# Vaping’s uncool? My lungs don’t care about your fashion tips



## Alex (3/8/17)

*Vaping’s uncool? My lungs don’t care about your fashion tips*
Dismissing e-cigarettes as ‘uncool’ ignores the health benefits the devices offer to legions of smokers
145
20 h by: Mark Gentili





Sudbury.com managing editor Mark Gentili says that vaping has helped him and many others quit smoking...so why the debate as to whether or not vaping is "cool"?
Cards on the table: I don’t hate smoking. Never have. Likely never will. I know tobacco was killing me, destroying my lungs and turning too much of my hard-earned money into so much smoke. All true.

But still, I loved smoking. I loved the taste. I loved the excuse it gave me to step away from whatever work I was doing. I loved the burn at the back of my throat and the warm feeling of fullness in my lungs.

I know smoking is a filthy, dangerous habit. By extension, many people feel it’s perfectly OK to label smokers themselves as filthy people.

Let’s not forget, it might be easy to dismiss smokers as weak souls with little to no self-control, but nicotine is addictive stuff when inhaled. Smokers are drug addicts. There’s no two ways about it.

I know the dangers, but still, for me, the act of inhaling a vaporous substance into my lungs and exhaling a cloud of smoke like a dragon is incredibly pleasurable. 

That said, I knew I had to quit. I hated the way I smelled. I hated that my kids hated it. I hated the damage I was doing to my body and my finances. But I was still reluctant to quit. I’d tried several times and it was a torturous experience, for me and everyone around me. 

Then, I heard about vaping.

Today’s e-cigarette was invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik and patented by him in 2003. It’s a relatively simple concept: A battery (the mod) sends an electric impulse to a coil that atomizes a solution (e-juice) into a vapour that is inhaled through a mouthpiece.

The e-juice is a mixture of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, dye, flavouring and nicotine. Nicotine strength can vary from zero milligrams up to more than 30 mg. The heavier you smoke, the more nicotine you’ll need to feel satisfied. I vape six milligrams. 

Vaping’s popularity really picked up in the past few years as new e-cigarette designs, better tanks and coils, and tastier juices hit the market. That popularity resulted in a backlash, particularly when some non-smokers began to vape as a lifestyle choice.

That guy with the fist-sized mod filling a room with his perfume-scented clouds, waxing eloquent about his handmade coils and custom mod settings — yeah, he annoys me, too. Reinforce your fragile identity somewhere else.

It’s people like that who have helped create the perception vaping and vapers are uncool, as if vaping is a harmless pastime. It’s not. For ex-smokers like me, it’s been a lifeline.

Stats show that as many as 70 or 80 per cent of smokers want to quit. In any given year, nearly half of all smokers will try. Most fail.

The vapers I know are people who really wanted off tobacco, but found kicking so difficult and painful they just kept smoking. 

Is vaping 100-per-cent safe? Probably not. We don’t know the long-term health effects — the technology just hasn’t been around long enough. But every well-designed study has shown it’s far, far safer than smoking.

We do know some things. We know e-cig vapour contains only a handful of chemicals, compared to the more than 7,000 in cigarette smoke (more than 60 of which are known carcinogens).

We know exhaled e-cig vapour contains very little in the way of chemicals, not even nicotine, whereas there’s strong evidence second-hand smoke from cigarettes makes people sick. We also know what vapers, including me, say they feel: Their lungs feel better and their smoker’s cough and shortness of breath vanishes.

An abstinence-only approach to quitting smoking is good, but it’s not enough. 

More and more physician groups, like the Royal College of Physicians in the U.K., have been arguing for more than a year that, despite the unknowns, e-cigarettes offer smokers an effective and palatable way out, and should be exploited for public health purposes.

I know it’s worked for me. So stuff your criticisms of vaping as “uncool.” This is a health-care discussion not a fashion debate. 

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death on the planet, claiming almost six million lives every year. Six. Million. 

