# Years Of Smoking



## Gizmo (7/11/13)

How many years have you guys had been smoking before switching to ecigs.

*I started around age 13, nothing serious just the odd smoke. I really took at around 17 where it was every weekend and by 19 it was pretty much daily. Stopped when I was 25. So year 12 years.. *

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## Riaz (7/11/13)

i started in grade 7 (yes, primary school), and switched at the age of 30.

so thats a good ol 18 years of cigarettes.

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## Derick (7/11/13)

Started at 22 - for 25 years - pack a day of the rough stuff - Winston and later Marlboro

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## Nightfearz (7/11/13)

Now I feel like an Idiot... I started at age 12 (thanks to my older brother CraftyZA), also just the odd one every other day, but by high school it was everyday. I switched 6 months ago at age 33, meaning 21 long years. That also means that was a smoker for longer in my life than I was a nonsmoker. Partially also why I struggled to just quit. It meant giving up a part of my personality (which i quite liked at the time). With E-cigs I just convinced myself that I switched brands... so in a way I didnt have to give up that part of my life, just make it healtier...

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## CraftyZA (7/11/13)

Started at 13, daily smoker by mid 14, quit at 35
How many years is that?
Minus about 2 years i managed to quit for a while until one fateful night in a pub in 2008... It just smelled so good!!

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## Johnny2Puffs (7/11/13)

I started at age 20 and smoked 20 pd plus 1 zol per night. Actually I smoked 1 zol per night since age 18.
Got myself married at 27 and my parental brain kicked in and left the latter but upped my smokes to 30 pd.
Carried on for another 30 years until 29 months ago when I got me a good dose of lung infection and nearly pegged. Cough was so bad that some ribs literately popped off the surrounding flesh. Made a loud pop sound and I fell to the floor.
That was the last analogue I had.

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## Gizmo (7/11/13)

That's intense story Johnny glad to see you found a great alternative

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## ET (7/11/13)

had a few smokes in my teens, started really smoking around age 25, mostly stopped now, so thats about 12 years of smoking

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## Melinda (7/11/13)

Started smoking around St 6, what's that Gr 8 so around 13/14 smoked till I was 24 quit for 9 months when I was pregnant with my daughter, started again till age 34 for 9 months, pregnant with my son vaping on and off for about 6 months so what is that roughly 22 years...wow that's a long time

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## Tristan (7/11/13)

Mmm, started messing with cigs at age 10.. puff, puff, burn the net curtain, puff puff. Started smoking loose ones daily in Std 7/Grd 9, age 13. Stopped age 15 to 18. From 19, point of no return till six months ago. So a total of 22 years avg. 25 cigs/day, ending with Winston Red Slide. Yep, about a R160 000+ up in smoke, pardon the punn

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## Silver (22/11/13)

I started at about age 21. It was at my second job. I was stressed out so a friend said come outside, have a smoke with me and it will calm you down. Ha ha. It did and i enjoyed it. 

Since then, i smoked for 18 years about 20 cigs a day. Rothmans blue, then switched to Rothmans Red. 

Had my last analog on 28 Oct 2013 after vaping for a week or so. I couldnt bear the taste of a real cig, so decided to only vape since that day. So far its been great. Am loving it. Just hope it lasts. Havent had much difficulty sticking to vaping so far

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## CraftyZA (22/11/13)

If you can stock to vaping for 3 day, then cigs is over. It will taste crap after this!

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## Derick (22/11/13)

I find it interesting how bad smokers now smell to me

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## Tom (22/11/13)

Started when I was 15, most of the time it was a pack a day, unless I was stressed out. Then it was about 30 cigs a day.
so, that makes it 32 years for me 
I had a break from it about 8 years ago, for 16 months, until a big stress build up made me smoke again. At that time I stopped with the help of acupuncture (and a good amount of willpower...).

I really believe that vaping is the most effective way, because I still enjoy the ritual of puffing away, and that is still there with it.

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## Derick (22/11/13)

Woah, I thought I was the winner here with 25 years...

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## Andre (22/11/13)

Not even close. Was 38 years for me!


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## bpow2404 (26/11/13)

Cripes I have to say about 22 years with a couple of gaps in between. Them boom 2 days after my 40th birthday I had a heart attack and that was it for me an stinkies. So glad to say ive been a ex smoker for 7 months now and going strong. Its actually amazing to me now how bad smokers can smell. Vaping has been the best quitting tool I've ever seen. 

