Personal Observation: The general public are aware and angry with deeming regs...

[Draculeos]

A trend I'm noticing on social media is that the general public is waking up to the draconian restrictions set forth by the FDA.

Going to local vape shops and talking with friends in May of this year, I had lost hope as seeing most of them were clueless about the coming changes with regard to the deeming regs and August the 8th.

But now, many people are commenting on Facebook and are fuming mad, customers and local vape shops are adopting at "{Moderated} the FDA" mentality.

This gives me hope. As the number of vapors increase, those people can be added to our cause.
The more boots on the ground we have, the more chances of laws being changed.

Have you all noticed this change in your local area?
Do you think increasing the number of angry vapors will help vaping in the long run?

 

[Haktuspit]

I seriously hope so, public outcry is what we need right now. If every vaper knew what was going on (which they might soon) their families are going to know too and aren't going to be too pleased. Mine isn't very excited about them after e-cigs saved my Dad from COPD.

 

[RoseJ]

I'm very firm about keeping my FB account personal - free of politics and "social issues". I see it as a central hub to keep in touch with friends and family who are scattered all over the world. So apart from posting that I've quit smoking, I haven't even mentioned vaping except in the comments if somebody asks.

However, I recently broke my own rule, and posted an article about the FDA deeming regs, and the impact this will have on many people's inability to quit smoking. The response I got was just sad, and I won't do it again. One friend, it turns out, is very anti-vaping, which resulted in some tense words. Two other friends it seems are vaping and I didn't know. But they seem kinda ashamed of it, or at least didn't want to discuss it publically.

In my non-social media life, I only know two other vapers, one of them being my husband. Both of them are angry, if that constitutes a trend. Otherwise, my only other experience with vapers is here on ECF.

 

[Baditude]

This gives me hope. As the number of vapors increase, those people can be added to our cause.

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but what I think we will see is a decreasing number of vapers since the regulations are now in effect.

The intent of the FDA Deeming, IMHO, was and is to crush the vaping industry. And unless lawsuits or the Cole Bill stops the Deeming, that is exactly what will happen.

It will be increasingly more difficult for new vapers to start vaping with all of the restrictions now in place and those to come in the next two years. Shop owners will not be allowed to call ecigs a stop-smoking aid, won't be able to demonstrate how an ecig operates or set one up for a customer. Not even be able to show them how to fill a tank. They won't be able to allow flavor sampling of their e-liquid flavors unless they charge a fee for sampling. No new products on the market post-8/2016. The possibility of out-of-stock products as their products from China get held up by US Customs. Stores can't stay open if they don't have product to sell.

And vapers are not just fighting the feds; state governments are getting into the anti-vaping action as well. All of this together will be very frustrating for a smoker looking to quit and take up vaping.

Unless the lawsuits or Cole Bill turn things around, things look pretty pessimistic.

From my personal experience, the general public know very little about vaping and could care less about our issues. Even people who vape, many are still not aware of the regulations in my neck of the woods. The owner of the local vape shop didn't know anything about the regulations when they were first announced a few months ago; now he hopes to be able to stay open until 2018, then he will close down his three stores in three small towns.

Case in point:

OMG, I literally just started vaping yesterday. After weeks of thinking about it, I went into my local shop and the man working mentioned new FDA regulations and that's why he couldn't let me sample stuff without charging me $1 per (I was fine with that).

I had no idea any of this was happening! I guess I should stock up, I'm really loving the vaporizer. After 12 years of smoking I've gone my first day without even really wanting a cigarette (and believe me, I've tried other methods).

I hope that I am wrong.

 

[OlderNDirt]

Dang it, @Baditude ! As is the case with many posts any more, I find it extremely difficult to "like" your post, but did want to at least say there are similarities in how we view the vaping future, or lack thereof.

 

[Baditude]

Dang it, @Baditude ! As is the case with many posts any more, I find it extremely difficult to "like" your post, but did want to at least say there are similarities in how we view the vaping future, or lack thereof.

It's never my intention to post something for the sole purpose of a "like". I try to tell it like it is.

