Last updated on December 13th, 2021
Why Do People Get So Offended by E-Cigarette Vapers?
People who are offended by those who promote electronic cigarettes are themselves quite offensive in my estimation.
It makes no sense when people who are adamantly against smoking, go out of their way to berate those trying to quit smoking or those who admire a product that promotes tobacco harm reduction and a smoke-free environment. It is simply impertinent behavior.
It's becoming clear that the problem lies with the public's long-held prejudice against smokers. There will always be those quick to judge others; those who maintain, “all smoking is offensive”. I believe they derive pleasure from chastising cigarette smokers (even those who are desperately trying to quit). It is a smug assumption that non-smokers are better human beings than smokers and that smokers are doing a terrible injustice to society. That kind of behavior is more repulsive than smoking. It’s just pig-headed, bad manners.
In an article in the New Republic entitled “Lets Not Wage War on Smokers”, medical historian Allan Brandt was cited as saying back in 1988,
“Thanks to anti-smoking crusaders, the fragrant has become foul, an emblem of attraction has become repulsive; a mark of sociability has become deviant; a public behavior now is virtually private.”
The article also points out that recently, “psychologists have found that smokers are seen as ‘outcasts’ and even ‘lepers.’
Will Vapers Continue To Be Viewed as Lepers Too?
The latest public vaping bans have given those who abhor smokers, a new group to hate – VAPERS. It surely does nothing to promote a healthier lifestyle or cigarette harm reduction.
Electronic cigarettes were developed as an alternative to smoking tobacco, but ecigs are really in a class of their own. When one smokes an electronic cigarette, he or she is actually not smoking any smoke. The electronic filter produces a water vapor that looks and tastes like the real thing but is it nothing like cigarette smoke. There’s no smell, tar or carbon monoxide contained in the water vapor of an electronic cigarette, and the vapor disappears almost instantly. New studies are showing that second hand vapor is harmless and that vaping is explicitly safer than smoking.
Is this not a step in the right direction? Experience, the medical profession and modern political correctness have all handed us many hard lessons (and rules) about the physical and psychological downside of smoking cigarettes. The fact remains that quitting for good is not an easy option for this cruelly addictive habit. Electronic cigarettes offer a sane and welcome alternative to tobacco cigarettes.
It's sad that those who vape, using what is now recognized by prominent scientists and doctors to be a powerful smoking alternative are being talked about as being just as “disgusting” as the now stigmatized cigarette smokers.
Get Real People
We are going through a cultural transformation that rejects the old norms and embraces a new world of healthy living, eco-friendly “natural” products and global social responsibility. As a promoter of all three, I am proud to promote a safe smoking alternative that epitomizes these values.
I remain dismayed and disturbed by the high and mighty preachers of “clean living” who are all for banning the use of electronic cigarettes in all public places including bars, airports and airplanes. These people show little understanding or regard for human nature or the truth behind many proactive efforts to move society to the next level of evolution. Old rules along with old prejudices just need to come to an end.
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25+ year, pack a day smoker. Delivered from it because of vaping. This has been a true godsend for me. I get flack from friends telling me I should quit altogether. Last time I knew it was coming out of my pocket and not theirs. Funny how it’s “to each his own” until it comes to vaping. They need a serious education on it. For whoever it may apply to, vape on, people!
Author
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your comment and congratulations on quitting smoking! We all know recognition and mass approval of ecigs is slow coming, but eventually the thunderous impact of vaping as a life-saver will emerge. For now, vapers have united to stand proud even in the face of ignorant adversity.
Cheers!
So embracing vaping is tantamount to embracing a “new world of healthy living”? Hardly. It’s simply replacing one incredibly destructive habit with another that’s slightly less unhealthy. It’s a step in the right direction, but please don’t insult our collective intelligence and call continued nicotine use – and thereby addiction – healthy. Zero use is healthy use.
