As promised, here is a recap of our girls’ trip to Michigan, which was supposed to be our second effort to quit smoking.
Most of Michigan has banned smoking in public places, and since we girls find ourselves in a lot of them during Michigan week, we decided that maybe the electronic cigarette was in order. Not everyone did this, but at least three of us are using them.
First, these little marvels have a rechargeable battery and replaceable vapor chambers that deliver the nicotine…yes, you heard that right. You still get the nicotine fix without inhaling all the other crud like tar. The vapor is odorless, but you do experience a visual on the exhale. And, the beauty of it is that it is harmless…or so it is said. There are next to no studies on them, but I did learn a lot about choosing a good one on YouTube.
We found there is a whole subculture devoted to smoking electronically.
Some people carry an entire arsenal with them, various vapor chambers and different brands of electronics, along with chargers, etc. If one goes dead (each chamber contains about 200 puffs), you just pop another, already charged battery together, and voila! A new pack of cigarettes for a third of the cost of the real thing.
People in this subculture often trade their mini machines around so everyone gets a chance to try a different make or model and/or flavor of vapor offered by other manufacturers. The costs of them range from roughly $7.00 for a disposable version, to as high as $100.00 for packages including a charger and several batteries and a range of vapor flavors. The real trick is to find one that best suits your taste buds and pocketbook.
Some people, unable to kick the hand-to-mouth habit, suck on them non-stop. Others still need the use of an ashtray, and mimic flipping their ashes, while others carry them around everywhere, or put them in their pockets and puff on them whenever they are not doing something else with their hands.
The remarkable thing is, this subculture is actually gaining some ground in mainstream America, as I notice more and more people puffing away on the electronic cig in grocery stores and restaurants.
That’s not to say that there isn’t an occasional sour puss who might give you the stink eye, thinking the whole thing is quite ridiculous, but in the long run, it’s turned out to be a valuable asset on the road to non-smoking.
Who knows if the thing will find its niche in the history of 21st Century culture, as it just might be a passing fancy. But so far I can tell you, those whom I know are using them, are charging up instead of lighting up.
See you Next Tuesday!
Read more posts by Claire Butler, blogger for JenningsWire.