Vaping has helped me and thousands of others quit smoking. That’s the bottom line. Being cool had nothing to do with it.

_Mark Gentili is the managing editor of Northern Life and Sudbury.com.

source: https://www.sudbury.com/columns/gen...ungs-dont-care-about-your-fashion-tips-687450_

Reactions: Like 13 | Winner 4


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## Silver (3/8/17)

Thanks for sharing this @Alex !
I like it a lot

The thing is that one needs to separate the issue of whether vaping is 100% safe from whether it is safer than smoking.

And the research so far seems to suggest that it is a lot safer than smoking. 

Other than that - it is a very enjoyable hobby and the flavours taste great!

Despite the benefits of vaping, I still recommend non-smokers non-vapers to NOT start vaping - unless its to prevent them from starting smoking.

Reactions: Like 3


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## BubiSparks (3/8/17)

Our juice contains dye? Not heard that before....

Reactions: Agree 1


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## stevie g (3/8/17)

It is annoying that nicotine is still seen as the main addictive element in cigarette smoke.

What about the benzene output that makes you dizzy and a bit high or the carbon monoxide that makes you feel light headed and relaxed.

Ignorance is so rife.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## SmokeyJoe (3/8/17)

Ive never seen vaping as being cool or being with the in crowd. I couldnt be bothered about what awesome new mod or expensive atty u are using just to show off. Im vaping on a very basic setup because i was in hospital 2-5 times a year due to lung related illnesses caused by smoking. Yes, vaping is harm reduction, not elimation, however, by the power of grayscull, its the most successful and safest form of harm reduction method on the market to date that WORKS. I know for a fact, if if wasnt for vaping, i would have been dead by now. Im now a healthy 35 single dad who can go out with my kids to a park, run around like a nut, act like a complete clown with them and not worry that i will end up in hospital at the end of the day with asthma spasms. I owe my life to vaping. Im a walking talking success story

Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 10


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## Silver (3/8/17)

SmokeyJoe said:


> Ive never seen vaping as being cool or being with the in crowd. I couldnt be bothered about what awesome new mod or expensive atty u are using just to show off. Im vaping on a very basic setup because i was in hospital 2-5 times a year due to lung related illnesses caused by smoking. Yes, vaping is harm reduction, not elimation, however, by the power of grayscull, its the most successful and safest form of harm reduction method on the market to date that WORKS. I know for a fact, if if wasnt for vaping, i would have been dead by now. Im now a healthy 35 single dad who can go out with my kids to a park, run around like a nut, act like a complete clown with them and not worry that i will end up in hospital at the end of the day with asthma spasms. I owe my life to vaping. Im a walking talking success story



That is amazing @SmokeyJoe 
Thanks for sharing and congrats in finding vaping!

Reactions: Like 2


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## SmokeyJoe (3/8/17)

Silver said:


> That is amazing @SmokeyJoe
> Thanks for sharing and congrats in finding vaping!


Thanks bud. Almost 4 years now and it was the best decision i ever made. Last time i ended up in hospital when i smoked i was in ICU for 2 weeks with a collapsed lung. It was a major wake up call. Vaping saved my life and as a result saved my kids lives. Sorry bit of a soppy story, but it really makes me so angry when people, as i heard from someone again today, that vaping is just as harmful as smokes

Reactions: Like 5


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## Silver (3/8/17)

SmokeyJoe said:


> Thanks bud. Almost 4 years now and it was the best decision i ever made. Last time i ended up in hospital when i smoked i was in ICU for 2 weeks with a collapsed lung. It was a major wake up call. Vaping saved my life and as a result saved my kids lived. Sorry bit of a soppy story, but it really makes me so angry when people, as i heard from someone again today, that vaping is just as harmful as smokes



Oh my gosh - that must have been so hard to be in ICU with a collapsed lung - from smoking!
Not a soppy story at all. Its something to shout out about and celebrate
Makes me very happy to hear

Reactions: Agree 2


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## piffht (3/8/17)

Thanks for posting, the OP captured it too well.

