Great interview, well done guys!
I think Julie made an excellent point when she said we each need to be willing to talk about
vaping and share our story. I agree, it is ultimately important to be willing to discuss your success in smoking cessation or reduction with people who don't understand. Even if they don't seem to get it right away, it will plant a seed of truth in their minds. Just recently my aunt was arguing with me that no one knows what they put in e-cigarettes, etc. When I finally got to tell her that I had a chronic cough for the last two years I was smoking and it went away when I started vaping 8 months ago, she let up. I don't feel like I "won" that argument, i.e. she did not completely change her mind, but I know if I wasn't willing to argue with her to begin with she never would have learned that there is another side to this story. We need to be willing to vape openly and discuss our experiences so that non-smokers and non-vapers see that there is more going here than what they saw in a 2 minute slot on the evening news.
We also need to share other vaping issues when given the opportunity. Not everyone knows that the FDA's deeming regulations will actually mean a ban for most products while cigarettes get off scott free - most non-vapers only know that it will mean a few restrictions like banning sales to minors, and those who find out the truth are often shocked and offended that the government would go that far. Since we don't have a voice in mainstream media (yet), each individual vaper is our voice.