It is what it is.

 

[ScandaLeX]

Bad I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said.

 

[leftyandsparky]

I'm very firm about keeping my FB account personal - free of politics and "social issues". I see it as a central hub to keep in touch with friends and family who are scattered all over the world. So apart from posting that I've quit smoking, I haven't even mentioned vaping except in the comments if somebody asks.

However, I recently broke my own rule, and posted an article about the FDA deeming regs, and the impact this will have on many people's inability to quit smoking. The response I got was just sad, and I won't do it again. One friend, it turns out, is very anti-vaping, which resulted in some tense words. Two other friends it seems are vaping and I didn't know. But they seem kinda ashamed of it, or at least didn't want to discuss it publically.

In my non-social media life, I only know two other vapers, one of them being my husband. Both of them are angry, if that constitutes a trend. Otherwise, my only other experience with vapers is here on ECF.

Same here. I'm made to feel ashamed or I'm doing something illegal.Most people don't see it as I've quilt smoking that I'm improving my life. My 12yr. old and husband are my biggest supporters along with ecf.

 

[Baditude]

I'm very firm about keeping my FB account personal - free of politics and "social issues".

I have no problem with this stance. Understandable. I have strong feelings about the candidates for the upcoming election, but I have restrained myself from posting political commentaries because I've noticed my FB friends support both candidates. It's tough to keep friends when you are political opponents.

However, I do post vaping and e-cig commentaries on Facebook. I consider myself a vaping advocate. I have many friends and former customers who are vapers from the days when I worked in a vape shop.

 

[leftyandsparky]

I have no problem with this stance. Understandable. I have strong feelings about the candidates for the upcoming election, but I have restrained myself from posting political commentaries because I've noticed my FB friends support both candidates.

However, I do post vaping and e-cig commentaries. I consider myself a vaping advocate. I have many friends who are vapers from the days when I worked in a vape shop.

We as a family have been FB free for 2 yrs. Best thing for us.

 

[Vikaernes]

Lack of information/not caring at all about the information put forth has been our biggest enemy thus far, IMO. When I still frequented/worked at vape shops, many people who came in that I would talk to had no clue about the inevitable regulations, and didn't seem too interested in paying any mind to them in the first place. What's even worse, a lot of shop owners that I met took a "not a manufacturer, not my problem" stance on the issue, likely assuming these sort of discussions and considerations would be bad for their business. I'm sure a lot of them wished they had paid more attention now.

 

[TheMike21]

I've noticed if you get to a non smoker non vaper before the media they become supporters, in the office I sat with my supervisors and co-workers soon after I started vaping, I explained what it was, how it worked and what it was doing for me, they where all very happy, allowed me to vape inside and now play guess the flavor.

 

[ENAUD]

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but what I think we will see is a decreasing number of vapers since the regulations are now in effect.

The intent of the FDA Deeming, IMHO, was and is to crush the vaping industry. And unless lawsuits or the Cole Bill stops the Deeming, that is exactly what will happen.

It will be increasingly more difficult for new vapers to start vaping with all of the restrictions now in place and those to come in the next two years. Shop owners will not be allowed to call ecigs a stop-smoking aid, won't be able to demonstrate how an ecig operates or set one up for a customer. Not even be able to show them how to fill a tank. They won't be able to allow flavor sampling of their e-liquid flavors unless they charge a fee for sampling. No new products on the market post-8/2016. The possibility of out-of-stock products as their products from China get held up by US Customs. Stores can't stay open if they don't have product to sell.

And vapers are not just fighting the feds; state governments are getting into the anti-vaping action as well. All of this together will be very frustrating for a smoker looking to quit and take up vaping.

Unless the lawsuits or Cole Bill turn things around, things look pretty pessimistic.

From my personal experience, the general public know very little about vaping and could care less about our issues. Even people who vape, many are still not aware of the regulations in my neck of the woods. The owner of the local vape shop didn't know anything about the regulations when they were first announced a few months ago; now he hopes to be able to stay open until 2018, then he will close down his three stores in three small towns.

