Malls will be next target

[TropicalBob]

Iowa mall makes Des Moines Register news.

Mall kiosk challenged for selling 'electronic cigarettes' | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

 

[DaMulta]

Hey, maybe E-Cigs would be a good thing for the kids that start smoking? Cigs smell, they taste horable, and I don't think you would want a cig after vapping for a while. I don't want one at all. THEY ARE NASTY.

I don't see this as a gateway to smoking, but only a better way of starting the habit if you course to do it.

I sure wish I started vapping at 14yrs old instead of smoking. However I don't think I would of been able to afford E-Cigs back then.....

 

[el lobo furtivo]

If they were really "anti-smoking" activists, shouldn't they be harassing gas stations that sell cartons of Marlboros everyday rather than e-cig vendors? Besides, what 14 year old kid has $150 to fork over to Smoking Everywhere? Much more likely he swipes his moms Salems or simply buys them at said gas station.

Besides, this is still America and we still (at least for the moment) have the freedom to sell anything we want that isn't illegal. I wish I were a lawyer....

 

[Sun Vaporer]

"Anti-smoking activists are pushing Jordan Creek Town Center managers to evict a kiosk selling "electronic cigarettes."

The battery-operated devices contain no tobacco, and they don't emit smoke, but activists worry they will lure young people into inhaling noxious fumes. The sleek kiosk, called Smoking Everywhere"

Actually, under the circumstances this is very good news for the owner of this Somking Everywhere Kiosk owner. Getting evicted and not getting stuck with paying rent when the Owner can not get product should make this guy jump for joy in the overall scheme of what is going on. Not a good thing in the bigger picture of e-cigs, but for this owner----take the eviction notice and run for the hills.

Sun

 

[Porphy]

I started smoking at 9 and it was soo easy. First I swiped my mom's smokes and tried them out. Then I found out my older brother and friends were smoking so, of course, I had to show them I was 'cool'. To prove this I showed them I could get cigarettes anytime I wanted by walking into a store and stealing them. A few weeks of doing this and we were all hooked hardcore.

Later I found that a well written note to the local corner store with my mom's "signature" and her pilfered drivers license was enough to get them to sell to me as she was "bed ridden".

After that, I found that many bowling allies, restaurants, and bars had vending machines in them still and gladly excepted my allowance money in the form of quarters.

In my opinion it will always be easier to get cigarettes than e-cigs.

 

[AVITWeb]

I started smoking at 9 and it was soo easy. First I swiped my mom's smokes and tried them out. Then I found out my older brother and friends were smoking so, of course, I had to show them I was 'cool'. To prove this I showed them I could get cigarettes anytime I wanted by walking into a store and stealing them. A few weeks of doing this and we were all hooked hardcore.

Later I found that a well written note to the local corner store with my mom's "signature" and her pilfered drivers license was enough to get them to sell to me as she was "bed ridden".

After that, I found that many bowling allies, restaurants, and bars had vending machines in them still and gladly excepted my allowance money in the form of quarters.

In my opinion it will always be easier to get cigarettes than e-cigs.

Correct!!! It will....because there is BIIIIIIG money to be made on regular smokes...AS soon as they figure out how to tax them e-cigs will pop up all over the place!

 

[TheIllustratedMan]

We REALLY need to get SE to move into real stores. Kiosks have two major downfalls for a product under fire:

a) Visibility - Everyone walking by can see the 18 year old kid being a jackass and gloating about how he can "smoke" in the mall. Even if they don't hear him, they see him blowing out "smoke" and won't necessarily be bothered to find out what is going on there.

b) Reputation - Kiosks are not reputable. I can think of ONE time that I bought something from a kiosk. I don't trust them, and I would wager that most of the public doesn't either.

 

[TropicalBob]

Unfortunately, kiosks represent the lowest form of retailing, maybe a notch above 2 a.m. infocommercials on cable TV.

Kiosks are perceived as the covered wagon, snake-oil sales operations of the 21st Century, hawking here-today, gone-tomorrow goods and wares. Hey, if the product were good, it would be sold in a brick-and-mortar business, like Wal*Mart, not some tent in a mall. That's the popular perception. And e-cigs are lowered in the public mindset because of shadowy sales operations, online and in mails (they're everywhere where I live, Sherid). Every mall has its kiosk and hawker.

