BBC Vapemeet - Nottingham

It was a sunny, but cold day here in Nottingham for the #BBCVapeMeet. A group of vapers gathered outside BBC Nottingham to highlight the threat from the "powers that be" to e-cigs.
I got to meet some great people, try some new juices (including some of those on my Wish List) and generally have a good time. Afterwards we convened to the CoolVape Coffee Shop on Friar Lane for more chatting and e-juice sampling, but this time warm - and with coffee!

All in all a great way to celebrate my 7-week anniversary of being tobacco free!

Nicotine facts: The dangers, Storage of E-Liquids and Yes, Benefits

There is a fascinating interview on The Ash Tray Blog with neurologist Dr Jacques Le Houezec, founder member of The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco and Honorary Lecturer at  UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, University of Nottingham (My home town!)

In it, Dr Jacques Le Houezec dispels a few myths about nicotine, it's addictiveness and its toxicity. He even talks about the benefits of nicotine, something you just don't hear talked about very much.  One of the benefits he doesn't mention is the positive effect of nicotine on Alzheimer's Disease. 

I'm not for one moment suggesting that non-smokers take-up vaping for health reasons, but the enemy we should be fighting is not Nick O'Teen, but Toby Acko

Welcome to E-Ciggies - UK E-Cigs & Vaping!

When I was fifteen I made probably the dumbest decision of my life - I started smoking.

I still don't know why. I can't blame ignorance - we were taught from an early age that smoking was deadly. Nor was peer-pressure a factor. No-one tried to persuade me to take-up the habit. It just happened.

That was thirty years ago. I have attempted to give-up smoking numerous times using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products such as gum and patches, and by going cold-turkey.  Each time, despite my best intentions I failed and went crawling back to the evil weed.

Then, about four weeks ago, I picked-up a cheap OK e-cigarette kit at my local Asda. My initial idea was to try it out and see if it would a) help me cut-down on the amount of tobacco I was smoking (about two 50g pouches a week) and b) save me some money (about £32 a week for said two pouches).

To be honest I was a bit dubious, but I thought I might as well give it a go. I was amazed at the results. Literally overnight I went from smoking 20-odd roll-ups a day to smoking three or four. I decided to go the whole hog and switch completely and three days after picking-up my first kit I did just that.

At the time of writing I have been tobacco free for twenty-three days with absolutely no cravings for "real" ciggies.

I'm still a nicotine addict, but at least I can now get my fix in a cleaner, safer, healthier and cheaper way. I'm no longer a smoker, I'm a vaper.

There are two important things to note at this point:

1. E-cigs are NOT marketed as smoking cessation devices (at least, not by reputable companies). They are an alternative to smoking tobacco. Many have found that using e-cigs have helped them quit completely. At the same time many people use them on a long-term basis with no intention of giving-up.
2. E-cigs are designed for people who currently smoke tobacco. Don't be tempted to start using them unless you are already a smoker over the age of 18.

Within this humble blog I intend to describe my explorations of this new world in which I find myself; my experiences, the issues (particularly as they pertain to UK Vapers), and whatever else might come-up.