Anti-Smoker's Rant, "Electronic Cigarettes Should be Banned...It's Disgusting Even if It's Fake"

[Vegas_R32]

Hi guys. New member here; just thought I'd introduce myself. Been vaping for maybe 4 months now, and I'm always trying to educate myself and learn as much as I can about this new non-smoking universe. My collection is small; all I have are some KR808s and an Ego Twist. That's after buying various Blu, Green Smoke, White Cloud, etc and returning them all after trying the Ego. Just ordered an EVOD clearo and some juice from Mt. Baker (Demon Energy, Caramel Coffee, Ocean Breeze, Tropic Thunder) so I'm hoping that gets here soon.

Surfing the web you come across lots of ignorant articles and posts. Most of them are easy to ignore as uninformed, but they still bug ya. Saw this guy's blog post last night while laying in bed with insomnia: Electronic Cigarettes Should be Banned as Well from Planck's Constant

Is this really what non-smokers and anti-smokers think of vaping? "Electronic Cigarettes Should be Banned...It's Disgusting Even if It's Fake". And I loved this, "children should not witness purposely lewd behavior lest they grow up believing such behavior is proper. Likewise, children should not be exposed to smokers dragging on cigarettes, fake or not, lest they grow up believing that it's not a filthy, disgusting habit".
I'm sure views like this come from a total lack of information and understanding of what he's even ranting about. But I just know that there's probably a good percentage of the non/anti smoking population that would think similarly. Thoughts guys? I figure a good way to understand the battle Vapers might face in the future is to try and understand how the other side thinks; but it's difficult sometimes when opinions aren't based on anything other than ignorance and fear.

 

[Orb Skewer]

Dont snatch the bait -
have a read at this Vegas_R32
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/media-general-news/447895-glantz-more-media-lies.html

 

[warrenao]

Sounds like an ex-smoker who hates his life now, and doesn't want to try out something new - possibly out of fear of 'becoming re-addicted', as though you can ever not be addicted to nicotine once you're hooked.

Though, on viewing a couple of other posts there as well as the FAQ, I'm more inclined to believe this guy is just an inveterate ........ (Heh, and it takes one to know one!)

As to your concerns - the other day I was in a restaurant, and after I finished my dinner I puffed a while, right there in the (entirely nonsmoking) restaurant.* No one seemed to have a problem with it, and the waitress was pleasantly curious about it. So public attitudes might still be quite plastic. If there are people who are simply opposed to any form of smoking, even something that only looks like smoking but isn't, there's going to be no convincing them. But anyone who is ambivalent will probably be pleasantly surprised by the lack of aroma in vapor, and won't have much of a problem with it once they're exposed.

Of course I live in a state where it's virtually considered child abuse to not give a kid a gun on his fifth birthday, so you can't judge everywhere based on one place.

* Short version: I started with the little cigarette emulators too, but in short order moved to the larger eGo style battery and clearomizer tank. I find it more satisfying.

 

[rico942]

I had to laugh out loud at that idiot's straw man argument about exposing himself at a schoolyard with a fake penis. Kind of tells you all you need to know about the buffoon, that he would imagine such a scenario. Or maybe its something he actually tried ?

Its painfully obvious when someone is smoking a tobacco cigarette, even to a distant and casual observer. Security personnel would have no problem identifying a smoker among a group of vapers, unless they had no sense of smell whatsoever ...

The "pleasure police" will always be among us, the Puritans of the world who just can't stand the thought that another person is enjoying themselves. Sadly, they are very vocal and nearly impossible to educate ...

 

[warrenao]

Sadly, they are very vocal and nearly impossible to educate ...

Amazing how often those two things go together, innit?

 

[mayday_]

I chimed in on that one. That is complete BS

 

[jcalis1394]

Yup, sounds like someone who won't listen to reason at all. Getting through that kind of people is nearly impossible.

 

[Mario87]

Unfortunately a lot of people are misinformed of what vaping is, usually the most radical of them all believe it or not are ex smokers . Those uninformed souls can do a lot of harm to the vaping community and that is the main reason why we should be inform and attempt to educate anyone that asks. This forum has a great section for information which I recommend to all new members and here is the link:
CASAA

Become informed yourself so you can inform others when they ask. Remember knowledge is a very powerful tool!!

 

[Bill's Magic Vapor]

Yeah, a lot of great material out there. There continue to be a lot of abolitionists out there. They are the "Quit smoking or die," group. The more informed and "wiser" folks have come down on the "do less harm," path, because it works. 1.1 billion people smoke worldwide and it's increasing, not decreasing. Harm mitigation is a lot better strategy, imho, and with its strong grass roots support, actually has the potential to change the world. Way easier to substitute something less harmful, than to give it up totally. This has been proven indisputably. The ANTZ, though, are like the temperate movement in the 1930's. Their way or the highway. Like this article as a point/counter-point piece:

Reasonable people saying sensible things about low-risk alternatives to smoking (update) « The counterfactual

Or these quotes from World Vaping Day:

Quotes

We now have the science and the more compelling arguments on our side now. If people/gov just stay out of the way, safer, healthier approaches to the worldwide smoking crisis will likely sort itself out in time, as it is now doing with a great deal of momentum. We must however, fight to preserve our healthier lifestyles, while always remaining adamantly respectful of others. There is almost always a middle ground for us, and grace, courtesy, respect, and politeness go a long way in any setting. Thank you for sharing this ANTZ POV.

