Vape Shop first for downtown Minden

A popular method people are using to quit smoking is vaping, a process by which a person attempting to quit smoking gets the same effects of smoking a cigarette without the harsh chemicals and second hand smoke.

A store in Minden opened up about four months ago to cater to those who use this method, and owners Tommy and Janet Thompson say their customer base is growing.

2 Lucky Main Street Vapor Store is located at 615 Main Street in downtown Minden and offers an array of flavors and equipment to help smokers stop.

“I have people that come in here every week and say, ‘I haven’t had a cigarette since…,’” she said. “I get that a lot, and ‘I’m feeling better.’”

Many of those who frequent 2 Lucky, Janet Thompson says, don’t buy products with nicotine in it, but still need something to do with their hands.

Janet Thompson says she and her husband opened the store because Tommy Thompson suffers from COPD and this is the method he used to quit smoking about a year ago.

“We opened it because it was such a tremendous help to my husband,” she said. “He has COPD and he couldn’t lay down at night. After smoking the vapors for a while, he got better and better, and he breathes much better now.”

They opened the store to offer Mindenites an avenue in which to purchase their products.
The nicotine products they offer are all from the United States with purer chemicals that are considered safe by the Centers for Disease Control, she said. There are three chemicals, which include PG and VG, which are additives found in the food people eat. The third chemical is the nicotine.

“It’s what the juice is made of,” Tommy Thompson said. “It’s vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol.”

The Thompsons offer a variety of flavors from cigarette flavors, including menthol, to fruity and sweet flavors. Janet Thompson says they are beginning to offer coffee flavors as well, like Irish cream. They also have a flavor called unicorn milk, which is a mixture of flavors, she said.

Nicotine levels in the pens, boxes or pipes are based on how much the smoker used to smoke. For instance, if a smoker smoked two packs a day, then the nicotine level would be equivalent to that, and then it would go down from there as the reformed smoker continues to downgrade.

Prices are competitive as well, she said. The most expensive part will be the start up kits, which includes the pen and two vials of juice. One vial will last about a week, she said, and it equates to several packs of cigarettes.

Tony Guillory, a regular customer, says he hasn’t smoked a cigarette since he walked into their doors two months ago. He says he feels better and has cut back on the amount of nicotine in his vapor pen.
“It’s been at least two months,” he said. “I wanted to quit smoking for my health. I can breathe a lot better. I quit smoking the day I bought it (the vapor kit), and haven’t had one since. I don’t have near the cravings I had before. I have a lot more energy, no coughing, and I just feel a lot better.”