Perfectly encapsulated sentiment!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Clouds4Days (3/8/17)

I too never have heard of vaping being "uncool" maybe this applies to the younger generation 16-20 years of age (im just speculating) as the cool and uncool factor is mostly found in this age group.

@SmokeyJoe glad that your health has improved my brother. I too feel great now compared to when i was smoking, best decisions i ever made to give up those stinkies and i couldnt have done it without vaping.

Vape on peeps.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## kev mac (4/8/17)

Silver said:


> Thanks for sharing this @Alex !
> I like it a lot
> 
> The thing is that one needs to separate the issue of whether vaping is 100% safe from whether it is safer than smoking.
> ...


Fortunately, depending how you look at it my public vapeing is done as discretely as the situation dictates. The only people I discuss mods,coils etc.with are on the forum or at a Vape shop.Like the author I care not about others opinions or what's in vogue. Thank God for vapeing and add me to the "lives saved" list!

Reactions: Like 4 | Agree 1


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## Petrus (4/8/17)

Thanks for sharing @Alex.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Waine (4/8/17)

Some good points made here. Vaping is not "cool", in my opinion. It is a life style for those who love nicotine but don't want to die young from lung cancer. Serious Vapers should vape discreetly and with consideration of those around us.

I will probably vape till the day I die..

I do wish the general population would catch on now. So many people still ask me, "What's that?" But the best is, when people still ask: " But doesn't vaping give you popcorn lungs?" I want to sh*t myself when I still get asked that.


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Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1 | Can relate 2


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## Clouder (4/8/17)

I have a colleague at work. He smoked 60 cigarettes a day. Then he quit 12 years ago. 2 years ago, he suddenly started vaping (always taking a hit on our mods and then he purchased his own). Now he's sitting on about 12 - 18 ml of e-juice per day. He is constantly vaping everywhere he goes. He tried to quit about 2 months ago and failed.. (I think the wife forced him to try and quit and honestly speaking, he doesn't appear wanting to quit. He'll always say he's going to quit but not 2 seconds goes past without him holding his mod in his hand)

EDIT: Once you're a smoker you'll always be a smoker. Or vaper. Even if you manage to quit you are still addicted to it. That's why people lapse with just one drag. @Casper lapsed after 7 years of non-smoking after lighting a cigar. It was over. The next day he was back on 20 a day.

habits......

Reactions: Agree 3 | Can relate 1


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## Waine (4/8/17)

I had a cigarette relapse last year for about 3 months. June - August 2016. Now I am so concerned that I will re lapse, which explains my OCD over vaping. Wherever I travel, or whenever I visit people, my vaping gear is my priority. The fact that vaping is now my hobby ensures less of a chance of a relapse.

I won't deny, I am a nicotine addict. It's no shame for me.


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Reactions: Like 2


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## Feliks Karp (4/8/17)

I know more people IRL (mostly in their 20's) that have started vaping (having not been smokers) as apposed to quitting smoking to vape. So i have no idea beyond a handful of (now outdated) memes where vaping was ever considered uncool. The only people to ever give me shit about vaping were smokers in their 30's-40's.


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## RichJB (4/8/17)

Waine said:


> I won't deny, I am a nicotine addict. It's no shame for me.



Ditto. It's no shame for me but I don't expect to be lauded by the general public for it either. My brother and sister both smoked >40 a day and both quit cold turkey. I smoked 15 a day and, after going cold turkey for a month without many problems, I was drawn by the allure of vaping and continuing my nicotine addiction in a less harmful guise. That was my choice and I'm happy with it. But it was also Easy mode, my brother and sister put a lot more effort and willpower into quitting substance addiction than I did.