 

[warrenao]

I wonder if some of it might come from the idea that vaping is 'getting away' with something. Viewed almost as cheating.

 

[toolongtospell]

I might get flamed for this, but the blogger has a point. As vapers we should not be purposely trying to push our luck with vaping where smoking is not allowed, just because it isn't burning tobacco doesn't mean it cannot be a nuisance. If we keep pushing our luck like the gentleman in the bloggers story we will find ourselves banned to the smoking sections, and be classified as smokers, ruining our chances to give vaping the rightful image that it deserves.

 

[Kanyin]

I wonder if some of it might come from the idea that vaping is 'getting away' with something. Viewed almost as cheating.

They feel it's a way around their uptight laws I believe.

 

[rico942]

I was just reminded of how many scenes in the "Alien" movie series involved characters openly smoking, presumably in the distant future, or in a much more technologically advanced human society ...

Does this assume that a safer (e-cig) alternative has been discovered, or that advances in medical science have made health concerns a non-issue ?

I'll have to watch futuristic movies scenes with smoking more carefully, to see if they're lighting up ...

 

[warrenao]

I'll have to watch futuristic movies scenes with smoking more carefully, to see if they're lighting up ...

Rachel in Blade Runner (like Alien, a Ridley Scott film) was perpetually toking up. For Scott at least I think it's a device to either make his characters or settings more accessible - hey, it's the future, but at least they still smoke - or possibly to lend an air of gritty realism. Most of the crew of the Nostromo in Alien were essentially tugboat or forklift operators, and I think Scott wanted them to be rather earthy (so to speak) in their portrayal. Hence the smoking. I'm willing to bet that it never occurred to him there might someday be an electronic alternative.

 

[Orb Skewer]

 

[Vegas_R32]

I recall the characters in Alien and Aliens lighting up quite a bit too; certainly Ripley smoked a lot in Aliens. I also find it interesting to note the nearly complete absence of smoking in the entire Star Trek series. It never made any sense to me that in all the hundreds of races we'd encountered throughout the galaxy, we never see any of them smoking anything.
Gene Roddenberry: "Even with the heaviest smokers, including myself, I fought for it [omission of smoking in the series]," Roddenberry recalled. "In the end, it paid off for everyone; I think everyone now agrees that the original episodes would not be rerunning so successful if we had yielded to advertising pressure and put a 'twenty-third century cigarette' into the mouth of Kirk and others."
I also found this on Gene Roddenberry (a smoker himself) regarding the topic, "In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, director Nicholas Meyer had "No Smoking" signs posted on the bridge of the Enterprise. According to the text commentary for the film, at Gene Roddenberry's insistence, they were removed. Roddenberry felt that enlightened future Humans would not have hang-ups or addictions like smoking. The "No Smoking" sign can still be seen on the bridge in the opening "Kobayashi Maru" scene."
Pretty naive to think that 'enlightened' humans wouldn't have habits or addictions in the future.
Smoking - Memory Alpha, the Star Trek Wiki
You can see the then-still-present "No Smoking" sign on the Enterprise bridge.

 

[mcol]

The blogger must be lots of fun to live with with that attitude. NOT.
I would like him to come up to me in a casino and start spouting off. Hehe.
Okay that being said - I don't shove it in anyone's face, I don't vape in crowds. I don't
make a big deal out of it and I don't do it constantly. There are discreet ways to do it
if you think it might be questioned or looked down upon, ways to do it so no one has
a clue what you're doing. I've been treated like pond scum from the general population
when I smoked stinkies - and will not be treated like pond scum again. I don't shove it
in anyone's face, I'm respectful, but I expect the same respect in return. Period.
If that doesn't happen, I don't go to the places where I get treated like crap ever again.
If I'm on vacation and it happens, I blame the state and won't be back.
Simple.

 

[jacob1174]

I read the rant and all I can say is "This is a shame". We live in a society where something good happens to someone, i.e. finding another alternative to cigarette smoking, and you have the Dream Police telling the public how horrible the new alternative is. These people need to look past their personal bias and celebrate someone, who was able to make the choice to better help themselves. I wanted to check the author's (S.E. Smith) sources discovered some peculiarity.

Stanton Glantz, PhD, Professor of Medicine at the Center for Tobacco Control, University of California San Francisco, and leading tobacco control expert. He may be a Professor of Medicine but Mr Glantz is not a medical doctor and cannot give a medical opinion.
Dr. Glantz does quote his own work where he studied California ground water and the amount of heavy metals within the ground water. He does make a stretch (actually a great big giant stretch) in correlating heavy metals in California ground water to the "harmful" compound in e-cigs.

S.E. Smith has found a way to slant the truth. If you tell a lie long enough, maybe someone will believe you. So much for my rant.

 

[warrenao]

...video...

That was very cool.

 

[BlueMoods]

Views like those in the blog come form the same sort of narrow minded individuals that, through the decades, have thought rock n roll, alcohol, same gender marriage, non Christian religions and, a slew of other things should be banned.

Unfortunately, many of that sort are very charismatic and persuasive and, they don't mind spending the money to spread their views and gain followers. Ultimately, in some cases, they do manage to get whatever it is banned, or prevent it form being legalized to begin with.

I don't agree with acting like a smoke and not asking permission to vape where smoking is prohibited. That just screams "I am a smoker and I know it, that's why I act like one." And being seen as smokers is the last thing we want or need. Ask permission, and if allowed do vape where you can't smoke. Now vaping after being refused when you asked is a huge NO. That's disrespectful and rude, also an image we don't want or need.