So, you have decided to quit smoking and the best way to ease into it is through vaping. You are finally glad to kick the habit and are actually quite proud of the accomplishment. You have reduced your nicotine intake and you did so through a safe device.
You will tell people about your achievement.
“And you think vaping is a better option?” asks a handful of people. “Well, you should know that vaping contains chemicals that are just as bad as smoking.”
Not everybody will be happy with your decision. There are always those people who find negative in everything. Perhaps they will only be happy when you are not happy. So, let’s just humor ourselves. We have categorized the vaping antagonists around the world and it’s for you to figure out what kind of vape-hater you have encountered. Some of them are even your friends!
The anti-addiction advocate
“Did you switch one addiction for another addiction?”
That is the quip of the anti-addiction crusader. They say it like quitting something is the easiest thing to do. They lecture you about the addictive nature of vaping. They say that you are not quitting nicotine entirely because the vape juice you inhale still contains nicotine. They put you down because for them, you haven’t achieved anything because nicotine is still in your system.
The thing is, quitting smoking is not just about quitting nicotine. It is also saying goodbye to the many toxic chemicals and carcinogens present in cigarettes. Vaping is not really a safe option; it is the SAFER option.
How do you deal with an anti-addition advocate? Tell them to quit their addiction of telling people what to do!
Die-hard anti-smoker
This is similar to the anti-addiction advocate except that the dislike is focused on the smoking activity—the act of inhaling nicotine and blowing out smoke / vapour. So while they go on and on about the dangers of smoking when you are smoking, they will then turn their lectures into anti-vaping when you start vaping. You can never win with them!
They would say, if vaping is not as bad as smoking, then why are they similar? Also, both contain nicotine so one is just as bad as the other. If they think both activities are similar, then they are obviously not well-informed about vaping.
How to deal with the die-hard anti-smoker? Tell them they are not really against smoking, they are just against smoke or vapour—and that they should live a little.
The anti-industry crusader
“You are just switching your support from tobacco companies to vaping companies!”
You know how most single people would rant that Valentine’s Day was only created by businessmen in order to make money off people through the manufacture of cards, chocolates, stuffed animals and flowers? Well, they belong to the same group as people who have neither smoked nor vaped but have claimed to be experts on industry schemes. They will lecture you on how vaping companies don’t really care about people’s health and they are only out to make more money.
How do you deal with an anti-industry crusader? Tell then that consumerism is good for the economy.
Condescending anti-vaper
“You look like an idiot smoking a box!”
Some kids start smoking because they think they will look cool with cigarettes. But when adults start vaping, then the anti-vapers say they look like idiots. Some would joke the vaping is like smoking a mini cassette player. In other words, they make fun of how you look just because you are vaping. They neither smoke nor vape but would imply that at least smoking looks cool.
How do you deal with a condescending anti-vaper? You don’t! No vaper actually cares what they look like when they are vaping. They care that they are satisfied with what they are doing!
Fog-fearing café enthusiast
“You are contaminating my safe place!”
There are some people who enjoy staying at cafes all the time. They stay there to study, while others simply enjoy people watching. They do so while ordering just one coffee even when they stay in the place for hours. Despite the stinginess of it all, they still think that they own the place and grumble at how vapers are even allowed to muck up the place with your vaping.
Some of these fog-fearing café enthusiasts don’t need to even voice out their hatred toward vapers. Sometimes they just convey their disgust through face contortions. It’s as if the fog that they inhale is actually out to take them like the movie “The Fog.” Even worse, some of them actually cough like crazy when the cloud of vapour hits their direction.
How do you deal with a fog-fearing café enthusiast? You don’t, unless they confront you. When they do, then you can show them the way to another café.
Debbie Downer
“You are making this world a bad place to raise children!”
Remember that character Rachel Dratch played on “Saturday Night Live” who constantly makes people feel bad about everything? That’s Debbie Downer. You never win with her. No matter what the situation, she always finds a way to make people down. In the case of vaping, while you are enjoying vaping your sweet strawberry-flavoured e-juice, Debbie Downer will lecture you about sprinkling the world with fruit-flavoured poison. She will memorize all statistics in the latest tobacco survey and tell you how that nicotine harms children’s brain.
How do you deal with Debbie Downer? Gasp at the statistics she spews while blowing vapour.
Scared newsmonger
“I read the news today, people are dying from e-cigarettes!”
Similar to Debbie Downer but perhaps a tad scarier! The scared newsmonger will believe everything they read online. If a Facebook post says that vaping is bad—very bad, then it must be true. They will send you every link possible about the dangers of vaping. They will do so every day because there are always stories about the dangers of vaping, fake news included. The scared newsmonger will devour every detail and then share it with you.
How do you deal with the scared newsmonger? When they send you a link, graciously reply: Thanks for this interesting read while I enjoy my vanilla-flavoured vape juice!
Anti-Vapers vs The Facts
Most of those types of anti-vapers believe those myths and misconceptions. Some may be fooled by unsupported studies, while others justify their personal biases.
It can be quite challenging to convince these anti-vapers, but it’s also important to understand where their personal opinions and choices are coming from. And by providing verifiable and reliable facts based from research, these anti-vapers can still be convinced.
