We are going to lose

[vape-addict]

I been a member of this forum and others for over 2 years now and use in the past year has increased at least 3 fold.Which is good..strength in numbers.but are numbers are still small.I feel as a extreme vapor(and I do mean extreme) I have a dog in this fight.Since are numbers are growing I have also witnessed the opposition grow more and laws being enacted and proposed and company policys being changed.I know right now your thinking..so whats your point..bear with me.There is a lot of good poeple and websites and forums(including this one) and organizations like cassa that is putting up a good fight and we have won few battles But in the end we will lose the war .The writings on the wall..most if not all on here are former smokers and we became smoking lepers to society now we will be vaping lepers to society..(you must go elsewhere to do that).Some of your older smokers on here my remember way back when these anti smoking nazis was on the rise there was a few organizations that started up and one was the TAN organization(tobacco action network) I was member .They tried to stop these bans that were being proposed and could not get the funding.If you approched a smoker and asked them to join to help stop the bans they would say...aahh there not not going to ban smoking..or good then maybe I can quit.that was the attitude then and I believe it is still the same today.So my point of this rant is..we need to organize..gather the troops..embrace vaping like its a religion but I'm afraid it won't be enough..We are going to lose. Thank you for you time to read this

 

[poetofisis]

I feel ya, but people won't even rise up to the occasion when there's bigger fish to fry and their very livelihood or freedom is at stake. Why would this be different. That said, I'm game... Cept for the religion part, lol. >

 

[martinc]

Why,the "others" will fight for us...we dont need to lift a finger!

 

[orson]

This is just my .02 but I think if enough people take the attitude that vaping is harmless and they should be able to do it anywhere they want then yes, we will definitely all lose.

If on the other hand we accord people the basic respect of not asking them to sit in a confined aerea with us as we exhale vapor laced with nicotine (and in their mind who knows what else) then I think we have a better chance.

I'm just happy to have an alternative to smoking, and when I'm vaping in the public arena I follow the same rules of courtesy I do with smoking.

 

[WyattDerp]

I agree with Orson and some of what the original poster said. I feel that if you are of a losing mindset, THEN are we doomed to failure. I would think that a post like the OP's would send the message that action isn't going to do any good so why bother. It may not have been intended that way but that is how it comes across.

There are tons of vapers out there who fight the good fight, day in and day out, and keep their hopes up and look forward to a bright outcome with bans proposed against e-cigarettes and I don't feel it's supportive to tell them what they are doing is not worth it because they are only a few people. Even one person can make a difference.

 

[WyattDerp]

BTW, I live in Oklahoma, the Bible belt of the Midwest, and I see lots of establishments in my town embracing electronic cigarettes to the point where our local stores are selling out of the disposables and cheap kits because people are looking for a way out of cigarettes.

 

[poetofisis]

One can be active without raising red flags in the fearful camp... I vape openly, ask permission where required, gripe to my local politicians, answer curious questions, and excuse my dissenters' ignorance as much as possible. Frustrating as hell somedays, though, I'll admit...

 

[Zer0Kewl]

As far as out in the public is concerned, I don't vape anywhere I wouldn't have smoked an analog.

I do however vape in my house and car since there isn't the nasty smoke and smell with vaping.

 

[n9emz]

As far as out in the public is concerned, I don't vape anywhere I wouldn't have smoked an analog.

I do however vape in my house and car since there isn't the nasty smoke and smell with vaping.

I'm pretty much with you except I just refrain from vaping where smoking is prohibited. I don't consider myself or anyone else to have a "right" to vape indiscriminately; laws notwithstanding, I do regard the proprietor of a business/establishment as being arbiter of what he/she will tolerate there....signs are frequently posted stating, "We have the right to refuse service to anyone."

I see education as the key, not pushing it to a confrontational event. I'd suggest that anyone who feels they have a right to vape indiscriminately should request an opinion from the ACLU and find out if they'll litigate it. On the other hand, I'm enough of an anarchist to encourage others to push the envelope.

Engaging the general public in a non-confrontational manner seems to me to be the better course of action. Frequent widely publicized vaping parties with both vendor and public participation, more and better media coverage, etc. rather than vaping into the faces of a family in a restaurant will be the wiser choice.

I remember going to great lengths explaining to a cop why I was right and he was wrong....went to jail rather than getting a ticket.

 

[CountSmackula]

I'm a fairly stealthy vaper. Most times, I hit it & hold it to reduce visible vapor on the exhale.

Also, I prefer my ego batts because they don't look "threatening" to people. If I'm asked, I usually tell them that it's my 'inhaler'. For the most part, people accept that explanation since they know someone who uses a standard inhaler.

If they ask why it looks different, I may go further & explain that it vaporizes my "medicine" (LoL), so it's made differently.

 

[Andyhrn]

Ask yourself why is the vaping gain in popularity mostly in Europe and N.America? Because of a high cigarettes prices.
The same situation with e-cigs now. This is not an "affordable" alternative for analogs. The prices are up but the quality stays the same or getting worse.
We are goings to loose to an economy.

