Talk to me about E-Cigarettes...

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Two things have become clear to me -
  1. My nicotine addiction is too strong for me to break
  2. I can't go on like this
I am essentially looking to substitute one for the other rather than using them as an aid to quit completely, so...

Are e-cigs the way forward? Are they really a more 'healthy' option? What should i be looking at to feed a ~ 20 (actually it's a bit less than that but then we all say that, don't we..?) a day habit? Where to buy and what? That sort of thing?

:help:
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Using smoke as the delivery system is the basis of most of the health risks.

My father was a much heavier smoker than you are and gave up overnight.
 

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
Read Alan Carr (not the comedian) "give up smoking the easyway"

Persevere with it, no matter how irritated you get with him in the first few chapters.

By the time you get half way through you will find yourself racing to finish the book so that you can stop smoking.

By the end not only will you not want to smoke and have no cravings whatsoever but you will look at other smokers and pity them.

He basically makes you re think why you think you want to smoke, or to put it another way, why you think you cant stop.
 

littleme

250,000th poster!
Perry081064 is the one to ask about this, he's done really well giving up by using e-cigs when I think he was only cutting down :) But he knows all about them...drop him an inbox.

I gave up 4 yrs ago by using a drug called Champix (sp?) -available only from Drs - although it was very hard, especially as I live with a smoker...

Good luck Withnail :)
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
I've been using my e-cig for about 8 months now and haven't smoked since Boxing Day. I was advised to use it as a gradual replacement and it has worked a treat. I'd been smoking for about 18 years, sometimes up to 20-a-day.

I get my stuff from Sparks E-cigs (having tried various other suppliers, including the place opposite the prison) as their customer service is great and the prices are very reasonable. The actual items which make up the kits are virtually identical across many suppliers. I've just recommended this kit to a friend....having a spare is very important as you don't want to get caught short and resort to the fags again.

When I first bought the kit I got some tobacco liquid, which was a massive mistake. The taste of stale smoke is not what I enjoyed about smoking. I use vanilla liquid as it's a pretty neutral flavour...made it a lot easier to make the switch. I started on the 24mg strength but soon dropped to 18mg...I can't recommend it enough.

Best of luck :)
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
Just to add to that ^ - quite a lot of my friends have also successfully quit or massively-reduced their smoking using these very same e-cigs. Use code FRIEND15 for a 15% discount.
 

Perrier

Banned
i started with the intention of cutting back last september.
i purchased whats known as the "tank system" rather than the ones that look like a cig ( the cigalikes are useless)

since then i have not touched a ciggy since.

the secret is to find a "flavour" that you would like and the right strength of nicotine .
i was a heavy smoker 20+ a day and started on 24mg strength but found that was too high and now use 18mg .
( i am now in the process of dropping to 12mg).

i would recommend a product called the Tecc mvp2 ( also known as an innokin mvp2 ) , variable voltage/wattage so if you need a stronger or lesser "hit" , it can be turned up or down.
comes with a reusable tank and can be charged from the mains or usb.
price is around £50 but will pay for itself within a week.

"juice" is around £3-5 bottle and lasts around a week , theres also kits that allow you to make your own much cheaper ( its not as difficult as it sounds) and that makes me a big bottle that lasts 3 weeks for around £1.50.

theres a shop near the prison that stocks the tecc mvp2 and im sure they will let you sample a few flavours instore before you commit to purchase if you need to start asap. however, the online stores tend to be a little cheaper.

... just to add , i had been smoking heavily for the last 30 years , and will now never touch another cig again.

please feel free to inbox me if you need any help or advice.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
I've mentioned it on here before but I quit for a bet and found it remarkably easy, the key thing being I'd already started to question why I smoked. I can't honestly say I enjoyed smoking, it was just something I seemed to do. I never had a fag and thought that was nice, I just used to look down and find one in my hand. I guess I was already ready to quit and just needed a catalyst, the bet gave it to me.

Alcohol though? No chance!

EDIT: Didn't WMR also switch to ecigs a while back?
 

peggy

Well-Known Forumite
I have an elderly relative who has been a heavy smoker since early teens. I introduced them to e cigs a month or so ago, not really expecting her to try them. So pleased that nearly a month on and she is still successfully using them alongside her proper cigs, she isn't yet ready to stop using cigarettes but its definitely on the cards. Good luck Withnail. Ps, i gave up some years ago with nicotine lozenges and patches, one of best things i did!
 

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
EDIT: Didn't WMR also switch to ecigs a while back?


I did, and like a fool reverted back to analogue cigarettes.

I'm currently on e-cigs to reduce my analogue smoking. I'm using the Nucig Advance Pro 4 as I find them extremely smooth to vape - they are pure VG based rather than PG so they produce tons of vapour but with out a harsh throat hit which I'm not a great lover of. I ask for them to swap them over for menthol 18mg cartridges (I don't usually smoke menthols but theirs are a lovely smooth mild mint flavour). I also have a pocket charger case which charges your spare battery on the go. I then buy their VG e-liquid and refill the cartridges 3 or 4 times over to keep the cost down a bit. A little bit of a pain to do but I refill several at a time and it works for me.

As others have said, Withnail, I avoid the standard "tobacco" flavours as they're never very nice at all. Experiment with the other offerings whoever you buy from and you'll probably find that you'll smoke a flavour you never dreamt of.
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
My partner didn't get on with e-cigs because she found them awkward to hold but she has found nicotine patches very effective.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
My brother just got an e-fag, but wonders how much liquid is a fag? He's used it, but doesn't want to over-use it without realising. I think the liquid he got was 10ml of 18mg stuff but not positive, any ideas?
 

Perrier

Banned
My brother just got an e-fag, but wonders how much liquid is a fag? He's used it, but doesn't want to over-use it without realising. I think the liquid he got was 10ml of 18mg stuff but not positive, any ideas?


to be honest , his body will tell him when he has had enough.
you cant work out how much liquid is a cig, it doesnt equate that way ( combustive 'cig' nicotine is a lot more powerful than atomised 'ecig' nicotine so you would naturally use more to get the same hit as it takes longer to go through your system).

if he starts to get more headaches or dizzy, he would be using too much or needs to bring the strength down a little.
im on 18mg and i make mine up in quantities of 30ml bottles at a time.
i average around 4ml a day.

hope this helps
 

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
I'm with perry on this one, there's no real way of knowing what is a "cig". When I was on them you just happily vape away until you suddenly feel dizzy and then calm down a bit... or don't! ;)
You're body would make you stop before you'd taken enough nicotine to cause yourself any harm. Like perry, I averaged 4ml per day, but I know people who only used that in a week, and when I first went mad on it I could use around 6 or 7mls a day.
 
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