Hello! My name is Simon, I'm a journalist in California researching
vaping info for an assignment I'm on. I figured that, to get a good feel for my writing, I would peruse forums and (hopefully) befriend a few voices here who can help me with my work.
Don't get me wrong yet: I try my best not to be that typical annoying, unfriendly, and assholish reporter who demands info and nothing else. But I believe it's most important to establish a bond and to truly connect with individuals who have voices and opinions, just like everyone else. So please don't take it that I'm being rude--I do swear that I'm trying not to. But, to end it, I recognize that it might be intrusive for me to join your community when (and I do admit) I'm not a vapor enthusiast.
I hope I can still be accepted by y'all. From lurking I can tell that users here are warm and thoughtful. Hopefully we can be friends and I can get a feel for what I'm writing about in the first place
A bit more about me:
-Hemingway obsessed. Also reading House of Leaves currently.
-Survival horror enthusiast. Probably the #1 Silent Hill fan you'll meet.
Anyways, thank you for reading and I look forward to spending time here!
I hope that you'll also understand that we are not a rude or obnoxious bunch, but rather, are frustrated that most (not all) coverage of vaping tends to gravitate towards the usual negative talking points regarding vaping.
I would only ask that you do your own research prior to going to print.
Vapers do not expect a "fluff" peice, but we do expect a thoughtful and balanced approach.
Vapers are not deluded individuals who have some sort of "death wish" by participating in a practice that is obviously unsafe. While the long term risks of vaping have yet to be determined, the long term harm from smoking has been clearly demonstrated. Early studies have show vaping to be thousands of times more safer than smoking. We practice in Risk Reduction. While none of us know what 50 years of vaping may do, we have seen first hand the destructive effects of 50 years of smoking and are willing to take that risk.
Many of us have smoked for years, and see e-cigarettes as potentially one of the most significant life saving developments in the last 100 years. The number of smokers who have been able to curtail or quit smoking entirely has been astounding. Here's a few myths I'd like to help dispel.
1. We do not vape anti-freeze. Yes, Propylene Glygol (PG) is an ingredient in anti-freeze, but it is an ingredient that is in the "pet-safe" anti-freeze. Diethylene Glygol is the highly poisonous substance that kills pets and is hazardous to your health It is NOT an ingredient in e-juice. Propylene Glygol, however, has been classified by the FDA as generally safe, and is a common ingredient in food stuffs and prescription drugs. Vegetable Glycerin is another common ingredient in vaping juice or "e-juice". It is also classified as safe by the FDA and is also a common ingredient in food stuffs. It is these ingredients or a combination thereof that produces the "vapor" one exhales when vaping.
2. Most e-juice does contain nicotine, but many of us also vape zero nicotine e-juice. We have found that vaping has not only helped us quit smoking, but the nicotine alone in e-cigarettes is far less addictive than the ingredients found in traditional cigarettes. Many vapers have found it VERY EASY to cut back or eliminate our Nicotine use through vaping. Something we were unable to do while smoking or attempting to use smoking cessation products such as gum, patches, etc.
3. Vapers do NOT promote the use of e-cigarettes to minors. The myriad of flavors available to vapers is not an attempt to attract children to vaping, but is simply a way for us to vary the experience we have vaping. Not once have I seen or heard a vaper promote the use of our products to children under 18. This includes the many vendors I have dealt with.
4. A Free and Open Market is vital to promote quality and safety standards of this industry. Many improvements on performance and quality of both equipment and e-juice have been achieved due to the self regulatory nature of a free and open market. Vapers reject poor product and that product does not sell. The 2009 FDA review of e-cigarettes and their ingredients is woefully outdated and many of the products evaluated were first generation products that had none of the quality controls that are required for success in today's market. Excessive FDA regulation of this industry would simply serve to hand over this industry to Big Tobacco, which historically has had a terrible track record regarding the safety of their products. There are literally reams of evidence from the Tobacco companies themselves on how Big Tobacco has continued to modify their product to be even more addictive and harmful than it originally was. I do not wish to see Tobacco companies manipulate the ingredients of e-cigarettes in a similar manner.
5. Please don't call us "smokers" if we no longer smoke. Businesses should have the right to have separate rules regarding smoking and vaping. I do not appreciate being labeled a tobacco user when I am not using tobacco.
6. Please don't promote the irrational fear of "second hand vape". There has been numerous studies on the health effects of second hand vapor and not ONE has mentioned any risk to bystanders.
I could go on, but I'll leave it at this.
I am 47 years old. I was a pack a day smoker for most of my adult life. I have tried on various occasions to try and quit smoking to no avail.
On October 14, 2013, I purchased an electronic cigarette starter pack in lieu of a carton of cigarettes. I have not smoked a traditional cigarette since. Because of e-cigarettes, I have avoided over 1200 cigarettes to date. I have noticed much better lung function and I no longer lose my breath climbing stairs or wake up with a morning cough. My sense of taste and smell has returned. In two months I have cut my nicotine usage by 1/3 and plan on being completely nicotine free in the next 4 months.
I urge you to do your own research. I urge you to look at the many people here and read their banners on how long they have been cigarette free. Compare the number of ex-smokers here and how long they have remained ex-smokers and compare that to the effectiveness of traditional Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Look at the side effects of the commonly available prescription smoking cessation drugs. Compare those to the risks of vaping.
Vapers are not trying to make "smoking" cool again, or peddle nicotine addiction to America's youth. We are simply using something that we have found as an incredibly effective way to give up tobacco use. Keep that in mind when you look at some of the restrictions trying to be placed on this industry, and how many people will be forced to smoke again because the only effective alternative has been legislated out of their reach.
Thank you for your time and welcome to ECF.