 

[kristin]

The writings on the wall..most if not all on here are former smokers and we became smoking lepers to society now we will be vaping lepers to society..

This is why CASAA became more than just a "e-cigarette group" and why its so active in Tobacco Harm Reduction. If we can get the concept of THR accepted (and it's looking more and more promising every day) then get e-cigarettes accepted as a THR product, it will completely change how the general public views vaping and other smokeless alternatives.

The point is, the real war is in THR and e-cigarettes are really just one battle in it. Win the THR war and e-cigarettes win, too.

Think of it this way - MADD didn't achieve serious reductions in drunk driving deaths by trying to ban alcohol and vilifying social drinkers but by encouraging safer behavior while drinking. THR is the same concept and if we can get the message out to the public it WILL make sense to most people.

But you are correct that we need people educated and involved in helping educate!

 

[SilentEcho13]

I say we all build an Ark. We bring two of each mod, liquid, battery, and charger, as well as all the vapers.


*win*

 

[kristin]

I say we all build an Ark. We bring two of each mod, liquid, battery, and charger, as well as all the vapers.


*win*

And bring a really reliable generator so we can keep charging them! LOL!

 

[X P3 Flight Engineer]

And bring a really reliable generator so we can keep charging them! LOL!

Solar Panel, Please! (Emission Harm Reduction)

 

[MickeyRat]

WOW vape-addict!!! You really need some work on your motivational writing.

Here's my $0.02. We aren't going to win this by fighting but, we do have a chance to win. The way to win is to convince people that neither vape nor smoke that banning it is stupid. In some regards the mostly rip-off companies that advertise have done us a favor. They've at least given people the impression that this might actually be different than smoking.

I know that there are those that think this is the way to get it banned but, if it's done with the right attitude it'll have just the opposite effect. We need to vape in public ouside of smoking areas. We need people to know what vaping is really like. If we sneak around and stealth vape with a 808 in a corner or go to the smoking area, we're sure to get a ban. In fact, we're acting like there's a ban in place already. I'm not talking about an in your face thing either. Just do it comfortably minding your own business. Here are my rules for vaping in public:

• Do not hide it and do not use anything that looks like a cigarette.
• I've never had it happen but, if anyone objects don't stomp your feet and say you have the right even if you've previously gotten permission. Explain what you're doing. If they still object, be polite and stop or leave.
• If you get curious questions, answer politely. In a bar, sometimes it's a good conversation starter. Send people to this forum that want to know more.
• Outside, I just vape.
• In a bar, I just vape.
• In a restaurant I typically ask. I've never been turned down.
• I still step out of the doctor's waiting room even though I've been told it's okay but, I don't leave the premises and it's non-smoking campus. Call that a personal eccentricity.

I've done this in 4 states (NC, NY, GA, and FL) and the only responses I've gotten have been positive. People are interested and when it's explained to them they think it's cool. At work, I've even been invited to use it in meetings by non-smokers.

To be honest, I don't really think anything will work either but, I think this is our best shot.

 

[Iffy]

I'm with MickeyRat! I'm very visible when vaping within his guidelines. I've had soooo many great encounters with no rejections thus far. If anything, the 'support' has been remarkable. Sure there's the occasional, "Oh..."(aka clueless).

I believe that the key to our 'battle' is to have the antz and disbelievers bear the burden of proof.

 

[vape-addict]

WOW vape-addict!!! You really need some work on your motivational writing.

your right..I know i'm no motivational writer or speaker little sorry I posted this..at the time I was just disgusted with the whole situation I don't go anywhere or do anything because I'm told I can't smoke now something was invented that allows me to go have a good time and the no smoking nazi's are trying to take that away.

 

[MickeyRat]

your right..I know i'm no motivational writer or speaker little sorry I posted this..at the time I was just disgusted with the whole situation I don't go anywhere or do anything because I'm told I can't smoke now something was invented that allows me to go have a good time and the no smoking nazi's are trying to take that away.

That was intended to be a little good natured ribbing. I'm sure everyone understood where you were coming from.

 

[kwalka]

That was intended to be a little good natured ribbing. I'm sure everyone understood where you were coming from.

Not only do we understand where you are coming from but we/I are with you 100%. I went off on a little rant myself the other day on this topic.(I dont know how to link to it). We are talking about saving lives here. I smoked for 15yrs, I have 4 kids, and I'm still in awe at how simple it was for me to put down 2+ PAD and go exclusive to vaping.
I basically follow Mickeyrat's rules to a t, and I have had nothing but a lot of positive interest. I have basically become a spokesmen for vaping. I sat in a high end surgrons waiting room yesterday with about 10ish people, and before I whipped out my eGo with a cartzilla tank on it I openly asked if anybody here smokes. Then proceeded to give them a mello,informative education. They were all amazed, smokers and non alike. We have got to use the resources we have here to get the good word out. (I am not religious at all, I mean the vape word).
Hope I made some sense here I just woke up and I feel very strongly about this.