Does anyone have any experience with these? My Dad is smoker and it's really starting to bother me. I really worry about his health. He's tried the patch and gum but he's addicted to the act of smoking. I've heard nothing but good things about the e-cig. Because of his age, I feel he just won't quit. He's too stuck in his ways, you know? I want to get him an ecig kit and see if this works for him. However, I've heard there are a lot of scams out there and I don't know which brand or kind to get him. I'm scared to put my CC info one some random site.

Anyone with any experience with this? I'm lost..

Hi OP,

I have e-cigs from GreenSmoke. They're completely legit and good products with a range of nicotine levels and flavors. If you go with them do a search for online coupons first. I'm pretty sure I found a new customer one when I make my first purchase that took 10% or 20% off the top.

Whether or not your dad will try to make the transition is a different story, though. I've had mine for over a year and go through mini phases where I'll switch to them but haven't had the determination to make the full transition. That said, I really do like GreenSmoke and hope to switch over. I just charged them up last night

Let me know if you have any questions about the products themselves. I'll be happy to assist if I can.

P.S. I did quite a bit of research myself before purchasing this brand. It's considered one of the better ones.

^ Thank you. I appreciate the lead and will look into this brand. I literally have no idea what I am doing. So there are different strengths? Oy..

I quit smoking after 22 years by using the patch. My doctor told me that e-cigs are one of the worst "solutions" because it doesn't break you of the habit of smoking - it just replaces it with something else. As well, depending on the ecig, he may end up inhaling something just as toxic, so buyer beware on that one...

It sounds like you want him to quit, not that he wants to quit. The addiction is physical and mental. The patch, nicotine gum, etc., will help him through the physical addiction, but until he is mentally ready to quit, no "solution" will really stick. You mean well, I get it. But ultimately, quitting smoking is a solo journey. The most you can do is tell him about your fear for his health and for your future without him, and support him when he is ready to quit.

^ I know the e-cig is new and who knows what they'll find out about it later but I've read a lot of really good things about it. Like the patch, you are only getting the pure nicotine, right? There is no smoke.. no carcinogens.. etc.

My Dad expresses a desire to quit all the time but I know he won't, not anytime soon anyway. He carries a lot of guilt with the fact that he smokes. I'm trying to help him find ways to live while getting his nic fix.. He said he'd give this a try if it's better than smoking *real* cigarettes. I'm willing to get him to try anything if it will cut down on the damage being done to his health. At this point, we both feel that anything is better than smoking cancer sticks.

The patch doesn't work for everyone and hasn't worked for my dad. He ended up smoking while using the patch. He'd forget it was on.

Major props to you! Congrats on quitting after all those years. What an accomplishment! Also, thank you for your comment/ opinion. I am taking it all in.

Thank you! Quitting was soooooooooo hard, but it was worth it in the end.

I could totally see how your dad might smoke while on the patch. It's easy to forget that you've got it on - or forgot to take it off. LOL But that also means that it isn't only the physical addiction to nicotine, since there is a nicotine feed through the patch. It's difficult to explain to a non-smoker, but it's the mindlessness (is that a word?) of lighting up after a meal or in front of the tv or with your morning coffee or... KWIM? It really is a habit, and that part is waaaayyyyy harder to change. You have to focus on being more conscious of your actions, and that's the mental part of breaking the addiction.

Hey, if ecigs will at least give your dad the nicotine fix while eliminating the tar and arsenic, it can't hurt to try! Accupuncture, hypnosis, whatever, is worth it to get out from under cancer sticks!!!! Good luck to you and your dad!

OP, that was my issue too with the patch - I still wanted to smoke because of the physical habit. Yes, I was getting my nicotine fix from the patch but mine is a 20-year habit and it was more than just getting the fix. I always ended up smoking with the patch or peeling it off and saying "I'll start better tomorrow" and never did.

Here are a few things about e-cigs that I learned during my research and subsequent use in case it helps:

-Not all companies/brands use the same ingredients. Yes, most of them have nicotine (which is mostly the point) but they have different components by brand.

-Yes, there is some dispute about whether propylene glycol (a primary component in the brand I chose, GreenSmoke) is "healthy" (it's used to create the "vapor") but here's the thing that swayed me: cigarettes will kill you. There's no "if, ands, or buts" about that. That's why I bought the e-cig. To me it was a much lesser risk.

-They come in two distinct formations: a two or three piece contraption, basically. IMHO the two-piece design (charge the base, and the other piece has everything else) is easier, and easier to me means more likelihood of use.

-Cartridges come in different nicotine levels. You should choose one that relates to how much your dad smokes now. Any of the sites should translate their cartridge levels versus current cigarette use to help you select. If he wants to quit then the gameplan is to purchase cartridges that match his current nicotine level and then have him reduce the strength over time. If not, then he can stick with the current nicotine level indefinitely.

-They come in various flavors. When I did my first GreenSmoke order I mostly bought those that were like "Marlboro" thinking I'd want it as close to my cigarettes as possible. I was honestly surprised to find that I was happier with some of their other flavors (mocha, apple) and was happy to stop using the "tobacco" flavor.

-There is no cigarette smell. There is no heat and fire hazard.

