Electric warriors
Friday, January 22, 2010 Well, that was weird, wasn't it? All I did was ask for some feedback about e-cigarettes and a whole herd of people appeared from nowhere. What I hadn't expected were the remarkably strong opinions and what amounted to a civil war between the users of different nicotine delivery systems!
(And what was all that ASH troll nonsense? If there's one thing I can't stand it's someone accusing another of being a "troll", whatever that is. People are entitled to their opinion.)
E-cigarettes may still be a cottage industry but it seems to be well-organised with some extremely committed consumers - unless they are all marketing people - who have developed some strong online communities on message boards and forums.
PS. Frank Davis (aka idlex) has a good take on the Taking Liberties "debate" HERE. And I have discovered that many of the people commenting came from THIS forum.
Reader Comments (16)
Simon noted: "I have discovered that many of the people commenting came from this forum" (UKVapers)
Yes, I noted you wanted some comments and posted a link there. I didn't quite expect what happened though.
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West2, Dave Atherton a nice guy? I think you must have met someone else!
I see Kate has moved to that forum from the one I posted. Is she still forging ahead with her brilliant idea of allying with ASH?
;-)
Yes, it was distinctly weird. And thanks for the link.
I'm constantly surprised at the extraordinary way in which the smoking ban serves to divide people in so many ways. Smokers feel very threatened. And it's not just that they feel threatened, but that they actually are threatened. Perhaps it's not surprising that many react strongly against the new 'threat' of e-cigs.
I hear David Cameron has been talking about Our Broken Society today. I bet (I haven't read what he said) that he didn't even mention once probably the single most divisive issue of the past few years.
Heck, I didn't even realise that there was a community of e-ciggers!
How ironic that, on a pro-choice site, smokers are pitted against each other and how sad that this hateful ban has made us so defensive. Another unintended, if entirely predictable, consequence.
DP - I have given the odd gentle reminder about ASH :) As you know and I know they are not what they seem.
re:Dave A, have you two been discussing politics again? Still he always offers me a drink, which is ok by me...
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Never tried e-cigs and never will. To me it is a pathetic thing to do. It belittles the benefits of smoking.
If I have to go inside a large germ filled airless place and risk the health dangers of mutating germs for any length of time, then I just don't go there. I gave up airports and flying after being held inside their system for eleven hours during which I contracted a killer virus and nearly died. I've warned my children never to put me in hospital no matter how ill I become. I'd rather die in my own home beside an open bedroom window and with a soothing cigarette.
I smoke for the good of my health.
For those who HAVE to fly etc., better to eat crisps and sandwiches together with a drink. After that, sleep as much as possible, preferably wearing a surgical mask.
Actually, that's not a bad idea. If smokers all wore masks inside enclosed places people would ask why. We could explain that it is a defence against the mutating germs which cannot be rendered harmless through smoking
A far better way of bringing home the damage that the smoking ban is doing than sucking on a chemical filled dummy.
Is this Margot woman for real or what? You stick to your smelly fags love, I'll stay with Vaping, its healthier and I do not stink!
Well said Margot, I agree 100%.
Are you sure about that, Kat?
I've no real opinion for or against on the e-cigarettes issue - each to their own. However, I do not like bad manners and the nasty, arrogant attitude which has been displayed (above)towards Margot by Kat. Kat has manifested by her post that she stinks of self-righteousness and loathing for her fellow human being and positively reeks of nastiness and venim.
Yes, as has been mentioned above by Idlex - the smoking debate has been the most divisive issue amongst people for a good many years. It has brought out the very worst characteristics of many people, including bullying and degrading others deliberately ie. just because they can. Meanwhile - the economy sinks, unemployment rises and ordinary folk struggle to pay for their high fuel bills. The smoking issue does, indeed, deflects people's attention away from the awful things which are happening today. End of rant - Jenny of Yorkshire
West2: Yes, talking politics again. He dragged me around London last Saturday night. Met some great people ... and Dave, of course. ;-)
Leg-iron weighs in.
Just back from a winter break in the Canaries (cigs approx £2 a pack, beer £1.50 - yippee) so I have missed this apparently massive e-cig debate on here.
Forgive me if this has already been raised but these e-cigs seem to offer a rather delicious opportunity for subversion re the smoking ban. I've never tried one, don't care what they look or taste like or anything like that but the sight of people "smoking" inside again would be very welcome and would send a rather nice "screw you" message to our rulers, all perfectly legally.
If the habit became widespread it's not difficult to imagine a few people doing the real thing again (although, of course, this would be shameful since, as we are told on the signs on every door that "It is illegal to smoke......."). In such a scenario the resources needed to police the ban might become rather stretched. And the opportunity for put downs on nosey antis could be great fun.
I use an ecig in circumstances such as airports, where there are likely to be delays and they do help. although not quite as satisfying as the real thing! I have also used them on the rare occasions I have gone out to support a Quiz Night for a friend or for a meal when it has not been inviting to go outside for a smoke.
They do not take the place of cigs for me, but as has been mentioned, the habitual nature of the action of smoking is at least catered for and it does look as if you are actually smoking a cigarette, whereas these nicorette inhaler things definitely do not.
I've never seen, let alone tried, an e-cig. However, I have been appalled by the extraordinary ill-mannered, divisive and foul-mouthed attacks on people who have come to this site to comment on their experiences of e-cigs - as we were all asked by Simon to do.
Some people apparently find e-cigs useful. Some even prefer them to cigarettes. So what? That doesn't make them trolls or plants or any other nonsense. And it's no more pathetic, babyish or stupid than any other habit we enjoy, such as regular smoking. Can we not live and let live?
If even smokers can't be respectful of each other, what hope do we have against the antis? I shall certainly think twice about spending time on this forum again.
"Some people apparently find e-cigs useful. Some even prefer them to cigarettes. So what?"
I completely agree, Rose - if someone prefers e-cigs then that's absolutely fine by me, because it's their choice.
Smokers and vapers are pretty much the same sort of people, and there shouldn't be these divisions being put up between them. Without wanting to use the word "troll", I suspect that there's been a little bit of mischief on the e-cig thread, with abusive posts (from both sides of the argument) coming from people I've never seen before on here. Meanwhile your comments represent a welcome return to sanity!
Well said Ricky & Rose. Why should smokers speak out about people who suck tubes, as you rightly say, its their prerogative isn't it?
Just because they call us filthy, and stinking, and waiting for death, as Electric Monkey puts it, that's no reason for us to get angry is it?
If we all accept having sex with blow up plastic dolls, then why shouldn't we accept blow up plastic fags?