VAPERS VOICES
Many adult South Africans have used vaping as a method to help them quit smoking and practice tobacco harm reduction.
Since the very beginning, VSML has invited people to share their experiences and what this innovation means to them.
Their stories should not be ignored.
Lourens Strydom
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
20
Vaping Years:
4
Flavours:
Dessert
Vaping means A HEALTHIER, longer Iife. Health you can FEEL from the minute you switch from cigarettes to vaping
Date Uploaded: 20200703
Anne Marie Els
Age:
39
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
22
Vaping Years:
1
Flavours:
Menthol/Mint
Smoked for 22 years and moved over to Vaping a year ago. Have noticed a marked improvement to my health. Exercise and physical activities has become much easier. Food tastes better. Moving to Vaping has been the best decision I’ve made in my life
Date Uploaded: 20210515
Vayuri Poovalingam
Age:
27
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
2
Vaping Years:
6
Flavours:
Fruit
Vaping has added to a healthier lifestyle and prevented me from any risk towards lung cancer as it runs in my family.
Date Uploaded: 20220115
Christiaan van der Merwe
Age:
36
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
5
Vaping Years:
8
Flavours:
Fruit
Date Uploaded: 20220116
Mariska Smith
Age:
36
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
8
Vaping Years:
4
Flavours:
Like more than one type
Vaping saved my life as an healthier ulternative. I am glad to not smoke the cancer sticks any more. Tabacco is not good at all. Thank you for helping me get off tabacco and being healthy
Date Uploaded: 20220117
Dean Stansfield
Age:
46
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
23
Vaping Years:
4
Flavours:
Tobacco
Life-saving alternative to stinkies
Date Uploaded: 20200703
Daniel Oosthuizen
Age:
22
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
2
Vaping Years:
2
Flavours:
Fruit
feeling better in the mornings when i wake up, vaping has stopped me from trying to smoke other things hookah/cigarettes.
Date Uploaded: 20220120
Johnathan M
Age:
25
Current Smoker:
No
Smoking Years:
9
Vaping Years:
5
Flavours:
Like more than one type
At a young age I experienced health problems which were a direct result of smoking cigarettes. At just 16 years old I was able to purchase cigarettes over the counter at pretty much any retailer without ever being questioned about age. This ease of access to cigarettes compared to the low price (R40-50/box) meant it was an attractive choice. After years of smoking, my fitness levels tanked. I went from being an A Group athlete to barely being able to run a field once. Thanks to vaping, I was able to switch & currently my health has been much better. I can now run a field multiple times without my lungs feeling like they’re going to collapse. The government’s tax system will completely ruin vaping and make it a much more expensive option compared to tobacco smoking. The government needs to carefully take a look at how much the average SA citizen earns before making a healthier alternative more expensive. The proposed tax system will lead to more vapers going back to smoking simply due to the high tax and cost of products. It is absolutely ridiculous what they’re proposing & I’m quite sure the younger generation will most definitely choose smoking cigarettes which are scientifically proven to be worse than vaping.
Date Uploaded: 20220120