Just FYI BTW, this is a long one folks so go grab a snack and settle in... Any of my more diehard fans already know the drill.
I had tried to quit twice before... unsuccessfully obvi... The first time was when I was 21ish. I went cold turkey because I was off my ADHD stimulant meds and it lasted maybe a 2-3 months. The stimulants made me want to smoke... So off them I had no desire... But as soon as I went back on them, I went right back to the chain-smoking.
The second time was about 6-7 years ago and that time I did it with nicotine patches and nicotine gum. I had started to feel gross smoking so many cigarettes and decided it was time to stop. So, I finished off my pack on a Sunday night and bought a pack of Nicoderm Monday morning.
My former place of work had a wellness benefit that reimbursed for smoking cessation... But only for patches and gum.. Not electronic cigarettes. I got one of those too though. I also found out our Employee Assistance Program with Aetna would supply me with all the patches and gum I wanted for free so I took advantage of that too. And they really did.. I got enough boxes filled with patches and gum to help the whole of Paris quit smoking. They even provided me with a coach to speak with regularly.
Of course, the week I decided to quit smoking, my grandfather died. That was rough. I really loved my Grampa... Still do and always will. He was a really great man. I smoked one cigarette that week because I was sad and also I was out drinking at karaoke... Singing helped me get through. I really did have a tough time for awhile because I sucked at grieving.
If you've been a MSG2L fan from the beginning back when it was called Miss Slik's Guide to Gracefully Faking It Through Life, then you'll recall that I started blogging a lot around this quit attempt and mentioned it. Instead of taking smoke breaks at work, I took blogging breaks and wrote articles. That helped.
But, I slowly began to slip off the wagon... Week after week I started smoking more and more again. Then, the worst happened... even worse than my beloved Grampa dying... My mom got diagnosed with cancer... And that broke me. Pretty sure I wrote about that too so some of you all remember. So I went back to the smoking and did it A LOT.
Then in February 2018, so almost 2 years ago, I started to feel gross again smoking so much. My roomie/tenant at that time, Bruce, who was renting my basement of my house was into vaping though so I started talking to him about it. I also knew a bunch of people who had started vaping and successfully stopped smoking and it was working for all of them. I figured maybe it would work for me too so I decided to give it a whirl.
I initiated what I call the Cut-Back Plan where I weaned myself down and then off cigarettes. It took me 6 months to successfully complete this behavior modification/replacement therapy. I started setting goals where I would do 3/4 smoking (of a cigarette pack which has 20 in it) and 1/4 vaping, then 2/3 smoking and 1/3 vaping, then 1/2 and 1/2, then 2/3 vaping and 1/3 smoking, and when I got to about there to 3/4 vaping and 1/4 smoking, I just said F the cigs I'm all vape now.
It also helped to set those goals with times of day.. Like I would smoke cigarettes until 4pm and then only vape after that. Then I moved the time up a bit as I decreased my cigarette allotment. It also helps to have that good flavored ejuice you really like. I had just bought a bunch of new ejuice that I really loved and didn't want to spend additional money on cigarettes anymore. So that was that. I'd intended to quit by my 35th birthday and I ended up doing it almost a month before my goal date.
Additionally, I assessed my triggers... The things that made me smoke more... When I'm triggered I could easily chain smoke an entire pack of cigarettes in a few hours... Like when I drink alcohol (that's a biggie), when I'm really stressed, when I'm writing articles, when stuff is going on at work, when my ADHD meds kick in and I'm super hyper, etc... Whenever I was triggered, instead of grabbing my pack of cigarettes, I started making a point to grab my vape instead. I had to train myself and it was difficult... But I did it. I puffed the hell out of my vape to the point it was super annoying to anyone around me... But I did it.
Fortunately for me when I made my decision to start the Cut-Back Plan, Bruce set me up with my first vaping device for free and gave me a lesson in Vaping for Beginners 101. For those of you out there who don't have your own Bruce, I will give you a similar lesson in the form of this article. Unfortunately for you, I'm not giving out free mods though.. Womp womp. But, I can tell you where to get the vape stuff to get you started on your own Cut-Back and Quit Plan.
It started with finding out what kind of Ejuices or E-Liquids I liked. He sent me to this shop called AVAIL Vapor. It's a vape shop chain in Northern Virginia and they have this AVAIL Life Club where you pay $1 (only a dollar folks) to join. One of the perks is that you can try every ejuice flavor in the store to figure out what kinds you like. I definitely for sure recommend doing this at AVAIL if you live in the DMV or finding a similar vape shop near you that will let you try all the flavors.
