Is vaping worth the trouble of concealing it from your family?

[AndriaD]

Normally I would tell any person of legal age, smoker or not, to vape if they really want to, whatever the reason. Nothing wrong with it. But if you have to hide it and lie about it... it seems like a pretty stupid thing to go to that extreme for. It's cheaper than smoking, but it ain't free. At your age, you could be taking some nice young person out on a date, maybe even get lucky, not hanging around in foggy rooms thinking you're cool. It's only cool if it's replacing cigarettes, or lots of fattening snack foods, or other unwanted behavior.

If you really feel that you must lie to your family about something, get drunk, take drugs. Not really; I'm being facetious. But vaping? Geez, there's so many other things you could spend money on.

Andria

 

[Racehorse]

A friend of mine is willing to sell me one of his old e-cigs for a very cheap price. It works just fine and it's very nice to vape with (I've used it before) so there's no issue with discretely acquiring an e-cig. The only issue is how to hide it from my family. I'm 18 (19 in a few months) so obviously I don't need my family to make my decisions for me, but I also know when it's a good time to tell them things and when I should just keep it on the down low. Based on how my family is, vaping would definitely be a "down low" kind of thing. Would investing money in vaping (just as a hobby. It's not to get off of regular cigs or anything) be worth it if I could only vape freely in solitude or around (and occasionally with) my close and trusted friends?

Any relevant input is appreciated.

If your family is gonna flip out, AND you're not even using it to quit smoking, then not sure I would take on this hassle.

Having to lie about stuff is really no way to live.

IF you were smoking I'd say "anything" is worth getting off the cigs, it may save your life.

But since that is not the case here, I guess I'd say taking up a new hobby that will also lead you into becoming a liar and having to conceal...............NO

ONLY other option is to bring them research, be honest, try to get them to accept it.

One more option is to just do it, and take the heat, whatever that may be.

encouraging people to lie is just not in my bag of tricks. unless it is matter of life and death.

 

[drippaboi]

@WhiteWolf747 : Out of curiosity, just what piece of gear are we talking about? And what about it interests you as a hobby?

For the record: My advice to anyone has always been to do what you want as long as you aren't harming anyone else.

Now from my life experience: lying to your loved ones rarely pays and telling the truth, though difficult in the moment, is often far easier in the long run.

This reminds me of when I started smoking cigs, at your age, I played the "lie of omission" game until they confronted me at which point it boiled down to: I was going to do what I wanted, and they were going to live with it. By this time in my life my parents began seeing me as an adult and such things didn't 'anger' so much as disappoint them ... which was worse in a lot of ways

 

[hotsauc333]

Vape if you want to whether or not you smoke cigarettes. For some of us it's a hobby like it or not. As far as hiding this from your family because of judgment, don't. Live your life and if needed present them with the facts about vaping, good or bad

 

[Syakster]

A friend of mine is willing to sell me one of his old e-cigs for a very cheap price. It works just fine and it's very nice to vape with (I've used it before) so there's no issue with discretely acquiring an e-cig. The only issue is how to hide it from my family. I'm 18 (19 in a few months) so obviously I don't need my family to make my decisions for me, but I also know when it's a good time to tell them things and when I should just keep it on the down low. Based on how my family is, vaping would definitely be a "down low" kind of thing. Would investing money in vaping (just as a hobby. It's not to get off of regular cigs or anything) be worth it if I could only vape freely in solitude or around (and occasionally with) my close and trusted friends?

Any relevant input is appreciated.

I personally feel that there is no need to start vaping if you've never smoked. You don't want to get hooked on nicotine if you're not already. However, if you think you can easily find 0mg juices and wants to do it as a hobby in terms of rebuilding and just blowing smoke in general, I can understand that... But I wouldn't go through the trouble if you have to be so discreet about it around the house.

 

[WhiteWolf747]

This a prime example of why vaping shouldnt be considered a hobby.

First, youre seriously contemplating lying to your family?

Second, hobbies should enrich your life in some way.Learning how to paint, or cook, or speak a foreign language does that.

But if youve never smoked before then you could be damaging your body by vaping.

Most of us believe that vaping is safer than smoking.

But breathing nothing but air is safer than vaping.

And why do you want to start vaping in the first place?

Just so you can look cool?

That doesnt seem like a very good reason to me.

I vape because I smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day for 25 years and vaping is the only thing Ive found that has gotten me off of cigarettes.

My advice is not to start.

Find something else to do with your time. Maybe even something that will land you a girlfriend.

I have a girlfriend already. Next month, I'll have been with her a year.

Many people my age are smoking [removed], analog cigarettes, or even getting drunk at least once a month. Vaping is most likely not 100% safe, but it sure is better than the other things I could be doing.

