Introduce Yourself

[compactdisc]

New guy here! Names Colin and live in California and will hopefully have my volcano by tomorrow.

Any chance of another photo contest coming up?

[Jazzie]

Hi guys...I'm Tami. I've been a smoker for 35 years. I've tried to kick it sooo many times but go back to it quickly. Thanks to my cousin, "Arclight", I am eagerly waiting for my e-cig to arrive, hopefully today...it left Raleigh at 1 am this morning...but I'm not obsessed:) I have had Asthma (smoking induced, I'm sure) for a few years now and I'm tired of coughing up a lung everyday...How many lungs we have?

I had never heard of or seen an e-cig till 'Cuz' referred me here last weekend. I've been all over this site and the world learning about them this week. Now I really can't wait.

I live on the Outer Banks of NC where we go smoke free on Jan 2. I never thought I'd see that in the "tobacco state"...Thanks new Governor!! I'm hoping this will "catch on" and the bars/restaurants will allow it.

I've actually put in 3 orders this week (I told you, I'm not obsessed!!), Based on what I read, I figured I should get extra atty's, car charger and cartridges, then I decided I want my best friends to try it, so I ordered a couple disposables as Christmas gifts.

I'm looking forward to getting off analogs and enjoying breathing again...Will post more when I get it and have a chance to try it out. Thanks!

[halo_and_horns]

howdy, all....im bryan from ohio..havent got my kit yet , but am waiting like a schoolgirl on prom night! ....love good music from all genres, movie fiend!, collect guns and always up for great conversation!!!sorry if this sounds like an "eharmony ad", ...not real good at posting yet!!

[Ea87]

Good morning all! I've been posting around the past few days so I though I should introduce myself. My name is Andrea and I'm fairly new to e-cigs. I just graduated from college with a BA in English. Zzzz I know. I have been an on and off smoker since I was 12 and am hoping to use e-cigs to minimize if not completely get rid of my dependence on analogs. I'm not a heavy smoker, maybe a pack or two a week, but it’s still been a bit hard to kick. So far I've had my Volcano almost a week and I've only had one analog. Woo me! Besides with analogs up to $10 a pack here in NY, this is such a no brainer when it comes to $$$$.

I'm also a hookah smoker, which I'm not entirely sure I want to give up. I'm glad to see that with the flavors available for e-liquid I may be able to sub in the e-cig instead of smoking shisha if I want to. My Volcano reminds me a bit more of a tiny portable hookah (without the mess) than a real cig to be honest, so that may work.

Any tips or advice are welcome, as I can really use it. PM me if you'd like to chat

[Viv Savage]

Happy New Year, Volcano Vapers!

Well, I decided my first productive act of 2010 should be to FINALLY introduce myself to all of you! (Kinda embarrassing, since I see that after the Volcano staff, I was the 6th person to register on this forum! )

My name is Jeff. I'm 41-years-old, grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, went to Syracuse University, moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to pursue a career in show business, and have lived here ever since (and yes, I love LA!). I worked at Paramount Pictures for 17 years, while simultaneously pursuing acting. But I quit my job in 2008 to focus solely on my acting career, which I'm still doing today. So, basically, I'm an unemployed actor for a living!

In addition to acting, I enjoy playing poker, skiing, hiking, and traveling. I love music (mostly all kinds of rock), TV, movies, the NFL, Philly sports, and Syracuse sports.

That's the basics. But I would also like to share my smoking and Volcano story, as I think it's important to share these things, especially since it's the one thing we all have in common! I'm not known for my brevity, so that'll be the rest of my post if you've already learned enough about me.

I became a full time smoker at the age of 18. Within the past 23 years, I would estimate that I was cumulatively smoke-free for about 5 years among various quitting attempts. I was most ashamed of my last stint, as I had just ruined over 3 smoke-free years... I hadn't had a puff from about 2002 to 2005... then stupidly started again... and kept going through 2009. I was at about half a pack of Camel Lights per day.

