I made a comment in another thread that I think bears a little exploration here. What I said was that knowledge is power, and that given the fact that the overwhelming majority of people in America have no idea what e-cigarettes and vaping is, we have very little power.
It seems to me that we're at a critical point right now. Awareness of e-cigarettes is rising quickly and the federal government is in the process of developing policy towards them. Unfortunately, the first thing a lot of people are hearing about these devices is that they're "not proven safe" and they're "marketed to children" and so forth.
But the ignorance of the average citizen doesn't have to be an obstacle to our cause. In fact, it could be our greatest benefit. How so? Easy. Why allow the media and the government to be the first entities to expose people to the concept of e-cigarettes and vaping? Why not try and ensure that WE are the ones who make the first impression?
We have a unique opportunity to define the debate by acting as the first person that makes others aware of the benefits of these devices. First impressions often have the most impact and can shape a person's attitude from that point forward. Additionally, people tend to put more stock in person to person experience, rather than the things they see on an impersonal interview on TV or an article they read in a newspaper or on the Web.
Therefore, I suggest that everyone here, without exception, make a point of vaping in public at some point this week. Vape at the bus stop. Vape in the park. Vape in a bar or a restaurant or at work. Do it anywhere that isn't completely inappropriate. And when people notice it, strike up a conversation with them. Let them know what it is you're doing, why you're doing it, how and why it's being opposed by the government and why you think that opposition is wrong. Nothing could be simpler than articulating a position that we all feel so strongly about and are all so well informed on. Our knowledge and our ability to impart it to others is the most powerful tool at our disposal. We can be the first impression. We can set the tone of the discussion.
And to take that idea further, maybe we should establish an official "vape in public day" each month. Like a kind of nation wide flashmob, maybe we could choose the first Thursday of every month to go, as a group, out to whatever public place we choose and have a refreshing vape, using the opportunity to inform people about the devices. Or maybe we could do it more frequently than that. It might work to have every Thursday be "vape in public day."
Basically, any chance we can get to expose people to these devices and educate them on our viewpoint is a good thing. If we don't speak up now, the first impression people are going to get is the government and anti-smoking line. That they're from China (gasp!), that they're potentially dangerous, that they're marketed to children and a dozen other rhetorical attacks that are launched every day by those who have access to the media. We can use our individual voices to make a difference, and all we have to do is take it to the streets. All we have to do is exactly what we're doing on this forum, only live and in person.
Thoughts?
It seems to me that we're at a critical point right now. Awareness of e-cigarettes is rising quickly and the federal government is in the process of developing policy towards them. Unfortunately, the first thing a lot of people are hearing about these devices is that they're "not proven safe" and they're "marketed to children" and so forth.
But the ignorance of the average citizen doesn't have to be an obstacle to our cause. In fact, it could be our greatest benefit. How so? Easy. Why allow the media and the government to be the first entities to expose people to the concept of e-cigarettes and vaping? Why not try and ensure that WE are the ones who make the first impression?
We have a unique opportunity to define the debate by acting as the first person that makes others aware of the benefits of these devices. First impressions often have the most impact and can shape a person's attitude from that point forward. Additionally, people tend to put more stock in person to person experience, rather than the things they see on an impersonal interview on TV or an article they read in a newspaper or on the Web.
Therefore, I suggest that everyone here, without exception, make a point of vaping in public at some point this week. Vape at the bus stop. Vape in the park. Vape in a bar or a restaurant or at work. Do it anywhere that isn't completely inappropriate. And when people notice it, strike up a conversation with them. Let them know what it is you're doing, why you're doing it, how and why it's being opposed by the government and why you think that opposition is wrong. Nothing could be simpler than articulating a position that we all feel so strongly about and are all so well informed on. Our knowledge and our ability to impart it to others is the most powerful tool at our disposal. We can be the first impression. We can set the tone of the discussion.
And to take that idea further, maybe we should establish an official "vape in public day" each month. Like a kind of nation wide flashmob, maybe we could choose the first Thursday of every month to go, as a group, out to whatever public place we choose and have a refreshing vape, using the opportunity to inform people about the devices. Or maybe we could do it more frequently than that. It might work to have every Thursday be "vape in public day."
Basically, any chance we can get to expose people to these devices and educate them on our viewpoint is a good thing. If we don't speak up now, the first impression people are going to get is the government and anti-smoking line. That they're from China (gasp!), that they're potentially dangerous, that they're marketed to children and a dozen other rhetorical attacks that are launched every day by those who have access to the media. We can use our individual voices to make a difference, and all we have to do is take it to the streets. All we have to do is exactly what we're doing on this forum, only live and in person.
Thoughts?
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