Sent from my GT-I8190 using Tapatalk

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## TylerD (26/11/13)

16 years here, It's really easy to quit, I did it about 10 times. Atleast this time, it is much easier. I love my vaping hobby!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## CraftyZA (26/11/13)

TylerD said:


> 16 years here, It's really easy to quit, I did it about 10 times. Atleast this time, it is much easier. I love my vaping hobby!


Well I don't think i can start again. In August I was out hunt g the whole day one saturday, when i forgot my mod at camp the morning. So by saying that by 4pm i was craving would be an under statement. I then took a drag from a friend. Nearly puked my lungs out. Yip, at that moment I knew that I made the home run!

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1


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## Andre (27/11/13)

CraftyZA said:


> Well I don't think i can start again. In August I was out hunt g the whole day one saturday, when i forgot my mod at camp the morning. So by saying that by 4pm i was craving would be an under statement. I then took a drag from a friend. Nearly puked my lungs out. Yip, at that moment I knew that I made the home run!


 One could call that a "eureka" moment. Personally I am just too afraid to even try that.


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## Derick (27/11/13)

One day when you are brave you should - imagine a smelly ashtray, now add some nail polish remover and burnt paper with a hint of kakhibos

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## vaalboy (27/11/13)

I started at the age of 14 and after 28 years of smoking ended up at a 40+ per day smoker. That was until 2.5 months ago, when on a whim popped into a tobacconist shop while mall crawling and picked up a starter kit. Fortunately it stuck and I have made the switch completely. Unfortunately my wife has struggled and has stuck with her Kent Whites. OMG she stinks!!

Reactions: Like 3 | Funny 1


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## Andre (27/11/13)

vaalboy said:


> I started at the age of 14 and after 28 years of smoking ended up at a 40+ per day smoker. That was until 2.5 months ago, when on a whim popped into a tobacconist shop while mall crawling and picked up a starter kit. Fortunately it stuck and I have made the switch completely. Unfortunately my wife has struggled and has stuck with her Kent Whites. OMG she stinks!!


 Awesome. Give HRH time and patience, she will come around.

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## Stroodlepuff (27/11/13)

Matthee said:


> Awesome. Give HRH time and patience, she will come around.


 
Very curious Mathee  I see you referring to woman as HRH all the time? Does it stand for Her royal highness??

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## Andre (27/11/13)

Stroodlepuff said:


> Very curious Mathee  I see you referring to woman as HRH all the time? Does it stand for Her royal highness??


Only if referring to your wife/female partner or someone else's wife/female partner, yes, absolutely! You are or should be HRH to your partner! Always in capital letters, even if written out - Her Royal Highness.

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## Stroodlepuff (27/11/13)

Wow very impressive somebody has trained you well  either that or there's a hint of sarcasm in there somewhere lol

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## Andre (27/11/13)

No sarcasm, something I aspire to in all human relations, but fail at many a time.

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## Johnny2Puffs (27/11/13)

I win this competition hands down. Over 40 years of smoking. Whoop hooray. What a good achievement don't you think? And this achievement at 30pd. Now how good is that?
Also, I win the longest "Vapor" competition. Been vaping for 2 years and 5 months with no analogues. 

Sadly, the damage is done I think. So a winner, I think not.

Reactions: Like 5 | Winner 1


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## Silver (27/11/13)

Damage may be done - but switching to vaping is definitely going to be better down the line than continuing with Analogues

Well done for the 2 years and 5 months - outstanding...

Johnny, I know you are a Menthol person - remind me which is your best of the commercially available local menthol flavours?

Was it you that suggested Menthol Sensations from eCiggies a while back?

Regards

Reactions: Like 1


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## Stroodlepuff (27/11/13)

Matthee said:


> No sarcasm, something I aspire to in all human relations, but fail at many a time.


 
Very impressive  we all aspire and fail at times as long as we try our best thats all that matters




> I win this competition hands down. Over 40 years of smoking. Whoop hooray. What a good achievement don't you think? And this achievement at 30pd. Now how good is that?
> Also, I win the longest "Vapor" competition. Been vaping for 2 years and 5 months with no analogues.
> 
> Sadly, the damage is done I think. So a winner, I think not.


 
I think if Gizmos uncle had to join the forum he may even beat you  In his 60's and we managed to convert him plus he was on 60 stinkies a day :0 Crazy huh!!! He still has not quit completely but now a box of 20 lasts him nearly a week and he keeps cutting down more and more - keeps thanking us and saying we have saved his life  but yes you definitly win longest vaper - he started a little while after us

It is still an incredible achievement on your part though and it is outstanding that you managed  Its people like you and uncle George who prove to the rest of the people out there that they really are miracle products

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## Andre (27/11/13)

Respect, Johnny.

