Did anyone here go to ChantixFest? I really wanted to go, and I was almost suicidal when I couldn't.
Live from Vapercon
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Did anyone here go to ChantixFest? I really wanted to go, and I was almost suicidal when I couldn't.
You're a bit confused, that was NasalSnuffFest or were you actually referring to UnderTheUpperLipFest or LosSnussFest? They get so confusing at times.
lol Oh there was haze in the room!!! Friday especially was a heavenly cloud of vapor, and strangely enough, all the different flavors being vaped mixed so well with each other none of that haze was noxious! Such a great time!
+1
Yep! There was so much vaping that a haze was created (and it did smell great). Our vapor dissipates quickly, of course, but it was continually replaced by even more. If only there was some alcohol in it, we wouldn't have needed to keep going down to the bar.
Thanks to all for your kind words ... especially to you, Kev, for your derail permission!
[FYI to those not in attendance: I don't really look like the dork in those photos earlier in this thread. That's just makeup and some acting. I really am a white-haired/mustached, sloppily-dressed, and heterosexual guy ... although not usually this bug-eyed.
]
[If memory serves, that's Chicago Rod on the left.]
- Apr 2, 2009
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It was a very enjoyable weekend at vapercon in Richmond. I heard that 600 foks signed in as attending the event.
The vapor from several hundred folks vaping simultaneously in one room didn't appear to bother anyone (including me), but rather it smelled like a bouquet of flowers.
The vapor from several hundred folks vaping simultaneously in one room didn't appear to bother anyone (including me), but rather it smelled like a bouquet of flowers.
Hahahaha! Don you look great (in character and out)! I'm so jealous I didn't get to go : ( but happy there were so many attendee's. Cool that you went too Bill, as a non smoker in a room full of lots of vapers it's a real testament that it didn't bother you in the least. (of course we all know it wouldn't)
I think that, for a while on Friday, one of the vendors was running a commercial fog machine. I did not notice the same haze on Saturday, and there were even more bodies in the room.
Oh, and may I echo the thought that was great to finally meet in person folks that I have only "met" through the forums or on Skype. Let's see how many I can recall... JustJulie, Bystander1, DonDaBoom etc., CiteSteamer, TazBCat, KevBow, Grammie, and many more. It was also good to see again the folks I met last year in Fredericksburg at Vapefest 2010.
Oh, and may I echo the thought that was great to finally meet in person folks that I have only "met" through the forums or on Skype. Let's see how many I can recall... JustJulie, Bystander1, DonDaBoom etc., CiteSteamer, TazBCat, KevBow, Grammie, and many more. It was also good to see again the folks I met last year in Fredericksburg at Vapefest 2010.
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- Apr 2, 2009
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Below is an excerpted version of my experiences at Vapercon that I sent to several thousand tobacco control advocates.
This past weekend, I went to VaperCon VaperCon 2011, the largest e-cigarette consumers conference to date, at the Clarion Hotel in Richmond, VA, which was attended by about 500 vapers (who quit smoking by switching to e-cigarettes) and about 100 spouses, and was sponsored by 32 e-cigarette product vendors.
Attendees were all adults ranging from 20s to 70s in age, about 55% male and 45% female, virtually all caucasion (but about a dozen blacks attended, which was inspiring) that represented many demographics of smokers in America who are typically seen at car races, rock concerts, Walmart, local bars, fast food joints, grocery and convenience stores.
The dozens of vendors displayed and marketed hundreds of new e-cigarette products (primarily high tech electronics, hardware and flavored e-liquid). But none of the vendors sold (and none of the vapers at vapercon used) the prefilled disposable cartridge starter products that most people consider to be e-cigarettes.
There are two distinctly different e-cigarette industries and markets in America, the mass marketed products similar in size/shape to real cigarettes that are used by most beginners, and the innovative high tech products of many different sizes and shapes that are used by many experienced vapers and afficionados. In contrast to the overall economic malaise in the US, all e-cigarette vendors at Vapercon told me that their business has been booming.
Other than using e-cigarettes to quit smoking, the other common theme among conference attendees was a justifiable disdain of the FDA and other e-cigarette prohibitionists and propagandists. This was a very nonsmoking crowd, as I saw only one person smoking a cigarette on the sidewalk outside the hotel and saw just one pack of cigarettes (in a person's pocket) during the two day conference.
As one who has spent thousands of hours (without pay) to truthfully inform smokers and the public about e-cigarettes and to keep the products legal to sell and use, I was very grateful for the loud standing ovation from the crowd and the many heartfelt thank you's for my activism to help these smokers quit. And everybody I met at Vapercon was friendly and kind. Unfortunately, no e-cigarette opponents attended Vapercon (or any of the previous e-cigarette consumers conferences, whose attendances continue to grow).