So, this September, I decided to try to quit again... using my usual method... set a target date, create a schedule for gradual daily cigarette reduction, and then go cold turkey after having my last cigarette. I picked 9/17/09 as my last smoke day because I would then be spending the next 4 days uninterrupted with members of my family who I had been ashamedly hiding my resurrected smoking habit from for the past 4 years.

So, I smoked my last cigarette on 9/17/09 as planned. And having no inclination to fall off the wagon while surrounded by my family, the next 4 days were rather easy for me. However, when I got home to my own place on 9/22, immediately the ONLY thing I could think about was having a cigarette (funny how that works). As I'm sure I don't have to explain to any of you, the mental anguish would continue at varying levels of torture every day after... for me, I always liken it to the classic Angel & Devil on the shoulders scene from Animal House, as I do feel in those moments like the voices in my head are battling for my soul, with the Devil continually prodding me to "just walk down to the gas station and buy one pack... you can always start again tomorrow" and the Angel telling me "be strong, you can do this". It is without a doubt, in those moments, that I feel like I have the closest glimpses into insanity. Currently being an unemployed actor wasn't making it any easier, of course... sitting at home being bored is the perfect recipe for seeking the comfort of a cigarette. Then again, you can say that about any situation, right? When I was working full-time as a financial analyst, it was the stress of work that created the need for a requisite smoke break. So, it really doesn't matter, does it? Anyway...

Then, on 9/26, a miracle happened. A poker buddy of mine sent out an innocuous e-mail to a bunch of us... his subject line read "Time to start smoking?" and the e-mail was nothing more than a "hey check out this cool thing" and a link... which lead to a video and an advertisement disguised as a news article about electronic cigarettes. SAY WHAT? I just couldn't believe what I was reading or seeing!

I then spent the next week obsessively researching these things. I had been dreaming of a product like this for YEARS. I mentioned earlier that the only method I ever used for quitting was going cold turkey... and that's because I know that - for me - nicotine gum or a nicotine patch will only tackle a small part of the problem... for me, the behavior is just as much a factor, if not more so. Meanwhile, I experienced an interesting phenomenon during this week of research... surfing the web and reading about e-cigs for hours on end was in itself serving as a substitute for smoking... once I knew I was definitely going to get me one of these things, that knowledge alone actually served to pacify my need for the time being.

Well, like so many of you who found your way to Volcano, my online research lead me to Blu first... and, yes, I thought it looked awesome. The blue light, the charger pack, all of it. But they were 2-4 weeks behind in shipping, and already losing my mind from being without a cigarette for about a week and a half, I wanted a substitute NOW... so I continued looking. I believe it was on blucigforum that I ultimately heard about Volcano, and the early adopters were very happy with the service and highly recommended Volcano to anyone who was considering Blu.

However, I had a problem with Volcano. At this point, I had not only been smoke free for a week and a half, but NICOTINE FREE as well. By the time I received my e-cig, I would be nicotine free for at least two weeks, so I saw no need to put any nicotine back in my system. I knew all of my cravings going forward would be primarily psychological. But unfortunately Volcano did not offer zero nicotine cartridges. So I kept looking.

I kept coming back to the Blu and Volcano websites, though. Then, Blu had to recall all of their PCC's, and their shipping delays jumped to 4-6 weeks! So, Blu was absolutely out of the question now... and my focus was squarely on Volcano. I had already spoken with Volcano Customer Service on the phone at least twice and they were so helpful and spent so much time with me on the phone answering all of my questions about Volcano and e-cigs in general. I really wanted to purchase from them, but I continued to remain steadfast in my zero nicotine approach. So, on a lark... a prayer, really... on Oct. 1st (exactly two weeks after smoking my last analog) I called Volcano one more time... hoping that maybe, just maybe, they were considering adding zero nicotine cartridges to their inventory. Well, this is what they call kismet... the guy who answered the phone (one of our illustrious Volcano Dudes) said, "Yeah, we actually just got 0mg in today. In fact, my partner is adding them to the website right now. Check back in about 10 minutes." Say what?! Woo-hoo!!! Yay, Volcano!!!

