Are you smoking inside?

[Filibuster]

Would never smoke in my home. I vape my face off in my home though!

 

[Thrill]

Vapor is not smoke. No matter what it looks like or what anybody thinks.
Smoke is a particulate product of combustion. Wood smoke is not wood.
Vapor is a differing form of a substance that does not change it's elemental structure. Water vapor is still water.

On a cold day, your breath is not smoke. Your teapot doesn't smoke. You don't use a "smoke" iron to iron clothes and fast food places don't put burgers on a "smoke table".
Only an uneducated child refers to the product of the vaporizer in their bedroom as "smoke".

I would like to take this one step further. Since my first day vaping, I have had a hard time figuring out why the vaping community still uses the word cigarette. I understand that it is one of the simpler ways of describing what these things are, but it brings with it such negative connotations. The only similarity between what is delivered from a cigarette and an e-cigarette is the nicotine. ONE of the ingredients is the same, that is all. Do we call apple juice "liquid corn" simply because it has high fructose corn syrup in it? No, we don't. I prefer not to refer to my pv as a cigarette, electronic or otherwise. I will never refer to vaping as smoking. I want to distance myself as far from smoking cigarettes as I can, mentally, physically, and to the public.

I will use the tea pot analogy for sure when answering questions in the future. Thank you for that little gem, and for the rest of the awesome post as well.

 

[Nikinic]

I go a step further. I don't let them nitpick because it's not nitpicking. It's flat out wrong. I'm NOT smoking anything. If you consider yourself to still be smoking, and you allow other people to hold that misperception, you do us all a disservice.

Vapor is not smoke. No matter what it looks like or what anybody thinks.
Smoke is a particulate product of combustion. Wood smoke is not wood.
Vapor is a differing form of a substance that does not change it's elemental structure. Water vapor is still water.

On a cold day, your breath is not smoke. Your teapot doesn't smoke. You don't use a "smoke" iron to iron clothes and fast food places don't put burgers on a "smoke table".
Only an uneducated child refers to the product of the vaporizer in their bedroom as "smoke".

I just got done reading the first 10 google pages on a search of the term "electronic cigarette safety".
Other than the phony "review" sites, 90% of the other sites were anti e-cigs and a common thread among all of them was that they referred to "smoke", "smoking" and the fact that e-cigs were a bad influence on children because they look like cigarettes and glamorized "smoking", or they gave the impression that "smoking" was safe.

To the average Joe, you didn't quit smoking. You just quit smoking regular cigarettes and now you smoke e-cigarettes. That's a dangerous attitude for us to perpetuate by not making it perfectly clear that we are in no way, shape or form, smoking.

This is not just a matter of semantics. It's far more important than that if you value your right to vape.

We are in a war, people! If a referendum were held to outlaw e-cigs tomorrow, we would lose. Much of the reason is due to the perception of vaping as smoking and the average American's scientific illiteracy, preventing him from knowing the difference between vapor and smoke. The same ignorance is why people don't laugh out loud when e-cigs are included in smoking bans. And it's the reason people are too ignorant to educate their children about the difference between vaping and smoking. Instead, they expect you to go away so that their children don't become confused.

Don't let anyone get away uncorrected when they refer to vapor as smoke. In the end, the war against e-cigs will be won or lost on the basis of public perception. The antis know it and so do their hired PR goons. Now, you do too.

I love this! Thank you for putting it so simple, yet getting the point across at how important it is to be proactive in this fight. I know that vaping has saved my life. I do not know what I or so many vapers would do if we lost this right. I never refer to vapor as smoke and have explained it to my kids thoroughly. They are glad that I am not smoking anymore and when they refer to my vapor as smoke I correct them. I do however find myself using the term ecig when explaining to those who do not understand. I pledge now to stop even using that term. At my work I am forced to stand with smokers in order to vape and this bothers me so much. I stand as far from them as I can, not because I think I am better than them, but because I do not want to be seen as a smoker anymore! I am a vaper damn it!!

 

[nansc]

I just tell people i use it to not smoke and they think it is great.

 

[sailorman]

I would like to take this one step further. Since my first day vaping, I have had a hard time figuring out why the vaping community still uses the word cigarette. I understand that it is one of the simpler ways of describing what these things are, but it brings with it such negative connotations. The only similarity between what is delivered from a cigarette and an e-cigarette is the nicotine. ONE of the ingredients is the same, that is all. Do we call apple juice "liquid corn" simply because it has high fructose corn syrup in it? No, we don't. I prefer not to refer to my pv as a cigarette, electronic or otherwise. I will never refer to vaping as smoking. I want to distance myself as far from smoking cigarettes as I can, mentally, physically, and to the public.

I will use the tea pot analogy for sure when answering questions in the future. Thank you for that little gem, and for the rest of the awesome post as well.

Thank you. As you can tell by my sig, it's one of my pet peeves. Marketers called it an e-cigarette to attract smokers, but in doing so, they've sowed the seeds of their own demise. Similarly, designing a pv to look like a cigarette was a blunder of monumental proportions to everything except the e-cig's short term profits. It is responsible for more animosity toward vaping from the public and the self-appointed protectors of children than any other single factor.

