The Pecan Park Eagle

By Neal McCurdy

As a heavy smoker of six years, I was already starting to feel the damaging side effects of smoking cigarettes. I had a terrible cough, my clothes smelled horrible at all times, and I had to go outside in all kinds of weather just to feed my addiction. However, I had no desire to quit. I enjoyed getting that nicotine too much.

 

The best way I can describe nicotine addiction to a non-smoker is, when you are hungry, you eat. If you do not eat, you put yourself at risk of suffering from loss of energy and malnutrition. The same goes for if you are thirsty, you must drink or suffer from dehydration. When you introduce nicotine into your system, you create a whole new need for your body similar to hunger and thirst.

 

The reason smokers keep smoking after hearing repeatedly about all the health warnings, experiencing the damaging health effects, and outrageous price hikes is because once that nicotine is introduced into the body, their brains are practically rewired into creating a new “need” for nicotine in addition to hunger and thirst.

 

Sure, I was coughing. Sure, my clothes smelled like smoke. Sure, I was paying $57.86 per week on a carton of cigarettes. But as long as I was satisfying that need to get my nicotine cravings fulfilled, I didn’t care. Thus, I did not have a desire to quit. That is until I discovered my Get Out of Jail FREE card — the electronic cigarette!

 

I started smoking cigarettes in October of 2004 and gradually progressed to consuming from between a pack to a pack and a half per day at my peak of cigarette usage. In late 2009 to early 2010, I had sampled using electronic cigarettes and was off of real “analog” cigarettes for 9 whole days. Within 24 hours of switching to electronic cigarettes, my smoker’s cough disappeared, I could taste the full flavor of my food, and my sense of smell was not obstructed by cigarette smoke. I felt like a million dollars!

 

Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes or e-cigs, contain simply three to four ingredients: Propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and natural and/or artificial flavoring. The propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are the agents that cause the solution, or “e-liquid” to boil and change from a liquid into a vapor form at a lower boiling point. There are no other cancerous ingredients found in this solution. “Well, wait a minute! What about that awful nicotine?” you may ask.

 

Nicotine in itself is as harmless as caffeine. So, while the addiction to nicotine remains in the usage of e-cigarettes, doctors around the world agree that the usage of the e-cigarette and its three to four ingredients is much healthier than the traditional “analog” cigarette, which contains over 4,000 cancer causing ingredients. Professional medical opinions stop short of saying that it is in fact a “Get Out of Jail FREE” card, but as of this point, not one person has died from the usage of electronic cigarettes.

 

I can personally vouch for the electronic cigarette. I quit smoking analog cigarettes forever on what would have been my grandfather’s 100th birthday,  December 23, 2010. That was a year ago today, and I have been on electronic cigarettes permanently since then. Cost wise, what I spent for a carton of cigarettes per week is what I am spending for in electronic cigarette supplies, cartridges, refills and e-liquid in a MONTH!

 

Other perks of being an electronic cigarette smoker, or “vaper” as we like to be referred to as since we are not “smoking” or setting anything on fire with the usage of electronic cigarettes, is I get to use it in my house and car without stinking up the place with tobacco scent. I am also not confined to tobacco flavors. Some of the flavors of e-liquid I regularly “vape” are cappuccino, chocolate (imagine smoking Ovaltine!) , coconut, and — dare I mention it — cotton candy.

 

While I started with the more traditional form of electronic cigarette that actually looks like a cigarette, technology in the “vaping” world has dramatically increased since late 2009. I use a vaporizer called the ProVari manufactured by the folks at ProVapes. This unit, which without a cartridge screwed in at the top, looks like a light saber from Star Wars.

 

The batteries can endure eleven hours of non-stop regular vaping and only costs $11 each as opposed to the batteries of the e-cigarettes that look like real cigarettes. Those batteries cost anywhere between $30 to $50 and can only endure up to a couple of hours of non-stop regular vaping.

 

The e-cig has been greatly helpful in my line of work. I work in a busy work environment and go long periods of times where I cannot step outside and smoke a whole cigarette. I am, however, able to step outside and take one to three drags of my e-cigarette, place it right back into my pocket, and continue working.

