Sometimes, the best Christmas gifts are those that people can actually use — and that help them in some way.
It’s that time of year when many of us are scratching our heads and wondering what on earth to get family and friends for Christmas. Most people have everything they need, and it seems like every time Christmas rolls around, it’s even more of a challenge to get someone a gift that they will not only like but use.
And “use” is the operative word. The best gifts are not pieces of fluff that people hardly give a second glance to but can actually use, perhaps even throughout the year — and maybe they didn’t even know they needed them. The key is to try to figure out that they need such an indispensable item in the first place, and a good place to start is by taking a look at their lifestyle.
So if someone in your family or circle of friends is a smoker and they’re desperate to quit and get healthy, you could consider giving them a gift of a smoking-cessation aid that could help them to kick the habit for good.
According to the NHS and other health bodies in the UK, e-cigarettes are the best way to quit smoking — smokers get the nicotine they want but none of the many thousands of toxic chemicals given off by burning tobacco, at least 70 of which are known to cause various cancers in the human body. But is it OK to give something like vape kits as a Christmas gift? Would the recipient be grateful or think it’s too personal and that you were interfering with their life?
What Are Vape Kits?
Vape kits typically contain a vape pen, charging cable, instructions and one or more free e-liquids of various flavours — all you need to get vaping easily and quickly. Many people making the change from smoking to vaping find that vape pens are ideal because they somewhat resemble the shape of a tobacco cigarette and give them that same tactile feel of holding a cigarette that they’re used to.
This is an important consideration for anyone trying to give up smoking because the physical act of holding a cigarette can often be as much of a “crutch“ as the relaxing feeling and buzz you get from inhaling nicotine.
And you can buy a vape kit for way less than £20, which means you don’t have to splash the cash to get your hands on one and impress your loved one by spending lots of money. All they’ll have to do, if they start vaping and continue to use their vape pen, is to buy refills every now and then, and they only cost a few pounds each and last for ages (depending on use) — much cheaper than buying tobacco pouches or packs of cigarettes!
Helping to Improve Lives
Really memorable Christmas gifts are also those that, after people get them, they realise they needed them all along. Like someone who complains about the cold but never gets around to buying a pair of gloves or a scarf. Then, when they’re gifted either or both at Christmas, they’re delighted and wear them all the time. It can be the same with vape kits and vape pens, which can get a smoker off cigarettes for life and get them back on the path to health.
After they’ve vaped for a while and managed to quit smoking, they might well say something to you like, “I never would have tried vaping, and I’m so glad you gave me that vape kit for Christmas — you got me off cigarettes, and I’m extremely grateful.”
But there are several factors you have to consider before you go ahead and buy a vape kit for someone this Christmas. Things like, is it too personal to wade into someone’s smoking habit or problem if they’re struggling to give up? Might they think you’re interfering and be offended — potentially leading to the opposite reaction you were hoping for? And is it possible that the person you’re considering buying a vape kit for Christmas happens to like smoking and has no intention of quitting?
These are all things to weigh up before going ahead with a vape kit gift this Christmas. Obviously, it’s best if you know the person well, and are familiar with their battle with smoking (if they are going through one), and it might be a good idea to discuss various smoking-cessation methods with them in the lead-up to Christmas and see what their reaction is. If they’re open to the idea of trying some quitting aids, you can mention several, like nicotine patches and gums, as well as e-cigarettes, and see what they say.
Also keep the age of the person in mind — it’s not acceptable, for instance, to give vapes to underage people. Even if a teenager in your life smokes and you’d love them to give up, giving them a vape kit is not the answer. Vapes are for adult smokers and not youth, and it’s illegal for them to buy vape kits and e-liquid refills anyway. Equally, a very elderly person who has smoked all their life and gets a degree of comfort from it might not welcome a vape kit, as they may not want to start something new.
Great Xmas Gifts Mean You Really Care
Christmas is littered with tons of awkward and, frankly, totally irrelevant or useless gifts that the recipient neither wants or will use — all because those who bought them had no idea what to get and just chose something at random. It doesn’t really say all that much about the giver, and neither does the overly careful and deathly dull choice of gifting socks or a packet of cloth handkerchiefs to the men in your life because you didn’t think about what they might actually like. They’re bound to have sock drawers spilling over with the foot garments anyway.
In a world overflowing with rubbish, it’s also wasteful to get someone something that they won’t like or want. And worse — something that’s totally not appropriate, like a gift of lingerie for a woman you might not know all that well. Embarrassment all round! How about a men’s hair gift package that includes gel and other products, when the recipient is bald? Or kitchen implements or household appliances, like a vacuum cleaner, which may suggest the receiver is not all that good around the house?
And so, unsurprisingly, “Did you keep the receipt?” is a frequent question around Christmastime, “just in case there’s something wrong with it.” There’s always a stampede to the shops with people carrying big bundles of items they got as gifts and don’t want and hope to exchange for something else or get a refund.