 

[WhiteWolf747]

I'm gonna be blunt. Screw all the people who are gonna tell you not to vape. Until it's scientifically proven to be bad for us (doubt it). Go for it. It's just like drinking. Which is truly bad for you. Don't do it around them. You ain't 21 yet. That being said I would go with zero nic. You don't wanna become dependent on it if you wanna manage to not have the "urge to do it around them". Good luck. I say go for it. It's a great hobby. Message if you need advice. Idc if I get flamed for this

Whenever I've used my friend's e-cig, he always uses the 0mg. He has a bottle of some with low nicotine that he uses for himself (not sure why since I know he's never smoked) but I know for a fact that I don't want a nicotine addiction. I most likely won't vape on a daily basis either. I go to college (smoke free campus which includes e-cigs) everyday and then come back home so that'll strictly limit my vaping time.

 

[retired1]

Let's watch the drug talk.

Forum Rules | E-Cigarette Forum

Why we don't allow drug talk | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[NOVA jon]

Is the juice worth the squeeze??!! I prefer to limit the drama in my life........ Sounds to me like you already know the type of reaction you will get from your family, is it worth it??

 

[hmar]

While I won't bother telling you not to do the stupid things we all did at your age, hence being here to discuss in the first place, (I don't see starting to vape as somehow worse than when we started to smoke) I will say that I don't think vaping is something your going to conceal successfully for very long. I'm also too old to actively encourage lying to your parents. Good luck in your choice, you are a legal adult (I have one of those, still trying to get used to her being allowed to make her own decisions).

 

[madangus]

I have a girlfriend already. Next month, I'll have been with her a year.

Many people my age are smoking [removed], analog cigarettes, or even getting drunk at least once a month. Vaping is most likely not 100% safe, but it sure is better than the other things I could be doing.

Ok, so why don't YOU do something BETTER because there is a whole world of choices out there. It doesn't matter what many people your age are doing, there is and will only ever be 1 of you. Find your own path. Have you been outside of IN? The US?

And as for the non-one has proved vaping is not completely harmless yet, that's simply not factually correct. Go search and read the latest public health england report. And honestly if once a month you have 3 ir 4 beers and get the giggles - and are not blacking out or going to the er - well at least there are decades of data on what that does to you

 

[zapped]

I have a girlfriend already. Next month, I'll have been with her a year.

Many people my age are smoking [removed], analog cigarettes, or even getting drunk at least once a month. Vaping is most likely not 100% safe, but it sure is better than the other things I could be doing.

Its better than SOME other things you could be doing.

There are plenty of other hobbies out there besides vaping that arent bad for you.

For instance; I paint.Ive gotten good enough at it that some of my works actually sells as well.Theres a tremendous personal satisfaction in that. A lot more than I can get from imitating a fog machine.

I also make mead.

Both of those are probably safer for me than vaping.....as long as I dont drip paint on my wifes carpets .....or drink so much of my finished product that I get drunk and fall down the stairs.

Point is, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of hobbies out there besides vaping and many of them, you wouldnt have to hide from your family.....they might even be willing to share some of their hobbies with you....... if you stop lying to them.

Honesty is always the best policy and if youre contemplating starting vaping with a lie than youre starting off on the wrong foot....and for all the wrong reasons IMO.

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

If you live with your parents you need to respect their rules. Lying and being sneaky never solves anything. Once you are adult enough to pay your own bills and live on your own then I if you are still wanting to vape then it's your business.

 

[AndriaD]

I have a girlfriend already. Next month, I'll have been with her a year.

Many people my age are smoking [removed], analog cigarettes, or even getting drunk at least once a month. Vaping is most likely not 100% safe, but it sure is better than the other things I could be doing.

Ok... maybe you should ask *her* how she feels about you blowing money on vaping, instead of... taking her out someplace. Or buying her something.

You're 100% correct, as I mentioned, there's nothing at all wrong with vaping, so I'm not sure why you'd have to lie about it anyway. But take this as truth: vaping may not damage you, but a lie is damaging to you whether or not it's ever discovered. If you don't tell lies, you have nothing to hide, and no need to worry about something "coming out" that you'd rather not. Lying sets a precedent of dishonesty in your life, in your *self*, and that is very damaging -- once you do it, you'll find something else to lie about, and soon you'll just be dishonest as a matter of course, and pretty soon no one will trust you at all about anything -- and you won't trust or respect yourself either. Once you lose your self-respect, you'll find yourself doing things you never thought you would. Once you open a door, you have to be prepared for whatever comes thru it... and dishonesty is no way to live and be happy.

That may sound "hokey" to someone 18, but it's true nevertheless. A good and happy life cannot be built on lies, and it cannot contain them. I used to lie like it was my profession... and I was a very miserable puppy, chasing one "high" after another, trying to find some way to be happy... but wherever I went, there I was, in all my dishonest infamy. I'm 54 now, but if I had known this a little sooner about the damaging effect of dishonesty, I could saved a LOT of money on booze, drugs both legal and not, and therapy. But I suspect that this type of wisdom must be earned, and will fall on very deaf ears when told to an 18 yr old.

