Fake Cigarette

[Schizophretard]

A few weeks ago a friend at work called my 510 a fake cigarette. Yesterday I went to my Grandma's for Christmas. A cousin ask about my 510 and after I explained he asked,"So, it is a fake cigarette and you smoke it just to try to look cool?" It kind of offends me when it is called fake. It makes me feel like a kid with a candy cigarette or something. I expect people to be amazed with them and happy for me but they make it seem like I'm weird for not using the "real" thing. Has anyone ever called your e-cig fake before? Did you experience similar emotions?

[Brian]

I guess I have to ask if these comments were from non-smokers??? Honestly, I could see a non-smoker saying that as they can't relate to what it's like for us.

[Schizophretard]

My friend at work smokes and my cousin doesn't. They made me feel like I was putting a Star Trek toy in my mouth.

[mcquinn]

I call mine a personal vaporizer instead of E-cigg. and just tell them it is nicotine replacement therapy like the patch ,only this I only use as needed or PRN as we say in the healthcare industry.Most think it is great I am not polluting the air anymore.

[Jeffb]

I don't think the "fake cigarette" comment would offend me. I would take exception to the " you smoke it to try and look cool" statement. Thats just down right ignorant. I think the last time I thought I looked cool smoking I was 13 years old.

[keenan]

Personally, I dont care if you call them fake, plastic, dumb, ***, stupid, or whatever. You should always tell them, the proof is in the pudding, you no longer smoke, and THATS whats important.

[nana]

I haven't heard that comment yet, but I haven't been openly vaping in front of many people either. The ones I have, have started on them, too. My oldest daughter vapes at the hospital where she works and has started some people on them. My youngest daughter has converted at least one person at the rest home where she works. I haven't heard them say anything about anyone making comments like that either.

I like the reply about the personal vaporizer. I've already thought about using that one if someone does question me about them. And the nicotine replacement reply. It might make them seem more "legit".

[TheGreen]

I had a smart a** at work say while smoking an analog "you still smoking those F*G cigarettes" I was pissed but keep my cool and said, "Yes, but at least they won't send me STRAIGHT to an early grave"

Edited December 26, 2009 by TheGreen

[keenan]

Another thought, when a smoker tells you youre smoking a "fake" cigarette, you could always enlighten them with the fact that, when they're in the hospital breathing on thier "fake" lung, it'll be safe for you to smoke your "fake" cig when you visit them.

[Travis798]

I've had people call them a fake cigarette before. They really didn't mean anything by it, other than thats what they came up with when they were trying to think of what to call it, and it's not a "real" cigarette. The people that have said it to me did not mean to imply that it's a toy, simply that it's not a cigarette. These things are made to produce vapor. As long as we are sticking something in our mouth, inhaling, and blowing out smoke, thats what people are going to associate it with. I told someone once, "I know I look stupid to some people, but man, I sure feel smart!

[Schizophretard]

I call mine a personal vaporizer instead of E-cigg. and just tell them it is nicotine replacement therapy like the patch ,only this I only use as needed or PRN as we say in the healthcare industry.Most think it is great I am not polluting the air anymore.

I don't like calling it a PV because calling it that doesn't explain what it is much at all and I heard of vaporizers used for drug use years ago. If they called it a PV the first time I saw an e-cig I would of assumed it was for getting high. If I got pulled over I would be scared to tell a cop that it is a PV because they may make the same assumption I would.

I'm not comfortable calling it nicotine replacement therapy because I don't want to teach people that it is a smoking cessation devise. I want to give the impression that it is an alternative or upgrade to cigarettes.

[DannyBoyfromWashington]

I don't like calling it a PV because calling it that doesn't explain what it is much at all and I heard of vaporizers used for drug use years ago. If they called it a PV the first time I saw an e-cig I would of assumed it was for getting high. If I got pulled over I would be scared to tell a cop that it is a PV because they may make the same assumption I would.

I'm not comfortable calling it nicotine replacement therapy because I don't want to teach people that it is a smoking cessation devise. I want to give the impression that it is an alternative or upgrade to cigarettes.

Instead of just calling it a pv or personal vaporizer, I add the word nicotine therefore "personal nicotine vaporizer", it says all I need it to I think.

[ddavelarsen]

I've had people call them a fake cigarette before. They really didn't mean anything by it, other than thats what they came up with when they were trying to think of what to call it, and it's not a "real" cigarette. The people that have said it to me did not mean to imply that it's a toy, simply that it's not a cigarette. These things are made to produce vapor. As long as we are sticking something in our mouth, inhaling, and blowing out smoke, thats what people are going to associate it with. I told someone once, "I know I look stupid to some people, but man, I sure feel smart!

Precisely! Thanks man, that is the best reply yet. At least, that's how I feel about it too.

I think every conversation about vaping is an opportunity to promote its strengths. I've quit smoking; for everyone who knows me, that is the absolute best recommendation there can be. They always are concerned (rightly) whether it's truly safer than analogs. But I have no doubt, and leave them with none. Vaping is a good thing. Never doubt that or feel defensive about vaping. You are doing good in the world when you vape for everyone to watch and learn.

