking in a month without even really trying. For those of you who've smoked for more than a decade, this probably sounds like a salespitch or like I'm talking out of my ass. But I have absolutely no affiliation with any vaping-related businesses at all (keep that in mind when I post reviews in the future), and no reason to make this up. I understand though--like I said, I didn't really consider that vaping could possibly make an appreciable dent in my pack-a-day habit of fifteen years.
So my plan is to impart all my vaping knowledge and hopefully convince some people to at least give it a try, because it's an awesome feeling when you realize you don't need (or want) cigarettes anymore.
In this post, I'll just detail my smoking history (I'll discuss vaping in future posts).
I started smoking in high school, which I'm sure a lot of you heavy smokers did too. It started out as a strictly social thing (there's not much to do in the suburbs as a teenager), and the person who got me to try was my only friend that smoked. For the first few months, I never even bought a pack, that's how infrequently I smoked. After I started buying my own packs, the rate of consumption increased pretty quickly. I didn't really mind, since I could get a pack for a $2.50 (when I wasn't carded, since I only seventeen), and this was in California. I was fairly active then too, so I didn't really notice any changes to my health for a long time.
I don't remember exactly when, but it seems like I was smoking half-a-pack a day within just a few months (kind of scary to think about now), which quickly progressed to pack-a-day soon after. I really enjoyed smoking then, and so did all my buddies. It almost became a semi-sacred ritual between us...the after-meal-cigarettes, the coffee-cigarettes, the beer-cigarettes, the study-break-cigarettes, the after-a-bowl cigarettes, etc. etc. And I loved all of them.
After several years, I finally started noticing the downsides...or I guess they finally started getting to me. First off, my physical endurance went to shit, which was kind of depressing since I used to be a runner. Also, I hated having to hide it or feel guilty about it (I had really strict parents, and a really judgmental extended family) when I went home.
There were also mounting practical day-to-day concerns, as the laws in California were becoming increasingly draconian (especially in the Bay Area). I actually had to start worrying about whether or not I could smoke at a particular location without risking a ticket. And, the price had more than doubled since I first started buying cigarettes...not a deal-breaker, but still annoying as a broke college student.
But the absolute worst of it was noticing how dependent on smoking I had gotten. Like, I had to have my "after-(insert arbitrary activity)-cigarette", or I'd be in a completely shit mood. Or if my lighter went out at 11PM, and the nearest gas station was blocks several blocks away, and I was too high or drunk to drive...I won't even attempt to verbalize the ensuing emotions. It started to feel like cigarettes had become a toll I had to pay every time I transitioned from one activity to another, to a ridiculous degree. Like, "okay, I'm gonna have a cigarette on the way to the store...then another from the car to the entrance, and another from the exit back to my car, and then another on the way home". It wasn't so bad that I couldn't talk myself out of it a lot of the time, but it sucked that I actually had to exercise self-restraint, for what started to seem like all day, every day, with no end in sight.
I tried to curb or quit smoking a handful of times, and promptly failed each time within a week or so. So literally, for well over a decade, I never went longer than about ten days without a cigarette, even when I was sick or broke (I'm sure I chose cigarettes over food countless times in college). I even tried e-cigarettes when they first came out, with pretty high hopes...which were unfortunately destroyed by terrible technology and stupid product design.
This disappointment was almost $100, including the portable charging pack, spare parts, and bottles of e-juice (I think we called it oil back then). I figured it was a small price to pay (about the same price as two cartons of cigarettes at the time), if it could really get me off of cigarettes.
At first, it actually worked really well...for a couple of days. The e-juice capacity was absurdly small, probably equivalent to a few good long draws. Past that, you risked burning the wick--which basically happened every single time--resulting in, at best, a terrible burning taste, and at worst, an unbearably harsh hit. This drawback was exacerbated by an awkward and messy refilling process, which needed to happen several times a day. And on top of all that, the e-juice was sold at approximately zero gas stations, liquor stores and/or smoke shops around me. Basically, it would've been more convenient to grow my own tobacco and roll my own cigarettes, so that was the tragic ending to this initially hopeful attempt.
I don't think I really made any serious attempts to quit or even cut-down for many years after that. I'd just naturally smoke slightly less if I felt bad, and otherwise not worry about it most of the time (at least not consciously). Anyway, about six or seven months ago, I was looking through a newsletter from an online Chinese retailer, when I saw a "modern" vape, and for just twenty bucks. After spending about half and hour reading up on the advances made in the past several years, I decided it was definitely worth a shot, especially at that price.
And WOW, I could not believe what a difference just a couple of years could have in terms of advancing the technology/hardware. Plus, the tobacco outlet in my area now had an section of their store dedicated to vaping and e-juices, and the guy there helped me get set up in a few minutes. Again, I know the rest of this is going to sound unreasonably favorable, but if any of you tried the first generation e-cigarettes, then you totally know how appropriate the praise is. If any of you actually DID unfortunately try the 1st-gens, please comment below so I know that someone appreciates where I'm coming from.
Anyway, the experience was basically near-perfect...almost as entirely satisfying as smoking a regular cigarette (not quite, but I'll get into that later...this is already getting way too long). That's also why I think that quitting was so painless, and effortless, even. So seriously, if you want to quit smoking, just try it. I'll get into more details in the following posts, but really, it's worth it even if you're not thinking about quitting...they're pretty fun (and tasty!) to have around even if you don't end up switching over.
Follow me for more info, coming soon. I also hope to do some reviews on mods and tanks, so that's a reason to follow even if you vape already.
Thanks for reading!