Attitudes to smoking

For a very long time, smoking was looked at as an acceptable part of people’s lives and it was even considered trendy to be seen with a cigarette stuck to your lips at public events. The tide turned when the long term dangers of smoking could no longer be ignored and the various heavily funded public awareness campaigns against smoking made it shunned by society.

Restrictions followed and bans on advertising content of a certain nature cemented the public’s view of smoking as a bad habit. When e-cigarettes came onto the market, they were categorized as tobacco products and with that came all the stigma that tobacco cigarettes had come to carry, for good reason, it must be said.

But, are people justified to give e-cigs the cold treatment accorded to their tobacco predecessors? Any vaper will tell you that e-cigarettes are in a different league altogether so there should be a change in the way they are looked at. How can that be made possible?

Open up. Those that use electronic cigarettes must get out of the closet and open up to those around them about the benefits that these devices have over the tobacco smokes of yesteryear.

When someone sees a friend or a colleague talk to them about the true nature of e-ciggies, it is easier to believe what they hear because they know the person they are talking to and know that they can trust what they hear. The perception of the entire community can be changed through the work of individuals talking to one person at a time.

Be understanding. Most people do not quickly take to what is new; they see it as threatening the status quo and imposing a demand upon them to adjust to it. Vapers should bear this in mind when interacting with family, friends, strangers, and even enemies, if any! People must be allowed to slowly adjust to this new reality. Expecting them to immediately warm up to vaping, or trying to compel them “to deal with it” will only draw more negativity and harden the hostility.

It is better to let people slowly change as that promises lasting results in the long run since current relationships will not be strained by forced adaptation.

Be unobtrusive. In this transitory period, it is better to be discreet while vaping. Do not simply flick out your device in a board meeting just because there are no effects to be suffered by those around you. When you are considerate towards those near you wherever you are, you win their respect and they will in turn cause you no problems by making it hard for you to vape. Remember, in most places there are no guidelines in place so situations are handled subjectively so when you rub your habit in people’s faces, they may react by making it hard for you to freely vape.

Changing attitudes takes time and therefore the learning curve should be left to take its course. The more accurate the information people get about e-cigs, the easier it will be for them to change their perceptions. Everyone has a role to play in bringing about this understanding so do your part!