# Interview #GranniesWhoDrip



## Alex (22/4/15)

*My Freedom Smokes Exclusive Interview*
*4/21/2015 9:12 AM*
*Last month we posted a photo of Jacqueline Jackson vaping and it immediately drew a lot of awesome attention to the vaping community. This month, we sat down with Jacqueline to get to know her better and why she decided to make the switch.*


*Quick Introductory Bio*

_I am the mother of four. My son passed away from lung cancer. I still have three beautiful daughters. I have 14 grandkids, and 29 great grandkids with one more on the way. My first husband, passed away in 2000 from cancer. I moved to be closer to my oldest daughter in November of 2000. I met my current husband while playing an online game. We, unexpectedly fell in love, and got married in November of 2001 after a whirlwind courtship. We have had a good life together. Health issues have put strain on us, but we have been there for each other no matter what life throws at us. My husband is disabled and I am retired. I love my vaping family and know that they are there for me no matter what. 

I started my Instagram account in February of this year and am in awe of the tales of how many say they are inspired by me and my story. After all, I'm just me and don't know why I'm an inspiration. I'm just an older woman who had to make the change to vaping for the sake of my husband's and my health. My story is not unique, but if I have told myself that if I can help one person quit for good then my story has made a difference._








*Question: If you would, please tell the vaping community out there little about yourself?*

*Answer: *_I started smoking at the ripe old age of 13, which really wasn't that uncommon back in the 50s. Nearly everyone one smoked. Back then, there were even ashtrays in the doctor's offices. Over the next 60 years, I smoked between a pack to a pack and half per day unaware of the dangers that smoking presented. We really became aware of the dangers in the 90s, but by then it was too late as many of my generation were already very addicted to smoking._

_About 4 years ago, I tried switching to the cigalikes in order to try to quit smoking. They helped me lower the amount that I smoked each day, but wasn't quite enough to help me kick the habit for good. In August of last year, my husband and I decided we had to quit due to my husband's quickly deteriorating health. We went to the newly opened vape shop where we live and bought an Ego battery with a plastic tank. I vaped on that for 4 months. Again, they helped me lower the amount I smoked each day, but again it wasn't quite enough to quit. Seeing that moving to dripping had helped my husband completely quit smoking, I decided to make the change to dripping in December. On December 14th, I officially smoked my last cigarette._

_I am an avid gamer and love playing World of Warcraft. That surprises many of the younger generation, but there are more senior citizens out there that play than what they're aware of. I have played since December 2004, and it has become my daily passion. I also love going and sitting at my local vape shop and spending quality time with a group of regular customers and staff to talk about everything from our smoking stories to everyday life events. They have shown me what the vaping community is all about. Because of them, I have started involving myself more with the vaping community and groups like Cloud Kicker Society, Drip Girls, several Facebook support groups like Drippin' Dolls, CASAA, and promoting the #notblowingsmoke movement._


*Question: How long have you been vaping for since you made the switch?*

*Answer: *_As I mentioned previously, I originally tried vaping about 4 years ago, but I originally wasn't able to quit. I tried off and on for the next 4 years to quit, but it wasn't until I picked up dripping in December of 2014 that I was able to finally put down the cigarettes and proudly say that I am a vaper._



*Question: How long were you a smoker for and what made you realize that you needed to quit?*

*Answer: *_I smoked for 60 years of my life, starting at the age of 13.I realized that I had to make the change to vaping due to my husband’s quickly deteriorating health._


*Question: Can you give us a little background on when and why you began vaping?*

*Answer:* _As previously mentioned, I began trying vaping in 2010. In August of 2014, our doctor told us that unless we made immediate changes and put down the cigarettes, my husband wouldn't live much more than two more years. My husband would cough so hard that he would pass out and stop breathing. I would have to beat on his chest and back to get him breathing again. That was the final nail in the coffin that told me that we had to quit._


*Question: So who was the biggest inspiration you would say in your life that helped you in making the switch from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes?*

*Answer:*_The person that proved to me that vaping could help me quit for good was my daughter. She began vaping in 2010 and was shortly able to quit smoking for good. She has since been smoke free and advocated for me and my husband to make the change. She purchased our first Ego starter kits and made sure we had everything we needed to successfully make the change._


*Question: What was the feeling like for you when you finally were able to quit smoking?*

*Answer: *_When I finally was able to make the change and snuff out what would become my final cigarette, I knew that my life was forever changed. I was elated that I would no longer smell like an ashtray and had made the conscious effort to improve my health, add years to my life, and be healthier to those around me._








*Question: Since you made the switch, have you helped others make the switch from smoking to vaping?*

*Answer: *_I have made the push to show smokers, both young and old, that it is never too late to quit smoking. I have put my personal story out for the world to see and show that vaping isn't just a passing fad, but rather a permanent solution to the dangers of smoking. I have, according to some, been the inspiration for their personal success in quitting. A prime example was a woman who was on oxygen that I helped convince to try vaping. Within a matter of weeks, her doctor took her off her oxygen and she showed major improvements in her health. She came back and thanked me for helping her in changing her life for the better._


*Question: What advice would you give to someone that's hesitate about vaping that's currently smoking?*

*Answer: *_It is never too late to quit. If I could put down the cigarettes after 60 long years of smoking, anyone can do it. The vaping community is a close knit group that act as a support system for each other. I would tell them that they won't miss that smoker's cough. I would tell them that they will be able to smell better, taste better, and breathe better. I would tell them that the fight to quit smoking is a challenge that you take day by day, and that the vaping community is there to turn to in times of possible relapses._

--

Who knew there was so much behind a random photo we saw online? Want to keep up with Jacqueline? Follow her on Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/jacqueline.jackson.98

Posted in Updates By David Nadel 

source: https://www.myfreedomsmokes.com/blog/vaping-interview/

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 4


----------