Needless to say, I ordered my Volcano immediately (well, 10 minutes later ). And, what has become no surprise since, I received my Volcano 3 business days later (which I thoroughly enjoyed while vaping inside my friend's apartment while watching Brett Favre play against the Packers for the first time on Monday Night Football... two things I never thought I'd witness ).

Well, almost 13 weeks after receiving my Volcano, I am still 15 weeks cigarette and nicotine free... and, most importantly, have no desire to pick up an analog. Let me repeat that (because it still boggles my own mind)... no desire to pick up an analog! And I'm still not getting any nicotine!

For me, the relief is immeasurable. For I know, even if I had managed to stay off analogs since stopping in September, every day would be a trial... every day would be difficult... every day I would have to deal with anxiety, stress, and fear. But with my Volcano, every day has been a breeze.

I mentioned earlier that I'm an unemployed actor. A week after receiving my Volcano, I got cast in a play... and a week after that rehearsals started. As I also said earlier, we all know that we can point at virtually any situation as ripe for creating a desire to smoke. But rehearsing a play is definitely at the top of my list. Rehearsals can be stressful... and they can also be boring... both of which are conducive to smoke breaks. But, more significantly, about half a dozen of my cast mates smoke. Um, with 2 months of rehearsal, not to mention another 2 months of performances, how long do you think it would have taken for me to break down, bum a smoke off one of my cast members, and fall off the wagon?? I don't know, maybe I would've remained strong and resisted... but knowing myself as I do, I think the more likely scenario would be me telling myself, "Screw this. I need a smoke NOW. I'll quit again after the play is over." I bet you can all relate to that logic, regardless of what you do in your own life! But that never happened. If I wanted to talk to one of my fellow actors about a scene while we were on break, and they were having a smoke... I could join them with my Volcano. Even better, I could vape in the theater when I was off stage! And finally, I remember on Opening Night... one of my cast mates was freaking out before show time that he needed to run outside for a "few quick drags" before the show started... meanwhile, after the show started, I was able to vape in the dressing room and settle my nerves a bit before my stage entrance. Awesome.

Sorry, I know this was a very long post, but I'm assuming there are portions within it that everyone can relate too... and I especially want any visitors who are thinking of buying an electronic cigarette to hear my story.

Best of luck to ALL OF YOU in your personal quest to be tobacco free!! Happy New Year! And I wish you all a happy, healthy, prosperous 2010!!!

[A.Jay]

Alrighty, I guess it's time for me to belly up and do one of these too


I'm kind of coming from the other side of the issue than most everyone here. I am 26 yrs old, and have had a grand total of 2 analogs in my lifetime. 1 complete cig (a Camel Wide ) and a plethora of bummed drags that I would estimate to be the total of another complete cig. As little exposure as I've had to analogs, I knew right away that I LOVED smoking, but I hated it at the same time. I loved the social aspect, the way the nicotine made me feel, etc, but I hated the way it made me cough, smell, etc. Combined with the knowledge of the long term effects it would have on my health, I promised myself that I would never go down that road.

I first heard of electronic cigarettes roughly a year ago, and I didn't think too much about them. I figured that they were just a fad that would either fade away in a few months, or the FDA would come out with this HUGE list of side effects. So I just filed them in my brain under misc and moved on with my life.