In reaction to the pooh-poohing of certain other posters who seem to think that it makes no difference what they're called or how they look, I have posted long rants here about the importance of language in shaping public policy. Among other examples, I refer to the likes of Frank Luntz and his coining of the term "Death tax" to make large numbers of our citizens despise and fear an estate tax they formerly supported and never had a chance of being subject to. Consider also, "healthy forests initiative" and "Blue skies initiative", both of which are totally Orwellian, yet effective terms.

I am not a smoker. I disregard no-smoking signs. I don't hang out in the smoking sections or in the alley with the smokers. If you want you and your PV to be treated like a smoker with a cigarette, look and act like you're smoking. I would never vape a cigarette look-alike and I never refer to my PV as an e-cig unless I'm speaking to an ally. To anyone else, it's a vaporizer. If they appear to be hostile and I'm not in the mood to educate them, I'll tell them, "My doctor prescribed it. Go away". Under NO circumstance will I ever refer to my vaping as "smoking" and I won't accept anyone else doing it either.

Nobody has preconceived ideas and hatred toward vaporizers. The word cigarette brings down all sorts of baggage upon us that we don't need and certainly don't deserve.

 

[ChinMullet]

We are in a war, people!

Oh my god, here we go again. Lighten up brother. Have a cigarette...or something.

To the average Joe, you didn't quit smoking. You just quit smoking regular cigarettes and now you smoke e-cigarettes.

No ..... That's how a lot of reasonable people think about the word, no matter how hard you stomp your feet and point at the dictionary.

You routinely put it in your mouth and inhale a cloud of something to get nicotine. A lot of people don't care if that definition extends to include the literal definition of smoking. It's splitting hairs to them. Think of other times people have split hairs with you.

Your sig says that you don't think it's best to vape what looks like a cig, or use the word e-cigarette. Scroll up to the top and read what ECF is an abbreviation of, then keep ranting.

 

[elfstone]

I go a step further. I don't let them nitpick because it's not nitpicking. It's flat out wrong. I'm NOT smoking anything. If you consider yourself to still be smoking, and you allow other people to hold that misperception, you do us all a disservice.

Vapor is not smoke. No matter what it looks like or what anybody thinks.
Smoke is a particulate product of combustion. Wood smoke is not wood.
Vapor is a differing form of a substance that does not change it's elemental structure. Water vapor is still water.

On a cold day, your breath is not smoke. Your teapot doesn't smoke. You don't use a "smoke" iron to iron clothes and fast food places don't put burgers on a "smoke table".
Only an uneducated child refers to the product of the vaporizer in their bedroom as "smoke".

I just got done reading the first 10 google pages on a search of the term "electronic cigarette safety".
Other than the phony "review" sites, 90% of the other sites were anti e-cigs and a common thread among all of them was that they referred to "smoke", "smoking" and the fact that e-cigs were a bad influence on children because they look like cigarettes and glamorized "smoking", or they gave the impression that "smoking" was safe.

To the average Joe, you didn't quit smoking. You just quit smoking regular cigarettes and now you smoke e-cigarettes. That's a dangerous attitude for us to perpetuate by not making it perfectly clear that we are in no way, shape or form, smoking.

This is not just a matter of semantics. It's far more important than that if you value your right to vape.

We are in a war, people! If a referendum were held to outlaw e-cigs tomorrow, we would lose. Much of the reason is due to the perception of vaping as smoking and the average American's scientific illiteracy, preventing him from knowing the difference between vapor and smoke. The same ignorance is why people don't laugh out loud when e-cigs are included in smoking bans. And it's the reason people are too ignorant to educate their children about the difference between vaping and smoking. Instead, they expect you to go away so that their children don't become confused.

Don't let anyone get away uncorrected when they refer to vapor as smoke. In the end, the war against e-cigs will be won or lost on the basis of public perception. The antis know it and so do their hired PR goons. Now, you do too.

Wow! We need to print/blog/spam this or something.

 

[elfstone]

@sailorman: can you add your own quote: "I wonder why every kid starts smoking when it turns cold outside. " to this one? I just love that one!

 

[ChinMullet]

Similarly, designing a pv to look like a cigarette was a blunder of monumental proportions to everything except the e-cig's short term profits.

It helped me tremendously that it looks and feels like a cigarette. Are you saying I am wrong? Perhaps you should consider that other people are entitled to their opinions.

I don't hang out in the smoking sections or in the alley with the smokers.

I do. I enjoy getting away from my desk and hanging out with the smokers (or not) just like I always did. I didn't smoke in my house, and now don't vape there either. Out of respect for others, I didn't smoke in anyone else's house, or their cars, or non-smoking places. I don't vape in the same circumstances out of respect for them too. Whether it's smoking/vaping/whatever, it's my issue not theirs.

I'm not going to sit there and argue semantics with strangers or everyone I know. Life is too short, and I frankly don't care.

 

[joe2web]

me too, I also vape everywhere, but first I just ask if it is ok.

