It makes me slightly uneasy too. Firstly, lots of us do not use e-cigs! I hate the term electronic CIGARETTES. We have been doomed from the start by using this term. I can see how for some, it's ok - it really is a cigarette, even looks like a cigarette, and that's what people want if they are switching from cigarettes. Why is it the "cig" part makes me cringe?
Well, I have worked out why it does. It reminds me of all the discrimination, persecution, comments, legislations and hurt I endured whilst smoking. Cigarettes are analogous to PAIN - emotional pain.
I am sure that motive is in the hearts of many vapers who are trying to separate themselves from the smoking camp. We avoid pain, emotional pain, by vaping! To be a member of the most dreadfully persecuted minority in the world is frightening.
I know we vapoteurs are in at the beginning of the first technological innovation for nicotine use that is safer than smoking, so things are developing and "vaping" itself is a new term that seems to be going to stick. Yet the vapour we produce dooms us too. It looks like smoking!
Do e-cigs save lives? Or is it a claim that will make smokers snort with derision and the ignorant snigger? It's a huge claim, which in itself might make us look like exaggerating fundamentalists. It's the exact opposite of "Smoking Kills".
As a vaper, "e-cigs save lives" says more than it seems. I know how vaping has affected my health for the better. When I was a smoker I never intended to stop and, even after 50 years of smoking, I was well. And I know people much older than me (95!), who are well and healthy smokers too. Smoking does NOT kill. And we are not totally sure that e-cigs will necessarily make me live longer, but certainly, they IMPROVED my life!
Diabetes is a pretty horrible condition if left untreated. You can go blind, lose limbs and vitality, and indeed any enjoyment from life. For a diabetic "ZeroCarbs saves lives" would imply that life would be better and possibly longer if diabetics controlled their diet. Diabetes is a spin off of our very incorrect modern food intake.
"E-cigs save lives" to US means that - improving and possibly extending our potential lifespan. But what does it mean to other people, non smokers, anti-smokers, Tom Dick and Harry?
"Vaping saves lives" isn't any better really. and who the hell knows what vaping is when even on TV presenters talk about SMOKING e-cigarettes!
In Brussels, 2000 black balloons were popped to symbolise the lives lost if AM57 : medicine regulation applied to e-cigs was voted through at the ENVI meeting, as it was. But a lot of the twististics on smoking/smoking related deaths are pie in the sky guesses anyway - 2000 ? 500? who knows.
I think Tom Dick and Harry haven't a clue what we actually mean when we pop balloons representing lives lost, or have bumper stickers propounding "e-cigs save lives". They do not understand the life transforming thing vaping is as WE do. Our passion looks peculiar. They actually haven't a clue.
They just think "Whaaaat?"
I agree with your post but ignorance about our message and why we use e-cigs rests not just with the general public. One problem I am finding is a lot of VAPERS don't understand what vaping is, about the wider community or that there even is a community, or about the EU debate.
ReplyDeleteThey don't blog about vaping, they don't watch VTTV, they don't make YouTube videos nor frequent forums.
These are the general ego vapers we pass on the street who have just picked up a kit to cut down or simply to replace tobacco cigarettes.
So if the majority of vapers don't understand about vaping, what chance the general public; not to mention politicians and journalists.
Not annoyed, Liz. Disappointed.
ReplyDeleteSince your blog, I have been wracking my brains on our way forward. It's not just you - "e-cigs save lives" annoys people - but they don't blog, and I thought your post appropriate. I think we are in our infancy. We might be smothered before we can get properly organised. People took a long time figuring out "e-cigs save lives". Its punchy and at least they are doing something. Thanks for your blog on plain packaging - that cheered me up no end!
DeleteGood point! What TO DO about it? We are talking always to the converted....if every sold item had literature with it to educate on every single sale? My friends are delighted because e-cigs are to be medicalised! They view it as a victory for ME!
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't like the term "electronic cigarette" much, but the point of the "E-cigs save lives" website is to educate non-vapers about the devices, their health effects and the problems of medical regulation. That's enough of a message for one website; adding the burden of persuading them to say "PV" would reduce the site's effectiveness, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteYes - it's really punchy! It's the exact opposite of "Smoking Kills". No one knows what a PV is, is true. My friends who think medicalising e-cigs is a wonderful victory for vapers, and that I should be happy think it's really good - "e-cigs save lives" - yes. But we aren't thinking the same thing.
DeletePeople in general understand the term ecigs far more than the other options.
ReplyDeleteThat is not to say that they understand fully what we mean by the term in this context.
The point of a slogan sticker is to make people notice it and hopefully think about it.
If just 1 in a thousand takes the time to find out more then the stickers have done their job
Few slogans actually do more than enable discussion a bit.
With sites like ecigs saves lives and other forms of education added each quoting the slogan the message will spread.
The more it spreads the more the subject is discussed and the more people come nearer to understanding the larger message.
As i said if one thousandth of the population takes even minimal note that amounts to roughly 50000 more people educated. If they then talk to others the numbers rise rapidly.
I had no idea there is an e-cigs saves lives website! I apologise = see my blog for today...
DeleteNor did I until yesterday. Sadly, the entire site is anti-smoker's dream site. With apologies for the redirect, please refer to this comment I left on my blog:
Deletehttp://nannyingtyrants.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/believe-whatever-you-want.html#comment-961721641
The majority of articles i find in my feed are fairly biased and not based in fact. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteElectronic Cigarettes Vapor
Thanks for your comment!
Deleteyes I completely agree this blog but I suggest one thing the electronic cigarette is life saver for those person that have smoking normal cigarette constantly because the cigarette has less dangerous as compare to normal cigarette for more information about e-cigarette
ReplyDeleteClick Here...
I have been on your "click here" website. It actually gives no useful information in any way to those visiting it, and I suspect it demonises smoking as a way to sell your devices if people "sign up". I get loads of self promoting comments which I usually delete. But I thought I'd publish this one for fun and tell you why I would have deleted it.
Delete