So I took an afternoon and I did that... I tried EVERY SINGLE FLAVOR in the ENTIRE SHOP. I discovered I am a fruity person... But only when the schnozz berries actually taste like schnozz berries... Some ejuice brands make ejuice flavors that taste like someone's idea of what something should taste like. Others make ejuice flavors that actually taste like whatever it says the flavor is on the bottle. This is especially true when it comes to dessert flavors.. It was also the major issue I had with ecigarettes before back in the day when they only came in menthol or non menthol flavors.
The menthol in the old ecigarettes was someone's idea of what a menthol cigarette tasted like who had never had a real menthol cigarette... Either that or it was just a big, jumbled amalgamation of all the different brands of menthol cigarettes... This is why I personally avoid any tobacco flavored ejuices. The menthol flavors have definitely grown on me though because fruity menthol can actually taste good so metimes.. Like when I get a cold the menthol vape flavors are mad soothing.. like inhaling a rack of fruity Vicks. It's also definitely way better than inhaling a rack of chemicals from smoking a cigarette.
Anyway, once you know what kind of ejuice flavors you like, you can go online and buy them for cheap from a rack of different websites. My go-to site is Element Vape. I order from them like every other month or so. They always have great deals and promo codes to save you money. Plus, they're regular shipping they do for free when you spend $50+ is actually super fast so my stuff usually gets here all the way from Cali to VA in 3 days.
In addition to getting my ejuice from these places, I also get my devices and my accessories too. Right now I have 2 functional vape devices I use regularly (they're in the first pic of this article) because I've learned the super hard way that you really need to have a spare on hand just in case. Stuff breaks and then you're stuck. I've been stuck. Don't be stuck.
Now to refresh your memory, here is that pic again showing all my vaping stuff...
I'm showing you a second time so you don't have to keep scrolling back and forth while I tell you what's in the pic. So I have 2 functional devices. One (on the right) is a Vaporesso Sky Solo Plus Pen Style All-In-One Kit in rainbow color. I bought it at AVAIL for about $40 when my other mods broke because I needed something not too expensive to tide me over while I ordered a new box mod from Element Vape.
This same Vaporesso Sky Solo Plus Starter Kit at Element Vape would cost you $20.95. The regular Sky Solo is $16.95 and the Plus is $4 more. The difference between the regular and Plus is the tank size. When it comes to tanks, bigger is better. The regular only holds 3ml, which is too small. But the Plus has an 8ml tank, which is just right.
The nice thing about All-In-Ones and Starter Kits is that they come with everything: mod, tank, coils, replacement glass tank tube, etc.. And if it's got a built-in battery then it comes with a charging cable.. If it doesn't have a built in battery then you'll need to buy a battery or two.
My main device I use most of the time is a Geek Vape Lucid Mod I got from Element Vape for $21.95 with a Smoktech Big Baby Beast Brother TFV8 tank (no hyperlink because they don't seem to make the same one anymore) that I bought from AVAIL when I first started vaping. Another perk of their dollar AVAIL Life club is that you get discounts on devices. But they do tend to charge a bit more for mods than you'd pay online. Same thing with ejuice. It's a convenience tax. So benefits and drawbacks to in-store versus online shopping.
Then the tube on the tank (the middle part where the ejuice goes in) is a Blitz Resin Expansion Tube Set for Smok TFV8 and TFV12 that I got from Element for $5. I broke 3 Pyrex glass tank tubes because I'm prone to dropping my vape all the time. So I got the resin tube because it's way more durable. I've dropped it a million times and the tank tube is still perfectly in tact (*knock on wood*). You can buy replacement Pyrex tubes and they're not expensive. But if you break the glass all the time then go for the resin.
Now my Lucid box mod does not have a built in battery so I had to buy batteries for it. The mod uses one 18650 size rechargeable battery but I got 2 batteries so I'd have a spare. I recommend having spare batteries because it takes awhile for them to charge. This is also another reason why I have 2 devices in case one dies on me. So I bought the LG brand which are like $6 on Element Vape but there are several different battery brands like Samsung, Sony, iJoy, etc.. They run around like $9-10 per battery depending on the size and the brand.
When you're buying your mod either ask the person at the vape shop what kind of battery you need and how many (some mods use one battery and some use 2) or if you're buying online then the mod item description will tell you what kind and how many you need. If you're buying online then there is usually a dropdown selection for the option to add the batteries you need when you're adding the mod to your cart.
