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Hello from a new quitter in the midwest

marter

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Member For 4 Years
Hello,

Just joined after lurking for a week or so. I'm in my late 60s and have smoked off and on; started at 15, quit at 30, started again at 45 (WTF?) with cigars which quickly led back to cigarettes. Then I did a 4 yr quit followed by a year of smoking which ended 8 days ago. Had quite a cold and coughing and decided this was the time.

Tried Green Smoke ecigs years ago, just wasn't enough or I wasn't ready. My sister in law had left some Juuls here and decided to try those to get off tobacco. Harsh but got me started. Then I bought a Smok Nord and some Pacha Mama Apple Tobacco 25% salts and I love it. Whole new world. Quite satisfying MTL with nice throat hit.

Plan to stay MTL and transition down in nic levels. Never thought I'd want any flavor but as I said, whole new world. Hoping not to trade one addiction for another, but at least this is far less harmful.

Thanks for the community here. Good stuff.

Thanks,
Mike
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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Welcome and congratulations :wave:
 

Pockets

Gold Contributor
Member For 1 Year
Started when 13, now in my later 60’s. I have slowed down ,but never quit ciggy’s over the years. About a pack and some change before I started vaping in November 2018. A butt in morning and one at night vaping in between. Noticed that the cigarette is beginning to taste terrible compared to the vape, I too hope I am not swapping one addiction for another. I can now smell a smoker 20 feet away, outside.

Good luck to you sir, you can do it.
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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Started when 13, now in my later 60’s. I have slowed down ,but never quit ciggy’s over the years. About a pack and some change before I started vaping in November 2018. A butt in morning and one at night vaping in between. Noticed that the cigarette is beginning to taste terrible compared to the vape, I too hope I am not swapping one addiction for another. I can now smell a smoker 20 feet away, outside.

Good luck to you sir, you can do it.

A vape addiction beats a tobacco addition all day everyday - at least according to this former 2.5 PAD smoker for 37 years

Many of us who have been free of cigarettes for a few years find we vape less and less, and naturally feel the need to lower the nicotine when we do vape. So just enjoy yourselves while you adjust to vaping and not smoking

You'll be amazed at how much better you feel - it truly is life changing :)
 

marter

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Member For 4 Years
Started when 13, now in my later 60’s. I have slowed down ,but never quit ciggy’s over the years. About a pack and some change before I started vaping in November 2018. A butt in morning and one at night vaping in between. Noticed that the cigarette is beginning to taste terrible compared to the vape, I too hope I am not swapping one addiction for another. I can now smell a smoker 20 feet away, outside.

Good luck to you sir, you can do it.

Thanks for the encouragement, Pockets, and congrats to you on your progress. I'm just 8 days in and already feel better and starting to smell smokers. It will only get better. I'll worry about this addiction a little down the road; for now I'm going to enjoy it.
 

marter

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Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
A vape addiction beats a tobacco addition all day everyday - at least according to this former 2.5 PAD smoker for 37 years

Many of us who have been free of cigarettes for a few years find we vape less and less, and naturally feel the need to lower the nicotine when we do vape. So just enjoy yourselves while you adjust to vaping and not smoking

You'll be amazed at how much better you feel - it truly is life changing :)

Thanks, Juicy....already feeling better. It can only go up from here. Most of my smoking career was 2 PAD, but I had cut down to 1 during the last month or so.

Addictions....I'll definitely make this trade and worry about it later. My wife has often asked me "don't you have an off switch?"
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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Thanks, Juicy....already feeling better. It can only go up from here. Most of my smoking career was 2 PAD, but I had cut down to 1 during the last month or so.

Addictions....I'll definitely make this trade and worry about it later. My wife has often asked me "don't you have an off switch?"

Definitely tough if the spouse isn't 100% in your corner, but she has to realize that vaping is a compromise, and a darn good one too

I would turn into an unrecognizable lunatic when 100% deprived of cigarettes and vaping is the only thing that ever came close to allowing me to be smoke free without turning into some kind of monster - I'm not alone in this or we'd of all quit smoking decades ago
 

CaFF

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Congrats and greetings! :wave:

Former 2+ PAD and who knows how many RYO's for about 35yrs. Had a few slips along the way, but basically cig-free for 6yrs now. It's turned into a fun hobby too for me, but I think we all can agree that the main goal is getting off the stinkies. No matter where else vaping may lead ya. :)
 

IronSky

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Congrats and welcome!! I quit 5 months ago, and with vape, it wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be. I have to admit, I love vaping. I had planned to only do it for a bit, but that hasn’t worked out so well. Vaping is better than stinkies though, and I feel so much better.
 

