I have to chime in real quick...
I work for a large telecommunications company and I vape at my desk. Fortunately, I have an office with a door but I have coworkers who vape as well. So, most people think it is great that I quit analogs and I vape instead. So far, I've had no complaints. But I DID want to tell a funny story regarding the ignorance of the uninformed...
A few years back, my family decided it was easier to do Thanksgiving at a restaurant because my mother, who usually does the cooking, was sick from fighting cancer. So, this year was no different...we went a great restaurant in Thurmont, MD. The restaurant is a buffet style restaurant where you are seated and take your turn getting your food. The seating area is mostly tables opposed to booths...so, there isn't a whole lot of space. Anyway, after eating, I pulled out my black 510 and started vaping...right there at my seat. See, I'm trying to decide if I want to start selling these. So, I test the waters EVERYWHERE to see what kind of reaction I can get out of people and see if people are willing to at least HEAR the merits of vaping...hell, I haven't smoked since the first week of September. Well, this little old lady is sitting one table over and I can just FEEL she is DISGUSTED by my "smoking" inside. So, I proceed to explain to my 22 year old nephew how it is an e-cig and there is no second hand smoke, I can taste foods now, yada yada yada. All the while, making sure I am talking loud enough so this woman can hear me. Next thing I know, the waitress comes up and asks me if I am smoking. I told her no and the old lady tells me my lungs are filled with carbon and I shouldn't be smoking inside...yada yada yada. I proceed to tell her I am NOT smoking a cigarette and I am not breaking the no-smoking laws. She grabs her check in disgust and walks away.
Five minutes later, this nice older gentleman walks up to these men sitting at another table and starts talking to them. Then I hear the old lady....NOOOO, it's HIM!! HE is smoking. By this time, I am cracking up. This is nice man is the OWNER of the restaurant. You can tell he is just trying to appease the old lady by talking to me. So, I explain to him that it is an e-cig and not a real cigarette. He has a little trouble grasping the concept. Soooooo, I did what I have started doing with people who are misinformed about e-cigs, I handed him a two-sided business card size information booklet. See, I created a little four-panel card that explains what e-smoking is. It is a few FAQs on it, a diagram explaining how it works, etc. Once I gave that to him, he was fine. Ten minutes later, my waitress walks up and asks me if I have anymore of those information cards and asks if I sell them...some others on the wait staff want a card...lmao. I told her I don't sell them but if she went online to e-cigarette-forum.com, she would learn LOTS of information about e-cigs. Of course I gave her my email address in case she has any questions.
THe moral of my story? 1. Just a funny real life example of the ignorance of e-smoking and 2. a good idea of a way to educate people? Maybe one of these non-profits that says they are promoting e-smoking should create some information cards like I did. But if they do and I decide to start a business, can I put MY company name on there??? lmao
Take care and good vaping everyone.
Mike