 

[BuGlen]

Just like many others, I didn't smoke in the house because of the smell and how it got into everything. Vapor, on the other hand, smells good to me and I have no problem smoking in my house. If I'm at someone else's house who is a non-smoker, I always ask if I can vape or I simply walk outside.

 

[elfstone]

Well.. I guess there are limits... Just admiring the plumes of my Boba @5V... hard to sell as "just harmless vapor" even if it really is )

 

[ki77en]

While I can only mildly say I'm envious of those who had the strength to only smoke outside, I will admit to being a hater. I justified it by opening windows and turning on fans - even in the middle of winter - to subdue at least some of it. Even though this is less effective as going outside, it is well known that the residue sticks to you (smell and chemicals) and if you have children w/ allergies/asthma, then going outside is simply not enough.

I don't vape like I smoked. While at times I still feel a bit self-conscious about what appears to be 'smoke', I am reminded consistently of how it's not just by my daughters reactions. They are happy - and aren't freezing. (No, it wasn't really like that.) I vape where ever and whenever providing I don't run the risk of disturbing s/one that doesn't understand. It's hard to stealth vape w/ straight vg, but easier to get away w/ vaping if no one smells anything.... yep, that person is probably imagining things.

Vaping is a (wo)man's best friend, next to their favorite animal, of course.

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

The other day my parents came over for dinner. I was in the kitchen making drinks and taking a couple toots off my PV. Dad walks in as I'm exhaling a beautiful plume of vapor and asks, "Are you smoking, and in the house?" He knew I quit cigs, but I hadn't got into what helped me quit yet. I just said it's water vapor with nicotine in it and didn't really know how to explain it. How do you explain vaping to people that have never heard of it?

Arguments of this sort tend to get nowhere; from my point of view smoking, strictly defined, must include—at a minimum—smoke, and all that implies. To my protagonist, the act of satisfying a nicotine addiction by means of inhaling a delivery medium—be it smoke or a gimmicky substitute—is fundamentally the same, is smoking.

I've found it helpful—when dealing with attitudes of the sort you're confronting—to dislodge your dug-in heels just long enough to concede aspects of their position that could be reasonably argued between reasonable people. For instance, the hand-to-mouth ritual is no different, whether smoking or vaping, as is the primordial satisfaction of throat hit. There's no arguing the nicotine question.

Except when debating the most mind-dead of anti-smoking-or-anything-that-looks-like-it individuals drunk with self-righteousness, such concessions of mine generally loosen a few of their own. Ultimately, they may allow the notion of harm-reduction, that nicotine by its lonesome is comparable to the coffee they drink every morning; they sip their drug of choice— I inhale mine.

Suddenly, it becomes a conversation, and we cease be combatants.

 

[Sethenes]

@ sailorman : I agree with your posts as far as the fight for public perception goes whole-heartedly; however a cigarette and and e-cigarette are indeed two different things; sort of like a cat and catfish or cattail. My first PV was a disposable Blu which helped greatly to be able to put down my cigarettes and smoke that like a real cigarette. Then my Ego came in the mail which was fun and gave me the nicotine rush I needed. Then I felt that urge to have that feel of the cigarette back which a manual ego did not give me. So, I ordered an automatic 510 and rushed out to buy another disposable, while I waited for the automatic to ship, to keep myself from buying analogs to have that feeling. So, should I deny myself the automatic 510 with cartomizer, just because someone might associate that with a cigarette and possibly cave in to buying analogs? I know you said YOU wouldn't smoke ("e-cigarettes"/auto 510's), but what do you think about the people that depend on them? I personally think even those should be called auto 510 "cigarette like" devices should also be called personal vaporizers and be done with it. Like another poster said, what do you think of the name of this very forum?

Awesome post about public perception and the fundamental difference between smoke and vapor. That really does need to be fought for.

 

[daisygirlie]

Hahahaha - My parents know i've quit smoking with e-cigs yet - i think they'd faint if i vaped in their home!

-daisy

 

[thelmstetter]

I do vape inside. I just say it's not smoke, it's water vapor. I think it is safe. I have read that there have been trace amounts of nicotine in the exhaled vapor, but it disopates very quickly. Nicotine in small doses is not harmful. There is nicotine in some foods such as potatoes and tomatoes.

 

[CountSmackula]

Didn't smoke inside... kids, wife w/ asthma. Vaping away indoors. No adverse reaction from my cohabitants.

 

[thelmstetter]

I just explain it by saying that I still take in the same amount of nicotine, but I am not taking in all the harmful, cancer causing chemicals in cigarettes. What I do now has no effect on my lungs.

 

[Sethenes]

Yes, we all have nicotine in our system and digest it probably every day. It's a naturally occurring substance. I really believe vaping is safe too. I mean, especially compared to cigarettes. It's a no-brainer if you have a brain that is. But, I've actually gotten real good ideas on how to explain it in this thread. Thanks to all who have posted so far. And I'm sure the explanation/retort will vary depending on who is asking and their hostility/curiosity level.