Smoke-Light.com Electronic Cigarette & e Accessories wishes to thank Lenny for telling us about his greatest motivation to stop and how today this means no more second-hand smoke.
Hello everybody, my name is Lenny, and I would like to share my story about how I was finally able to quit smoking cigarettes, a habit I had for over 40 years and which was causing serious problems to my health and that of my wife of 22 years.
I started smoking at a very young age, my older brother was a smoker and it was he who gave me my first cigarette when I was 12 years old. My brother was 14 years older than me, and I always tried to be like him, so if he smoked, I wanted to.
Actually, he gave me that cigarette to try to get me sick to my stomach in an attempt to keep me from smoking. (I did get really, really sick from smoking it) I had to learn how to smoke without getting sick to my stomach, and like lots of the kids in our neighborhood, we got older kids to buy cigarettes for us so we could be "cool". It was great once we got over the sick part, and we proudly strutted the neighborhood and school with a smoke attached to our lips. This was a long time ago, and there were cigarette ads everywhere, on billboards, on TV magazines, you name it and you could find cool looking guys (and especially girls) blowing smoke rings from every ad for cigarettes. In fact, in my neighborhood in NYC, if you didn't smoke, you were what people call a nerd today.
Everything was fine for awhile, though I did get kicked off my school swimming team
because the coach caught me smoking in the hall, and even then there was a no smoking rule for athletes in our school who were dumb enough to get caught (like me)...
Later, as I got older, I started to feel the bad effects from smoking, I had shortness of breath, I couldn't run as far or as fast as I used to, and I developed the beginnings of a smoker's cough. Then I discovered that the cool factor died somewhere along the way, and most of the young ladies I wanted to date wouldn't date a smoker. They hated the stink of the smoke. Still, I kept up the habit. I was addicted to cigarettes and the smoking habit, and when I tried to quit I got nasty and real short tempered. I must have tried to quit a couple dozen times, but I always went back even when a lot of my friends quit. Then later, things got really tough on smokers and you could not smoke in a lot of places you could before. That's when I started to really feel like an outcast. I got to the point where I hated smoking, hated myself for not being able to quit, and was miserable.
In time smoking got banned everywhere. You couldn't smoke in public buildings, at work in a lot of places, and I started hearing a lot of stories about people dying from diseases you got from the habit. You all know how things went from there, now smoking is banned almost everywhere, in some cities in CA where I live now you can't smoke in your own car. I tried everything to quit, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, lozenges, even hypnosis to try to quit. The longest I ever went without a cigarette was 7 months on the patch, and then I fell of the wagon and started smoking again. I just could not quit, period.
Fast forward to a little more than a year ago. I heard somebody talking about an electric cigarette and I asked them what it was. They told me it's called a e-cig and you can "smoke" it like a cigarette, it tastes like a cigarette (and comes in flavors also) and you can get your nicotine fix without burning tobacco. I admit, it sounded weird to me but I was curious, so I looked it up on the internet and I was amazed at what I found out about them. The way they work is you have a device that looks a lot like a cigarette in shape, (it also comes in cigar and pipe shapes) they have a small rechargeable battery, a thing called an atomizer (which turns the liquid you use into a vapor that looks like smoke, but doesn't smell, doesn't burn anything, just heats up the liquid which contains a chemical call PG (that stands for propylene glycol, which is used in fog machines at concerts and as a food additive and is supposed to be safe for your body) and a small cartridge that holds the liquid. You also get a charger to recharge the batteries.
I had my doubts about the whole thing, but at that point I was so disgusted with my smoking that I decided to order a starter kit that had everything I needed to get started for less than $100. I was smoking two packs a day for decades, and with the price of cigarettes now, I was spending over $200 EVERY MONTH for cigarettes, and that was killing me also. I was hurt in a car accident 10 yrs ago, and I am disabled and can't work anymore, and that much money was ridiculous.
The most important reason for me to quit though was my wife's health. She survived cancer that was diagnosed 12 years ago, and she also smoked, not nearly as much as me, maybe a pack every 3 days, but she couldn't quit because she saw me smoking, smelled it on my breath and clothes after I went outside to smoke, and that was really killing me--because it could have cost her her life.
