I think I can honestly say I won't smoke again.

Well done. Keep it up.

Good on you, Stevie.

As I think I've told you before - I NEVER wanted to give up smoking, indeed I was a 'professional smoker' but by happenchance started to smoke E-cigs 3 years ago last August.

I've never wanted a real cigarette since.

When I 'had' to smoke a few real ones about 6 months after starting to 'vape' because I'd broken my battery charger and had to wait for my new one to be delivered the next day - I couldn't stand the experience!
I really couldn't believe how unpleasant it was smoking tobacco again.
Me!

Vaping IS the new 'smoking'!

e gigs seem to be really successful, especially for long term smokers, so why are there these lobby groups trying to ban them?
while they may not that good for you even they agree they are not anywhere close to being as bad as real ciggs yet still want them bannned.

Because the tobacco industry, and governments, want to keep their cash cow of people smoking tobacco - and they have many tentacles of influence.

The thieving bleeding rob dogs.

that would make sense tommy except the lobby groups are the same ones that want to ban smoking.

once you start thinking you are cured you are in trouble.... Alcoholics who give up the drink don't claim to be cured, they consider themselves recovering alcoholics. I know many people who havent smoked for 20 years and they say they could quite easily light one up in the right situations.. it never goes away totally.....

That's what I referred to when I mentioned the 'many tentacles of influence' northanlite.

They want it always - to kid the public up that they're really doing everyone a favour by protecting people's health whilst furtively doing all they can to protect the many billion pounds worth of business for the tobacco industry and govt taxation.

It stinks so much it's a joke.

*all ways

really, sounds like a win win situation to me...... everybody is happy, the smokers, the shareholders, the tax man and the do gooders... but your right smoking does stink, but apart from that, whats the problem?

The trick is to not say `i will never smoke again` because never ever is a long daunting time. It`s a lot of pressure.

My philosophy was to say ` i might have one if i want one if i am out with pals who smoke etc, but when you get into that situation the pressure is only there and then and it soon passes. Setting short term goals worked for me. However saying all this, i quit a few years back before e-cigs.

I never crave anymore, even after a meal. That was the last craving to pass, but i still don`t say to myself i will never have a smoke again, however i am more convinced now that i was addicted to the habit, the automatic process of standing outside with a smoke looking at the world go by. Something quite poetic about standing outside with a smoke, looking up to the stars.

Ampleforth, the cigarette industry and the tax man aren't happy at all.

If I was still smoking cigarettes it would be costing me £125 per week - with about 90% of that going to the chancellor.

Vaping costs me £7 per week - and the only thing going to the govt is the 20% vat content of £7

But smoking related illnesses also add to the cost of the NHS, so is the 90% counter productive?

Angel G - the smokers of this country pay for the NHS approximately 3 times over what it costs to run it by their contributions in tobacco tax.

It's a total falsehood that 'smokers cost the NHS'.

They don't - they pay for it. For everyone.

oh dont get me wrong, I am not saying they are happy with e cigs. I am saying if people want to smoke, then fine, whats the problem, they pay a hefty tax to cover the cost their habit costs the nhs in the end, I dont see why other people get so upset about it.

AG, the automatic process of standing outside with a smoke looking at the world go by. Something quite poetic about standing outside with a smoke, looking up to the stars.

that is exactly as I was, my misses used to say you cant still go outside for 5 minutes peace if you want, just dont take a ciggie.... however I never do and have no desire to!

Tommy - were you on 40 a day?

Yes Nick.

Sometimes a few less - but I'd always buy 15 packets a week, just so I always had a packet 'spare' if need be because mine were hard to find in many shops, so I used to build up a reserve when I couldn't get them.

That's how I ended up on the E-cigs - as I'd used up my reserve when mine were unavailable for a while and had to smoke another brand - which made me physically sick.

I started to think about what would I do if mine were taken off the market altogether and decided to give a disposable E-cig a try, as it couldn't be any worse than the other brands that weren't mine.

As soon as I took my first drag of the disposable I exclaimed out loud "It's no different to my normal f@gs!"

I know e-cigs are much cheaper but is your £7 per week nicotine intake equivalent to 40 conventional cigarettes per day? (If that makes sense)

Yes, most definitely, Nick.

It's so cheap to Vape, it's brilliant!

If you're only a twenty a day man it shouldn't cost you any more than £3.50 a week.

I haven't touched a f ag for 8 years (not that I know of)

what are the better e gigs on the market & what is the cost?

I use this company to buy all my vaping products from - as they're the best in this country, from my experience:

http://www.vapeescape.co.uk/

If you type ECR69 in the coupon box if you buy something - you get 10% off - every time you type it in.

cheers tommy. i don't smoke more than half a dozen a day, usually 3 or 4 but even at those levels it is tough to quit totally.

You're welcome, Northernlite.

If you only smoke that few a day, a tenners worth will probably last you for 6 months!

Angel G - the smokers of this country pay for the NHS approximately 3 times over what it costs to run it by their contributions in tobacco tax.

It's a total falsehood that 'smokers cost the NHS'.


I`ve not really looked into the maths behind it Tommy but this goes into detail, as it`s not just the cost to the NHS that is calculated.

Tobacco taxation
The Treasury earned £9.5 billion in revenue from tobacco duties in the financial year 2011-
2012 (excluding VAT).17 This amounts to 2% of total Government revenue. Including VAT at
an estimated £2.6bn, total tobacco revenue was £12.1bn.18 The price of a pack of 20 premium
brand cigarettes currently costs around £7.98, of which £6.17 (77%) is tax.