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## ibanez (25/1/14)

All this is highly inspiring!! Smoked 25 years and gone from 30 a day to 0. Will post further in the newbie section 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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## Andre (25/1/14)

ibanez said:


> All this is highly inspiring!! Smoked 25 years and gone from 30 a day to 0. Will post further in the newbie section
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Hi, welcome @ibanez . Yes, please if you feel like it introduce yourself at the end of this thread: http://www.ecigssa.co.za/threads/introduce-yourselves.24/

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## vaalboy (25/1/14)

vaalboy said:


> I started at the age of 14 and after 28 years of smoking ended up at a 40+ per day smoker. That was until 2.5 months ago, when on a whim popped into a tobacconist shop while mall crawling and picked up a starter kit. Fortunately it stuck and I have made the switch completely. Unfortunately my wife has struggled and has stuck with her Kent Whites. OMG she stinks!!



Managed to get HRH into vaping. She has been stinky free for just over a month now.

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## Silver (25/1/14)

ibanez said:


> All this is highly inspiring!! Smoked 25 years and gone from 30 a day to 0. Will post further in the newbie section
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



Hi @ibanez, that is fantastic! 25 years of 30 a day is a lot of cigarettes indeed! To go from that to nothing is a big change. Well done


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## Silver (25/1/14)

Just on the point of switching to vaping. I think we perhaps may not realise just how much change is happening on this forum alone. Health wise. And i do think the forum itself is playing an important role - at least for me it is.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Silver (25/1/14)

vaalboy said:


> Managed to get HRH into vaping. She has been stinky free for just over a month now.



@vaalboy, well done! You gonna have to give me some lessons or tips. My better half has not really taken to it. Not really sure why. Im not making an issue about it with her at all because i know that wont work. I think i need to entice her with flavours or something else. She smokes those thin menthol cigarettes, about 6 a day, so shes not a heavy smoker anyway. But would be nice to have a co-vaper in the house.

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## Rob Fisher (15/2/14)

Started at 14 and am now 58 so that is 44 years of smoking! Best non smoking period was three months after using Champix... was a heavy smoker 40-60 a day and coupled with a bad cough and a nagging wife drove me to try the Twisp (Did try e-cigs before but they were kak and made my cough worse)... now stinkies free!

Reactions: Like 7 | Winner 1


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## Rebel (22/11/17)

I smoked cigarettes for 12 years, 20 a day from DAY 1.

Reactions: Like 3 | Can relate 1


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## Raindance (22/11/17)

From 16 to 50, ave 25 per day. That is 310 250 cigarettes or 15 513 packs of twenty. At R35 ( no idea what they cost these days) that amounts to R542 938 bucks and enough tar to fix the roads in all of the Freestate. Time to up the vape budget!

Regards

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## Yagya (22/11/17)

I started in grade 9, think i was only 13 at the time. 
now my 3rd year into vaping makes that 39-yrs of around 20 stinkies a day since i started my 1st job.. OMW.

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## RenaldoRheeder (22/11/17)

I started when I was 14 and eventually kicked it this year - 40 years later. In the end I was doing 40 to 60 a day. The positive change in my health is awesome 


Sent by iDad's iPhone

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## Jengz (22/11/17)

RenaldoRheeder said:


> I started when I was 14 and eventually kicked it this year - 40 years later. In the end I was doing 40 to 60 a day. The positive change in my health is awesome
> 
> 
> Sent by iDad's iPhone


60 a day!!!!!! Tjoh, I’ll manigel if I slaan 60 stinkies a day! 60!!! That is nogal insane Brother.... Junnnnnne

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## RenaldoRheeder (22/11/17)

Jengz said:


> 60 a day!!!!!! Tjoh, I’ll manigel if I slaan 60 stinkies a day! 60!!! That is nogal insane Brother.... Junnnnnne



@Jengz - it was insane, but then I changed to vaping. @Rob Fisher played a big roll in this. I recall communication between us from quite a while back when he planted the seed. So credit to him for that, but also credit to him for dragging me into the rabbit hole 


Sent by iDad's iPhone

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## Room Fogger (22/11/17)

Started at 7 With a skelm rietpyp and my dads boxer tobacco growing up on the farm, stopped when he manually adjusted the behavior when he caught me lifting some for my stash! 
Started again in high school and kept going until 5 months ago, with vaping. Tried to stop before and my sons eventually got the neighbor to buy a packet of Marlboro and lighter, I was apparently making Conan the barbarian look like Bambi. Bulled myself with its only about 20 a day, but why was I buying 3 packs a day? 33 years of average 2 packs a day is serious money.

