FEATURE
DIARY
OF A VAPER
Featuring Ian McCarthy
I bought my first packet of cigarettes when I was about 14. It was £1.43 for a 10-deck.
I would dodge the bus fare every few days and then use the money to buy a pack.
This continued on-and-off until I was 17 when I smoked
continuously, all day and every day.
I was your classic unrepentant smoker and never tried or
even wanted to stop. I didn’t really see it as a problem.
Obviously, I knew it wasn’t good for me but it never
caused me any issues, so I didn’t really think about it.
My girlfriend started getting into vaping and mixing her
own liquids. With all the materials to hand, it became
easier for me to vape than go to the shop to pick up some
tobacco. That’s where I find myself now.
Admittedly I still smoke tobacco occasionally, but now
I mostly vape. I know stopping altogether would be
the best thing to do health-wise, but I feel a lot better
now than when I was a full-time smoker. Cutting down
significantly has undoubtedly been good for me.
The varying flavours of e-liquids is a major advantage
that vaping has over smoking. I’m not hugely fussy but
tend to gravitate towards fruity flavours. As long as it’s
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not something like ice cream or rice pudding, I’ll happily
vape it. In the beginning I used 6mg of nicotine but over
time I dropped to 3mg without noticing any difference.
The main thing I like about vaping is the flexibility. That is
why I don’t really understand the TPD. On the one hand
we’re being told to switch to vaping because it’s healthier
but then on the other hand there are all these pointless
restrictions.
The 2ml tank size is just an inconvenience. It would be
far better to have a bigger tank that you’d only need to
fill once a day. I can’t help but think that the tobacco
companies played a part in all of this. After all, vaping
isn’t really in their best interests.
I’m now on my second mod, the Innokin SmartBox.
It pulls just like a cigarette and is really satisfying to vape.
There really is no reason not to try vaping. Clean nicotine
without the harmful effects of tobacco – it’s a win-win.