Also, I got the Efest Lush 2 Bay Intelligent LED Battery Charger which is pictured above also from Element for $16.95 but now it's down to $14. I highly recommend you buy a mod that uses rechargeable batteries and also that you buy a separate battery charger and charge your batteries in it. I like my Efest one because it protects against overcharging and wasn't expensive. It's also very reliable, fast, and durable too... It's fallen off the end table in my living room several times thanks to Felicity trying to use that way as a cut through to the back door and her tail catching the power cord.
Be forewarned that the micro USB ports on the vape mods SUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK. That's why I recommend the battery charger and a mod that uses separate rechargeable batteries rather than mods with built-in batteries. The micro USB ports break and then you're stuck because you can't charge your vape mod that way anymore. The port on my current Geekvape Lucid mod broke too.. like the little metal lining part of the port just straight up came out.. which I've never seen happen before.. But it doesn't matter because I have the battery charger.
Here is my vape mod graveyard....
The last issue I had was with the Smok V8 Prince pen mod (the peeling purple and silver cylinder in the middle). The power/fire button started sticking and then recessing into the mod. I tried to fix it and it straight up popped off. Then I tried to put it back on and it went inside the mod. It's lost in there forever so that mod is no good anymore. So far the button on my Vaporesso is hanging in there.. But I do have to quick press it A LOT of times to turn it off and on... Like way more than the 5 times it says.
Anyway....
Then I have replacement coils for my tanks. The small stubbier box are the Smok V8 X-Baby Q2 Replacement Coils Pack of 3 and is designed to fit my big tank with the resin tube. Then the longer, skinner box are the Smok V8 Baby Q2 Replacement Coils Pack of 5 and they fit in my Vaporesso Pen Vape as well as an additional smaller Smok V8 Baby Tank (not pictured) I have somewhere as a spare. Different tanks need different size coils so be sure to check the owner's manual that comes with your tank or kit to make sure you get the right ones. The nice thing is that your tank or kit will come with 2 coils so you'll have an example.
Each coil can last up to like 3 weeks or so if you prime it well and you're good about making sure the juice never goes below the the little points on it where the cotton peaks out. I learned that lesson the hard way and fried many a coil prematurely. You know a coil is fried when the juice starts tasting burnt. You can also tell it needs to be changed if you dismantle your tank and look at the coil and it's got layer of black crud caked on the inside.
Then the rest of the products in the pic are my ejuices. I like variety as you all know... But when it comes to my juices, I like flavors that mix well with each other so I can do my own different flavors. The ejuices shown in the pic above starting from bottom left are: OKVMI - Twerps! (sweet and sour fruity), Fruit Monster - Strawberry Kiwi Pomegranate, Finest Sweet & Sour - Blue Berries Lemon Swirl, PvffLabs - Psycho Unicorn (like a sweet cake flavor), It's Pixy - Cucumber Watermelon, Vapetasia - Pink Lemonade, Fruit Monster - Mango Peach Guava, and Keep It 100 - Peachy Punch. All are 100 ml size unicorn bottles with a nicotine strength of 3mg.
Which reminds me... Nicotine strength is another important thing to consider when you purchase your ejuice. There are 3 common strengths of nicotine: 1.2 or 12mg is the strongest, 0.6 or 6mg is the middle, and 0.3 or 3mg is the lowest... unless you count 0mg which you can actually buy if you decide you're done with the nicotine but want to keep vaping because you like it.
I tried the highest strength of 1.2 or 12mg at the very beginning of my vape experience. It was WAY WAY WAY too strong for me. It's like for people who smoke regular Newports.. Like the Newport level of juice. If the juice makes you cough when you inhale then it's too strong. Now AVAIL sells this high strength and there are other vape shops that sell even higher nicotine strength juices.. But try not to stay at this super high level too long.
I recommend the 6mg to start out if you're like a regular smoker of cigarettes that aren't Newport brand. It's the Goldilocks of the juices... Not too much... Not too little.. Just right. I was at this strength while I weaned myself down on the cigarette smoking from February to August and then for awhile after I quit the cigarettes. It worked for me for like a year then started to feel a little too strong so I dropped down.
The 3mg is the lowest nicotine strength level. If you're a very light smoker then you can start at this level. But I don't recommend it for regular to heavy smokers as a starting point even for weaning. Bruce first gave me some of his 3mg when I started my Cut-Back Plan and it was too weak back then. It was like inhaling flavored air without the bite I needed that comes from the nicotine.
