I always love to hear about how people have quit smoking cigarettes and switched to vaping so thought I would share my story of my vaping journey which started nearly 2 years ago now. I hope you enjoy reading it and if you want to share your story to be published on this website then click here.
How it all started with e-cigarettes
Back in 2013 I first started to hear about ecigarettes in the news and was really curious to see if they worked. I was always concious over the short and long term effects of smoking but I did always like the effects of nicotine for stress relief and the generally you get from it. I went to my local supermarket and noticed they were selling E-lites, these looked similar to a real cigarette but contained a small green LED on the end of the battery and the filter which contained the atomizer to deliver the nicotine the nicotine. It seemed great to to have something available that would give me the nicotine hit from a device that didn’t produce any smoke and the flavour was quite interesting as well.
I started to see some real benefits to using this new device such as been able to use this in the house and whilst working. This was the start of my journey with vaping. It wasn’t without its problems though, I found with this device was that it was nearly as expensive as smoking since the atomizer only lasted around 200 puffs and then the battery barely lasted a day. I decided to invest in a second battery and a USB charger and the cost was soon starting to add up. Compared to the amount that I smoked it didn’t really seem worth using it except for the possible health benefits at the time. I actually gave up using the E-lites kit for a number of months and went back to smoking for these reasons. I just found that this device wasn’t for me but others may find it is enough for them.
An introduction to the eGo style device from a friend
A number of months later a friend showed me his eGo battery and Mini Protank setup that he had purchased and said give this a try. Upon trying this I was really amazed at the difference and flavour that this style of vape delivered. Not many people were using these at the time and I decided to do some research on various vaping devices. I also found many online communities including Planet of the Vapes and many other ecigarette forums that gave me some excellent advice.
Time to invest and give up smoking forever
I looked at various vaping devices and decided it would be worthwhile spending some money and getting a device that would hopefully impress and keep me away smoking cigaretttes. I visited my local vape stall in the City Centre and they provided some great advice on what would be suitable as they already had the knowledge and experience of using these devices. I decided to purchase the Innokin MVP 2.0 which seemed huge at the time and costed around £40 but I was advised it was worth purchasing. I have never looked back since buying this device and it really did work for me, the good thing is that it lasted days for me as well and all my friends and family was so impressed when they saw it. I have to say that I did become very addicted to vaping when I started and seemed that vaped more than when I was smoking cigarettes.
Unfortunately decided vaping in the office was not suitable because he had heard from friends of the dangers of these unknown devices, it was disappointing that the media has created so many negative articles on vaping, unfortunately some people believe the media first rather than the facts and evidence that is available if you look around on the internet.
Making my own e-Liquid
In 2014 I decided that e-Liquid was costing quite a lot of money because I was vaping so much and really needed to cut the costs down. I decided to looked how to make my own e-Liquid on various forums and decided to take the plunge and buy a DIY starter kit which contained protective equipment, needles, nicotine and then ordered various flavourings. This was a really fun project to work on and took a while to understand how to mix at different ratios and to learn about steeeping e-Liquid. Eventually after a number of weeks and months I started to make some good quality e-Liquid that me and my friends were very with and people were always intrigued when I mentioned that I make my own. Making my own also reduced my costs hugely compared to buying a couple of bottles of e-Liquid a week.
Still vaping today
Nearly 2 years later and here I am with an Innokin MVP 3 and my favourite tank the Innokin iSub G having a very pleasurable vape at 18 watts with my home made e-Liquid which took some getting right when I switched to sub-ohm heads. The only thing I would like is a longer lasting battery that I don’t have to charge every night but that might be because I use it so much. I also like to switch sometimes using the Kanger Subtank Mini which is also an excellent tank.
We are starting to see lots of evidence come out lately that vaping doesn’t have any worrying long term affects and without a doubt in the short term of using it for 2 years I have not noticed any bad side effects or health problems. When I was smoking I found myself out with bad breath, unable to do exercise for a long period, yellow fingers from the tar and really out of pocket money wise with spending over £8 a week on tobacco. Vaping really has changed my life and I have convinced loved ones and people I don’t know to start vaping and give up smoking. It has been a real journey so far and it is amazing to have this technology around that could save so many lives and problems with their health in the future.
I don’t have any plans to give up vaping just yet but I have gone from 18mg nicotine to 6mg so I am gradually cutting down to a point where I don’t need it.
It is really exciting to see all the new technology coming out from manufacturers in China, there is some amazing innovation happening at the moment similar to the early days when smartphones started to appear on the market.
Most of us have seen this recent article from the Mirror that has just come out that gives hope that vaping doesn’t cause any health problems.
A final thought…..
Some of us just love nicotine and yes we are addicted to a drug but if we can intake it in a more healthy way then what harm are we really causing?
There will always be people that hate vaping and I some of us will dislikes other peoples habits or interest but surely something that could save lives should be praised!