Similar to my report about the first Vapefest last year at THR2010. (tobaccoharmreduction.org) (Chapter 18), the air in the ballroom at VaperCon, as several hundred vapers simultaneously vaped, smelled refeshingly like a bouquet of flowers and visibililty remained excellent as the tiny mists of water vapor vaporized after a second or two.
While many tobacco/nicotine prohibitionists have falsely claimed that e-cigarettes emit smoke, that e-cigarettes are harmful to users and nonusers, that nobody knows what is emitted by e-cigarettes, that e-cigarettes are target market to children, and that there is no evidence smokers can quit smoking (by switching to e-cigarettes), everyone attending VaperCon knew that all of those are FALSE accusations.
While drug industry funding recipients have successfully lobbied many government health agencies to subsidize and selectively promote drug industry products (and government funded cessation programs) as the only effective ways to quit smoking, they refuse to inform smokers and the public that NRT products have been ineffective for about 95% of smokers, that some cessation drugs pose health/safety risks, that the vast majority of exsmokers quit smoking by cold turkey, and that millions of other smokers have quit by switching to smokeless tobacco and/or e-cigarettes.
Had e-cigarette prohibition policies (pushed by FDA, CTFK, ACS, AHA, ALA, AMA, AAP, Legacy and others) became the law of the land and were aggressively enforced, many/most of the approximately one million e-cigarette consumers in the world (who have now consumed the equivalent of about a billion packs of cigarettes) would still be smoking cigarettes, which is very clearly NOT beneficial for their health or for public health.
The most difficult challenge to achieving sound and civil public health policies to reduce smoking (which causes 99% of all tobacco attributable disease, disability and death in the US) are the abstinence-only anti-harm-reduction policies and propanda that are heavily funded and aggressively promoted by drug companies, public health agencies, health organizations, foundations and healthcare professional associations.
Its never too late for those who have made false and misleading claims about e-cigarettes (and/or smokeless tobacco products) to make public retractions, corrections, clarifications, apologies and atonements. Their future credibility and that of public health agencies, organizations and professionals may indeed depend upon it.
For disclosure, neither I nor Smokefree Pennsylvania have ever received funding from a tobacco, drug or e-cigarette company.
Bill Godshall
Executive Director
Smokefree Pennsylvania
1926 Monongahela Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
412-351-5880
smokefree@compuserve.com
This past weekend, I went to VaperCon VaperCon 2011, the largest e-cigarette consumers conference to date, at the Clarion Hotel in Richmond, VA, which was attended by about 500 vapers (who quit smoking by switching to e-cigarettes) and about 100 spouses, and was sponsored by 32 e-cigarette product vendors.
Attendees were all adults ranging from 20s to 70s in age, about 55% male and 45% female, virtually all caucasion (but about a dozen blacks attended, which was inspiring) that represented many demographics of smokers in America who are typically seen at car races, rock concerts, Walmart, local bars, fast food joints, grocery and convenience stores.
The dozens of vendors displayed and marketed hundreds of new e-cigarette products (primarily high tech electronics, hardware and flavored e-liquid). But none of the vendors sold (and none of the vapers at vapercon used) the prefilled disposable cartridge starter products that most people consider to be e-cigarettes.
There are two distinctly different e-cigarette industries and markets in America, the mass marketed products similar in size/shape to real cigarettes that are used by most beginners, and the innovative high tech products of many different sizes and shapes that are used by many experienced vapers and afficionados. In contrast to the overall economic malaise in the US, all e-cigarette vendors at Vapercon told me that their business has been booming.
Other than using e-cigarettes to quit smoking, the other common theme among conference attendees was a justifiable disdain of the FDA and other e-cigarette prohibitionists and propagandists. This was a very nonsmoking crowd, as I saw only one person smoking a cigarette on the sidewalk outside the hotel and saw just one pack of cigarettes (in a person's pocket) during the two day conference.
As one who has spent thousands of hours (without pay) to truthfully inform smokers and the public about e-cigarettes and to keep the products legal to sell and use, I was very grateful for the loud standing ovation from the crowd and the many heartfelt thank you's for my activism to help these smokers quit. And everybody I met at Vapercon was friendly and kind. Unfortunately, no e-cigarette opponents attended Vapercon (or any of the previous e-cigarette consumers conferences, whose attendances continue to grow).
Similar to my report about the first Vapefest last year at THR2010. (tobaccoharmreduction.org) (Chapter 18), the air in the ballroom at VaperCon, as several hundred vapers simultaneously vaped, smelled refeshingly like a bouquet of flowers and visibililty remained excellent as the tiny mists of water vapor vaporized after a second or two.
