The other day at work...

[davetherayon]

vaping in the shelter with the stinkie users, god that stuff reeks. Anyway one of them asked about my istick, not having seen one before. I told him what it was, and demonstrated how easy it was to refill the Aerotank for a flourish. 'How long you been using them?' 'Two years now' (cue oohs). Then one guy, cig in hand, 'Yeah, but it's not been proven they're safe have they?'

I did the best I could think of, which was to just defuse it. 'Not yet, knowing my luck, I'll peg out and they'll say the next day it was the bus running me over that did it'.

Guy was clearly feeling a bit threatened in still stinkifying when I was tooting (vanilla custard, the pong of which started the discussion). How do we win round such folk?

[rughead121]

Well when they are nailing his lid down......

[Pepperty]

I've given up getting defensive, you just cant seem to win them around if they wont keep an open mind so I just stick to smugly vaping and pitying the smokers!

[sleedale]

I'd have been rolling on the floor laughing.......not safe? Compared to......oh wait.....cigarettes which have been proved to kill people!

Although probably not as safe as......mmmmmm......drinking pure water......oh hang on that's got nasties in it too.

On a serious note, just a few 'well it's been proven orders of magnitude safer' might do it (wish I knew what orders of magnitude means)

Or simply ignore and enjoy your custard........vape in the loos instead of outside?

[davetherayon]

sleedale I'm not going hiding in the bogs, no way. Sending vaping back into the closet! Never! We're vapers and proud! *dances around waving a silly flag in a Vape Pride procession*

[Deleted]

Just take comfort in the fact that his comment was made out of ignorance and jealously. Its what people do when they want to do something but they haven't got the guts or will power, they hit out.

[wil7985]

I just tell em, how much better I feel, but there's an old saying, "there is none so blind as those who will not see".

[Deleted]

Sad and slightly bizarre.

This is the issue with all of the Fear Uncertainty and Doubt being spread about vaping, people who might at least try don't want jump. Once they have it in their mind or are curious about vaping then give them all the help they need. I had a guy at work a few months ago who had tried the sky-cig thing and given up in half a day. I sat down with him and helped him buy an evod kit, I bought him in a few samples of juice and he has never looked back.

PS My spell checker keeps changing "evod" to "evade"!!

[djs]

I just say "next time I make some liquid, can I pinch some anti-freeze from your car please?... better to know what's in the liquid, as according to many people we don't know what's in them"...

[davetherayon]

But folks, much as I too am very smug at times looking at the poor sods hacking their guts out on a stinky while I toot delicious juice on the istick, there are those who will be swayed by just seeing you doing it. The hitter is (do not mention Shinyitis. Ever) when you tell them it's cheaper than fags. Most people think with their wallets. Anyway the question is, the hardcore anti-vaping (because they're scared of it) smoker, what do you say to persuade them to come to the light side? Or not-light-up side.

[lairey]

I had something similar on FB this week. A friend of mine has taken up vaping, so I jumped on her thread and said, as a self confessed vape geek, any help or advice you need, just holler. Another mutual friend popped up saying "be careful with those things, you don't know what's in them, chemicals, poison, they have to have a skull and crossbones sticker on them for a reason, blah, blah, blah"

After me telling him there had been plenty of research, I know exactly what's in mine as I mix my own, go check out Prof Farsalinos, etc, we agreed to disagree. Although I did leave him with the fact that I have read enough research on both sides for me to be confident that vaping is FAR less harmful to me that cigarettes were. He then proceeded to say "just be careful, they are a means to an end" as he dropped off FB to go outside and have a fag!

Sometimes you just can't win.

[Pepperty]

I spent ten minutes or so recently at my father in laws care home doing a short chat to staff about ecigarettes and giving them the basics and site links and they are all taking to it well - except the matron who keeps pursing her lips and murmuring about hidden dangers whilst quitting/cutting down and being absolutely snarky and ratty from nicotine withdrawals, good luck to her but she aught to be more informed....

[davetherayon]

[Pepperty]

aww, I have a massive love and affliction for Carry On films

[whiteshep]

The way I answer people like that is to say no it hasn't been proven to be totally safe but it has been proven to be significantly safer then smoking tobacco and cheaper as well. If you want to be a smartas* you could reply with "mine has propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine same as your fag, flavouring same as you eat all the time and a bit of water I'll come back in a day or two once you've run through what's in your cigarette". I prefer the former approach but have been tempted a few times to use the latter as some people can putting it politely strain my patience.