In our Partner Spotlight series, we shine a light on the WVA’s outstanding partners. They all advocate for the rights of vapers in their countries.

This week, we are speaking with Anselmo Godinho and Marco Filipe from Ohms do Vapor. They tell us all about the long process they each went through to quit smoking and why they believe being part of the World Vapers’ Alliance can help millions in Europe and beyond.

What is your vaping story? When and why did you start to vape? How has it improved your life?

I’m Marco and was a smoker for 20 years.

In 2011 I started looking online for alternatives to cigarettes just to save some money since cigarettes were too expensive. I tried to quit smoking with the help of e-cigs and was not successful. Perhaps I wasn’t ready to quit smoking yet, and there weren’t a lot of vape products available back then, the online waiting times were enormous as well. Fortunately, things have improved since then.

In 2013, I was smoking a pack and a half a day, and a friend of mine showed me CE4 atomizers and EGO batteries. I have never touched a cigarette ever since.

After that, I’ve been looking for new vape experiences, such as new mods, e-liquids, atomizers etc.

After only a few weeks I started to gain a better sense of smell, my taste improved and began to breathe a little better. I was no longer tired in the morning when I woke up, nor did I have the usual smokers’ cough. I could climb stairs or take a walk outdoors without getting short of breath. I’m now 44 and 8 years since I smoked my last cigarette.

I’m Anselmo and I’ve been following news about vaping since 20011. I’ve been a smoker for 16 years and in 2017, after a stressful week at work, I decided to end my smoking habit. I was not ready to give up on smoking yet, so my options were to reduce the number of cigarettes with some help. I’ve decided to purchase a vaping kit to try.

After 24 hours not only had I reduced the number of cigarettes but quit cigarettes completely. Since then, I have felt improvements in smell, taste, breathing, stamina, all the good things that quitting cigarettes could offer.

What is Ohms do Vapor and how does it support vaping?
Ohms do Vapor huma grupp informali ta 'vapers fil-Portugall li ħolqu komunità biex jgħinu lil kull min għandu bżonn ikun jaf aktar dwar il-vaping.

Why did you join the World Vapers’ Alliance?

These days, we can’t just stand behind the keyboard and complain about something on social media. We need to take action in order to be heard.

By joining the WVA we can give a voice to Portuguese (and European) vapers, we can be informed about what politicians think and do as well. Above all, we joined the WVA to strengthen our activist movement and to make the voice of the vaping community louder. Together we want to show politicians that vaping is a less harmful alternative to smoking.

What would be your advice for vapers who want to defend vaping?

The key is to get informed about what is happening, follow and support activist groups, and participate in the many actions they promote. It is also crucial to obtain reliable information concerning vaping, such as news and studies available online. And finally, pass all that information on to other vapers and make sure that we are all well-informed.

Are you supporting the Back Vaping Beat Smoking campaign launched by WVA and why? 

We believe that vaping is an important instrument to help smokers to quit. As harm reduction advocates in a country that is a pioneer in drug policies, we saw what this harm reduction approach can do. A total ban could lead to more smokers, more black markets and more risk-taking. We joined this campaign because it makes sense. We must back vaping to help more people beat smoking.

You can follow Ohms do Vapor on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, watch their videos and streams on YouTube and join their Discord