smoker dismissal and nonsmokers acceptance

[sawitall]

Yesterday during my lunch break after getting my slice of pizza which is a block away from my work i walked by a group sitting outside star coffee(TM infringement?) on the corner..well these folks happen to be the same folks that are there everyday. as I'm walking by vaping my kr808d-xl battery with the lighted side held up with black tape(long drunk story) one of them asks me...

guy-"hey you over there"
me-*looks over*
guy-"whats the thing your smoking?"
me-"its an ecig*holds it out* the ones they sell at the store are junk but if you go online its peaches man i quit smoking because of it"

the guy laughs and says "no your still smoking"...which i was ready to inform but his friend was quicker to tell him all about it...its water vapor, no carcinogens...etc...upon the crosswalk turning to walk i took my exit but cant help but hear some basically ignorant comments about "looking cool" and "whats the point"

now is it me or is it that analog smokers are the worst when it comes to public reactions? Ive had many interactions like this and it seems the nonsmokers know more about it and generally like it more than smokers Ive come upon. whom many have similar rude things to say...i personally think its that whole "ain't nothing like the real thing" mentality. no its not...its BETTER.

 

[minigoat]

take a deep breath (because you actually can take a deep breath)
count to ten (you can now hold your breath too)

Some people aren't ready yet, that is OK. If they wanted to know more they would have asked.

 

[MegaBee]

now is it me or is it that analog smokers are the worst when it comes to public reactions? Ive had many interactions like this and it seems the nonsmokers know more about it and generally like it more than smokers Ive come upon. whom many have similar rude things to say...i personally think its that whole "ain't nothing like the real thing" mentality. no its not...its BETTER.[/QUOTE]

I think its good to have the Non Smokers on side because of there are more of them those are the people we need to accept these gadgets if we are to have any hope in keeping them legal for the smokers to eventually try when they are no longer in denial lol...

 

[sawitall]

take a deep breath (because you actually can take a deep breath)
count to ten (you can now hold your breath too)

Some people aren't ready yet, that is OK. If they wanted to know more they would have asked.

lol, I'm not mad but its just a big eyebrow raiser...and an excellent observation at the human minds rationalization at work.

 

[BiffRocko]

Haters gonna hate. Enjoy your healthy lungs while they cough theirs up.

For the record, I've gotten significantly more positive responses from smokers than negative responses. I lost count of how many people I converted.

 

[Marb]

I think it's somewhat similar to the reaction some smokers give to people who successfully quit cold-turkey.
Almost as if they're saying "You're not one of us, anymore. So we're going to ridicule you to make ourselves feel better about continuing to smoke."

I get it from some of my coworkers and friends. A few showed some interest in the beginning, but it seems as if they just see it as a passing fad now. There I go, smoking my fake cigarette again... emphasis on fake as if not really smoking is such a bad thing... I don't know... maybe a little jealousy or envy mixed in somewhere?

One friend asks, "Why do you pretend to smoke? Why not just quit altogether?" To which I replied, "Why haven't YOU quit then?" They say, "Because I don't WANT to quit, I like smoking." "Bingo! There's your answer - so do I, but I don't want to DIE from it..."
Friend still smokes; I still vape. Oh well... at least I smell better

 

[Dieseler]

Some it seems cannot accept a changing lifestyle.
Afraid of the unknown and ignorant to it.

 

[Tregs]

Yea unfortunately it is too common. You always get those dudebros at bars who think they are cool because they are holding a cigarette but not actually inhaling and say stuff like "that is a cute girly cigarette, I am surprised you don't have a purse", I could care less, I just ignore them, I am saving money, my teeth and my lungs, so the joke is on them.

 

[BiffRocko]

One friend asks, "Why do you pretend to smoke? Why not just quit altogether?" To which I replied, "Why haven't YOU quit then?" They say, "Because I don't WANT to quit, I like smoking." "Bingo! There's your answer - so do I, but I don't want to DIE from it..."

Best answer I've heard to the question.

 

[fb305]

I don't think that smokers in general are negative towards vaping. If that were true there would be no vapers because pretty much all vapers are ex-smokers. Most smokers I know think it's great that I switched from smoking to vaping. Some have even tried vaping themselves and it just didn't work for them. Some people just enjoy smoking and don't want to quit, nothing wrong with that. If I could smoke and it not be so bad for me I would smoke over vaping any day! As far as people ridiculing you for vaping that just makes them an a** whether they smoke or not, and the world is full of them.

 

[Tregs]

I don't think that smokers in general are negative towards vaping. If that were true there would be no vapers because pretty much all vapers are ex-smokers. Most smokers I know think it's great that I switched from smoking to vaping. Some have even tried vaping themselves and it just didn't work for them. Some people just enjoy smoking and don't want to quit, nothing wrong with that. If I could smoke and it not be so bad for me I would smoke over vaping any day! As far as people ridiculing you for vaping that just makes them an a** whether they smoke or not, and the world is full of them.

I agree. I think as for negative opinion of smokers, some (probably most) don't care. Only the self conscious/jealous ones care if people use ecigs, I have been ridiculed (usually jokingly but still) for not smoking like a real man then a couple weeks later, I see them at the bar using an ecig and telling everybody how great it is and like they are the first person to ever discover it. Some people are just absurd and will do whatever they think makes them more socially acceptable and will mock anything they think people want them to mock.