 

More and more office businesses throughout the country are opening up to the idea of allowing vapers to vape at work, and when I mean vape at work, I mean vape at the desk. A survey at one technology company showed productivity doubly increased when a boss went out and bought electronic cigarettes for all the employees who smoke. They never had to get up and leave their stations to go outside on breaks and got work done quicker with more quality.

 

Do I believe that these electronic cigarettes are the “Get Out of Jail FREE” card for smokers? Absolutely! Since I have experienced first hand that I can satisfy this craving my brain is hard wired into thinking that I need as badly as food and water without harming my health, I do not see anything wrong with it, and as the general public slowly becomes more and more accepting of the positives of this wonderful invention, I expect the general attitude towards using electronic cigarettes will improve.

 

While I don’t expect my bosses to be allowing me to vape right at my workplace, at least when I do come back in from a “vape break,” I don’t have to come back in smelling like an ashtray.

 

Are you a stubborn smoker like I was and want to kick the habit while still getting the same satisfaction your cigarette gave you? I have some web links posted below that will get you started on your path to tobacco freedom. To get myself started, it cost me roughly $434, but in the long run, it’s cheaper. Take it from me; don’t go chasing after those cheap mall brand e-cigarettes. I’ve got the EXACT recipe that kept me off cigarettes listed below:

 

Things you’ll need:

 

#1. Personal Vaporizer – This is the actual unit that converts the liquid into vapor. I bought 2 because I know myself. I’m going to be carrying it everywhere. What if I misplace it on my way out the door and I need to GO GO GO? I have that backup sitting there for peace of mind. I use a variable voltage unit because traditional mall e-cigs are set at 3.7 volts of power to convert the e-liquid into vapor. As your cartridges get older, the amount of vapor emitted decreases. You can counter this by increasing the voltage of your PV (Personal Vaporizer). IMPORTANT: There will be an option as to what size threading you would like to have on your PV. Make sure you select 510 threading. It is the MOST universal in your selection of cartridges out there.

 

Model: The “ProVari” by ProVapes.

URL: http://www.provape.com/provari-variable-voltage-ecig-s/36.htm

 

#2. Batteries – These use rechargeable sized 18490 batteries. Get 10 and number them with a sharpie so you know which ones go bad over time. The ProVari unit uses one at a time, and having 10 charged at once allows for peace of mind that you’re not going to be running out anytime soon. Each battery is currently $11 each can last up to 10+ hours of non-stop vaping. Take THAT $50 mall e-cig batteries, which last only 2 hours! For the record, since I’ve been using my current setup, I’ve only had one battery go bad on me, and that is because it went through the WASHING MACHINE! Be EXTRA careful leaving things in your pockets once you start regularly vaping.

 

URL: Same as ProVari (See Above)

 

#3. Charger – Charges your 18490 batteries.

 

URL: Same as ProVari (See Above)

 

#4. CE2 Clearomizers – These are the cartridges you fill and refill with e-liquid. I have NO clue what “CE2” stands for. I used to use regular “cartomizers.” A cartomizer is a combination of a cartridge and an atomizer. Atomizers burn out over time, so why not merge the two? Hence, the cartomizer. These have an absorbent polyfill substance that you simply saturate with e-liquid. Then came the CE2 “clearomizer,” a see-through cartomizer that allows you to eyeball how much e-liquid is left in them. These operate on kerosene lamp technology. You get the best taste out of your e-liquid with these. They basically have a chamber that holds the liquid, and ropes within it that dip into the liquid chamber and deliver the liquid to the atomizer located at the top of the CE2.

 

In other words, these are what I use now and they are great. Be mindful of these, as they have a low resistance atomizer built into them, so start each new CE2 at the lowest setting of 3.3, and work your way up as the vapor gets fainter and fainter (probably after 7-10 refills). With these, you shouldn’t need to exceed 3.7 volts, as they are the low resistance type and will short out the atomizer if set on higher settings.

