How do you feel about smokers now?

[PeppermintPatty]

I would like to weigh in, even as a non smoker. As a nurse, what is often interesting and actually difficult to deal with is how smokers view *themselves*. While everyone is different, I find it really hard to broach the topic. If a health care person even brings up smoking, "How much do you smoke?" for example, I get a slurry of "I know, I'm terrible, I shouldn't, I'll stop...." and on and on. I have actually had to say "Stop it!!!" a few times to re focus someone to the topic at hand. I am well aware smokers know that it is bad for them, have yet to meet someone who didn't know. My job is never to judge, but to evaluate the situation and let them know about any harm reduction ideas I might have.

This society has gone so overboard stigmatizing smokers that it makes it hard for those of us with new and interesting alternatives to even crack the protective shell they have put around themselves. Even nicotine addiction is stigmatized. I have read stop-smoking forums and seen e cig vapers *blasted* for still having a nicotine addiction. This coming from people who not only were addicted to nicotine themselves at one time, but who also may enjoy a glass of wine every night to relax, or take an anti-anxiety, meds prescribed by their doctor to help them deal with the day.

We only have this life...to waste it being consumed with being the perfect person, totally off any sort of substance is probably both unrealistic and a waste of time. History tells us that....there has never been a time in human history that people did not seek chemical forms of relaxation or alteration of conciousness. Are we going to be the very first? Nah....probably not. vape on

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Personally, I've been analog free for almost a year. While I do have family members that continue to smoke analogs, despite owning e-cigs, I find myself going outside to vape with them while they smoke. The smell of the smoke directly is the main factor that I can't stand. It's the smell, the knowledge of a second hand effect, and the effects it's having on the smoker themselves. I can tolerate the smell on someones clothes to a point as it reminds me of what I once smelled like, and it is disgusting. But when I smell it while driving because someone else is smoking, I find myself closing my windows and kicking on the recirculate cabin air switch in my truck. I cant believe my wife and family put up with the smell of analog smoke for so long but am reminded daily that I'm glad that I switched.

 

[Kropotkin]

I would like to weigh in, even as a non smoker. As a nurse, what is often interesting and actually difficult to deal with is how smokers view *themselves*. While everyone is different, I find it really hard to broach the topic. If a health care person even brings up smoking, "How much do you smoke?" for example, I get a slurry of "I know, I'm terrible, I shouldn't, I'll stop...." and on and on. I have actally had to say "Stop it!!!" a few times to re focus someone to the topic at hand. I am well aware smokers know that it is bad for them, have yet to meet someone who didn't know. My job is never to judge, but to evaluate the situation and let them know about any harm reduction ideas I might have.

This society has gone so overboard stigmatizing smokers that it makes it hard for those of us with new and interesting alternatives to even crack the protective shell they have put around themselves. Even nicotine addiction is stigmatized. I have read stop-smoking forums and seen e cig vapers *blasted* for still having a nicotine addiction. This coming from people who not only were addicted to nicotine themselves at one time, but who also may enjoy a glass of wine every night to relax, or take an anti-anxiety, meds prescribed by their doctor to help them deal with the day.

We only have this life...to waste it being consumed with being the perfect person, totally off any sort of substance is probably both unrealistic and a waste of time. History tells us that....there has never been a time in human history that people did not seek chemical forms of relaxation or alteration of conciousness. Are we going to be the very first? Nah....probably not. Vape on

If I could give this post 500 likes I'd do so forthwith.

 

[Craybee]

one of the reasons i switched to vaping is that i actually enjoyed smoking. over the years i'd tried patches and gums and zyban but they just weren't effective in the long run. over the years i'd cut down from a pack a day to about 6 a day but last year saw that i was slowly trending back up due to stress. i didn't want to go back to being a pack a day smoker so, knowing i enjoyed smoking but needed to quit cuz it's smelly and you know, life-threatening, i decided to be realistic and look into e-cigarettes.

nine months later and i haven't had tobaccy since my starter kit arrived. as a non-smoker i do sometimes find myself trying not to be "that guy". you know, the one who's confrontational with smokers. there's this guy on my shuttle to work everyday and omg he stinks to high heaven of that stale cigarette smell. he probably smokes in his apartment. i sit there thinking "dude, can't you smell yourself?" but the reality is he probably can't. and the sad thing is i probably smelled like that for years and didn't know ... or didn't care. i'm so glad i'm a vapor now. it may not be the holy grail of total cessation but it was the choice that was most realistic for me.

 

[bluecat]

I still like the smell of a freshly lit smoke. The stale smell of smoke though is horrible.

If one wants to smoke then light them up. If you want to judge someone then be prepared to be judge.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

A bit of "they're missing something". A bit of compassion.

