I started at 13 and quit at 20

When I was in year 8 I took up smoking, not just ciggies either. It wasn’t peer pressure exactly. I believe it was because recess was horribly lonely so I went and hung out with some of the older kids (who smoked of course) who were kinder than my own year. My brother and father both smoked, so it wasn't scary to start, as I was already acclimated towards it and I had always loved the smell of a 2^nd hand smoke.

However I have always had common sense towards smoking and the anti smoking education in schools are quite effective. They start you off young with programs like healthy herald (which taught some really unrealistic things), but in retrospect I feel it was quite effective. I always knew that I had to quit eventually, and tried ‘cold turkeying’ several times in my teen years, but without another source of nicotine they all failed. I knew about patches but I felt they were too expensive at the time and I was too young (I think) to claim it on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Last year I was introduced to vaping by a friend, it was recommended as an alternative to smoking. I purchased all the beginner items and ordered 100mg/ml nicotine from the USA to mix in low concentrations (6mg/ml to be exact). I then set my date to quit for the beginning of 2017. Simply put, I have not craved a cigarette since I set everything up and began the replacement therapy, not even when I walk through a cloud of delicious 2^nd hand smoke.

Some health concerns have risen due to the publication of several scientific articles, namely (Hildick-Smith, GJ et al. 2015, ‘A practitioner’s guide to electronic cigarettes in the adolescent population’, Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 57, iss. 6, pp 574-579). This is definitely worth a read if you are so inclined. (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.07.020)

However from my understanding of vaping, these studies are heavily reliant upon the brand (quality) of E-liquid you are using, the material of your coil, and the temperature at which you vaporize liquids. So thus far, no authoritative health consensus has been established, other than it can cause throat irritation and is significantly less of a health risk than smoking conventional cigarettes. I consider this level of risk to be acceptable if it helps me quit the far more harmful combustible cigarettes. One day I also plan to quit vaping and remove nicotine altogether, but that shall be a gradual process.

I am not endorsing or advertising vaping, however it has been a practical and easy form of nicotine replacement for myself, and is undoubtedly the primary reason I have been able to stop smoking for this long. The positive changes in my life are already noticeable and I generally feel better than before. I have greater lung capacity and stamina, and I don’t have to worry about stinking up a room let alone the heightened risk of cancer and emphysema.

So that’s all I really wanted to share. Just the particular method I used to quit. Perhaps you may consider it if all else fails.

I am now 20 and I plan to live the rest of my life smoke free.