 

[DigiTechDude]

I've had both types of reactions. From smokers, mostly curious and "Does that really work?" type reactions. One guy at work ordered an ego-t kit after seeing me vaping and being completely off cigarettes. He seems excited about it, so I hope it works for him.

Another time at a bar I was outside vaping (in commie NJ it's illegal to vape anywhere you can't smoke, unless you're vaping 0 nic). So these girls are talking and come ask what I'm smoking. I explain, and continue vaping. After they moved downwind of me they practically ran away screaming fmor the vapor I exhaled, but happily stay in the clouds of second hand smoke from other smokers. I don't get it.

Another guy at work always laughs when I vape and makes various comments typical of smokers who don't like anything different. It doesn't bother me, I actually think it's funny because it always goes down a similar line and he stops because he knows he's breathing in particulates and carcinogens and I'm not, while still enjoying the nicotine I crave.

So I guess I've seen the whole spectrum of response from smokers. Most are just curious though and don't make any negative comments. Many will ask tot ry, which I always happily oblige and tell them whatever info they want to know. I never initiate a conversation about vaping, ask otehrs to try it, or push the idea on anyone. To each his own, but if someone is interested I'm happy to help however I can.

From non-smokers, the reactions have been mostly positive, particularly when they hear how long I've been off cigs and they see that it's just vapor which varies from odorless to a hint of whatever flavor I'm vaping. Other non smokers go on about when am I gonna quit vaping. I just say i don't know that I want to, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. In the meantime, vaping won't kill me any faster than my caffeine addiction.

 

[rogue44status]

My (future) motherinlaw is the same way, she sits there and chainsmokes her mboros wile telling us how stupid we are with our electronic ciggs .. and might as well get the real things.. I think shes jsut jelouse and like someone said haters gonna hate

 

[Tersur]

Previous posters are spot on. People need to justify the Bad things they are doing and get Defensive and nasty about it when they percieve you have had the sense or willpower to stop doing it.

 

[LeAnn]

Let's face it smokers are looked down upon in society so they need someone to pick on too, they know in their hearts that it's better to vape than smoke but they are afraid to try it cause they may fail to stay away from analogs like every other NRT so don't be hard on smokers cause we were one of them once!

 

[leftfeild]

I've only ever had the same sort of thing. Instant dismissal or a snooty condescending talk about how it's unhealthy to inhale the same stuff that's used in smoke machines and inhalors, while they're smoking.

I just get the conversation over with as soon as possible and leave as soon as possible. Nothing I can say will change their mind and I'm not into being hassled by people I didn't approach. I'm content to be getting nic this way and I'm not being a swine by approaching smokers and trying to convert them; they went out of their way to try to insult me so I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of feeling better than me.

Move on and vape, not their problem, ain't yours either.

 

[Othercat]

I used to be one of those smokers who laughed at the e-cig users. A year or so ago I got one of those crappy e-cigs from the gas station. It was absolutely horrible. It tastes like cat pee and every time I used it, the liquid would drip into my mouth. So that one experience convinced me that all e-cigs were crap and e-cig users were posers. I had my mind made up until my Grandma (who is definitely not a poser) was able to quit smoking by using an e-cig. I figured if she could do it, so could I. And thank god I found this forum and did my research before purchasing my current e-cig because if I would have gotten another crappy one....

Thankfully, I haven't run into anyone like me. Everyone who asks about it has been genuinely interested and after I explain how it works, tell them how much money I'm saving and let them test mine, most ask where they can get one for themselves.

 

[sawitall]

thanks for everyone's input....honestly i don't ever want to turn into one of those people that have to be all snooty and anti tobacco smoking just because i think myself as better. after all my motto is do you and ill do me, but ignorance sure does spark up a rant.

 

[PurpleBandit]

The day that I was able to run up a flight of steps without feeling dizzy and out of breath was when I stopped feeling insecure about my vaping.

My can-barely-afford-a-pack-of-ciggs-but-still-chain-smoking cousin was stupid enough to tease me about my fake cigarettes. She went on to tell me that vaping is "Mad Bougie"(a phrase that jealous people often use). She also said a few racially charged things, which I'll keep to myself.
I told her "You can keep ya real cigarettes, and ya real inevitable tooth decay and ya real "hot" breath which is messing me up more than Newports ever did. You running ya mouth and I smell nothing but essence of Old couch and wet cat. Plus it's a known fact that a majority of the Discount and "loose" Newports being sold in NYC are counterfeit. As in fake tax stamp bearing, tobacco cut with sawdust and who knows what else counterfeit cigarettes. The next time you have to choose between a pack of cigs and minutes for your phone, I bet you'll think of me and my fake cig."

The silence that followed was topped only by the karmic hilarity of my cousin accidentally dropping one of her last two analogs out my kitchen window.


Sidenote: premium analogs can cost between $11.75 - $13.00 in NYC. I quit in October and never looked back!!

I'm not and never will be anti-smoking, I am however anti-jackass.

 

[EmmaJo]

"Anti-jackass" Lol, I like that.

Personally, I haven't had a smoker dis me for my e-cig. I figure when this happens (and it's gonna happen) I'm just going to tell them I don't like to stink. I think that will make them pause a minute.