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## Puff the Magic Dragon (22/11/17)

Smoked Camels for 35 years (20+/day) and have vaped exclusively for 3 years. My sincere thanks go to Hon Lik the Chinese pharmacist who invented (reinvented) vaping in 2003. He will possibly be responsible for saving more lives than most of the past Nobel prizewinners for Medicine.

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## Spyro (22/11/17)

Rob Fisher said:


> Started at 14 and am now 58 so that is 44 years of smoking! Best non smoking period was three months after using Champix... was a heavy smoker 40-60 a day and coupled with a bad cough and a nagging wife drove me to try the Twisp (Did try e-cigs before but they were kak and made my cough worse)... now stinkies free!



Champix is one hell of a SOAB. As explained to me by my GP, they cause a serotonin overload, basically a mega-dose anti-depressant.

I managed to get off cigs that way too, but only got through half of the pack before stopping them. had to have cancer grade anti-nausea meds to counteract the champs.

Smoked 9 years. 1-10 Sticks a day.

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## Raindance (22/11/17)

Spyro said:


> Champix is one hell of a SOAB. As explained to me by my GP, they cause a serotonin overload, basically a mega-dose anti-depressant.
> 
> I managed to get off cigs that way too, but only got through half of the pack before stopping them. had to have cancer grade anti-nausea meds to counteract the champs.
> 
> Smoked 9 years. 1-10 P/d


Champix, that stuff had me bortering on homicidal. Look I'm no ray of sunshine on my best days but compred to what i was then my fowlest mood now can be described as delightful. How that junk ever got released remains a mystery. 

Regards

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## zadiac (22/11/17)

29 years.

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## DaveH (22/11/17)

This is going to be a near record, however not a good one to have.
Started smoking (properly) at 16 in 1964 and I quit in 2015 at the age of 67.
That makes it 51 years of smoking - shameful.

Dave

Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 5


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## BioHAZarD (22/11/17)

From age 12 to 33 or so
On average 30 a day

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## Morph699 (22/11/17)

I started when i was about 16 and stopped when I was approx (not a 100% sure) 39 so 23 years & I was smoking up to 2 boxes a day.

Thank goodness for vape's.

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## Shatter (22/11/17)

Started at 13years old, about 10 a day. At grade 12 i did about 20 - 30 a day for 17 Years. 2nd month vaping now, without missing or having a cig.

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## Raindance (23/11/17)

Looking at all these testimonies and on my own smoking history with a mind not crippled by carbon monoxide and who knows what else, i can not fathom how we managed to justify our actions. It truly sickens me to think of it.

Someone somewhere mentioned that the Chinese gentleman that reinvented vaping in 2003 saved more lives than any Nobel prize winner ever has was right and I hope he gets the recognition it deserves in due time.

Regards

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 2


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## Spyro (23/11/17)

Look at all of the replies and how all of you (myself included) were naughty little s***s smoking underage  Our poor mothers.

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## Room Fogger (23/11/17)

Spyro said:


> Look at all of the replies and how all of you (myself included) were naughty little s***s smoking underage  Our poor mothers.


Fully agree, my dad only found out that I had the habit when I turned 18! He could not understand why my mother did not act or look surprised, she did do the washing ne, must have smelt like a veldfire

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## SinnerG (23/11/17)

I started smoking when I met my now-wife back when I was 27. She smoked at the time and then I joined in and never quit. She quit cold turkey and that was it. I'm 44 now. I switched to rollies about 6 years ago when I couldn't keep buying 2 x R35 packs a day even though I wasn't smoking a pack a day (I don't know how many cigs were getting bummed from me, but there was more than just me smoking from a pack). I now do a 50g pack of Colts Vanilla in about 4-5 days. My problem is I have to start with 2 each morning when I wake up, and 2 with my coffee when I get to work. A habit formed from working at Old Mutual a few years back where I had to walk down several floors and out into the quad for a break.

These days, my circulation has gone to crap, my chest is tight and I look older and worn out.

Apart from that, because of rollies, I have tobacco dust everywhere, and those loose filters all over the car.

So time for me to quit. But the post office is stressing me out that I'm currently probably smoking more.