Andria

 

[Scotticus93]

I'm not disagreeing, but I'm not encouraging a non smoker to try vaping. He wants to hide it from his family, not something to recomend in my book. Either he needs to move out or make sure his family is ok with it. Their roof, their rules. That is why I moved out of my parents house the day after my 17th birthday. I followed my parents rules until I was under my own roof and could make my own rules.

A how did you get your own roof when you were 17 and b. maybe not you specifically but how many of us snuck drinking at that age?! Snuck back to our house? Snuck a girl into our room?! A lot of us. So I'm not gonna judge. He's an adult who can make his own decisions

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

A how did you get your own roof when you were 17 and b. maybe not you specifically but how many of us snuck drinking at that age?! Snuck back to our house? Snuck a girl into our room?! A lot of us. So I'm not gonna judge. He's an adult who can make his own decisions

This is true. But who wants to contribute to lies? Being sneaky?

No matter what any of us recommend to this guy he's still going to do what he wants. People tend to disregard advise that isn't in sync with what they want to do anyway. But we should strive, as adults, to give good, sound advise no matter what we did as kids. Telling this guy it's ok to lie to his parents is just not cool. In the end, he will make his own choice.

 

[zapped]

A how did you get your own roof when you were 17 and b. maybe not you specifically but how many of us snuck drinking at that age?! Snuck back to our house? Snuck a girl into our room?! A lot of us. So I'm not gonna judge. He's an adult who can make his own decisions

You say youre not going to judge as if that somehow makes you better than those of us who do.

You were given judgement for a reason. Use it.

Choosing not to use it doesnt make someone the better person. It just serves to make people artificially stupid IMO. And the truly sad part is much of that is self imposed.

If youre accepting of everything then even atrocities become reasonable by comparison.

 

[IMFire3605]

I am like many here, I am not going to say a firm yes you should, or no you should not. My advice though, I will chime in with others, before getting started if you have set your mind upon it, be open and honest with those you do not want to find out. In other words come out and say it, you are an adult, you are your own man, yet, your rights as an individual only go so far until they affect another. In this instance, your parents, siblings, family, most importantly, I want you to next time you see her, look at that pretty girlfriend of yours, especially if you intend to stay with her for an extended time, now set yourself in her shoes when out on a date with her, how does she feel walking around with someone puffing off clouds like a locomotive if she herself is not doing the same, embarrassed at the stares she's getting maybe??

Look at how your actions affect others around you, especially as you have stated, you are embarrassed at the lectures your family and others close to you will give you.

As a great mentor of mine told me when I was young and had a very significant affect on my life. "You must think outside your own mental box, step back, look around, at any given moment in your life there are minimum three truths, three paths, three perspectives, minimum but there may be more, look around at your perspective, perspective of those you affect, and the perspective of those you do not know watching (protagonist, antagonist, innocent neutral bystanders), balance those perspectives as a whole, and then decide your best direction of action from that junction"

Regardless and good luck on your decision, but I will say, do not hide your decision from any close to you, parents, grandparents, family in general, and especially the one you love enough to spend you life with.

/end philosophical ramblings

 

[SomeTexan]

A how did you get your own roof when you were 17 and b. maybe not you specifically but how many of us snuck drinking at that age?! Snuck back to our house? Snuck a girl into our room?! A lot of us. So I'm not gonna judge. He's an adult who can make his own decisions

A: I worked my .... off. At 11 I was mowing yards, a year later I hired my first employee. At 15 I sold my business for a considerable profit. Then I bought a few acres, built a shop on it, filled it with machining equipment and started building engines.

B: I did all that, but I felt bad about lying to my parents after a while so I had a place of my own built.

 

[Scotticus93]

You say youre not going to judge as if that somehow makes you better than those of us who do.

You were given judgement for a reason. Use it.

Choosing not to use it doesnt make someone the better person. It just serves to make people artificially stupid IMO. And the truly sad part is much of that is self imposed.

If youre accepting of everything then even atrocities become reasonable by comparison.

Let's put this in perspective. We have. Both quit smoking. I've even moved my nic level down. Some of that is due to dripping an such now. Let's say we get down to zero nic. Can you honestly say you will quit vaping then and sell all your stuff? I think this is a great hobby and I won't. Hell I'll probably never go to zero nic cuz I like the little buzzes I get without having to smoke cigs like I used to. Now maybe this is cuz I'm young too, but that is my belief. We sound like those old hypocrites who used to smoke cigs and when someone asked for one we were like. Oh no you don't wanna get started. Granted I would do that sometimes. But sometimes I would warn them but let them make their own decision anyways