WWV Part I (page 3)
Why is an e-cig better than an analog tobacco cigarette?
1. First and foremost (to me) is the enjoyment, e.g., it tastes better … there is so much choice and variety … and it’s a gadget (“boys and their toys”). I never really wanted to quit smoking – I enjoyed it (nothing like I’ve come to enjoy vaping, however). But I (and especially my wife) was concerned about the health consequences, which takes us to…
2. I am not a medical doctor (nor do I play one on TV), so I’m in no position to make any medical claims. I just know that I feel better about vaping than I did about smoking. Investigate relevant information and decide for yourself.
3. It is cheaper; it may turn out to be half the cost of your analog smoking.
4. Although it is a habit, it is not “a filthy habit.”
5. You can vape (not everywhere, but) in many more places and circumstances than you can smoke.
- I stopped smoking inside my home several years ago, because it was staining the walls and carpets. I’ve now been able to come back inside to vape (a real advantage during inclement weather or when it is stinking hot or freezing cold outside).
- Many people vape at work, either because their employer and coworkers don’t care or because it’s fairly easy to stealth vape (either when no one is looking and/or by holding in the vapor longer so that nothing visible is exhaled).
Some restaurants, bars and pubs permit vaping. [When in doubt, ask … and be prepared to explain what the heck you are talking about. I usually refer to it as my “personal vaporizer” rather than an “electronic cigarette.” There is some virulent anti-smoking sentiment out there. The most common sentiment about vaping is…ignorance; and that can be corrected.]
- During a recent plane trip, I was able to vape (not on the plane, although some vapers have)…
…but in the airports. I did it fairly openly, but discretely. Actually, from a police officer at one of the airports, I had requested and received permission (once I assured him that there was no burning tobacco). His only caveat: “Unless people around you complain.” … and no one did.
- And you can even vape here:
For more on this, see The E-Cigarettes in Public section of the E-Cigarette-Forum (ECF).
6. It is more flexible: I can vape just one or two puffs, without wasting the rest of a cigarette … or for a half-hour straight, without overwhelming my body with nicotine, just by adjusting the strength of the juice.
7. It has its own subculture, e.g., ECF and other forums: places to hang out with other similarly free-thinking, often wacky people, who share my enthusiasm and many of my experiences. Shown below are the avatars or photos of just some of the more prolific members of vaping forums.
Other vapers might reprioritize that list (and certainly could provide other examples), but, I believe, all would agree with it.
