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Did it take you more than one attempt to switch?

jacklebeau

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Oct 30, 2015
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Hi everyone!

I'm working on a blog post for the Smoker's Angel/Ashtray Blog giving some advice to people who've had difficulty switching, and I'm looking for a bit of input to pin down the most common reasons smokers struggle to switch. Was wondering if some of you lovely people might have some insight!

Did it take you more than one go to switch to vaping? If so, what was it that finally helped you make to switch?

Do you know other people who've struggled to switch or were dual users at first but quit smoking on a subsequent attempt? What made the difference for them?

And - what's your number one piece of advice for someone trying to switch?

Any input you could offer would be much appreciated! Also, if there's anything else you have to add that's relevant, feel free!

Cheers!
Lee

P.S. Sorry if this should have gone in the newbie area
 
Greetings and welcome to The Planet :)

This is my second attempt at quitting ciggys,i have beaten it this time and here is my reasons why.

When E cigs came out a few years ago,they looked like a plastic cig,it worked for a little while,then i got a dry hit or the atto thingy failed,this made it taste like crap,also the atto thingys were totally throw away and i ended up with loads of dead ones kicking about,i hate throwing things away (another problem i am dealing with)

Anyway,things have moved along quite a bit since then,i was still fighting to stop and decided to have another look,i have spent quite a bit and the basic set ups still need throwing when they peg it,but they last much better,the flavours are much better and i feel i can control what i am doing better now with less waste.

I haven`t smoked tobacco for about a month - 6 weeks maybe and am finding all i need with the new CE-4 disposable carts and just got an Aspire hi end device that will last for ever,with occasional new coils fitted.

I`m not going back.


Hope that helps.

BR,

Simon.
 
I have smoked for more years than I care to remember and tried many times to quit over the years. Also tried many methods, hypnotism, patches, tablets, gum, etc, etc.

I looked online for quite a while for information on vaping but got so confused by it all. Kept looking but didn't really know where to start. Got quite frustrated really as I had a feeling vaping could be for me.

In town one day I passed a new vape shop. Bit the bullet and went in confessing I was a total newbie. They let me try juices and look at mods and tanks. Also spoke to some of their customers who were very helpful.

Came out with a mod, tank and juice and started vaping as soon as I got home.

Never touched a cig since, still have 100 in a drawer some where. Been tempted but figured I'd spent so much on the kit I had to go at least a week to make it worth while. One week has now turned into 32. Never looked back.

Been a rocky road at times but I've stuck to it and am so glad now I did. Feel much better, smell much better and the money saved is great. When I'm not buying shiny new things that is.
 
Hi and welcome to the Planet.

3rd attempt for me.
first was about 5 years ago with really crap cig a likes. lasted 2 weeks and was on patches as well.

second attempt was with sky cig cig a like and managed almost 3 months but it was a very difficult time and had the odd patch as well.

last attempt february 20th this year. blu cig again but pro kit this time with e liquid and stopped over night. great start but wanted to explore more flavors so upgraded to istick30 and mini nautilus tank 2 weeks later.
not touched a cig since. even down to 85% zero nic except for custard at 3mg. still use the blu at work for stressful situations and still using their NRG red bull at 18mg but thats just the odd puff now and again.

after 35 years of smoking 20-30 a day its the best move i ever made.
 
I guess it took me two attempts in that someone gave me one of those vape pens and it was shit. Hardly any vapour and it stopped charging fully very soon after I got it, so it went in the bin and I carried on with gum and cigs. My next vape was from a subtank mini and from the third drag, I was no longer a smoker. I instantly preferred it to smoking and that was that.
 
Did it take you more than one go to switch to vaping? If so, what was it that finally helped you make to switch?

I was a dual user with cigalikes for 3-5 days. Then I got a 2nd gen device and haven't smoked since. Switching to 2nd gen was what did it for me. I now use mods and RTAs mostly. I've been smoke free for a little over 2 years (I smoked for about 10 years prior to that).

Do you know other people who've struggled to switch or were dual users at first but quit smoking on a subsequent attempt? What made the difference for them?

Yes I know people who tried a couple of times but eventually gave up vaping. I know people who gradually cut down the cigs over several months until they were smoke free. The difference is definitely mad by using good quality, simple and user friendly equipment that is less prone to problems like leaking, flooding and gurgling.

And - what's your number one piece of advice for someone trying to switch?

Be prepared.

Vaping takes more forward planning than smoking, and you have to keep your kit in good condition. Make sure you have enough juice, batteries and other consumables. Make sure you have spares/backups. The most common time I see new users struggling is when they're on a night out and their battery runs out. I used to carry spare ego batteries for my friends when they first start, because it almost always happens at some point.

