Disturbing vapers in the wild sighting

[Elendil]

Would you have been equally shocked if they were all hanging out around the entrance smoking cigarettes? Of course not.....

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but a kid not smoking is a kid not smoking. If there ever is some evidence that teenage vaping leads to actual tobacco use, or that vaping is somehow dangerous, then I might have a serious issue.

But if MY teenager were going to do something to "rebel" I think vaping would be at the top of my list of preferred vices.

^^^This^^^

I keep seeing words like "shocked" & "disturbing" in this thread. Really? If that is the case you all have a very low threshold for being shocked and disturbed.

My Dad starting smoking at 12. He's been dead almost 9 years. Died at 64 the same year he was going to retire. Worked for 50+ years and never got to enjoy the rewards of living an honorable life and raising and supporting a family.

I started smoking at 16 and smoked for 25 years before discovering e-cigs. With any luck I'll get to cash in on the rewards that my father missed.

I say more power to those kids. It sure beats the alternative.

 

[RichRod]

i havent read the whole thread but heres my 2 cents
i started smoking cigarettes at age 15 (currently 21) and if i had found vaping earlier it could have potentially stopped me from smoking those nasty cigarettes, but instead i was underage and i found it quite easy to get packs of cigarettes. lets face it, its not very hard for underage kids to get ahold of cigarettes or alcohol. Ide much rather see kids vaping than pulling out a pack of their parents marlboros. its just a fact kids will get ahold of things they shouldn't.

 

[bluecat]

Once addicted to nicotine, it’s only a small leap to cigarettes to satisfy this addiction.

I have just never understood this. Why would anyone want to go from vaping to smoking. I just don't see it unless.... there is a global ban on vaping.

 

[dhock50]

Hate to say it, but its better than seeing them smoking actual cigarettes. I started at 15 years old, wish vaping would have been an option then.

 

[NealBJr]

I tend to agree with everyone that says they'll find a way no matter what. I don't care how hard we try, they WILL find a way. They can put restrictions on internet sales, raise the age to 21, make them expensive, or whatever they want to in order to TRY and get kids to stay away, but the fact is, nothing is as useful at keeping children away from smoking/vaping as educating them and disciplining them. When I see teenagers smoking, I don't think "wow, they got around the age check at some store", I think "wow, a parent hasn't fully educated him". Same goes for vaping.

My unusual story is, my Mom smoked growing up. I smoked weed when I was 16 (was totally illegal then) , I got drunk for the first time when I was 18 ( was for 21 or older)... I didn't smoke until I was 20 (I started legally). My worst habit started late, and all the laws didn't stop me from doing the others.

 

[Sirius]

I have just never understood this. Why would anyone want to go from vaping to smoking. I just don't see it unless.... there is a global ban on vaping.

They wouldn't. I know several people that started out with dip. They have never as much as smoked a cigar before. I forget who said this but, "When you jump to conclusions you sometimes have a ruff landing" lol

 

[Sirius]

no matter what it is, kids are ALWAYS going to emulate adult behavior

I really like this post. As a child, you couldn't turn on the TV without a show or movie that didn't have someone smoking cigs in it. My Dad and Granddaddy both smoked and so did my uncles. My first cig was a Camel ,(filterless) and it was given to me by my Granddaddy on a tooth pick. I was around 4 years old.
I started smoking when I was 10 years old. Full time smoker by the time I was 15. Yep, even buying my own. I grew up in the 60's btw. Man how times have changed. lol

 

[omyeyes]

I think it's pretty shocking too and very unsettling and my first urge is to say OMG where are the parents????

There are many times I ask myself this very question when I see some of the things these kids are doing these days.

 

[celticluvr]

Don't forget cheapie knockoff with top coil clearos. I still happen to like top coils. Now I just need a loin cloth and spear.


To OP.

Kids are going to be kids.... Each parent is responsible for raising them. Let them do it how they wish. If vaping is not dangerous, whats the big deal?

I probably would be easier with vaping than with the close my wife and daughters come home with. I don't think the make shorts other than Daisy Dukes anymore. I always get Daddy this is the only thing they make. Dang hoochie momma shorts everywhere.

This is why I make my shorts out of my old pants. Already worn in and a decent length. I'm 24 and I HATE Daisy Dukes. My Daddy would have whooped my .... if I wore something like that!

OP:
I don't have any young 'uns but if I did and they were that age, Uh Uh they'd get a .... whoopin' if they were doing anything underaged or illegal.

But if I see other kids out in public doing it, I wouldn't say nothin' because they aren't mine to say anything to.

 

[Uma]

Would you have been equally shocked if they were all hanging out around the entrance smoking cigarettes? Of course not.....

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but a kid not smoking is a kid not smoking. If there ever is some evidence that teenage vaping leads to actual tobacco use, or that vaping is somehow dangerous, then I might have a serious issue.

But if MY teenager were going to do something to "rebel" I think Vaping would be at the top of my list of preferred vices.

I agree with pop, elindill and the others who raise similar views. Well said everyone!