I think the original article misses the point somewhat. The negative public perception of vaping is not because it has health benefits. It's because there is a sub-culture in vaping that goes out of its way to make a public spectacle of it. Like vapers who insist on vaping in malls and other public spaces so that they can angrily dub anybody who takes offence as "haters". The general idea when dealing with substance addiction is to do it discreetly and in your own space. That is how I have approached it. I rarely vape outside my home and have never had any bad vibes about it.

In this regard, I'd also question the wisdom of things like tricking and cloud comps. Vaping is a way to get off a deadly drug. If it's all about the health, I don't see how positioning vaping as an 3xTr3m3 sport is relevant or wise. But that's also OK. If the public views the subculture as cringe, it's water off a duck's back. I don't associate with or define myself by the sub-culture.

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 1


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## SmokeyJoe (4/8/17)

RichJB said:


> Ditto. It's no shame for me but I don't expect to be lauded by the general public for it either. My brother and sister both smoked >40 a day and both quit cold turkey. I smoked 15 a day and, after going cold turkey for a month without many problems, I was drawn by the allure of vaping and continuing my nicotine addiction in a less harmful guise. That was my choice and I'm happy with it. But it was also Easy mode, my brother and sister put a lot more effort and willpower into quitting substance addiction than I did.
> 
> I think the original article misses the point somewhat. The negative public perception of vaping is not because it has health benefits. It's because there is a sub-culture in vaping that goes out of its way to make a public spectacle of it. Like vapers who insist on vaping in malls and other public spaces so that they can angrily dub anybody who takes offence as "haters". The general idea when dealing with substance addiction is to do it discreetly and in your own space. That is how I have approached it. I rarely vape outside my home and have never had any bad vibes about it.
> 
> In this regard, I'd also question the wisdom of things like tricking and cloud comps. Vaping is a way to get off a deadly drug. If it's all about the health, I don't see how positioning vaping as an 3xTr3m3 sport is relevant or wise. But that's also OK. If the public views the subculture as cringe, it's water off a duck's back. I don't associate with or define myself by the sub-culture.


I just love your comments bud.
Couldnt have said it better myself

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## kev mac (5/8/17)

Clouder said:


> I have a colleague at work. He smoked 60 cigarettes a day. Then he quit 12 years ago. 2 years ago, he suddenly started vaping (always taking a hit on our mods and then he purchased his own). Now he's sitting on about 12 - 18 ml of e-juice per day. He is constantly vaping everywhere he goes. He tried to quit about 2 months ago and failed.. (I think the wife forced him to try and quit and honestly speaking, he doesn't appear wanting to quit. He'll always say he's going to quit but not 2 seconds goes past without him holding his mod in his hand)
> 
> EDIT: Once you're a smoker you'll always be a smoker. Or vaper. Even if you manage to quit you are still addicted to it. That's why people lapse with just one drag. @Casper lapsed after 7 years of non-smoking after lighting a cigar. It was over. The next day he was back on 20 a day.
> 
> habits......


I find vapeing totally different from smoking. Though I love the Vape I honestly believe I could quit as I have gone hours with out it.When working I hardly vape and there have been times I've forgotten my mod when going out, try that with cigarettes! My wife unfortunately still smokes so I'm around it everyday. A while back I gave into temptation and lit one of her smokes up.I Friggen hated it and doused it immediately, it tasted horrible. I wouldn't go back to cigs even if it was harm free.Since my G.P. and cardiologist both are o.k. with my vapeing I see no need to quit with the pleasure I get physically and socially.I love the flavor of my favorite liquids and tinkering with my gear I find relaxing and fun.Plus as a member of ECIGSSA I've met some wonderful folks from all walks of life that share my interest, It's like belonging to an exclusive club that all are welcome to join with out judgement.

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## Waine (5/8/17)

Lol...You can't predict human nature and behavior. 

I do agree, we have a big responsibility to vape considerately so as to not ruin it for everyone.

There is a time and place for everything.


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Reactions: Agree 1


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