Be prepared for a problem with any component of your setup. Spare juice, spare tank, spare coils, spare batteries. Always. Chances are something will go wrong at some point and if you can't fix or replace it quickly, you will probably end up smoking. Be careful with your ecig. The consequences of dropping it, sitting on it or knocking it off the edge of a table in a crowded pub are more inconvenient than with a pack of cigarettes!

Be prepared for dry hits, gurgling/flooding and other common minor malfunctions. Read about your device, join a forum to ask questions, learn how your device works, and what the causes of common problems are. I've had friends very frustrated with their kit because it's leaking everywhere and they can't fix it (and they have no spare/backup device). The problem is usually as simple as something not screwed in properly or a missing o-ring. A solid understanding of how your device works and where everything needs to be (especially o-rings) will mean much faster troubleshooting. It is worth starting out with a mainstream device, because any problems you have are more likely to have been troubleshooted online already, and it's worth paying a bit more for for something with a reputation for reliability.
 
I'm a bit of a fraud because I didn't use vaping to quit cigarettes, but when I was a smoker, I did try the cigalikes and hated them.

I think the one bit of advice that I don't feel is said enough is that vaping is so customisable, you may not hit upon the magic 'sweet spot' straight away, but that doesn't necessarily mean vaping's not for you. I think looking back my big issue with the cigalikes was not even how gross they tasted, but that the nicotine was way too strong, made the back of my throat itch and feel nasty. I think if I'd been given a vape pen at the time, that would have made all the difference.

I also 'think' (but this is based more on projection than experience) that a lot of smokers may try to translate their smoking habits too literally and rigidly to vaping, but may find that isn't necessarily what works for them - I mean assuming they will want a cigarette shaped device, high nicotine juice, tobacco flavour juice, a tank that offers mouth to lung, etc. Would like to hear if anyone agrees with me on this one or if I'm talking *&S*!

Would love to read the finished product, would you come back and post a link for us?!
 
1st attempt for me. After a few days the smell of tobacco made me feel sick, so kind of had no choice but to carry on vaping.
 
I think that, like with any form of NRT, it depends on whether you really want to give up.

Having researched the subject, with increasing excitement about all the different options, I couldn't wait to try it and knew it was going to work for me. I had no doubt it would mimic smoking sufficiently to be an acceptable substitute, and the devices, gadgets and DIY liquid got me very interested.

This is the crucial part - some are so terrified of "cold turkey" they're not prepared to give vaping a chance. Some go through the motions, using a cigalike or ego, but in their minds they're not committed.
 
Thanks so much for the stories and advice everyone! :) It's really cool reading everyone's quitting stories and the hard-won wisdom that comes with it! Seems like getting high-quality devices is a big factor, and I agree with Ment about the motivation element - I posted to UKVapers about this too and that's the dominant theme on the thread there.

Be prepared.

Vaping takes more forward planning than smoking, and you have to keep your kit in good condition. Make sure you have enough juice, batteries and other consumables. Make sure you have spares/backups. The most common time I see new users struggling is when they're on a night out and their battery runs out. I used to carry spare ego batteries for my friends when they first start, because it almost always happens at some point.

Be prepared for a problem with any component of your setup. Spare juice, spare tank, spare coils, spare batteries. Always. Chances are something will go wrong at some point and if you can't fix or replace it quickly, you will probably end up smoking. Be careful with your ecig. The consequences of dropping it, sitting on it or knocking it off the edge of a table in a crowded pub are more inconvenient than with a pack of cigarettes!

Be prepared for dry hits, gurgling/flooding and other common minor malfunctions. Read about your device, join a forum to ask questions, learn how your device works, and what the causes of common problems are. I've had friends very frustrated with their kit because it's leaking everywhere and they can't fix it (and they have no spare/backup device). The problem is usually as simple as something not screwed in properly or a missing o-ring. A solid understanding of how your device works and where everything needs to be (especially o-rings) will mean much faster troubleshooting. It is worth starting out with a mainstream device, because any problems you have are more likely to have been troubleshooted online already, and it's worth paying a bit more for for something with a reputation for reliability.

I think you're spot on here! Didn't think about the malfunctions, leaking e.t.c. putting people off vaping, but I think it's definitely a factor. And using the vaping community is definitely a great piece of advice that I'll be including - for both the device-specific support and the more general encouragement.

II also 'think' (but this is based more on projection than experience) that a lot of smokers may try to translate their smoking habits too literally and rigidly to vaping, but may find that isn't necessarily what works for them - I mean assuming they will want a cigarette shaped device, high nicotine juice, tobacco flavour juice, a tank that offers mouth to lung, etc. Would like to hear if anyone agrees with me on this one or if I'm talking *&S*!

That's my assumption too - I think I did this to a certain degree, but was saved by my decision to chain-vape like a lunatic - I'd be interested to hear if other people agreed as well!

Would love to read the finished product, would you come back and post a link for us?!

Definitely :)
 
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