CaFF

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Another good reason: I have a head/chest cold ATM.
It sux sure, but I don't have the same fear of it turning into full-blown chronic bronchitis like it always did as a smoker.
 

Bigrick

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Welcome and congrats on being cig free. I still struggle but I try not to beat myself up too much. As the VU community reminds me often " not how many you smoke, how many you do not". That helps me out. Smoking 3-4 on bad day's.
 

PoppaVic

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I had to quit to get the hip replaced, (said the mormon surgeon), and jonesed madly until it was in & over.

Returned to handrolling for a few months, but got clued in by a silly magazine ad sis pushed on me in 2013.. Tried some cigalikes, they were "working"; went down the Ego and "spinner" paths for awhile, still working - but I was also smoking about 50/50 for several years.

Stopped BUYING tobacco, and relied on "bumming" and vaping - and eventually, realized the cigs reeked. By this time I was using small boxmods, and then larger dual-cells. By mid 2014/2015 I had totally ditched cigs, and thankfully the tanks were also vastly improved.

Now, I don't miss cigs at all, and I've tapered down to about 4mg from an original 36/30mg early on. I can work for a couple hours before I am ready to step out, sit down and vape a bit.. No more colds-from-hell; no more rib-crushing coughs. Even fewer colds entirely.

About all I miss is my meerschaums and really expensive Churchills or Tinderbox tobaccos, but only for the absolutely lovely fragrances.

Even with the rocky road of trash-mods and shit-tanks over the years, I suspect I've saved more than I would have - and today's choices are much better for devices, atty and batteries.

I think you'll do fine. Good luck.

PS. your clothes, furniture, carpet and walls will notice the difference soon as well - no more burns or smoke, dust, or stink.
 

marter

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Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Definitely tough if the spouse isn't 100% in your corner, but she has to realize that vaping is a compromise, and a darn good one too

I would turn into an unrecognizable lunatic when 100% deprived of cigarettes and vaping is the only thing that ever came close to allowing me to be smoke free without turning into some kind of monster - I'm not alone in this or we'd of all quit smoking decades ago

She's definitely in my corner on this (quitting and vaping), but I'm just getting started vaping. And like everything else I take on, it's never just dipping my toe in. A week ago, I had no clue what most of these terms even meant; now I'm vaping a Nord and looking for a MTL Mod kit. Then I'll need to find an MTL RTA....that's the "off switch" she's talking about. But I have far more expensive hobbies.

Agreed on the Jekyl/Hyde effect of giving up cigs, but vaping has made this surprising manageable, so far. Frankly I'm amazed, and thrilled it's helping me through this.
 

marter

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Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I had to quit to get the hip replaced, (said the mormon surgeon), and jonesed madly until it was in & over.

Returned to handrolling for a few months, but got clued in by a silly magazine ad sis pushed on me in 2013.. Tried some cigalikes, they were "working"; went down the Ego and "spinner" paths for awhile, still working - but I was also smoking about 50/50 for several years.

Stopped BUYING tobacco, and relied on "bumming" and vaping - and eventually, realized the cigs reeked. By this time I was using small boxmods, and then larger dual-cells. By mid 2014/2015 I had totally ditched cigs, and thankfully the tanks were also vastly improved.

Now, I don't miss cigs at all, and I've tapered down to about 4mg from an original 36/30mg early on. I can work for a couple hours before I am ready to step out, sit down and vape a bit.. No more colds-from-hell; no more rib-crushing coughs. Even fewer colds entirely.

About all I miss is my meerschaums and really expensive Churchills or Tinderbox tobaccos, but only for the absolutely lovely fragrances.

Even with the rocky road of trash-mods and shit-tanks over the years, I suspect I've saved more than I would have - and today's choices are much better for devices, atty and batteries.

I think you'll do fine. Good luck.

PS. your clothes, furniture, carpet and walls will notice the difference soon as well - no more burns or smoke, dust, or stink.

Vic, thanks for the encouragement. I was on the 4 year quit due to a dental implant (he said he wouldn't do it if I was smoking), then after that I quit alcohol and discovered I couldn't sleep due to bone on bone arthritis in both knees and shoulders, so glad I didn't have to quit for those surgeries. But then one thing led to another, and I was back on the cigs again for almost a year.

