How do we get people aware???

[tuss08]

I'm only a 3 month vaper and am in country victoria but I have dropped the analogues and love my vaping.
I do have a complaint and am wondering whether anyone else in Oz is feeling the same way.

For some reason I feel like a bloody criminal if i dare to vape in public! Everytime i do I get funny looks meaning either.... OMG what an idiot or OMG Are you smoking drugs or OMG what the??? well at least that's the impression I get and no I'm not a paranoid person lol.

Even when down in Melbourne I didn't feel comfortable, and yet it seems our fellow US vapourers can comfortably do it anywhere.
I don't want to grab a mike, jump on a soap box and educate everybody, but really I wish we all could somehow get vaping out of the closet. That's how it feels for me anyway. I find it amusing in one way as I used to get nasty looks if smoking outside at a cafe table etc and now that I'm vaping....I'm still apparently a social leper.

I'm proud of my vaping, I don't want to push it in peoples faces or anything, but would truly love for communities to understand what we vaping people are all about.

Now is this just me or does it happen to you?
How can we achieve this do you think?

 

[Maximum Chips]

Interesting post.

Generally speaking, I'm not too bothered about where I vape (I live in Melbourne, S/E suburbs). Small/enclosed spaces are a no-no, but aside from that, I do it pretty freely in public. I only notice a funny look once in a blue moon. Most people I encounter are curious as to what I'm doing. Admittedly, I'm beginning to be over the whole explaining it to people thing. If there are a lot of people around and I really can't be bothered with the inevitable questions, I'll stealth vape or go somewhere discreet to have a puff.

As far as raising awareness goes... I'm not entirely convinced it's a good thing, in certain respects. With so many anti-smoking wowsers around, I suspect it's better that vaping has a relatively low profile in Oz. I've seen a few alarmist media reports here tying vaping directly to smoking etc...

 

[cihansolakoglu]

"I only notice a funny look once in a blue moon. Most people I encounter are curious as to what I'm doing." thats right..

 

[everyoneelsehas]

I originally wanted to buy one of those crappy e-cigs that look like traditional cigarettes so that I wouldn't feel so weird about doing it in public .. but then opted for something that would last longer and serve my purpose instead of worrying about what others will thing. At the end of the day whether others think it looks ridiculous or not, I think it's just a matter of remembering that it's a much better option for our health.

In saying that though, I pulled mine out in public for the first time today and received the most ridiculous comments and questions ... I felt the exact same way, like I had to explain myself.

 

[signmeupmeow]

It will get more widely accepted over time.

In the mean time, try and help convert smokers to vapers. The more we can convert, they more they will convert and eventually it will be common practice.

 

[tuss08]

Thanks for all your replies, I'm glad others experience the "looks" but yes its up to me not to care!
I am and have converted quite a few people from cigs to vamping, and they LOVE it, so I am happy about that.

Max chips, I know what you're saying about publicising it, anti smokers can be very closed minded, I suppose I wish more research could be done and someone from the medical profession would stand up and explain vapings advantages! Spose in the meantime I need to stop being scared of what people say, explain patiently or just stealth tape lol.