From most of the things I have read on the internet and heard from doctors (who tried for years to get us to quit) the "e-cigs" are MUCH safer than tobacco cigarettes. Burning tobacco creates THOUSANDS of chemicals, and dozens of them are known to cause cancer. I have never heard of anyone dying from using e-cigs, or nicotine for that matter, and they (e-cigs) have been around for a long time now, they are just now getting more notice in the US. I think they first were being sold here around 2007.
Let me get to the end of the story, I've been typing too long already :-)
Believe it or not I was able to quit smoking cigarettes the FIRST DAY I got my first e-cig, charged the battery, and I have not looked back since. I have not smoked a cigarette for over a year, something I never thought possible. My wife was able to quit also, we got rid of all the ashtrays in the house and car, cleaned the carpets and used "Febreze" ( a very effective air freshener which also gets rid of the smell of tobacco on fabrics and on carpets) in our house and in our car, so we are not surrounded by the stink of tobacco. We can't stand the smell of smoke anymore, and avoid being around it whenever possible. I try to avoid being around smokers, not because I would want one, I just can't stand the smell anymore.
I still can't believe how easy it was for me to quit the disgusting cigarette habit. These e-cigs worked a miracle for us, and I would strongly recommend them to anyone who still wants the feeling of smoking with much less risk and smell. One more thing--you can get the e-liquid in high, medium, low and zero nicotine levels if you are trying to quit nicotine completely.
*Note* e-cigs are NOT sold as a way to quit smoking, just as an alternative to smoking cigarettes--the companies that sell them make that very clear. Also, the companies that I have used and seen that sell them insist that you agree you are a smoker already, and that you are old enough to smoke. I have never seen an e-cig company's website that doesn't have strong warnings about both of those things. Maybe there are some, but I haven't seen them and I've used several companies for e accessories, e-liquid or " juice.
(Don't forget to leave a comment for a 10% discount on your next order from Smoke-Light.com!)
Lenny The E-Cig Guy
Hello everybody, my name is Lenny, and I would like to share my story about how I was finally able to quit smoking cigarettes, a habit I had for over 40 years and which was causing serious problems to my health and that of my wife of 22 years.
I started smoking at a very young age, my older brother was a smoker and it was he who gave me my first cigarette when I was 12 years old. My brother was 14 years older than me, and I always tried to be like him, so if he smoked, I wanted to.
Actually, he gave me that cigarette to try to get me sick to my stomach in an attempt to keep me from smoking. (I did get really, really sick from smoking it) I had to learn how to smoke without getting sick to my stomach, and like lots of the kids in our neighborhood, we got older kids to buy cigarettes for us so we could be "cool". It was great once we got over the sick part, and we proudly strutted the neighborhood and school with a smoke attached to our lips. This was a long time ago, and there were cigarette ads everywhere, on billboards, on TV magazines, you name it and you could find cool looking guys (and especially girls) blowing smoke rings from every ad for cigarettes. In fact, in my neighborhood in NYC, if you didn't smoke, you were what people call a nerd today.
Everything was fine for awhile, though I did get kicked off my school swimming team
because the coach caught me smoking in the hall, and even then there was a no smoking rule for athletes in our school who were dumb enough to get caught (like me)...
Later, as I got older, I started to feel the bad effects from smoking, I had shortness of breath, I couldn't run as far or as fast as I used to, and I developed the beginnings of a smoker's cough. Then I discovered that the cool factor died somewhere along the way, and most of the young ladies I wanted to date wouldn't date a smoker. They hated the stink of the smoke. Still, I kept up the habit. I was addicted to cigarettes and the smoking habit, and when I tried to quit I got nasty and real short tempered. I must have tried to quit a couple dozen times, but I always went back even when a lot of my friends quit. Then later, things got really tough on smokers and you could not smoke in a lot of places you could before. That's when I started to really feel like an outcast. I got to the point where I hated smoking, hated myself for not being able to quit, and was miserable.
In time smoking got banned everywhere. You couldn't smoke in public buildings, at work in a lot of places, and I started hearing a lot of stories about people dying from diseases you got from the habit. You all know how things went from there, now smoking is banned almost everywhere, in some cities in CA where I live now you can't smoke in your own car. I tried everything to quit, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, lozenges, even hypnosis to try to quit. The longest I ever went without a cigarette was 7 months on the patch, and then I fell of the wagon and started smoking again. I just could not quit, period.
