November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It is also the month that the American Cancer Society hosts the Great American Smokeout. Every third Thursday in November, the American Cancer Society hosts the Great American Smokeout and asks smokers to quit smoking for 24 hours and to make a plan to quit permanently.
The first Great American Smokeout was on November 18, 1976. On that date, I was a senior in high school and had been smoking for two years. I ignored the annual “smokeouts” and continued to smoke for another 35 years. I did try to quit from time to time with great difficulty and not for long. I tried abstinence, patches and gum. Nothing worked for me. I loved smoking. It was that simple.
In 2011, I noticed a co-worker using an electronic cigarette and I was intrigued. I immediately purchased a device and dived into the world of vaping. I did it at first to save money and suddenly, I had quit smoking without really trying! Vaping not only enabled me to quit smoking, it eventually gave me a wonderful job with awesome people.
For many people, quitting cold turkey is simply not an option. For many, harm reduction is the best, most stable way to keep us from smoking. Harm reduction comes in quite a few forms, patches, gum, electronic cigarettes, etc. Some are able to vape for awhile and then walk away, others will keep vaping to prevent returning to smoking. Each person is different and must choose the path that works best for them. Every one that works at Premium Vapors has smoked in the past. We know the struggle and we also know the joy of quitting by way of harm reduction. We would love to share our journey with you and help you find a path to “smokeout”.