Vapers & Smokers

[echofinder]

Had an interesting thought, would like y'alls input:

So, most of us were former smokers, often very heavy smokers. Of course, smokers kind of have their own community, like a "smokers vs. nonsmokers" thing, a subculture if you will. We vapers have a similar (growing) subculture.

I am curious to know how y'all feel about smokers & the smoking subculture: do you see vapers & smokers as allies? Enemies? Do you still feel affinity with the smoker subculture? If you & some smokers were stuck in a room full of anti's, would you socially align yourself with the smokers, or not? Legally & socially, is it better for us to fight with the smoking community or against them?

 

[echofinder]

I tend to see individual smokers as allies, but the larger companies & groups they represent as enemies.
I still feel a strong affinity with the smoker subculture, mostly because of shared judgments passed towards both groups.
I would readily align myself with the smokers, but would not be afraid to point out the flaws of tobacco.

This last one is very difficult for me: I would like to see us develop as a unique & independent community, free of the laws that so limit smokers, but I am very pessimistic about this. If vaping is associated with tobacco smoking, we are connected to a long-established and accepted (even if begrudgingly) activity... but we submit to inheriting their baggage as well. On the other hand, by rejecting any association with smoking we may be able to gain greater understanding & legal/social rights... but we also have few outside allies.

 

[the_maiden_fair]

I guess I never thought about it! I feel sorry for most smokers, especially those who refuse to try something that could help them truely quit. I never understood how bad 2nd hand smoke smelled before I quit. I feel they don't realize either. I don't really know if I would align with them or not! Very good thread, very thought provoking! Thanks, Echofinder, BTW, love the Arthur Av!

 

[dotma]

I never thought about it either but I do feel more of an affinity with the smokers than the nonsmokers, and i would probably align myself with the smokers as well. Probably because after years of smoking, you get used to being the leper and sometimes you get that same "leper" response as a vaper.

I think it would take quite some time to develop our own identity, so to speak, because i think smokers and vapers see the differences but a lot of nonsmokers/never smokers don't.

I just see smokers as the next potential victim of my vaping speech! lol

 

[dankie]

I avoid smokers and the smell at all costs now. I never wanted to be the antismoker but i'm becoming that person.

 

[VapourMonkey]

Part of the enjoyment for me of vaping is i can still hang around with the smoking crowd at work. That was always a problem when i tried patches and the like, I had to stay well away from smokers or i would be too tempted. I don't feel that way with vaping. I think I still regard myself as a smoker, even though technically i'm not. Just using a different method.

 

[TheSneakerHoarder]

I think of vaping as a happy medium... Best of both (smoking/non-smoking).

Having said that...i cannot stand analog smoke anymore.

 

[DC2]

I'll take a smoker over an anti-smoker any day and twice on Sundays.

Anti-smokers are all too often self-righteous, hypocritical nanny-statists.
And the ones that aren't hypocritical are even worse.

Personally, I often can't stand people with no vices, as I find many of them to be extraordinarily rigid and boring.
I'd rather hang out with a jar of dirt than a person with no vices.

So yeah, I'll stand with the smoker, but try to stay upwind.

 

[Sundrinkr]

I'm right there with ya! I think smoking stinks, but I'd align myself with them in a heartbeat. I think its like Dotma said about being treated like a leper. No one deserves that, not even a leper.

I'll take a smoker over an anti-smoker any day and twice on Sundays.

Anti-smokers are all too often self-righteous, hypocritical nanny-statists.
And the ones that aren't hypocritical are even worse.

Personally, I often can't stand people with no vices, as I find many of them to be extraordinarily rigid and boring.
I'd rather hang out with a jar of dirt than a person with no vices.

So yeah, I'll stand with the smoker, but try to stay upwind.

 

[Shizzle]

i'm fine amongst either...but neither is fine amongst me, as i've constantly received "comments" from both camps -- two individuals have been especially vocal:

the biggest non-smoker bully hasn't changed their tune at all over time, sticking with hundreds of choruses of "you know, that thing isn't FDA approved, so lord knows what's in it -- it's probably worse for you than smoking."

the biggest smoker bully has put forth far more effort into their work:

when i first started vaping, they said things like "nice toy", "what a waste of money", "that's gonna prove to be about as useful as a thigh master", and "don't go bumming smokes off of me when you get desperate...and you will."

as the weeks progressed, they changed their tactics: "here, want a cigarette? come on, take it...you know you want one". upon refusing: "you're not fooling anyone...you secretly smoke your brains out every chance you get."

after several months, they changed yet again, becoming relentless at times -- especially when we were in places where vaping was allowed, but smoking wasn't: "do you know how absolutely ridiculous you look sucking on that magic marker?", "do you not even care that you're embarrassing yourself?", "you must really get off on the attention", "omg, do you ever put that thing down?", "is it permanently attached to your hand?", "there must be something besides nicotine in it, seeing as you love it so much -- speaking of which, neighbors probably think you're an addict by now."

now at my one year mark, they've finally retreated for the most part, but with the funniest, saddest comment yet: "hey, just thought i'd let you know i'm going out for a smoke...athough i don't know why i'm even bothering to tell you, as i suppose you're not coming with me anyway....especially considering the weather's not so good right now." (yeah, i guess one could say that a combo of lightning, hail and winds over 30mph counts as "not so good.")





(btw, the non-smoker bully is my Mom, lol....and the smoker bully? -- he's supposedly my "better half" )

 

[echofinder]

Wow you need better people in your life... Your SO is SUPER jealous; I would be so thrilled to receive such a response. I picked up my first PV in Frostburg on the way out to Ohio with 3 friends: we had all been converted a month previous by our other buddy & were just then getting on board. So I and 2 others spent like 2 hours in the Vapor Room shop discussing and setting up our shiny new ecigs (the staff there were very helpful & gave us a good carto filling demo); our 4th legionnaire was not interested in ecigs & was not happy to sit in TVR for 2 hours either haha. We spent 4 days in Columbus hitting up bars, running the streets, and generally vaping up a storm whilst having a fantastic time. I think she was very disappointed, as overnight her whole company of smoking buddies disappeared & she was left alone outside in the cold while we continued to down beers & vape.

"you know, that thing isn't FDA approved, so lord knows what's in it -- it's probably worse for you than smoking."

Ha! Considering the ridiculous things the FDA does approve & promote, I like e-cigs better knowing they haven't been approved.