Why don't people get it????

[maureengill]

Last night I got done playing volleyball at the Turners Club in Wilmington (where they just prohibited smoking at the bar a month ago). I sat at the bar...ordered a beer...and pulled out my e-cig. The person sitting next to me immediately started going on about how bad those are for you. To shut her up I said...I BET IT WON'T KILL ME FASTER THAN SMOKING CIGARETTES WOULD HAVE.....

UGH...like i didn't do all the research for two months before I decided to start doing this...sometimes I just wish people would .... OUT

Maureen

 

[tribalmasters]

I agree! My brother's girlfriend is like that. She thinks they are dangerous because she saw some FDA lies on the TV!! I wouldn't have been vaping over a year if they were as dangerous as analogs

 

[crand]

The surest way to completely turn the public against ecigs as a reasonable alternative to smoking is to keep forcing confrontations by using them in public places where smoking is prohibited.

 

[tribalmasters]

Yes stealth vape is the way to go!

 

[kristin]

The surest way to completely turn the public against e-cigs is to keep hiding outside with the smokers and not educating the public - letting them believe the FDA and media hype.

Just don't confront opposition in an angry or obnoxious manner. Politely and confidently tell them the facts.

"Actually, I have never felt better since I quit smoking! Did you know that millions of people have been using these for over 5 years and there haven't been any reports of serious illness or death? Can't say that about real cigarettes. So I recommend them to all of the smokers I meet!"

 

[crand]

I take a conversation with a smoker who is interested in my ecig over a 'covert the non-smoker' confrontation any day of the week.

 

[kristin]

I take a conversation with a smoker who is interested in my ecig over a 'covert the non-smoker' confrontation any day of the week.

I agree, but since there are a lot more non-smokers than smokers, it's bound to happen.

The point is to keep it a conversation and not a confrontation. Most non-smokers know a smoker they care about.

Non-smoker: "Those things are bad for you and I don't want to be exposed to it!"

Vaper: 'I used to wonder about the same thing! Then I researched them and found out they don't have the deadly stuff that real cigarettes have or have a hundred times less. I've never felt better! And I no longer smoke. If you know someone who smokes, you should tell them about these - they are lifesavers!"

If they continue to argue after that, apologize and move away or say you won't use it around them.

You don't have to convince them, but maybe being polite and considerate about it will make them think twice. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't reflect upon it later and recomend one to their smoking friend/family member!

 

[tribalmasters]

I think I will stick to stealth vaping on the plane though hehe!

 

[The Drizzle]

I know it's easier to talk to smokers about e-cigs, and that non-smokers can be pretty close minded about them, but it's still important to have that conversation with them.

I tell people that I've quit smoking, and that I used my electronic nicotine inhaler* to do it. I've only gotten praise for my decision to quit, and then questions about how it works! After people realize that the vapor is water/alcohol based, and not real smoke, they at least think it's an interesting idea.

To the people who've bought into the FDA's BS, I tell them that the controversy is because the technology is so new that the FDA is scambling to classify it, and that during initial testing of Chinese E-liquid from two companies, they found a chemical in trace amounts that is harmful. Then I tell them that I pay a little more to get my liquid here in the states from companies who have done testing to ensure the purity of their liquid.

The most important thing we can do is educate people about how these products have changed our lives and to be advocates of vaping everywhere we go. I know that it can be a burden sometimes, but would you rather talk about it, or have people's ignorance stop you from vaping...

* I think we should stop calling our PV's e-cigarettes. The less we identify with smoking, the better!

 

[BenJammin]

I agree, but since there are a lot more non-smokers than smokers, it's bound to happen.

The point is to keep it a conversation and not a confrontation. Most non-smokers know a smoker they care about.

Non-smoker: "Those things are bad for you and I don't want to be exposed to it!"

Vaper: 'I used to wonder about the same thing! Then I researched them and found out they don't have the deadly stuff that real cigarettes have or have a hundred times less. I've never felt better! And I no longer smoke. If you know someone who smokes, you should tell them about these - they are lifesavers!"

If they continue to argue after that, apologize and move away or say you won't use it around them.

You don't have to convince them, but maybe being polite and considerate about it will make them think twice. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't reflect upon it later and recommend one to their smoking friend/family member!

It is good to see that the Lost Art of Tact is not dead. The militant ones want to put us on the defensive. They enjoy poking others with a sharp stick. Making others squirm is how they measure their own worth. Society has now decided that anyone who even remotely appears to be smoking is a valid target in play. Your approach shows them you simply will not play their stupid game. Like it or not we are all ambassadors of Vapor Nation and our individual interactions will color the perceptions of us as a whole. I am not flippant with my vaping but neither am I shameful. If I use it openly it is either in friendly or neutral territory. I never use it where it is more likely to start a "fight". If I'm not sure either way, then I go stealth! Well, as stealth as one can be with a Big Vapin' Pipe. I've vape regularly inside the office as well as at the Smoker's Pole. I've gradually introduced it into the environment so that others have had a chance to learn and accept it over time. {Does it smell? You tell me, I've been vaping in this room all day. Oh, Wow! It doesn't! }The consensus at work has been very positive. Most of my co-workers know me as "the methodical one", so when I tell them I've done my homework that's good enough for them. Out in the field is different; the client is always right, even when they are dead wrong. I'm not just representing Vapor Kind out there, I'm representing my company. I'll use their designated smoking area, and failing that:
I am the Fog King of Stall Number One.

 

[DC2]

People don't get it because the FDA used scare tactics to release their test results, and the fear-mongering media took the ball and ran with it, just as they were being counted on to do.

I usually tell them that if they read the actual FDA report, like I have, they would find that the test results from the FDA's own tests prove that these are about 1500 times safer than cigarettes, and pretty much on par with smoking cessation products like the gum, the patch, lozenges, and the nictotrol inhaler.

As for the antifreeze thing, that takes a little more knowledge and explanation.
There are some very good threads here that discuss that issue in detail.

 

[cassavetes]

I gave up trying to convince family members, friends or strangers that my PV is a safer alternative. I still only vape in the smoking sections and with my former smoking pals at work. Well, to be honest, I do stealth vape at the movies. = /