Fast forward to a little more than a year ago. I heard somebody talking about an electric cigarette and I asked them what it was. They told me it's called a e-cig and you can "smoke" it like a cigarette, it tastes like a cigarette (and comes in flavors also) and you can get your nicotine fix without burning tobacco. I admit, it sounded weird to me but I was curious, so I looked it up on the internet and I was amazed at what I found out about them. The way they work is you have a device that looks a lot like a cigarette in shape, (it also comes in cigar and pipe shapes) they have a small rechargeable battery, a thing called an atomizer (which turns the liquid you use into a vapor that looks like smoke, but doesn't smell, doesn't burn anything, just heats up the liquid which contains a chemical call PG (that stands for propylene glycol, which is used in fog machines at concerts and as a food additive and is supposed to be safe for your body) and a small cartridge that holds the liquid. You also get a charger to recharge the batteries.
I had my doubts about the whole thing, but at that point I was so disgusted with my smoking that I decided to order a starter kit that had everything I needed to get started for less than $100. I was smoking two packs a day for decades, and with the price of cigarettes now, I was spending over $200 EVERY MONTH for cigarettes, and that was killing me also. I was hurt in a car accident 10 yrs ago, and I am disabled and can't work anymore, and that much money was ridiculous.
The most important reason for me to quit though was my wife's health. She survived cancer that was diagnosed 12 years ago, and she also smoked, not nearly as much as me, maybe a pack every 3 days, but she couldn't quit because she saw me smoking, smelled it on my breath and clothes after I went outside to smoke, and that was really killing me--because it could have cost her her life.
From most of the things I have read on the internet and heard from doctors (who tried for years to get us to quit) the "e-cigs" are MUCH safer than tobacco cigarettes. Burning tobacco creates THOUSANDS of chemicals, and dozens of them are known to cause cancer. I have never heard of anyone dying from using e-cigs, or nicotine for that matter, and they (e-cigs) have been around for a long time now, they are just now getting more notice in the US. I think they first were being sold here around 2007.
Let me get to the end of the story, I've been typing too long already :-)
Believe it or not I was able to quit smoking cigarettes the FIRST DAY I got my first e-cig, charged the battery, and I have not looked back since. I have not smoked a cigarette for over a year, something I never thought possible. My wife was able to quit also, we got rid of all the ashtrays in the house and car, cleaned the carpets and used "Febreze" ( a very effective air freshener which also gets rid of the smell of tobacco on fabrics and on carpets) in our house and in our car, so we are not surrounded by the stink of tobacco. We can't stand the smell of smoke anymore, and avoid being around it whenever possible. I try to avoid being around smokers, not because I would want one, I just can't stand the smell anymore.
I still can't believe how easy it was for me to quit the disgusting cigarette habit. These e-cigs worked a miracle for us, and I would strongly recommend them to anyone who still wants the feeling of smoking with much less risk and smell. One more thing--you can get the e-liquid in high, medium, low and zero nicotine levels if you are trying to quit nicotine completely.
*Note* e-cigs are NOT sold as a way to quit smoking, just as an alternative to smoking cigarettes--the companies that sell them make that very clear. Also, the companies that I have used and seen that sell them insist that you agree you are a smoker already, and that you are old enough to smoke. I have never seen an e-cig company's website that doesn't have strong warnings about both of those things. Maybe there are some, but I haven't seen them and I've used several companies for e accessories, e-liquid or " juice.
(Don't forget to leave a comment for a 10% discount on your next order from Smoke-Light.com!)
Lenny The E-Cig Guy
Mr Lenny my moms been smoking to long a time like not long as you. She been smoking a long time tho. Your story made sents to me you keep it real. I don't like reading lot of stuff and she don't niether. Like I know she want to stop. She paying 15 for a pack and I can get them for like 10 round my way you know. And I hird about the electro cigerette before that you told about. Sound hard tho. Be good like if you tell how it look and how its werking and all the stuff about it. I give it to my moms. I know she will read it she keep it real to. Thanks Mr. Lenny. shout out from the boogie down Bronx usa K.k.