I hope I can taper off the 25mg salts but I'll give that some time. Never did smoke in the house, but my truck and clothes (and I) showed the effects. I'm fortunate to be retired, so not captive in a work environment. And I must admit, I will miss those Arturo Fuentes. Oh well.
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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Then I'll need to find an MTL RTA....that's the "off switch" she's talking about.

Ah, that one. But if you're not buying smokes you have plenty of extra coin to see what vape gears keep you off the cigs best

We also have threads that teach you techniques on sneaking vape mail into the house, disguising new gear to look like stuff you already have, etc :teehee:

Agreed on the Jekyl/Hyde effect of giving up cigs, but vaping has made this surprising manageable, so far. Frankly I'm amazed, and thrilled it's helping me through this.

Definitely know that feeling! That was one of the great things about vaping, it was the only thing I ever tried that gave me a grip on the tobacco monkey, instead of the other way around
 

lak611

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Welcome and congratulations.

I had smoked about 1.5-2 packs a day for about 31 years but switched to vaping 7 months ago. I feel I much better and am happy to not smell like an ashtray. You'll get through this and feel so much better.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
 

marter

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Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Ah, that one. But if you're not buying smokes you have plenty of extra coin to see what vape gears keep you off the cigs best

No doubt. Although my state (Nebraska) is about to pass a "Privilege tax" of 20% on all vapor products and they're selling it as "property tax relief". Right. Part of that bill will also make it illegal to vape in public, so it will be a Class V misdemeanor to vape in your car and blow the vape out the window, but you can still smoke a cig and throw the butt out the window. It will also raise the age of vaping to 21, but the age for tobacco will remain 18. WTF? Sorry I got derailed there.

We also have threads that teach you techniques on sneaking vape mail into the house, disguising new gear to look like stuff you already have, etc :teehee:

I've got that down pretty good by now. And the old joke is "when I die, don't let my wife sell any of my stuff for what I told her I paid for it".

Definitely know that feeling! That was one of the great things about vaping, it was the only thing I ever tried that gave me a grip on the tobacco monkey, instead of the other way around

Over the years I've tried cold turkey, the patch, nic gum, dip, Green Smokes, and then Chantix. That drug may work for some, but I had constant dreams so vivid I'd wake up in the morning relieved to be awake. Couldn't keep going on it.

Thanks for the warm welcome. Good to be here and tobacco free.
 

marter

VU Donator
Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Welcome @marter and I hope you enjoy your stay~!
Welcome and Congratulations :cheers:
Welcome to the community Mike.
Congrats on quitting and welcome to the Vu
Great first post. Glad to have you here, Mike. And it's great your wife is so supportive.

Welcome to the family :wave:
Welcome and congratulations. I had smoked about 1.5-2 packs a day for about 31 years but switched to vaping 7 months ago. I feel I much better and am happy to not smell like an ashtray. You'll get through this and feel so much better.
Congratulations and welcome aboard Mike :cheers:
Welcome and congrats on being cig free. I still struggle but I try not to beat myself up too much. As the VU community reminds me often " not how many you smoke, how many you do not". That helps me out. Smoking 3-4 on bad day's.
Congrats and welcome!! I quit 5 months ago, and with vape, it wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be. I have to admit, I love vaping. I had planned to only do it for a bit, but that hasn’t worked out so well. Vaping is better than stinkies though, and I feel so much better.
Thanks for the warm welcomes and encouragement.
 
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gopher_byrd

Cranky Old Fart
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Welcome to VU!:cheers:

Fortunately my shineyitis attacks seem to be waning... At least until the next time...:giggle:
 

marter

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Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Welcome to VU!:cheers:

Fortunately my shineyitis attacks seem to be waning... At least until the next time...:giggle:
Thanks for the welcome.

My shineyitis is just starting. I just picked up an Innokin Kroma-A with the Zenith tank and really like it for the MTL draw. Nice addition to the Nord pod. I've also ordered a couple tanks (the Innokin ARES MTL RTA and the GeekVape Ammit MTL RDA) to try on the Kroma-A and get my feet wet on rebuildables, at least using the supplied coils until I get comfortable building my own. Just getting started.

Today is my 14th day without cigarettes and I'm already feeling the benefits. Definitely glad I started vaping and found this community.

Thanks again,
Mike
 

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