"Step right up, folks, gather 'round, see the miracle that technology has brought us. Stop smoking today, without pain. Smoke this anywhere! Watch me (sucks in on cig and exhales). No more health concerns. Do your lungs a favor. And it costs the same as about two cartons of cancer sticks today. You know you're tired of being kicked out into the cold or rain. Be free again, with our miracle electronic cigarette."

I expect the toss-out-the-kiosk movement to spread, since the demos of blowing vapor inside a no-smoking facility easily angers many.

 

[CoderGuy]

If they were really "anti-smoking" activists, shouldn't they be harassing gas stations that sell cartons of Marlboros everyday rather than e-cig vendors? Besides, what 14 year old kid has $150 to fork over to Smoking Everywhere? Much more likely he swipes his moms Salems or simply buys them at said gas station.

Besides, this is still America and we still (at least for the moment) have the freedom to sell anything we want that isn't illegal. I wish I were a lawyer....

I know I keep saying this, but eventually people will start realizing that these anti-smoking extremists do not care about the children, they do not care about facts, and especially they do not care about rights or freedom.

They care about one thing, and one thing only. Winning. Getting their agenda across to everyone and making sure they win. Like a few of the other extremist groups (who I will not mention), it's only a matter of time before they start resorting to domestic terrorism to get their point across. Especially if people like us keep coming up with ways to attempt to enjoy our freedom (or what freedom we have left). I live in a state that like Utah, is already forcing their views on us.

I am sure most of you have not read the new Family Smoking Prevention and tobacco Control Act that was just passed in June (How will FDA Regulation of Tobacco affect YOU?), as well as most of you probably haven't read PACT Act yet either (Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)). I know this because all of my smoking friends (and non-smoking friends) have not either heard of them or bothered to take them seriously. As a result, it's now too late. And if anyone here thinks they won't add e-cigs to the restrictions, they are fooling themselves. In a few years, we will be longing for the days of only banning kiosks.

You'd think by now we would be running out of sand with so many heads buried.

CoderGuy


Edit: If I sound bitter, I am. As of last week it's a class C felony for me to order any form of tobacco product via email, phone, or internet, which means no more of the good snuses (and I am sure if they could arrange it, no more e-juices). Just another one of those "anti-smoking" sponsored laws that passed without any fanfare here in WA. Wish I would have had someone like me around to try and enlighten me before it was too late.

 

[rustylug]

Iowa mall makes Des Moines Register news.

Mall kiosk challenged for selling 'electronic cigarettes' | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

Aye T/|Bob ....This post takes me back a few months.
Thankfully since we did everything they asked at the time we have had no more problems .....Fingers crossed.

 

[Mac]

The article didn't say he mall was evicting them though. Only that it was under pressure to do so. If the mall does evict them that would be pretty sad really. I will tell you one thing. If a group of protesters caused me to lose my job I would track them down figure out where they work and get the 300 screaming metal fans I can gather to protest each of them at their jobs until each and every one of them was fired. freedom of speech goes both ways and I have a small army

 

[Mac]

I can see it now 300 people in front of some real estate agency chanting Joe Smith got me fired Joe Smith got me fired!

 

[TropicalBob]

Rusty: You did follow the rules. And maybe Scotland is less anti-anything-smokerelated than the U.S. now. Cigarette smokers are the bottom of our barrel here today. Sharing a step with "homeless" on the social ladder (and the homeless get more sympathy and help, in fact).

The perception is that e-smoking is smoking. Can't escape that. That's the perception. So it's a big "no" we get from the anti crowd. They don't care one whit about our health stats, or how these stack up against tobacco cigs. Irrelevant and immaterial and a waste of time better spent sighting the next target.

If Las Vegas gave odds on e-smoking remaining for long as it is today, what do you think that long shot would be?

Don't know if you saw that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is buying his city's homeless a one-way ticket to Florida. Isn't that special? Dump your problems on another state. The sorry ........ Next, it will be his smokers, I suppose. They can't afford New York costs.

 

[sherid]

I can see it now 300 people in front of some real estate agency chanting Joe Smith got me fired Joe Smith got me fired!

Gathering a group of e smokers to protest at the same time as these nuts would be an EXCELLENT idea. Come armed with facts and the comparisons to Nicorette at The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary

 

[grimmer255]

oh well it was fun while it lasted the best bet is to stock up what you can lower your nicotine and possibly get one of those mods that are out. GG, SB, prodigy, SD, That way getting batteries wont be an issue then you can stock up on liquid and atties and keep your spare batteries for in case of possible mod problems...and hope they test these things and something good will come out of this.