But, after vaping for a year, the 6mg started to be a bit too strong so I started mixing it up with the 3mg... Not mixing the 6mg juice with the 3mg juice in my tank because that doesn't really work.. I mean I used 6mg juice during the day and 3mg in the evening so it wouldn't have me so wired. Then I went into see my doctor for a physical or something and she brought up dropping down on the nicotine levels. I told her I'd been getting ready to do that... And she said I should.. So I did.
Now I'm at good at the 3mg strength and it's continuing to work for me. I may stay here forever or eventually drop down to the 0mg because I do like my vaping habit and don't necessarily want to give it up... Then again, I said the same thing about smoking cigarettes... But for right now, I'm good and feeling much better about myself.
Vaping has had a lot of advantages and upsides for me so I know I made a good choice on my nicotine replacement therapy method.
- My hair, clothes, breath, and the air around me all smell A LOT better. You're not as aware of how cigarette smoke permeates everything when you're a smoker. But once you quit, you become very aware of the smell and it's awful.
- My sense of taste and smell is stronger now.. In addition to bad smells smelling worse, good smells will be AMAZING.. And once your sense of smell comes back, your sense of taste gets better too... Because smell and taste are linked senses. Food will become way more delicious and you'll be able to taste all the complex flavors in everything you eat. (This may be part of why I got fat after I quit smoking.. and why other people who quit smoking also tend to get fat too. But, a little extra weight probably won't kill me as fast as the smoking.)
- My blood pressure went down and is in the normal to low normal range now. It used to be like 150/95... Now it's usually a perfect 120/80 or slightly lower. I was prehypertensive before and my doctor was ready to put me on beta blockers. Now they are not needed... even with the extra bit of weight.. So YAY for that!
- My asthma has improved and the dosage of my maintenance meds for it got lowered. Breathing easier and better is important. And FYI BTW... Regular vaping of nicotine ejuice bought from respectable places did not cause that whole Vaping Illness situation. The people who got bad upper respiratory illnesses from vaping were using THC cartridges that had unhealthy amounts of Vitamin E in them to thicken the weed oil. I've been vaping for nearly 2 years and I'm getting healthier and better than I was as a smoker. This is a safe method of nicotine replacement smoking cessation therapy when it is done properly with reputable products.
- My wallet/bank account has more money in it because vaping is cheaper than smoking.
If you're a pack a day smoker like I was then smoking costs you about $240 a month ($8 per pack times 30 days in a month). That's a car payment ya'll. And the cost per pack of cigarettes keeps increasing. The $8 per pack price is what I was paying 2 years ago. I've heard it's like $10 a pack now, which would be $300 total per month, and even $12 per pack some places, which would be $360 per month total. You could lease a pretty dope Lexus for $360 a month. Just sayin.
Switching to a vape today would cost you way less than that..
If you bought a decent All-In-One or Starter Kit, that would be about $40. Then like 4 bottles of 100ml e-liquid (that's about what I use in a month) at an average price on Element Vape of $15 per bottle for a total of $60 if you buy online (which I highly recommend) versus $30 per 100ml bottle at brick and mortar shops which would be $120 total. These are everywhere prices and you can find deals online for cheaper on both the starter kits and the e-liquids. Then it will cost another $10 for a pack of replacement coils, which you will also need but not for awhile.. and that price is about the same whether you buy online or in a shop.
So the total monthly cost of vaping comes out to around $110 if you buy online and like $170 if you buy at a brick and mortar shop... at least it would be around Northern Virginia.. It could be a little more or less depending on where you live. However, the online total will be the same no matter where you live, excluding sales tax, but that's only another like $6 maybe. But, Element Vape and most other online vape stores offer free domestic shipping in the USA for orders over $50 so the total doesn't include shipping since that would be free.. Unless you live outside this country.. Then idk ya'll. But it's still probably cheaper than smoking cigarettes there too.
Anyway, hopefully this article has been helpful, convincing, and informative. If you're looking to quit smoking and you've been considering switching to a vape to help then go for it! Now you have a ton of firsthand knowledge from someone who has successfully done it. If you're a current vaper then you already know it's way better and maybe you found some new shops to patronize. And if you're one of the shops or brands I've mentioned in this article, then you're welcome for the free advertising and holler at your girl. I do accept free samples and products and whatnot *wink wink nudge nudge*.
Until next time everybody... Stay up.
Hello Niki Sik. I am a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with you as well as know you and about your interest in dancing. I am encouraged to know through your blog post how you over came your habit of smoking. The other part of your blog post. I was not able to grasp on World of Vaping. Well I love gettin connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 40 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have you come to Mumbai to work with us during your vacation time. I am sure you will have a life changing experience. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you your family and friends also wishing you a blessed and a Christ centered new year 2020. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede.
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