ReplyDeleteHi kk,
ReplyDeleteI would recommend that your mom check out the e-cigs available at Smoke-Light.com where she can check out all the different types of e-cigs they sell--they carry only quality types and they explain the benefits of each one. I would recommend that she consider the model that is on this page:
http://www.smoke-light.com/inc/sdetail/91/2597
This is an excellent e-cig, it actually comes with 2 complete e-cigarettes, a home charger (to recharge the batteries), a user manual and 1 box of 5 cartridges that are already loaded with the liquid that makes the vapor. (You really need 2 e-cigs, one to use, the other to charge when a battery runs down) I would advise your mom to order a couple of extra boxes of cartridges so she doesn't run out.
This is one of my personal favorite e-cigs, they are about the same size as a "100" size cigarette, a little longer, but slim and easy to hold and use. She just presses and holds the button down and takes a puff.
I hope this helps your mom out!
Lenny
Thanks Lenny... your story was worth reading to the very end. Now all I've to do is get off this site and go place an order (-:
ReplyDeleteUpdate to my comment 09/05/2011
ReplyDeleteOK, I took the plunge and ordered a e-cig kit from smoke-light.com, and I want to tell you, I am really glad I did! I received my "starter kit" of the model 510 (advanced) e-cig, and I could not wait to charge up the battery and give it a try.
I followed all the directions (simple to do) and when I got the thing charged, and assembled I took a few puffs to check it out. Let me tell you, I was impressed!
I felt like I was smoking a cigarette--it tasted like one, I felt the familiar hit at the back of my throat when I inhaled the vapor (the thing doesn't burn anything, just makes a vapor that looks likes smoke) and I felt the nicotine buzz that is so familiar to a long time smoker, but what really amazed me is that from the very first time I used the e-cig I had no desire to light another cigarette! None!
Now that is something I did NOT expect. When you've been a smoker as long as I was, and tried to quit as many times as I did without success, trying all kinds of quit smoking aids, I was sure I was going to want another cigarette pretty soon, but it just didn't happen.
Now it's been a couple of weeks and still no desire to smoke tobacco cigarettes!
I am very comfortable because I am still getting nicotine, (I ordered "high nicotine" to start out with and when I feel comfortable enough I will lower the amount) and I do just about everything I used to do with cigarettes, like holding it the same way, puffing the same way, etc, but now there is no second hand smoke (I love that!) no ashtrays full of butts that I hated, and no "smoker's breath" or the stink on my clothes :-)
The service was really great from smoke-light.com, I got my e-cig kit in just two days (thanks smoke-light!) and they even included an extra box of cartridges!! I thought that was really nice of them.
Now I can say I am truly an EX-smoker, I actually feel better, my smoker's cough is disappearing, and I am sure I will not go back to smoking ever again!
I will tell everyone I know how happy I am to be off tobacco cigarettes, and I am sure my non-smoking friends and family are going to be VERY happy to hear I quit! I don't even use my e-cig nearly as much as I smoked--I was a chain smoker, one after another, for reasons I can't explain, I don't feel the need to "smoke" non-stop like I did with cigarettes, which I know is a good thing.
All in all, I am extremely happy I decided to try out e-cigs, and I recommend smoke-light to anyone else who wants to switch from burning tobacco to "vaping".
Hi everybody, it's Larry, and I wanted to give everybody an update on my previous posts. I got my first starter kit on 9/15, I bought the 510 model starter kit and a bottle of juice.
ReplyDeleteNow it's 11/7 and I still haven't had a cigarette, and I smoked 2 packs a day for over 40 years. I can't say how thrilled I am to be off cigarettes almost two months! I love my e-cig!
A couple of things I want to share though, I'm glad I ordered a third battery and one additional atomizer. I got the extra battery so I always have one or two charged, and because the atomizers wear out, a couple of extras never hurt, and they're not very expensive.
I also recommend getting a couple of bottles of juice, because 1) You want to have a choice of flavors, and 2) Running out of juice is no good ;-)
I'm thinking I'm going to order a starter kit for the e-go, for the longer lasting battery, and I just want to be able to have a choice.
Considering how much I already saved compared to buying cigarettes, a new e-cig is easily affordable. I would have paid at least $400 for cigarettes in two months, and I spent around $75 for my starter kit and the extra parts and juice, so I'm ahead $325 in 2 months, that's a lot of savings.
I am still having a hard time believing I don't smoke anymore, that is something I've been trying to do a very long time. The switch was really easy, and I highly recommend getting an e-cig if you're a smoker. You'll be very glad you did.