 

[Sl4gathor]

Still love the smell of one just lit up, but after a few drags it stinks.......
I don't look down on anyone for anything, except for being shorter then me, only cause I have too.....heh

 

[bluecat]

I would like to weigh in, even as a non smoker. As a nurse, what is often interesting and actually difficult to deal with is how smokers view *themselves*. While everyone is different, I find it really hard to broach the topic. If a health care person even brings up smoking, "How much do you smoke?" for example, I get a slurry of "I know, I'm terrible, I shouldn't, I'll stop...." and on and on. I have actally had to say "Stop it!!!" a few times to re focus someone to the topic at hand. I am well aware smokers know that it is bad for them, have yet to meet someone who didn't know. My job is never to judge, but to evaluate the situation and let them know about any harm reduction ideas I might have.

This society has gone so overboard stigmatizing smokers that it makes it hard for those of us with new and interesting alternatives to even crack the protective shell they have put around themselves. Even nicotine addiction is stigmatized. I have read stop-smoking forums and seen e cig vapers *blasted* for still having a nicotine addiction. This coming from people who not only were addicted to nicotine themselves at one time, but who also may enjoy a glass of wine every night to relax, or take an anti-anxiety, meds prescribed by their doctor to help them deal with the day.

We only have this life...to waste it being consumed with being the perfect person, totally off any sort of substance is probably both unrealistic and a waste of time. History tells us that....there has never been a time in human history that people did not seek chemical forms of relaxation or alteration of conciousness. Are we going to be the very first? Nah....probably not. Vape on

Sadly I heard about this last night driving home from work about 8 or so.

Navy Considers Ban on Tobacco Sales at Exchange Stores - NBC News

Here's a gun to go kill the bad guy and possible be shot or blown up, yet don't smoke a cig.

"The Navy is considering a ban on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products at Navy and Marine Corps exchange stores."

Our nation has become a sad sack nanny state full of hypocritical elected officials. They want to save us from ourselves yet who is going to save us from "them".

 

[Bernard Marx]

I see them hidden in crevices and just around corners or furtively lurking in their cars and I think of them as not quite substantial shadow-people. I am interested in them in an almost voyeuristic way. I admire their envelope-pushing testing of respectability. As far as the smell goes, it doesn't bother me, in fact it is a good way to locate them.

 

[yolo_]

I treat smokers no differently than when i was one. Unless you count my pity for their smoking habit and hoping they will ask about vaping so that i can give cards out from theCASAAstore

 

[Tom Servo]

It doesn't bother me. I smoked for over 20 years so I don't think I'd have any right to snarl my nose at smokers. I think the smell is noticeable but it's that person's business what they do.

I agree. I tried to be considerate of others' boundaries when I smoked, and as long as they do the same, it's not my business. I got enough snotty lectures from ex-smokers when I was a smoker to be that guy.

 

[Moedog]

I have no problem with analog smokers, in fact I enjoy vaping in smoking areas. To the surprise of my smoking friends, I allow them to smoke in my house, and it doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Bolivar]

I'm pretty "meh" about smokers. I was one a lot longer than I wasn't. I understand the deep ties to smoking and a person's comfort.

I don't judge someone solely on one facet of their behavior.






Sent from the north 40 via messenger cow

 

[jstar]

I still think of myself as a smoker, weird eh?? I've smoked maybe 20 cigs in 5+ wks and haven't had one in a wk and have no desire anymore to smoke a real cig. So wondering is this a common thing after smoking for so long? Or because at work we are still not free to vape indoors?

 

[twgbonehead]

Well,

One thing I really miss about the "good old days" was the smoking section on airplanes. People there tended to chat with each other, and in general, turn the flight into a sort of a party. The front section of the plane was basically a graveyard. Nowadays, the whole plane is like that.

For some reason, I've found smokers to be more social and friendly than the general populace (perhaps specifically when grouped with a bunch of other smokers). It's as if smoking was something that all us strangers had in common, and it sort of broke the ice. (According to a recent study, however, most smokers are either schizophrenic or just plain crazy, which might also be a contributing factor).

Anyway, I guess that's a long-winded way of saying I miss the community aspect of smoking, and miss the people. They were a pretty cool bunch, on the whole.

 

[Mark Anthony]

I feel sorry for them and consider myself lucky to have found my way into vaping and this forum. I'm not a pushy person but I do answer any questions they may have about vaping and do what I can to get them to switch.

 

[erikbal]

I don't feel much different. I have friends that smoke and am around one all the time in a regular cab truck when he's smoking and surprisingly it doesn't bother me like I thought it would. I mean it's not ENJOYABLE but not horrible either.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk

 

[Craybee]

i feel sweet, sweet Jesus should come down and smite them, then banish them to Hell where they will live out eternity below even Hitler and Whitney Houston.

 

[DetraMental]

I am empathetic towards smokers since I was one. I hate the smell of it on their clothes but don't mind the smell of a lit cigarette. If they say to me, "I wish I could quit!", then my opportunity to step in and tell them about how vaping helped me is opened. Many of those smokers will eventually become vaper's due to a number of reasons so I'm optimistic that we'll have a lot of sweet smelling people around in the future. It's a good thought anyway.

 

[horton]

Feel sorry for them that they haven't tried vaping yet. No need for me to tread them badly -- I'm sure they get plenty of sideways looks from others, vapers or not....lol