No one will deny that there are huge social aspects when it comes to smoking even when we are talking about electronic cigarettes and cigars. In fact most people will probably tell you they started smoking because all their friends were doing it at the time or that they wanted to look cool. When my older brother brought his NJoy electronic cigarette to the family reunion a few months ago everyone wanted to try it and it wasn’t long before everyone wanted one of their own!

Tonight my fiancee (been engaged for about 3 weeks now) asked me why I am looking at buying electronic cigarettes and cigars. She asked me this because she doesn’t really think I smoke. The fact is that I took up smoking cigars almost 5 years ago now, but I just smoke them very very rarely and never around her. In fact I only smoke cigars when I am with other friends and family that also smoke.

One day when I came home from college when I was about 19 I remember being fairly shocked to find my brother at home with my parents smoking around the kitchen table! Since then I have been the only person in my immediate family who doesn’t smoke regularly and felt somewhat alienated for many years. I felt the pull to start smoking but was absolutely opposed to it because of the health implications. I stared smoking cigars probably about 6 years after that because I had a few drinks and won about $400 at a limited stakes casino. I found it somewhat enjoyable and wasn’t too concerned about my health since i smoked them so infrequently.

As another example of the social draw of smoking the last time I felt inclined to smoke was at a BBQ a while back when someone started passing around a hookah. I figured I would give it a try and it was my best smoking experience ever. I could take long draws on the peach flavored tobacco in the hookah and the nicotine content seemed low enough that the high I got from it was pleasant and not nauseating. We passed the hookah around in a circle having great conversation, joking and laughing.

So I am hoping that when I get my NJoy electronic cigarettes that this will be a way to increase the feeling of social inclusion around other smokers especially my family.