Had that of been me. I would have first happily congratulated them for getting away from smokes. Next, I would have asked them to please be careful about vaping in public, because the Nanny fascists are trying desperately to get us all to go back on smokes by banning eCigs. I then would have asked them to gather all their ex-smoker friends and family to make a video on how crazy stupid the propaganda is and that they are living proof that eCigs get you away from smokes and even weaned off the nicotine.

This is where it's your turn to say "yeh yeh yeh, heard it all before.... "

 

[Sucker_dad]

While it does seem very young, we shouldn't be that shocked by it. We moved quite a bit when I was young and I went to 3 different High Schools that allowed kids to smoke. Had smoking areas and everything. I don't recall there being any bans because of it. It was already illegal for kids to smoke and it was illegal for us to buy them, but somehow we all found a way to do it.

 

[spaceballsrules]

I was stealing cigarettes from my Dad when I was 12, and I was full fledged smoker by 14. This is not surprising in any way to me. I am just glad that they are vaping rather than smoking, and it is 0 mg juice to boot.

 

[Sirius]

I was stealing cigarettes from my Dad when I was 12, and I was full fledged smoker by 14. This is not surprising in any way to me. I am just glad that they are vaping rather than smoking, and it is 0 mg juice to boot.

The Army was having maneuvers all around our area in preparation for going to Vietnam. I later found out the ones that were nearest to us was the 7th Cav.You may have seen the movie,"We Were Soldiers" Mel Gibson. Anyway my older brother traded home made pies my Mom made for them for him to carry over to them, for C-Rations. In those C-Rations were 5 Packs,(5 cigs per pack) and I took one of those out and headed to the woods. I think I was around 6 or 7 years old..lol

 

[Busted knuckles]

I started smoking at that age! I'd much rather see teens vaping 0% nic. Its an improvement over what my generatin did!

 

[DetraMental]

I started smoking at 12 so I'm not surprised at the age of these kids. If I'd had e-cigs to try I'd have been all over them. As most have stated you can't keep kids from doing what they are going to do no more than we were kept from doing what we did as kids.

 

[eeevilyn.]

I haven't seen any teens vaping but my teen daughter says there's kids at her school that do.

I think it is ok. If they're going to try something, I'd rather it be vaping than other things. No one can prove that it's harmful.

I'm another one that started smoking cigarettes at 13 and continued smoking for 25 years. Yuck!

 

[patkin]

I was surprised at first and after thinking it over, I think what I was surprised at was not that they had setups but that they talked to and showed an adult stranger what they had in the first place and so comfortably and openly next. I'm still not exactly sure why that's what surprised me. I tried to imagine that behavior in kids of the same age when I was around them frequently and none of them would have been that open unless it was something they were certain wouldn't get them in any trouble which could only have been learned by interacting with the adults around them. So, what I deduce is, the setups were probably bought for them by their parents. I'm sure the parents have their reasons which I really have no opinion on without knowing them or the circumstances but do think they should have educated the kids more. Other than that, I think its pretty neat they were so open with you and am sorry you didn't get a chance to help with the education they've missed. Now, I know, there are other ways to see this such as these were urchins without any parental supervision and are used to conversing with adults due to having had to grow up too fast. I didn't see them so have nothing to help with determining if that might be the case but since that would upset me, I'm choosing to see another way. ;-)

 

[certus11]

way overeacting. i smoked when i was 12 and lots of french canadian did too while waiting to be of legal age (16)

back then they used to sell smokes to kids like nothing, even singles

loosen up and let them experience

at least they ain't smoking.

or cracking

or pipping

 

[p.opus]

If kids start vaping at a young age, eventually they may get addicted to the nicotine. Let’s not try to fool ourselves into thinking they will only vape 0 MG
Once addicted to nicotine, it’s only a small leap to cigarettes to satisfy this addiction.

It's this type of faulty thinking that the anti e-cig crowd is now trying to propagate.

If increased teen e-cig use is a gateway, why is teen smoking continuing to decrease instead of increase. Teen vaping as increased 2 fold if you listen to all the alarmist data out there, BUT teen smoking rates are at an all time low.....

This is not the behavior of a gateway, but more indicative of teens using e-cigs INSTEAD of tobacco.

It is a well known fact that the tobacco companies manipulated cigarettes to make the nicotine in the cigarettes "more effective". Phillip Morris used this manipulation to catapult the Marlboro Man into the number one brand. If you don't believe me, next time you smoke, try an American Spirit or one from those RYO (Roll Your Own) shops.

The point is. Vaping, where someone knows the exact nicotine level they are vaping and has full freedom of lowering that level gives the user much more control than the set nicotine count in a cigarette which may or may not have been manipulated to be even more addicting than it normally would be.

 

[HoseGarden]

If you don't believe me, next time you smoke, try an American Spirit or one from those RYO (Roll Your Own) shops.

for what it's worth, i think american spirits are absolutely disgusting. i'll usually turn them down if i'm bumming a smoke from somebody. you should see the insane responses i get when i tell people it's ok i dont want that ....