Electric cigarettes

[kick it off 1,949]

I''ve been a smoker for over 10 years.

Last week I spent just over £60 on an electric fag starter kit (£45 on the kit and £18 on the refill pack).

Best money I''ve ever spent. I only got it yesterday morning due to missing the delivery on Friday, and have been using it since yesterday evening.

I can smoke indoors, it looks like a real fag, it feels like you have a real fag in your hand which is psychologically important to me as Im as addicted to the habit of having a cigarette as I am to the nicotine. I''ve been smoking it in the house, which I couldnt do with normal fags, and the missus is sat next to me and can''t smell it so when they say odourless, it is a legit claim. It gives a "throat hit" like a real cigarette does, although it tastes a bit different, it tastes much better imo and doesn''t make your breath smell. Oh yeah, and how about NO HEALTH IMPACTS!!

I cannot recommend them highly enough. If any smokers out there are thinking about it, I would advise you to take the plunge. £65 upfront sounds like a lot, but when you consider it, it is only equivalent to about 9 packs of 20 fags (approx £7-8 each).. The equivalent of a 20 pack costs me less than £1.50 so I will make my money back on it by not smoking 10 packs.

The kit I went for is the Rok Jet Black starter kit, but there are plenty of brands out there. Skycig have also been recommended to me, as well as Green smoke and V2. I went for Rok because independent sites rated them cheaper on the refills and it comes in a case which looks like a fag packet and is a portable charging device for the battery stems.Im not here to advertise Rok as a brand but they''re the only ones i have direct experience with, do your research and pick one that''s right for you. You can get better value for money if you choose one which doesnt look like a fag, but like I said, the psychological aspect is important to me.In summary, if you smoke, switch to an electric, you will not regret it. You can pick up disposable ones for £2.99 if you look around a bit so there''s really no excuse not to give it a try!!

[kick it off 1,949]

Anyone else got any experience with them? Products/Brands that you would recommend?

[Joanna Grey 0]

Electronic ;-) .

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

Good luck with giving up.

The hardest part is deciding you want to give up. Keep the faith no matter how much you are tempted.

Oh and it''s difficult (depending on your age I guess), but I packed a bit of extra weight which has been difficult to shift.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

I used the Nicotinell (sp?) gum to good effect. You still get the nicotine hit, still tastes like shit though.

[Rock The Boat 1,330]

How do they work? Do they deliver a hit of nicotine?

[SHRIMPER 328]

Friend of mine gave them a good go but is now back on the old rollups. Guess it was just not his time to give up.

[Yellow Shirt 17]

I tried the Electronic Cigarette Company ones. They were really unreliable.I then tried a disposable one but it actually makes me feel sick and gives me a headache!I also find the not knowing when I''ve ''had a cigarette'' thing a bit weird. Are you supposed to count the drags?

[Herman 9,756]

"SHRIMPER"Friend of mine gave them a good go but is now back on the old rollups. Guess it was just not his time to give up.

That''s exactly what happened to me. They worked ok and didn''t taste too bad but my willpower didn''t last out. That and having a couple of beers.

[SHRIMPER 328]

I tried many many times to give up over the years before I was successful. 26 years ago now. Hardest thing I have ever done. 

[kick it off 1,949]

I forgot to check back in on this thread, but just remembered so here''s a little update:

Whoever asked how they work :It is Nicotine infused water which is heated to create a vapour, which you inhale. It''s like smoking but it''s just Nicotine (which is no more harmful than Caffeine) and water so you don''t get any of the carcinogenic chemicals or tar you get smoking normal fags.

I bought a packet of real cigs in the first week because the charger for my batteries was crap and didnt work so I had to get a pack of cigs to cover my nicotine needs for a night/day until the replacement charger arrived. 

I have found the ones that look like fags have terrible battery life. So I have invested in a kit which looks more like a small flute than a cigarette. Initially, it was psychologically important to have something that looked like a fag, now I''m not bothered what it looks like as long as I don''t have to change the battery every 5 minutes!! The refills are also incredibly expensive for the cigarette ones and don''t last anywhere near as long as they''re advertised.

In terms of taste, I was lucky in so much as the cigarette style one I had, has tobacco flavoured cartridges which taste amazing. Much nicer than real fags, so the taste difference didn''t bother me at all. I did have a disposable I kept at work and that tasted like ass to be fair. I bought some cheap unbranded refill cartridges which also tasted like crap, so I can understand that putting people off.

The kit I got delivered today runs on the E-Juice stuff, so is much, much cheaper than the cartridges in the fag style ones. I''m talking £15 TOTAL for more than a month''s worth of "smoking" with the juice. I currently have a delightful blueberry flavour in there which Im enjoying alot.

13 days cigarette free and counting. I''ve had ample opportunity to smoke, and I havent totally banned myself from having the odd one (Dont want to pressurise myself, because if I did crack then I would end up back on the fags) but so far I have declined every time, and it hasnt really bothered me too much tbh. I know Im through the hardest bit now too so hopefully it wont get any harder. Just gotta start reducing the nicotine strength down on my electronic juice but that will be a much more gradual process as I dont wanna do too much too soon and blow everything I''ve achieved so far [:)]

[SHRIMPER 328]

As stated earlier, giving up was the hardest thing I have ever done. The first couple of weeks I found easy, but after the first couple of weeks the old resolve waned somewhat and I found it harder and harder. I battled on and finally won the battle against Mr Nick o Teen.

