Untapped market

[texastumbleweed]

I work on the largest military installation in the country-FT HOOD, TX, and smoking is RAMPANT. I am willing to bet that percentage wise, more soldiers smoke than non-soldiers.These are the same folks who have to PT every day! (run). Our hospital has smoke shacks on all sides, unlike civilian hospitals, where its so smoke-free that you have to walk across the road to smoke!
Every time I see those soldiers running every day, I think to myself, wow, if the ones who smoke, just vaped, they would have much improved pulmonary function and therefore endurance!
So....that being said, if I were a supplier/distributor, what I would do is advertise in the free newspaper FORT HOOD SENTINEL, and also strategically place them in fillin' stations (CEFCO's, etc) around off post.
I would get the "word" out, and make them "visible". Oh and also put them in tobacco junction shops in Killeen/Temple etc.
And i am willing to BET, that whoever corners thsi market first, will make a killing!
You can thank me by just sending me a few free e-cigs and e-juices ha ha!
HOOAH!

 

[o4_srt]

I work on the largest military installation in the country-FT HOOD, TX, and smoking is RAMPANT. I am willing to bet that percentage wise, more soldiers smoke than non-soldiers.These are the same folks who have to PT every day! (run). Our hospital has smoke shacks on all sides, unlike civilian hospitals, where its so smoke-free that you have to walk across the road to smoke!
Every time I see those soldiers running every day, I think to myself, wow, if the ones who smoke, just vaped, they would have much improved pulmonary function and therefore endurance!
So....that being said, if I were a supplier/distributor, what I would do is advertise in the free newspaper FORT HOOD SENTINEL, and also strategically place them in fillin' stations (CEFCO's, etc) around off post.
I would get the "word" out, and make them "visible". Oh and also put them in tobacco junction shops in Killeen/Temple etc.
And i am willing to BET, that whoever corners thsi market first, will make a killing!
You can thank me by just sending me a few free e-cigs and e-juices ha ha!
HOOAH!

Veteran here, while deployed to Iraq, one of my guys got a blu. Everyone gave him all kinds of crap for not being a man (put lightly), being a poser, etc. Your experience might differ, but it was certainly not welcome where I was. (this was when I was still a smoker, didn't discover pv's until after I ETS'd)

 

[epluribus_vapor]

texastumbleweed,

It is DEFINITELY NOT as easily accepted as one would think. I am a registered supplier, and I work at Fort Gordon, and it took about 3 months to be "accepted". I work with all services, and there are still those that start e-cigs, and then quit because of the crap they get from their friends. The SGM (Senior Enlisted Leader) here started, and then quit because of his civilian peers calling him a "quitter". BUT, there are now around 100 people in my complex who have converted... so it is not a lost cause. I just haven't seen a fast turnaround. And I ship to my friends in Iraq, Afghanistan and you name it in the U.S., but they seem unable to convert many friends...

Just my experience, YMMV.

 

[texastumbleweed]

yeah, i hear yall. Army/military culture is a whole different world. i started to think about what my exhusband would have experienced had he started vaping at the squadron smoke shack before formation. yeah. there would have been alot of teasing.
with men, i think it would be difficult. but with female soldiers/airmen/sailors, i dont think so.
what is so sad, is that switching from analogs to e-cigs can potentially save a life. it sucks what peer pressure can do, even in yound adulthood!

 

[o4_srt]

yeah, i hear yall. Army/military culture is a whole different world. i started to think about what my exhusband would have experienced had he started vaping at the squadron smoke shack before formation. yeah. there would have been alot of teasing.
with men, i think it would be difficult. but with female soldiers/airmen/sailors, i dont think so.
what is so sad, is that switching from analogs to e-cigs can potentially save a life. it sucks what peer pressure can do, even in yound adulthood!

i wouldn't necessarily say it's peer pressure, more the macho attitude that prevails in the military. We serve overseas, in hostile regions, getting mortared and rocketed and shot at, what's a few cigarettes in the grand scheme of things? At least you have some control with cigarettes, the rest is out of your hands.

