This is not about kids (=minors) following a new trend. This is not about kids being any more rebellious or obnoxious than my generation (actually, this generation is a bunch of wimps compared to mine: anti-war, anti-draft, women's lib, anti-segregation, {OTHER STUFF}, flower power. This generation is rather docile in comparison).
This is about my rights to use ecigs as a spectacularly successful smoking cessation therapy vs. a minor's rights to be trendy. I was a 1.5 pack/day Red smoker and tried everything to quit. It will be 4 years for me in April.
My right to vape and buy "stuff" relatively unimpeded by any legislation is being seriously threatened by the incredible proliferation of ecig usage by minors. I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT A MINOR'S RIGHT TO SELF EXPRESSSION. Let them pay their dues by going through the maturation process the way every generation has.
When will the vaping community and the ex-smokers in particular realize that we are a minority and kids vaping is really ticking off the majority?
I blame the B&M's for this unethical expression of capitalism. No adult in his/her right mind would pay the ludicrous prices of the B&M's when they have a credit card and can buy online for far less. Their market is a youth, all cash payment market. Just walk into a B&M with open eyes to see that.
More importantly, I blame the cloud chasing sub-ohm craze as being the biggest threat to my right to be smoke free. Sub ohming has the potential to be very dangerous not only to the users but to those around them.
The tide of public opinion is turning against us. Brats blowing annoying clouds in public and starting a debate about the long term dangers of second hand vape is one thing.
Now, you are adding a danger which leaves no room for debate since the effect is immediate and gory.
So, take your platitudes and stuff them. You are messing up my life. I would have backed any legislation that prevents the sale and usage of ecigs to minors.
Unfortunately, it's too late for that. Any new anti-vaping legislation will be far more draconian.
Preach!! ... I was gonna do my damnedest to make it out of this thread without posting, but you made it impossible, because I couldn't agree with you more!
@Rocketpunk, ... I think you are irked because there is something genuinely irksome about hyper, noisy, oblivious, and rude teenagers. I relate to where you are coming from because I have said a few times on this forum that I am not a fan of this new, younger generation of vapers, and I do not believe its a good look for the community on a whole ... but what are we going to do?? There is nothing we can do, just as there was nothing that adults could do to stop us from smoking when we were kids... most especially when the same adults who were telling us that we could not smoke, were doing it themselves, and often times right in front of our faces.
This growth, and popularity spurt amongst teenagers does warrant genuine concern. Even as smoking cigarettes is detrimental to one's health over time, e cigarette products in the hands of "wreckless youth" I think is potentially just as dangerous, if not more so ... and not over the long term, but immediately. If we were still in the era of cig a likes, and Ego's I would far less concerned. But this is the age of the mechanical mod, RBA's, and sub ohming, all of which are potentially very dangerous in the hands of the ignorant, and inexperienced. And too many sub ohm'ers prefer to DEFEND their position on sub ohm vaping, rather than taking greater responsibility for how they do, what they do, out in the world, with the bored youth looking on in curiosity, and envy.
From the perspective of state legislation, and its anti-e cigarette officials, this "new generation" of vapers is the perfect target of focus to substantiate any anti-e cigarette point of view. I don't think its a coincidence that recent legislative attempts to ban, restrict, and propose ridiculous levels of taxation on the sale of e-cigarettes, appears to be gaining some serious momentum as of late ... and rightly so. Once our youth became a part of the rapidly growing population of e-cigarette users, it gave local state legislators a serious leg to stand on... how could it not?
Just a few years ago, I believe that the vaping community had greater success with keeping anti-e cigarette legislators off our backs because vaping was still largely an "adult" activity ... not so anymore. I am not concerned with whether teenagers are vaping zero nic vs 18mg nic, nor am I disputing the fact that it would be better for ANY living being to vape vs smoke, whether it be a teenager, or grown adult.
I am concerned about the DANGERS of sub ohm vaping in the hands of children who can barely put forth the effort required to comb their hair, and pull up their pants on a daily basis, let alone be responsible for consistently taking all of the safety precautions REQUIRED to sub ohm safely with mechanical mods ... lets keep it real people, most of these these teenagers are not checking for your CE2 and Ego set up.