 

I get these from LeCig, along with my e-liquid. On their website, an order of a quantity of one is actually one 5-pack of CE2s. I recommend getting 4 packs (5 CE2s each, so 20 total) so you aren’t in danger of running out. Just as a friendly warning, you WILL encounter some duds in these packs. I’d say 1 in 7 is a dud. I know that seems pretty high, but that’s actually pretty good compared to other brands of cartridges that are out there. If something is a dud, your ProVari has a computer that will throw an error code when you try to puff on it. More on ProVari error codes later.

 

Remember me mentioning that you need to order your ProVari with 510 threading? That’s because these have the 510 sized threads.

 

When you fill your CE2s with e-liquid, you’ll need a pair of tweezers to get the inner stopper out. Just grab it from the middle and the edge, much like you would grab a compact disc. E-liquids come in dropper bottles. When you drip the e-liquid in the cartridge, be extra careful not to get the e-liquid in the center area. Drip it to the side of the top of the CE2. If it gets in the middle, it isn’t the end of the world. Simply wrap your lips around the top of it as it is, and blow, catching any excess liquid with a tissue on the other end.

 

Also, I STRONGLY suggest you number your cartridges with one of those label maker printers. You can find these at Office Depot. Numbering the CE2s allows you to keep track of what flavor you load into each CE2, and, most importantly, allows you to track which ones are getting weaker if you are in a hurry and you want to avoid filling, say, #8 because you know it’s going bad, so you’ll go ahead and fill #4 instead because you remember #4 had excellent vapor production.

 

URL: http://lecig.com/CE2DC3XLCLEAR.aspx

 

#5: E-Liquid – Have you ever wondered what it’s like to smoke your coffee, an orange, or cotton candy? No? Well, they have other, more “traditional” tobacco flavors too. Menthol as well! My personal favorites are cappuccino, chocolate, espresso, and Irish crème.

 

Be weary of what nicotine strength of e-liquid you buy. Use the following comparison of Marlboros as a guide:

 

Unfiltered Marlboro Reds = 34-36mg

Marlboro Reds = 24-26mg

Marlboro Mediums = 16-18mg

Marlboro Lights = 12-14mg

Marlboro Ultra Lights = 6-8mg

Just flavor & NO nicotine (in case you want the vaping experience to actually KICK the habit) = 0mg

 

As a side note, when I smoked, I smoked Marlboro Blend No. 27s, which equals the same strength of a Marlboro Medium, so I always order e-liquid in the 16-18mg range.

 

As a side note, if you put chocolate in one CE2 and you ran out of chocolate, and load it with cappuccino, it’s going to taste a little funky at first, but eventually, the remnant chocolate flavor will burn off and it will be solely cappuccino flavored.

 

URL: http://lecig.com/leliquid.aspx

 

And that’s it! So, to review, here is the list again:

 

* (2) ProVari personal vaporizers

* (10) Size 18490 batteries

* (1) Battery Charger

* (4) 5-packs of CE2s

* (3) 30ml bottles of e-liquid

 

It is imperative that, in order to successfully stay off cigarettes, you stay on top of your ordering. Monitor how many functional CE2s you have left along with how many bottles of e-liquid you have. If you know you like a certain flavor, get the 30ml bottle. If you are just trying a flavor, get the 10-15ml bottle. I always have at least 3 full 30ml bottles of e-liquid at all times. I would say, as a heavy vaper, I go through three or four 30ml bottles within a month’s time.

 

One more thing I’d like to add. Your ProVari has a computer that can tell you what’s wrong with a certain cartridge by displaying an error message. There’s a list of all the error messages and what they mean here: http://www.provape.com/v/images/provarimanual.pdf

 

I hope some of you who are tired of smoking will give this a try. It is just not necessary to smoke anymore. This IS a very healthy alternative, and you still get that satisfaction of nicotine intake. While I chose to keep on vaping, others, like my former boss, switched to it completely, then lowered his nicotine levels over time, and quit it completely within 2-3 months. The choice is yours, and you don’t have to suffer anymore.