Then about 2 weeks ago, I was talking to my buddy Nick that’s in my CS:S clan about smoking. After listing off the things I love and hate about smoking, he mentioned e-cigs. He didn’t really know much more other than they had all of my pros with none of my cons. So me being me, decided to reopen the case files. For about the next week (well I guess I never really stopped once I started) I started looking into these things again. I quickly found an overwhelming quantity of really bad websites that I would never give my money to. I was beginning to lose hope in my quest to finding a reputable company. All the while I was sharing my frustrations with him. Initially the 4081 caught my eye, it was in similar size to an analog, and with the white batt and natural cart, looked the part too. But again, I couldn’t find anyone selling it that I would actually give my money too. Then one day he sent me a link to the Blu. I fell in love right away. By this point I was over the hang up of wanting it to look like an analog, plus the black cig with the blue led was just plain cool, and did I mention it had a PCC? I contemplated buying them for a day or two before finding out that the black ones were at least a 3 week wait. So I got on YouTube to watch some reviews to see if it was really worth the wait. About 3 videos into it, I found one comparing the Blu and the Volcano. Their verdict was they were the same exact thing except for the fact that there wasn’t a wait for the Volcano. So I watched a couple Volcano vids, hopped on their site, and was thoroughly impressed. By the end of the night I was doing the pee-pee dance waiting for mine to come in the mail.

My enthusiasm (some might say obsession) during the days leading up to me making a purchase, prompted my buddy Nick to hunt down a cheap 4081. He ended up getting it the same day as my volcano and we enjoyed our first vapes together over Skype. He liked my Volcano so much that even tho he just got his 4081, he decided to buy a Volcano the next day. He’s still waiting for his to come, but I’m positive he won’t be let down. I not sure how many analogs he burns daily, but I do know he’s looking forward to burning he last one soon.

Since discovering Volcano, I’ve been obsessed with learning everything there is to know about e-cigs, and I already have my PTB’s ready for my first shipment of e juice that can’t get here soon enough. I’m completely loving life now that I can have a healthy “smoke”.

As far as the personal info goes… My name is Aaron, I’m 26, and I graduated in 2004 from the University of Akron with a drafting degree. I currently design electric forklifts for a company in Medina, Ohio. I’ve been a huge BMW nut since I was 16, and I currently own a 2002 325Ci. My first BMW was a 1988 325i Convertible which tragically met its end when it came face to face with a 4 point whitetail buck. It sounds weird, but I still get choked up thinking about it. For fun I like to play Counter Strike, and mess around with Photoshop.

[sodawax]

Hello... My names Geoff, 34 years old and like Thelvyn, I'm from Las Vegas also. I smoked for about 15 years or so and tried quitting tons of times, all failed. My father in law, who's a physician told me about ecigs and how he has turned many of his patients, most 40+ years of smoking, to ecigs and how effective they were. So went down and got me a kit of those Smoking Anywhere ecigs for like a million dollars. It helped me to cut down a bit but that was it. They're expensive, fat, heavy, unnatural feeling, they don't look cool (image is always a plus), and really vape like crap. I figured there's got to be something better than this. So I tapped on Google, came across a few, including Blucigs. Really liked those and came across reviews that they were good but had a bad rep on slow delivery and costumer service, while at the same time they were bringing up this Volcano ecig that was made by the same manufacturer but a way better brand of company. So being curious, I came to the site, studied it, lurked the forums and quickly was sold. Got my wife and I both the V-Kit Deluxe each. Came in yesterday, less than 3 days from ordering, and neither one of has smoked since! Plus, last night I took it to the ultimate test. The big New Years Eve party. I hung out in the backyard all night, around smokers and never even had the urge whatsoever to light up. I just vaped all night while many people were in awe with my Volcanos. Some had tried vaping, mostly using what I did, Smoking Anywhere, but where loving my Volvano's. The v-pack idea seemed amazing to them. Then when I talked about prices they were shocked. I think I'm gonna need some business cards! Anyway, I'm so happy I found this place and so proud of both myself and my wife for keeping strong against smoking. I couldn't be more impressed with Volcano. You seem to really have it together with a great product and customer service that treats their customers not as just customers but as friends! And this community is awesome and seems very supportive. Thank you all!!! I'm looking forward to becoming friends with you all!