Case in point:


I hope that I am wrong.

This post is exactly where my thoughts have been since the deeming was released. I can't even imagine that I would have even bought my first setup if the shop couldn't explain to me how to set it up and maintain it, I would probably still be sitting outside on the porch with a Camel between my fingers. And the stuff about the general public not caring, my own family doesn't care. I tried to get some support for a petition and pleaded with them to just take a moment and click on a petition, ZERO response. Recently I was visiting my brother and some other family and I tried to explain the corruption of justice that was being done, and he responded, "well, everything's corrupt, nothing we can do about it..."

My hope lies in the court cases.

 

[daviedog]

I now know the FDA is far from stupid.
The very fact that a vape shoppe cannot demonstrate or help a customer returning with an issue?
Insidious, attacks the core of free thought..

 

[TheMike21]

I now know the FDA is far from stupid.
The very fact that a vape shoppe cannot demonstrate or help a customer returning with an issue?
Insidious, attacks the core of free thought..

Can't they pull out the same mod as the guest has and show them without touching the customer's equipment?

 

[Baditude]

Proud of my former employer. This is what he posted on Facebook today:


"Well the D-Day of vaping 8-8-16 has come and gone... Yeah things changed in our stores across the country. Yeah we have to charge for samples... Yeah we cant to...uch your device to trouble shoot it. Yeah we can't build or change coils...
But you know what? All of us survived. Customers were still taken care of. Stores had to think outside of the box to get new vapors set up, trouble shoot devices, and yes we were forced to teach people to build a coil instead of just doing it.

So what is next??? What can be done to help?

1) Remember to be kind to shop employees. They are working under a new set of rules. Rules that store employees do not want or agree with just like you. They are trying to do the best they can do to give customers the best service the new FDA guidelines allow.

2) If you are a vapor and not already involved in advocacy stop waiting and thinking someone else will do it. Get involved. Write your legislators and tell them to support bills that change the predicate date. Donate to organizations fighting the fight like Right 2 Be Smoke Free.

3) If you are a vendor and not part of a legitimate advocacy group all I can say right now is sigh... Its time for every vendor in the USA to be part of a group. Lawsuits against the FDA cost money. As of yesterday we are all selling tobacco products. SO you ask what does this mean? Well what happens to tobacco??? It gets taxed. So now that we are tobacco states will be eyeing all of us as a new source of money. GET INVOLVED!!!!!!! Don't know where to contact? Well reach out to me or many others and we can guide you to a great organization.

I for one will continue to make sure my company takes the best care of our customers as the law allows. I will also continue to fight both in my state and at the federal level not only to protect everyone's right to vape but also for my 100 employees. Employee's and customers have trusted me to do the right thing for the last 4 years. I will not let it go down without a fight!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

[RoseJ]

We as a family have been FB free for 2 yrs. Best thing for us.

I'd love to do this, because I'm not a fan of FB. But as I said, I have family and friends from one side of the globe to the other, and highly value the ability FB gives me to keep in touch with them all on a daily basis.

 

[Astron]

Can't they pull out the same mod as the guest has and show them without touching the customer's equipment?

I don't know the answer to your question, but as we either all know or can easily imagine, sometimes the difference between a person staying with his Vape versus quitting in frustration is a 510 pin needing to be pulled out a notch so it makes a connection with the tank.

If things like that can't get some troubleshooting by B&M employees, some people will turn away believing vaping isn't worth the hassle.

 

[leftyandsparky]

I'd love to do this, because I'm not a fan of FB. But as I said, I have family and friends from one side of the globe to the other, and highly value the ability FB gives me to keep in touch with them all on a daily basis.

For us it was the best thing. its Not for everyone,it was hard at first, but we went to text and facetime,so it worked out for us.

 

[Bob Chill]

24 hours ago the FDA released an announcement about their regulations on Facebook. There are 700+ comments and counting. No announcement they have ever made has had anywhere near that kind of response. I'm sure it will be well over 1k soon. It may not accomplish anything but it's fun to read the absolute barrage of mad people.