Author
Stacy,
Ecigs are still highly controversial especially to anyone who hates smokers, or the idea of “smoking”. Over 10 years of anti-smoking campaigns has set a precedent. E-cigarettes are about Tobacco Harm Reduction. The truth is that millions of people find them more effective than any other NRP and they get them off killer cigarettes. Even the FDA now says ecigs are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. Are they completely “safe”? Only time will tell, but we do know that new legitimate scientific evidence is rapidly emerging about ecig safety; replacing the old “junk science” reports fabricating the so-called “dangers” of nicotine and e-cigarette vapor. Our opinion, as is the opinion of many doctors, scientists and health organizations, is that it doesn’t make intelligent sense for anyone to be against effective tobacco harm reduction.
Please don’t confuse dependence with addiction. No one tests negative for nicotine, even in minute quantities. Green peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower and eggplant all contain nicotine. Just a little information for the masses.
You don’t know what you are taking about, as not all e-juice has nicotine in it. People like you spout on about things that you know nothing about. If I choose to vape, that is my business and none of yours
Author
Michael,
Thanks for posting your uplifting story. I’m always cheered when I see testimonials by people who got off tobacco cigarettes with the help of e-cigs, but your story is truly poignant. At once scary and powerful. Be well!
I smoked real cigarettes for over 35 years. I tried many times to quit smoking using the prescribed methods, such as patches, gum, mouth spray, nasal spray and pills. Nothing worked for me and I’d be smoking again in no time.
In March 2013, iI had a heart attack. I needed angioplasty and a stent fitted. I was told that if I didn’t stop smoking I could be dead within a year.
Once again I was given patches and a nasal spray. I managed to quit for a few weeks before the cravings became too much to bear, and I was back to smoking.
Three weeks ago, I bought an e-cig. I started using it that same night. I haven’t had a real cigarette since then, and I have had absolutely no cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
I will never smoke a real cigarette again.
I get the feeling people have become used to having a soft target to go after, makes them feel better about their own lives. Tobacco control has unfortunately employed some underhand tactics to socially engineer an allowed or even encouraged prejudice. You should see the look on some people’s faces when I tell them they too consume nicotine on a daily basis through their food and beverages.
Author
Hi Threthny,
Thanks for leaving such wise words here. I love that you tell people to watch out for nicotine in their food. My favorite quote of the year came from the British House of Lords. Viscount Ridley said, “Will the Minister consider regulating aubergines (eggplants) as medicines? They also contain nicotine. If you eat 10 grams of aubergine, which you easily could with a plateful of moussaka, you will absorb the same amount of nicotine as if you shared a room with a cigarette smoker for three hours.”
Gotta love it.
You’re a pip Hillary. I enjoy seeing your tweets and reading your articles. I like to tell nay-sayers of e-cigs to step into the 21st century and leave the 20th century behind. E-cigs are a way for cigarette smokers to kick the tobacco habit for good and still enjoy their lifestyle which happens to include nicotine, or not! I completely agree with your “cultural transformation” opinion. E-cigs are here to stay and so are we thanks to these little miracles! Thank you!
Author
Hey Fred. Thanks so much for saying such nice things and I’m thrilled that you enjoy my articles. I’m optimistic that e-cigs will prevail (and flourish!) and that vapers everywhere will see continued support from the medical community. Cheers and happy vaping 🙂
Thank you..pieces like this are what the community is in need of. There are far too many people who are believing the misinformation.
The sad part is that the facts are readily available to all, including our elected officials yet they seem to find this topic more criminal than others I can think of.
If you would like some information please go to onvaping.com or CASAA.org. Thank you again!
Author
Jjames – Thank YOU for leaving this comment. I’ve been committed to promoting vaping for several years now and it’s always rewarding to get great feedback. We can only hope that the vast amount of new vapers will create a tidal wave that washes away all those self-serving politicians health regulators.
I’ve a few rabid anti smoker friends that say that they are happy that I’ve switched to e-cigs but that I should stop doing that too. I always respond with, Why? It doesn’t smell, it’s a drastic improvement from before, and what I do at this point is none of your GD business.
Author
Liney. I’ve come across a few (more than a few) of those high and mighty anti-smoker/anti-vapers. I just blow vapor in their faces. Thanks for commenting, it’s really appreciated.