-The quality of how an e-cig "pulls" (feels when you're inhaling) and how it vaporizes/smokes (what comes out of the mouth when exhaling) will have an impact on whether it will be considered a realistic replacement for cigarettes. You can adjust how hard/easy it is to "pull" by tightening or loosening the cartridge screwed into the battery.

I have just one regret in my GreenSmoke experience: the charger died on me. It would have left me in a lurch if I hadn't bought two, and they were quick to replace the first at no charge. I suggest buying two cigs and two chargers to ensure they're always available. The two e-cigs, one charger, and cartridges are the basic components of the GreenSmoke starter pack, but really think about that second charger just in case.

Here's how it works (in two-piece formation): The battery sticks (which look like the length of a cigarette) are charged via wall or USB. They should last days without a recharge with normal use. You screw cartridges into them which contain the nicotine, flavor, and vapor components. Life depends upon company but in general think one cartridge = one pack of cigarettes. You switch the cartridges when they run dry (hard to pull and/or minimal vapor) and charge the sticks as needed.

I fully switched to e-cigs at one point and transitioned back. This is my fault, not theirs. I didn't have the drive to change. It's back on my gameplan now because you started this thread, so I send personal thanks for that.

To be clear - I am in no way affiliated with GreenSmoke. I researched e-cigs extensively for weeks before I pulled the trigger and that's the company I selected based upon a multitude of factors, so I'm sharing my experience with that company. I'm sure others who chose different companies can share equally positive feedback.

There are a bunch of YouTube videos about GreenSmoke (and some they host on their site) if you'd like to see how it works and what it looks like.

Check out this link for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette.

Best of luck, OP. I hope you get him to switch!!!

Great info, been thinking about these e-cigs for several months now. Too many choices in the market. Thanks!

i have a friend who was diagnosed w lung cancer & still couldnt quit smoking...she went into rehab like any other addict...it worked & she has been fine for many years now...its a tough addiction to break!

Whatever works is my opinion, but I sooo agree with having to break the mental addiction of it as well as the physical side of it. Smoking becomes so ingrained into your way of life when you're a smoker, and it's such a hard cycle to break.

The main thing is actually wanting to stop. It's a 'head-thing' - whatever props are used, the bottom line is you've got to want to stop. The physical discomfort of stopping smoking was oddly not as bad as I thought although I did feel a bit weird, tired and stressed for about 4-5 days, but after that I began to feel a lot better and then the whole thing became a lot easier. I didn't use anything BUT I had started to smoke cigarettes with less nicotine in them for ages beforehand and had got down to the minimum level of nicotine in any available cigarette. It still took me years to stop, even though I knew I mustn't have been all that physically addicted. I tried patches and gum but I really didn't like them - they had about 10 times more nicotine in them than the actual cigarettes that I smoked! I got headaches and felt as if if I was getting even more physically addicted to nicotine than if I was smoking. Although I knew these aids were better for me lung-wise, they also seemed to be 'worse' for me at the same time (in my head anyway!) because of the increased nicotine level.

Eventually I stopped. I started really worrying about my health and I got worried and fed up every night in bed when I found it increasingly hard to breathe and I could feel the gunk draining from my ears, nose and lungs every time I turned over. It actually became quite frightening, and that seemed to galvanize me into action and I decided to stop. I think the fact that I was on low-nicotine cigarettes helped though....

I know nothing about e-cigarettes. BUT I do know what it's like being a hardened smoker. Sorry OP, I've gone awaaay OT, but hope it helps.

Originally Posted by littlerock

Anyone with any experience with this? I'm lost..

Hi littlerock,

Just checking in to see if you've made any decisions about whether one might work for your dad?

Havnt read through everything but have you considered Champix? Heard of high success rates from many people.

Originally Posted by Jennifer_C

Hi littlerock, Just checking in to see if you've made any decisions about whether one might work for your dad?

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for checking in. I purchased a starter kit for my Dad from this brand called e-ciggs. It was the first brand I had read about and wished that I had waited a bit. I sent the kit to my Dad and he said it was helping him for sure. He had a cold recently and he sent me a text that the e-cig was really helping him not smoke. BUT he has since ran out of cartridges so I really need to re-stock up for him. I plan on purchasing from green smoke instead this time. It seems like a better brand all around, from what I've read. Thank you for the info! This reminds me that I need to get a move on restocking for him.

Originally Posted by CocoMeow

Havnt read through everything but have you considered Champix? Heard of high success rates from many people.

I haven't heard of this.. I'll google it now.

Originally Posted by littlerock

Hi Jennifer, Thanks for checking in... I haven't heard of this.. I'll google it now.

Glad to hear that, littlerock I wish him the best! I know that I very much rely on my e-cigs when I'm sick. greensmoke remodeled their cartridges and I think they were good before but they're great now.

Just FYI Chantix is a medicine that helps curb cravings to help quit smoking. There is some risk with it though (history of people going crazy - depression, suicide, aggression - there's a warning about this right on the meds) so it's not something I considered.

Originally Posted by littlerock

Hi Jennifer, I haven't heard of this.. I'll google it now.

Really? Its huge! Ive heard tremendously good things about it.. but any doctor will tell you its not recommended for people with depression. Def research it a bit.