My dad was diagnosed with COPD in 2011 and is still smoking. It doesn't seem to have progressed to dangerous levels yet, but I would like to see him cut back if possible. He has been opposed to computers since they came out and seems annoyed by most new technology in general, so I wonder if I would be wasting my time and money even trying this approach. Has anybody else successfully made this switch in a very old school minded person with dementia?
There has also been new findings that e-cigs do NOT help you to ease off smoking. Instead it makes you more addicted. And it's even harder to quit smoking from e-cigs than it is from a regular cig. The regular cigs - you're fighting nicotine. With the e-cigs, you're fighting both the nicotine and the chemical used. I recommend that you do more research before using it for someone with dementia.
Mom did have dementia at the time. A few times she tried to light them with a match. She would not have been able to keep them charged and change out the battery ends on her own, but with help this was a reasonable substitution for her. When she went into the hospital and then rehab they used a nicotine patch and that got her off smoking entirely.
What ever you do, if there are small children in the house or who visit, hide the e-cigs from them, as the liquid nicotine can be highly toxic if a child accidently drinks one the cartridges.
One positive note with an e-cigs, if the e-cig is dropped in a chair, it won't set it on fire. But on the other side of the coin, a cartridge of the e-cigarette could overheated while plugged into the charger, and could start a fire. Safety experts advise e-cigarette users to always keep an eye on their charger's light, and unplug the AC adapter once the e-cigarette battery is fully charged.
With my daughter's e-cig there's a button she has to press while she 'smokes'. That's the only thing I can think of that might trip your dad up, knowing at what point to push that button and how long to hold it down.
If you're successful in getting your dad onto an e-cig come back and share with us, your experience would probably benefit a lot of people.