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## Raindance (23/11/17)

SinnerG said:


> I started smoking when I met my now-wife back when I was 27. She smoked at the time and then I joined in and never quit. She quit cold turkey and that was it. I'm 44 now. I switched to rollies about 6 years ago when I couldn't keep buying 2 x R35 packs a day even though I wasn't smoking a pack a day (I don't know how many cigs were getting bummed from me, but there was more than just me smoking from a pack). I now do a 50g pack of Colts Vanilla in about 4-5 days. My problem is I have to start with 2 each morning when I wake up, and 2 with my coffee when I get to work. A habit formed from working at Old Mutual a few years back where I had to walk down several floors and out into the quad for a break.
> 
> These days, my circulation has gone to crap, my chest is tight and I look older and worn out.
> 
> ...



Rollies are the way to go, after them a factory sigarette tastes like ash. Just the colts vanilla has those black strings of suite comming off them which had me sticking to golden virginia.
In any case, i know how you feel physically and also know that i now feel at least ten years younger, if not more. The ability to breathe, taste and smell comes back rather quickly and its so worth it.

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## Room Fogger (23/11/17)

@SinnerG , Had the same problem, walk between buildings a lot daily, have one going there, one coming back and another because it saved me having to climb those dam stairs again, with the obligatory rest on the 1st landing, 12 stairs in total. Now look like the Orient Express chugging between buildings, climb stairs like champion, and can literally smell the flowers again! And all this after 5 months only. Just stay strong when you start, and don't be afraid if you do fall off initially. Hope the Post Office get their game on and deliver.

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## vicTor (23/11/17)

28 years of stinking

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## contrid (23/11/17)

I started smoking when I was about 16 and quit when I was 31 so 15 years in total.

Worst mistake of my life I'm so happy I was able to quit and vaping has absolutely no negative effect on my health from what I can tell after vaping for a long time.

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1


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## Lawrence A (24/11/17)

Starting smoking at the age of 12. 

By 14 I was on a pack a day and did that till Jan this year, so a total of 30 years on the stinkies. My son was actually on a visit from Thailand (him and his girlfriend are over there teaching English) and had his vape with him. He let me try it (had a Monster Energy type juice in it) and I was hooked from that first hit.

Went and got myself a PICO/Melo III kit the next day and haven't looked back since.

I am so grateful that vaping exists as an alternative to smoking. Have managed to convert my mom too, who has been smoking stinkies for the better part of 50 years, and am in the process of converting my wife too (she's down to 3 a day).

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 3


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## Silver (24/11/17)

I may have posted earlier in this thread. I was a smoker for about 16-17 years. Rothmans Blue most of the time. About 25-30 per day.

Now not having smoked a cigarette for 4 years, the part that totally boggles my mind is how on earth I allowed myself to smoke for that long. It is just crazy. Anyway, am so relieved I found vaping - it has been and continues to be a very fun journey...

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 4 | Winner 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (24/11/17)

We should get all 8000 members to write up our stories and send them to the Minister of Health. Alternatively, send 8000 emails to Carte Blanche. It is madness to say that vaping is not a cessation device.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Room Fogger (24/11/17)

If only the supposed "powers that be" would stop thinking that they know it all, and actually talk to the people involved, all of us, the vapers, they will get the full picture. If not for vaping I would be stinking and on my way to an early grave attached to a portable oxygen tank. How in the Hell was I so stupid for so long? And the excuses to not stop! Mind boggling.

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## SinnerG (24/11/17)

Restrict it and you can tax it.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## alex1501 (25/11/17)

Started smoking in July '81, quit October 2015. 34+ years chain smoker, 2-3 packs a day.
I've picked up chronic heart failure during those years, collapsed in March 2012, even died (for about minute and a half) in Flora clinic. Still couldn't stop smoking and I've hated myself every single day for it. That brings "crazy" to all new levels.
After all that misery, only took one little Evod, Protank 3 Mini and some good will to stop clean.

Reactions: Winner 4


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## GregF (25/11/17)

I must have been somewhere around 11 when I started. In all the years of smoking I never once tried to give up. In the end I was telling myself and medical aids that I smoked 30 a day, was probably more like 60. So after about 40 years of smoking and health going downhill I decided to try this "vaping thing". I did not know anybody who vaped and knew basically nothing about it. It was just me and Google. Decided on my first device and have not smoked since that day. Feb next year will be two years smoke free.

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 3


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## Mr. B (26/11/17)

BioHAZarD said:


> From age 12 to 33 or so
> On average 30 a day


Age 12: hookah
Ages 13-15 casual cigarette smoker
Ages 16-21 full blown cigarette smoker (15/20 a day)
Ages 21-23 hand rolled cigarette (rollies) smoker (15 a day)
Ages 23-27 non smoker
Ages 28-29 hookah

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

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