While many tobacco/nicotine prohibitionists have falsely claimed that e-cigarettes emit smoke, that e-cigarettes are harmful to users and nonusers, that nobody knows what is emitted by e-cigarettes, that e-cigarettes are target market to children, and that there is no evidence smokers can quit smoking (by switching to e-cigarettes), everyone attending VaperCon knew that all of those are FALSE accusations.
While drug industry funding recipients have successfully lobbied many government health agencies to subsidize and selectively promote drug industry products (and government funded cessation programs) as the only effective ways to quit smoking, they refuse to inform smokers and the public that NRT products have been ineffective for about 95% of smokers, that some cessation drugs pose health/safety risks, that the vast majority of exsmokers quit smoking by cold turkey, and that millions of other smokers have quit by switching to smokeless tobacco and/or e-cigarettes.
Had e-cigarette prohibition policies (pushed by FDA, CTFK, ACS, AHA, ALA, AMA, AAP, Legacy and others) became the law of the land and were aggressively enforced, many/most of the approximately one million e-cigarette consumers in the world (who have now consumed the equivalent of about a billion packs of cigarettes) would still be smoking cigarettes, which is very clearly NOT beneficial for their health or for public health.
The most difficult challenge to achieving sound and civil public health policies to reduce smoking (which causes 99% of all tobacco attributable disease, disability and death in the US) are the abstinence-only anti-harm-reduction policies and propanda that are heavily funded and aggressively promoted by drug companies, public health agencies, health organizations, foundations and healthcare professional associations.
Its never too late for those who have made false and misleading claims about e-cigarettes (and/or smokeless tobacco products) to make public retractions, corrections, clarifications, apologies and atonements. Their future credibility and that of public health agencies, organizations and professionals may indeed depend upon it.
For disclosure, neither I nor Smokefree Pennsylvania have ever received funding from a tobacco, drug or e-cigarette company.
Bill Godshall
Executive Director
Smokefree Pennsylvania
1926 Monongahela Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15218
412-351-5880
smokefree@compuserve.com
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Excellent, Bill! A big thank you to all of you on the front lines of the defense of vaping!
FYI: Regarding demographics, there also were several Asians and Latinos in attendance. [And, considering the number of transvestite costumes on Saturday evening, there may even have been some of indeterminate gender.]
FYI: Regarding demographics, there also were several Asians and Latinos in attendance. [And, considering the number of transvestite costumes on Saturday evening, there may even have been some of indeterminate gender.
]
Wonderful letter Bill, you always have and continue to do a great job! Thank you so much and please picture me giving you a standing ovation now too, lol!
Bill, that was extremely well written and really described the true environment of vaping once you get past the initiation stage. Getting people there is the real battle. The mainstream, cigarette looking PVs are okay, the the real success lies in the improved technology which is ever advancing.
The strange thing that I've noticed is you can still pay a lot for a basic cig looking device or pay the equivalent and get what will get you away from smoking with a lot less maintenance effort.
I know I must post on some threads that annoy you because some of your historical stances annoy me. I also somewhat understand politics, but I'll never be great at it. I just want you to understand that I understand stances change over time but it's difficult not writing what I feel about a particular situation when it's brought up.
The strange thing that I've noticed is you can still pay a lot for a basic cig looking device or pay the equivalent and get what will get you away from smoking with a lot less maintenance effort.
I know I must post on some threads that annoy you because some of your historical stances annoy me. I also somewhat understand politics, but I'll never be great at it. I just want you to understand that I understand stances change over time but it's difficult not writing what I feel about a particular situation when it's brought up.
ECV's
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Bill and 'Vocalek' (er, Elaine),,, it was SOOOO very great to meet you, enjoy your company at our table, and hug you both! You are both my idols! I know seeing a crazy lady jump you out of nowhere, to give you hugs, was probably very disturbing. But you handled it well!! May God bless you each and every day you wake and open your eyes in the morning, and as you close them at night. And I pray that your all intelligent words finally be heard and acknowledged by all the cynics (meaning those in political power, tobacco power and pharma power) SOON! For the health and well being of all peoples everywhere. I'm so glad I was there in the same room as both of you. And that E. let me hug her a second time. You're a jewel!
When I figure out how to get the pics off my phone and into my computer, I shall post that pic of you both.... with me in the background.
Love you both (hug)
When I figure out how to get the pics off my phone and into my computer, I shall post that pic of you both.... with me in the background.
Love you both (hug)
I love hugs! Hugs are good! Hugs get the endorphins flowing. Thank you very much for the accolades. It makes all the frustration and headaches we face worth while.
To get the pics off your phone and into your computer, find the picture and then select to Send it. When you do that, you can type a phone number (which would send it to another person's phone that has photo capabilities) or you can type an email address! So email the picture to yourself, and then you can download it to your computer!
The hard part is locating the @ symbol on your phone. You might have to refer to the owner's manual. The phone I have now makes it easy because it slides open to a full keyboard.
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