 

[epluribus_vapor]

Yeah, definitely! What's odd, in my experience here, 90% of vapers at Gordon are men. I've seen so many women try it (free sample, friend's kit, w/e) and then say "It's not the same"........ which surprised the heck out of me.

On another note, I just trained a bunch of 1 CAV gents and 3rd ACR guys and gals and sent them back on their way to Hood... small world ;-)

 

[NuGalicia]

I thought there was a post on this forum that said e-cigarettes are banned on military installations because they haven't been approved by the FDA?

I'll try to look for it.

 

[epluribus_vapor]

That's def not true at Gordon. We just received a "polite" message from command saying that any "non-FDA approved vapor producing devices" must be smoked outside :-(

 

[texastumbleweed]

I meant selling it off post which is where most sodiers live and shop

I thought there was a post on this forum that said e-cigarettes are banned on military installations because they haven't been approved by the FDA?

I'll try to look for it.

 

[NuGalicia]

Here's one post from today: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...may-become-banned-all-marine-corps-bases.html

It doesn't really say what the policy will be, though.

 

[kylewinther]

if you get me in touch with someone that can get electronic cigarettes in, I would love to help out!

 

[texastumbleweed]

someone should check out how to get a kiosk at the AAFES (military px's/exchanges/minimalls).
there are quite a few kiosks/vendors just like you would see at a civilian mall.
i bet the AAFES site would have some info on how to become a vendor.
i am telling you, i think it would be a big seller. Ft Hood is the largest miitary installation in the country, and we have TWO commissaries and TWO PX's (exchanges/dept stores) and then a few mini-malls.

 

[txtumbleweed]

Hey Texastumbleweed is this id theft?

 

[texastumbleweed]

whoa! i got to ECF before you! are you from Texas?

Hey Texastumbleweed is this id theft?

 

[txtumbleweed]

They call me the Texas Tumbleweed
but to hard to handle Randall is my name
I claim to come from Texas
But I've got a California brogue
So alot of folks ask me about that
Doncha know
To tell you the truth my friend
I was born in the Valley of the Great San Joaquin
Down California way
But I'm Texas bred
Y'all otta be able to tell
The way I B.S. so well
Now being a Texas boy
It sure aint easy
Ya gotta be able to ride a bronc
Throw the bull
Do the Cotton Eyed Joe
And the Do Se Do
Ya gotta know your tack
And be able to fight your way
Out of a paper sack
Naw being a Texas boy sure aint easy!

 

[The Fool]

When I was first checking out e-cigarettes I ran across a supplier that offered a kit that had no led light on the end. The webpage said that he had gotten the idea from a buddy who had been stationed in Iraq and that this allowed them to smoke while on patrol at night without giving their location away. I thought that was interesting, but I couldn't tell you who the supplier was to save my life, it was months ago and I looked at a lot of sites before I found ECF.

 

[txtumbleweed]

When I was first checking out e-cigarettes I ran across a supplier that offered a kit that had no led light on the end. The webpage said that he had gotten the idea from a buddy who had been stationed in Iraq and that this allowed them to smoke while on patrol at night without giving their location away. I thought that was interesting, but I couldn't tell you who the supplier was to save my life, it was months ago and I looked at a lot of sites before I found ECF.

That is a great reason to allow them in the military. No smell or light. I know several mods don't have led's. The indulgence is one of them that doesn't have light.

 

[texastumbleweed]

the eGO and i am sure other similiar type ecigs dont have that LED light at the end.

When I was first checking out e-cigarettes I ran across a supplier that offered a kit that had no led light on the end. The webpage said that he had gotten the idea from a buddy who had been stationed in Iraq and that this allowed them to smoke while on patrol at night without giving their location away. I thought that was interesting, but I couldn't tell you who the supplier was to save my life, it was months ago and I looked at a lot of sites before I found ECF.