[halliedog]

Hi all. I'm Jay from Akron OH. Can anyone say "Go Bucks!" OK, so it's our first bowl win in a while, but let me gloat a little for one day I got my kit New Years Eve, experimented at home all day as I don't go out @ night on New Years Eve (amateurs, checkpoints, crowded bars, etc...). New Years day: Vaped in the grocery, Vaped in the Best Buy, and Vaped in a sports bar whilst watching the Bucks kick some butt! Lots of curious looks but no hassles. The bar beauty that was serving up my Absolute/Red Bulls was very curious and wrote down the web address - maybe ordering today! Can't say enough about the level of service so far. I still have used analogs, but MUCH fewer than 2 days ago. This is a "cessation"(sorry about the spelling) device for my wife and me, and so far seems to be working. I'm hoping by the end of this week to be totally off the cancer sticks! Anyway, enough rambling for now, so I'll leave you all with these two words - OH - IO!!!!!!!!!

[needanap]

I am Dale, I have been smoking for over 12 years and have been on my volc for about 5 days now. I am a assist manager at a blockbuster in SD. I love my ecig and praise johnny and all the volcano crew for their help and offering this great product.

[eyeonic]

Hello everyone at Volcano cigs. My name is Stewart. I have been a pack a day smoker for about 7 years now. Started off with cloves back in 1998 but didnt consider myself addicted until I moved away from home and used cigarettes as an excuse to forget my day to day troubles. Needless to say I am sick of being addicted to analog cigs and I have definitely had my fair share of trials in quitting. The longest I ever went sadly was about 4 days. I felt the nicotine withdrawls subside but I lived alone at the time and worked just to barely make my bills. Boredom and psychological habits seemed to be the culprit in why I decided to buy a pack after those 4 days.

I have just jumped onto the train of electronic cigarettes by placing my order mere moments ago. I did some heavy research the past two days. I was ready to buy but the reasons I chose Volcano over most other brands was because of a suggestion from my loving partner who reminded me that there are a lot of scammers and companies with poor business practices on the subject of e-cigs. So I did a BBB check on the company I was about to go with "Smoking Everywhere". I was going to go with them because of the sale prices and style and the countless media involvement (Should have known). However when I checked them on the BBB they had an F rating!! over 50 complaints in the last 36 months, 40 of which were unanswered by the company! So I searched the BBB in general for other companies. Most others had a c- or C+ rating strictly due to there short lived business times. Volcano however, has an A- Rating with the BBB. Why? Because there are zero complaints in 36 months. They have been in business since mid to late 2008 and are ACCREDITED!

Let alone the pricing for cart refills that will no doubt save me approx $1700 a year! PLUS no more girlfriends sisters making comments about how I smell when I get into their cars. No more washing my hands and mouth and needing gum at work because I know people can smell it. No more tar and carcinogens. This whole idea of electronic cigarettes is incredible to me. So simple yet so innovative. I LOVE IT. Makes me think of science fiction movies where they make products of conveniences.

Ok long story short. I havent tried them yet. I just placed my order for the Standard Kit. I didnt go for the deluxe (which basically means one extra battery for the same price as a replacement) because I am honestly unsure if this will replace my habit. However... after seeing videos of mall kiosks and customer reactions as well as all the wonderful posts on this forum here I am of great hope that this will be a great investment for me financially as well as physically. I will testify in ANY court at any time if the W.H.O. wants to get retarded about this economic movement. Good thing my crazy California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has stated on record that "Items defined as “tobacco products” are legal for anyone over the age of 18. If adults want to purchase and consume these products with an understanding of the associated health risks, they should be able to do so unless and until federal law changes the legal status of these tobacco products." THANKS GOVERNATOR!

Despite the spectacular BBB rating due to the short period of business... Volcano Electronic Cigarettes is the first e-cig company I have seen to host a forum on their website for customer feedback. It pleases me to no end that a startup company or, even if applicable, a subsidiary of an existing company would have not only great customer service but be able to back that up with excellent customer relations directly over their retail website such as Volcano.

Even if I do not like the product I commend Volcano for producing such an exciting and well managed public relations for their merchandise.

Thank you all. I can't WAIT for my starter kit to arrive. I will post again in a relevant forum of any experiences I have with my new e-cigs!

~Stewart