I'm with Humanodon. I smoked like a pack a day for a long time, switched to an e-cig not long ago. Still have real cigs here and there. But I'm like 90% ecig at this point in time, and feel waaaay healthier and more energetic. Also, my state, Minnesota, just raises cig taxes. Packs are now like $8 - $9 for the main brands like Camel and Marlboro. I pretty much stopped buying them and using the ecig all the time.
I am the one that enables cW to get drunk and occasionally smoke cigarettes when I come in to town and visit him. Other than these visits, once a month or so, I rarely smoke cigarettes, it is only ever when I drink. I can't remember the last time I smoked a cigarette without drinking too. As for the ecig thing, I was just on vacation with my family and we were playing cards around the table. My brother had an ecig and I smoked it RIGHT THERE at the table with my family and nobody noticed or cared. It is SUCH a big difference. Also, my hangover is usually much worse because of cigarette smoke, but with the ecig there was no additional harm. These things are a game changer.
I agree. I still try to only vape in smoking zones though. I don't appreciate when people invade my space with whatever they're doing, so I try to be respectful of others' space as well. Not long ago, I was at the outlets doing some shopping and these little kids sat down next to me on the bench as I was vaping. Their mom didn't seem to care and one of the little boys (I guess they were all French Canadian) said something along the lines of, "when you smoke it comes out like perfume" and his older brother said, "hey man, that smells good. Very cool!" I hope the e-cig thing takes off and that healthier tobacco alternatives are embraced by the general public. Like I said, I love me my tobacco, but fuck me if it isn't a terrible, terrible product. This is from a guy that loves smokes with high tar content, too. I'm telling you, George Karelias & Sons. Those are the only smokes you need. It's a strong blend, but they'll knock you on your ass in the best way possible. They're not legal in the States anymore as they're Greek and so have refused to pay the tobacco tax. You can still order the online though . . .
I do too. I might take a few "stealth" puffs in my cube at work and blow it under my desk, but I don't vape inside anywhere else like at bars, restaurants, or retails places. I still go outside and vape with the smokers. It's funny, since cigarette prices went up in Minnesota, there are more vapers outside in the "smokers patio" than there are cigarette smokers. And not cig-a-like setups either. Nice Ego setups with good clearomizers and stuff. It's kind of been neat to see. Everyone I work with is switching over to vaping. I'm really dreading ecig legislature though. Are they going to tax them? Can they? It's not tobacco afterall, it's just nicotine and some other inert chemicals that would fall more under the FDA than the ATF. Are they going to ban all the great flavors with "think of the children" legislation? I'm not super optimistic about how the government will treat the ecig community. :(I still try to only vape in smoking zones though.
That's true. But, there is already a well-established network of vaping communities because many vapers order online as juice, batteries, etc. are not readily available. I think that this will make it tougher to tackle. Also, a lot of serious vapers are DIYing juice, not to mention the growing number of people who rebuild clearomizers or even make their own setups. It's cool that in your area there are a lot of people using the technology. I haven't seen many in New England, but at least people haven't reacted badly toward it. "Think of the children?" That old chestnut. Banning things has never made anything cool or appealing to children ever, right? ;) There might be bullshit on the way, but I think the e-cig still has at least a few more years before outside parties ruin it for everyone. Just be prepared to use your voice when it comes time to speak up about it, right?
That's a huge part of the smoking process at work though, isn't it? The ability to 1. Leave your desk. And 2. Be social. Back when I worked at a factory growing up, I would take cigarette breaks and bathroom breaks to kill time. It's amazing how slowly the clock moves when you hate your job and how quickly it moves when you don't.I do too. I might take a few "stealth" puffs in my cube at work and blow it under my desk, but I don't vape inside anywhere else like at bars, restaurants, or retails places. I still go outside and vape with the smokers.