 

[rustylug]

Rusty: You did follow the rules. And maybe Scotland is less anti-anything-smokerelated than the U.S. now. Cigarette smokers are the bottom of our barrel here today. Sharing a step with "homeless" on the social ladder (and the homeless get more sympathy and help, in fact).

The perception is that e-smoking is smoking. Can't escape that. That's the perception. So it's a big "no" we get from the anti crowd. They don't care one whit about our health stats, or how these stack up against tobacco cigs. Irrelevant and immaterial and a waste of time better spent sighting the next target.

If Las Vegas gave odds on e-smoking remaining for long as it is today, what do you think that long shot would be?

Don't know if you saw that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is buying his city's homeless a one-way ticket to Florida. Isn't that special? Dump your problems on another state. The sorry ........ Next, it will be his smokers, I suppose. They can't afford New York costs.

Well im just happy he is leaving me alone at the momment ....But hey ho ....He tried to close us down 2 days before Xmas last year, so not long to go again 8-o

 

[maryjo]

I'm really sick of hearing them spout off about selling to kids. Where are these kids parents? It is not my responsibility to keep your kid on the straight and narrow. People should take responsibility for their own children. I talked to my kids about smoking, drinking, drugs, and sex. If they tried those things at least they were educated on the downfalls of their actions. It was MY responsibility to make sure that they didn't do what they weren't supposed to do!

When my son was 16 I found a half empty 12 pack of beer in the outside refridgerator. When I asked him where it came from (there wasn't much doubt in my mind who put them there) he said "you said NEVER drink and drive, so we drank them here last night around the fire." Was I happy that he had a couple of beer? NO. But that was my responsibility - not the brewery!

 

[dmohn28]

Besides, what 14 year old kid has $150 to fork over to Smoking Everywhere? Much more likely he swipes his moms Salems or simply buys them at said gas station.

I read this in the paper at work the other day. The mall in question is Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, IA. The kids who frequent this mall definitely have the $150 to fork over to Smoking Everywhere.

I moved to West Des Moines my junior year of high school. I drove my VERY used 1984 charger to school every day. The other kids were driving brand new cars. I'm not talking about Kias or Toyotas. These kids were driving new Cameros, Mustangs, Volvos, Saabs. There was even a kid who drove an almost brand new Corvette.

There is a lot of money in this area, and most of the parents around there don't think twice about handing out several hundred dollars just because the kids ask for it.

 

[TropicalBob]

You got that right!

And, if we are to believe statistics from the Congressional hearings, where do 20% of teens get money to buy pot regularly? Where do they get money to booze it up?

Little saints they ain't .. and many have plenty of money.

Besides, aren't we now telling the world that e-smoking is cheaper than cigarette smoking? Yep, that's a great selling point.

 

[Vicks Vap-oh-Yeah]

Besides, aren't we now telling the world that e-smoking is cheaper than cigarette smoking? Yep, that's a great selling point.

That's how you sell a product - any product. You list the strong points, and let the consumer (after the sale) find the weak points on their own.

The real reason that kids won't be attracted to our PV's (and we all know this, here) are them weak points..... PV's are fussy, fiddly, finicky creatures.... high-maintenance toys that have a long learning curve, are rife with equipment problems, and under the gun 'round the world as the next new, high-tech crack ....... habit.

The kids won't get into them - they'll steal a couple of mom's Kools or dad's Marlboros - or go to their pot dealer to get a dime bag first... they want a rebellious symbol that's easily recognizable by their peers, not a plastic cigarette they not only have to fiddle with all day long, but might just stop working just when they need to be seen in full rebellion.

The image is what matters to kids, and when they rebell, they want an image that's easily recognizable..... hence the cigarettes, the drugs, and the booze...

But, to go back to topic - the mall kiosks are, IMO, one of the bigger reasons we're in the bind we are.... they are too visible to a culture that, right now, has gained sizable momentum in stamping out the entire smoking culture.... here we come, up and in their faces with a new gizmo (and - gasp - its from CHINA!) that has the potential to render all their arguements moot.....we, with our toys, threaten their image.

IMAGE. PERCEPTION. APPEARANCE. The most precious commodities in the world today.