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I smoked cigarettes for nearly 50 years. I enjoyed smoking. I didn't really want to quit. I was aware of scientific reasons why it would be best for me if I did quit, but I never seriously thought I would. It was more than something I enjoyed. I was a smoker, and I could not imagine myself not being one. Smoking was a pause to enjoy a moment; to reflect on what I was doing and the best way to do it; to give myself a moment to think of what I wanted to say next. A smoker could share a light with a friend or a stranger. People ask one another for a smoke or a light, even if they wouldn't consider asking for anything else. Millions of conversations and friendships have begun over those exchanges. Cigarettes are the punctuation marks in the text of life. To me, those commas, periods, semicolons, and elipses are important to the rhythm of living. I was curious about e-cigarettes, and when a friend gave me a coupon for one, I tried it. It was one of those made to look like a tobacco cigarette. When you draw on them, the tip glows, and the vapor is more or less tobacco-flavored. They are quite cleverly done, and for those who focus on the visual aspect of smoking, they would be excellent. One disadvantage would be that they look real, so in no-smoking areas one might have to constantly explain that they aren't. There is another approach to vapor, though. Instead of the disposable cartridge, it consists of a slim tubular device, with a reservoir for a flavored liquid, also containing a tiny heating coil, and a rechargeable battery. This system accomplishes the same purpose as the small cigarette look-alikes, but with the advantage of a wide variety of flavor choices, and without the wastefulness of disposables. I bought a basic vapor pipe and a bottle of banana-flavored liquid. The total cost was less than the price of a carton of cigarettes, and about the same as I was paying for a pound bag of tobacco and 250 tubes. The flavored vapor is a pleasure to inhale. It is cooler than smoke, and not at all harsh or irritating. It is available in a variety of nicotine levels, including none at all, so that it satisfies that need without smoking, and it can be tapered off or kept low if desired. I found that I enjoyed it more than tobacco cigarettes. What I was doing was not an attempt to quit smoking. That wouldn't be good psychology for me. I was trying something new to see if it was better. It was, and it is. I didn't stop smoking right away. After all, I still had tobacco and tubes, and I'm not one to waste things. But I found myself smoking only one or two a day, and then about one every other day. I didn't really desire or need the cigarettes Vaping satisfied me. It has been more than three months since I started vaping. I still have tobacco, but I don't bother to smoke it. I feel better and breathe better. And despite having bought additional tanks, batteries and accessories, and a variety of liquid flavors, I have spent considerably less than I would have on tobacco, even with my thrifty tobacco-and-tube method. I am sure there are many others like me among those who still smoke, who won't stop unless they find a substitute they like better. Vapor technology is a wonderful innovation for that. I wholeheartedly reccommend it for all you stubborn smokers with an attitude. You're my kind of person. There are other little benefits as well. You can pretty much vape anywhere. There may be the odd objection from those who don't understand that no smoke is involved. People nearby, if they notice at all, will detect a light pleasant scent. So you'll save all the time and trouble of having to go outside to smoke. There is no fire. You don't need an ashtray, nor to worry about whether you've put it out completely. No embers can be dropped to burn skin, clothes, or start a fire. You won't explode any combustible liquids or gasses. Enjoy exactly as much as you want, and set it down. There is no need to finish anything. Just take your finger off the button, or if you use an automatic, just stop drawing. Depending on battery size, you may go all or half a day on a charge. Chargers use USB connections, with AC or car DC converters, or the computer in front of you for power. It is best to have two batteries. There is also a plug-in pass-through, running directly off USB, and batteries than can charge while in use. Dozens of different manufacturers and hobbyists are constantly innovating and building custom devices with elaborate functionality. It's a fascinating technology, but the basics work on simple principles, and the devices are dependable and usually trouble-free. The vaping community is very helpful with advice and tips to newcomers. There is some fear that the tobacco corporate interests are seeing vaping as a threat and trying to promote legislation against it. This would be both ironic and unjust, since tobacco is well known to cause harm, but corporate profits motivate a multitude of evils. Whether or not you choose to enjoy vaping, you should oppose any attempt to restrict its sales or use, because of its high value in helping tobacco smokers stop. Those who try to quit smoking with no alternative activity often start again, eat more and gain weight, or become stressed, unhappy, and short-tempered. I avoided that, and so can others. The Vape Zone on Vapers TV E-Cigarette Forum Discount Vapers Supply Scope Juice E-Liquids My Vape Supplies: Vaping 101 --cosmic rat, August 9, 2014 |