Keep going mate and you will crack it.   

[kick it off 1,949]

[quote user="SHRIMPER"]

As stated earlier, giving up was the hardest thing I have ever done. The first couple of weeks I found easy, but after the first couple of weeks the old resolve waned somewhat and I found it harder and harder. I battled on and finally won the battle against Mr Nick o Teen.

Keep going mate and you will crack it.   

[/quote]

Really? I thought the first 4 days were meant to be the hardest? Maybe I still have the harder part to come then, but either way, Im going to succeed. Congrats on your success by the way Shrimper! Hopefully one day I''ll be able to say the same as you!

[Herman 9,756]

How are you getting on?

[Hog 0]

Been on the e-juice kit myself for several months, £20 a month it costs which is very cheap when comparing to normal cigs. Looks like the Government wants to regulate them which was always going to happen as presently they do not make any money from their sales.

[Herman 9,756]

I have decided to give these a try since you spoke highly of them. The technology has advanced a lot since I first tried. The originals was like trying to suck a golf ball through a straw. These seem easier to get a hit and more professionally made. No pressure, but I would like my sense of smell and taste back.

[SHRIMPER 328]

Good luck Herm. You are bigger than that little ol coffin nail.

[Herman 9,756]

Well I have found a couple of faults so far. As has been mentioned the batteries don''t last very long and the postal service is slow. Waiting for the full kit but I was encouraged with what I have tried so far.

[Herman 9,756]

I haven''t given up fully yet, but have cut down considerably. I use the electronic cigarette at work and I find it easy as I have other things to keep my mind occupied. Although this week has been a bit harder as the grumpy/depressive stage has hit. Well I think that is the nicotine withdrawal:-)

[SHRIMPER 328]

As I said in an earlier post Herman. The first couple of weeks were easy and then got harder. Stick to it mate, you will get there and be better for it.

[Herman 9,756]

Since you''ve been through it Shrimper what else have I got to look out for? Had the headaches, narkiness and depression. Eating a bit more but I was warned about that.

[SHRIMPER 328]

[quote user="Herman "]Since you''ve been through it Shrimper what else have I got to look out for? [/quote]

Another addiction. Got hooked on polo mints meself. And then came divorce [:D]

[SHRIMPER 328]

How''s it going Herman?

[Herman 9,756]

So-so sadly. I use the e-cig quite happily at work but can''t get over the final hurdle of not smoking at home.

[SHRIMPER 328]

Guess its just not your time Herman. Never mind mate, it took me years, and  failed  many times.  I did crack it as I am sure you will do when the time is right.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,414]

IF you really want to give up Herman, do it in small steps.

Go an hour (without) and then go another hour until it''s bedtime.

Resist that first one in the morning (the hardest imo).

Think of your food tasting better, no more smelly clothes and better still all that extra money in your pocket.

As I said earlier I got on OK with gum, but I did miss that fiddling with something in your hands which is a real big part of it. If you can just get past that urge which washes over you but does recede.

Good luck!

[Herman 9,756]

I get the feeling Allen Carr may have been right.....

Crappy drug and kids are still getting hooked.

Cheers for the advice guys. I''ll keep plugging on.

[TCCANARY 263]

 

I have a genuine question re these, do they create a vapour that contains the nicotine & thats what you inhale? If the answer is yes does that means that the exhaled vapour also contains nicotine?

Whe I gave up the ciggies it was the nicotine dependency that was the issue, will there now be second hand nicotine in the same way that there was second hand smoke?

 

 

[Herman 9,756]

I suppose there will be second hand nicotine vapour but it is probably a far lot better than the stuff coming out of a normal cig.

[kick it off 1,949]

[quote user="TCCANARY"]

 

I have a genuine question re these, do they create a vapour that contains the nicotine & thats what you inhale? If the answer is yes does that means that the exhaled vapour also contains nicotine?

Whe I gave up the ciggies it was the nicotine dependency that was the issue, will there now be second hand nicotine in the same way that there was second hand smoke?

 

 

[/quote]

Yes they create a nicotine infused vapour. Im still hooked on the nicotine, but nicotine is no more harmful than caffeine on it''s own. The problem with real cigarettes is the tar and 3000 (literally) other chemicals in every cigarette. With the juice based electronic ones, they contain 5 chemicals including the nicotine, and none are harmful. All flavourings are food grade certified (as long as you don''t buy off anyone dodgy).

The secondhand vapour is not harmful in any way. There is no such thing as secondhand nicotine with E-cigs (im not sure about real fags) because the nicotine is absorbed almost immediately upon inhalation in the mouth, so you don''t technically need to ''take it back'' (into your lungs)to get the nicotine hit.

I''m 8months clean today!! Had one lapse in July when having some personal problems. Bought 20 cigarettes. Smoked one. Gave the rest away as I was so disgusted by the smell, taste and everything about it.