Cost to society
Research commissioned by ASH in 2010 has shown that the cost to the NHS of treating
diseases caused by smoking is approximately £2.7 billion a year.
Another study put the
estimated cost as high as £5.2 billion.7
A report by the Policy Exchange in 2010 estimated the
total cost to society of smoking to be £13.74 billion. This includes the £2.7bn cost to the NHS
but also the loss in productivity from smoking breaks (£2.9bn) and increased absenteeism
(£2.5bn). Other costs include: cleaning up cigarette butts (£342 million), the cost of fires
(£507m), the loss of economic output from the death of smokers (£4.1bn) and passive smokers
(£713m).8
However, it is also estimated that about £380 million a year is being saved by the
NHS as a result of public health strategies such as the ban on tobacco advertising and the
creation of the stop smoking services which have resulted in fewer people smoking.6

Angel G, I would suggest there are numerous 'facts' about the numbers involved which are pure nonsense.

Probably on both sides of the argument.

I, however, take the view that smokers contribute many times over what it actually costs to treat them (if need be) by the NHS.

The governments of countries are running scared of electronic vaping devices as they can see their ready-made money supply going up in water vapour if people give up tobacco.

The only factual fjgures are that the tresuary takes 9.5 billkon and the nhs costs are 2.7 billion

Tried the e cig a couple of months back. the girl in the shop asked me what i regularly smoke, which are carrolls quite strong.  started smoking the e cig that evening and the next day my asthma acted up for the first time in years had to go back to regular ones! think she gave me one for 40 a day smokers where as i only smoke in the evening time maybe 10. Are there different kinds that taste not as strong but still do the trick?

Yes Jimmy.
You can get different strengths of nicotine juice.

Vape Escape's lowest is 8mg - and their highest is 24mg.

You can also get juice from them which is Zero nicotine content - for people who just want the 'ritual of smoking'.

It's very difficult to advise people what to try as a 'starter' as everyone's requirements are different.

For instance; I always smoked menthol cigarettes that were medium nicotine content and when I first tried a disposable they only supplied it in quite a strong nicotine content, although because it was menthol flavoured it did me well.

I then started buying 'proper' devices which were 18mg in strength and then reduced to (I think) 11mg about a year later.

The company that I used then unfortunately started having supply problems about 12 months ago and that's when I then switched to Vape Escape - after much research.

They didn't do anything between 8mg and 18mg, so I've ben using the 18mg menthol juice ever since - but I'm probably 'vaping' less because it's medium in nicotine strength, rather than low.

We got the e-cigs a few months back from a company that's since gone out of business, but loads of internet companies do "starter kits" with the e-cigs and a couple of bottles of juice.

I'm sure the one Tommy recommends is fine.

I now get the juice from "I love Vapour" online, and use a particular one called "Golden VI" with 2.4% nicotene content. (Whereas Mrs S. tried a juice from Asda which she likes so she gets hers from there).

Like Tommy says, you may need to try a few juices but what the hell,  they're cheap.

E-cigs are the Best. Invention. Ever* - no wonder everyone is up in arms trying to 'ban' (i.e. eventual aim 'tax') them.



*disclaimer - other inventions such as the wheel may be better.

I hear you Tommy, your points are valid.

I agree with Stevie - in both trying a few different juices to see what suits you best and also in E-cigs are the best invention EVER (apart from the wheel, maybe!).

Angel G, it would be interesting to see the supposed 'numbers' of what smokers save governments by dying early - after paying into state pension funds for all their working lives and then not picking up any pensions (or just a few years of them).

As the old saying goes - "There's...and damned statistics".

I can't remember the quote now - but you get my drift!

Ampleforth     11 Sep 14 10:37 
once you start thinking you are cured you are in trouble.... Alcoholics who give up the drink don't claim to be cured, they consider themselves recovering alcoholics. I know many people who havent smoked for 20 years and they say they could quite easily light one up in the right situations.. it never goes away totally.....


Spot on. I stopped 23 years ago, and even now there are days when I'd love to smoke a cigarette .

Ampleforth, Facts.  I'm finding it ridicululously easy, except for after meals and the odd bit of stress.

But I shall bear your warning in mind!

I'm very much the same as Tommy Toes used to be, I love smoking and I don't want to quit the habit. I've tried E cigs, while I find them very good I only ever used it inbetween ciggies. My missus has been on one for 3 months now and she loves it.

Ampleforth 11 Sep 14 10:56 Joined: 06 Jan 12 | Topic/replies: 1,082 | Blogger: Ampleforth's blog
oh dont get me wrong, I am not saying they are happy with e cigs. I am saying if people want to smoke, then fine, whats the problem, they pay a hefty tax to cover the cost their habit costs the nhs in the end, I dont see why other people get so upset about it.



I have never ever smoked, not once, and as a non-smoker, imagine how horrible the smell is to me when practically every street I walk down there are people who are inconsiderate,imo, smoking in public with the smell blowing into my face and lungs, I literally have to hold my mouth and try to avoid it, as someone who chooses not to smoke, I don't think it's fair someone else takes that choice out of my hands because of their habit. I honestly believe it should be banned in public places and it would encourage more people to give up, though people are stubborn and would probably do it anyway.

Interesting stats on the cost, I'm not sure about the estimated costs on productivity loss with smoking breaks, most of which are taking during lunch breaks.

my mum gave up smoking July 2013, hasn't smoked one since, if she can stop aged 49 after 33 years smoking then anyone can, now she can't stand the smell either, uses nicotine patches rather than e cigs.

Good luck if you are giving up, health is wealth.

tommy thanks for that, that was very helpful ive got about 80 real ones left to smoke first but think they have to go sick of smoking.