[Speakeasy]

As long as we are sticking something in our mouth, inhaling, and blowing out smoke, thats what people are going to associate it with.

This is exactly what I keep coming up against. As soon as I understood how much more healthy the e-cigarette is, I was so excited about trying them I couldn't keep still! It's amazing to me that not everyone sees this.

I started a topic a while back in the general discussion section called, "Second Hand Nicotine". There were all kinds of comments about skeptics and how difficult it is to get them to see the light sometimes. At first, I was offended when people looked at me like I was nuts, but now I just let it slide. After all, I didn't quit for them. I quit for me.

[chrismonk]

I have a co-worker who calls her 510 her fake cigarette. I would never do this, but if she wants to then thats cool. I just hope her "fake" cigarette helps her quit smoking because to me it's the "better" cigarette. I hope that in time more people will see that. This is not just an alternative to smoking, it is a better smoking experience. I heard Arno say in one of his videos that this is the future of smoking and I hope that is true. I hope that eventually the ecig will be seen as the next level of smoking because it is so much better in so many ways.

[StevenP]

A few weeks ago a friend at work called my 510 a fake cigarette. Yesterday I went to my Grandma's for Christmas. A cousin ask about my 510 and after I explained he asked,"So, it is a fake cigarette and you smoke it just to try to look cool?" It kind of offends me when it is called fake. It makes me feel like a kid with a candy cigarette or something. I expect people to be amazed with them and happy for me but they make it seem like I'm weird for not using the "real" thing. Has anyone ever called your e-cig fake before? Did you experience similar emotions?

I hear ya, I felt insulted during a get together on christmas day, my other uncles was smoking outside. And saw me vaping, he told me that it was a fake cigarette and didn't really count as quitting, if I wanted to quit I would've stopped all together, he said. He made it sound so easy. But he did have a point, but my point now was that I quit smoking those analogs and looking forward to a healthier life, eventually I'll go down 0MG and maybe MAYBE even quit vaping, just to show that old coot!

[variven]

As I said in another post,I call mine a "nicotine delivery system" lol.

Vari

[Schizophretard]

I think what really offends me is when someone's reaction to the e-cig is anything less than WOW! Since I was born in 81 there has been great advances in technology but I never felt like I was in the future. I always thought that I would feel like I'm in the future when they have flying cars. The e-cig is my flying car. From the moment of my first sight of an e-cig to now I've been completely amazed. When I think of all the lives that can be benefited and saved it makes me feel like we found the cure to a plague. Millions of people that would of died from smoking have a real chance not to. It is like the e-cig can stop a genocide. Cigarettes are like a nuclear bomb and the e-cig is like a vaccine for AIDS. Calling an e-cig FAKE is an abomination and blasphemy!

[DannyBoyfromWashington]

I think what really offends me is when someone's reaction to the e-cig is anything less than WOW! Since I was born in 81 there has been great advances in technology but I never felt like I was in the future. I always thought that I would feel like I'm in the future when they have flying cars. The e-cig is my flying car. From the moment of my first sight of an e-cig to now I've been completely amazed. When I think of all the lives that can be benefited and saved it makes me feel like we found the cure to a plague. Millions of people that would of died from smoking have a real chance not to. It is like the e-cig can stop a genocide. Cigarettes are like a nuclear bomb and the e-cig is like a vaccine for AIDS. Calling an e-cig FAKE is an abomination and blasphemy!

I feel exactly the same way, I don't see ANYTHING else out there with the potential to save over 400,000 lives a year. Seatbelts?(nowhere near) Lifevests?(can't come close) Surgery?(doesn't even save that many) Diabetic medications ?(still not as many, but closer) With over $8,000,000,000 a YEAR spent on cancer research nothing they have come up with is saving over 400,000 lives a year. So it begs the question,... If they took 1/2 of that 8billion and spent it on promoting and producing better e-cigs do you think they would have a whole lot less cases of cancer? And if you never get cancer in the first place isn't that alot better than getting it and then them having some half a$$ed cure? just my $0.02

[mcquinn]

I wish it was that easy .The people who actually did smoking reserarch did not conclude smoking CAUSESS cancer ,they concluded it increases the likelyhood for those predisposed .The people who twist words for a living came up with the CAUSES part.If there were never another ciggerette on the face of the earth people would get cancer and lung cancer at an ever increasing rate.This would be due to some of the better living thru modern chemistry ,the increasing population,normal genetic mutations.Kinda like global warming ,if people ceased to exist the climate would still change.

[nana]

So many good points. So many different points of view. And yet similar. This is a great, intelligent discussion.

[jmhester]

Fake cigarette doesn't bother me. The smokers who think it's just a gadget kind of bother me. The ones that gets me are the non-smokers who think I'm really still smoking, just doing it differently. Anything other than cold turkey is just not good enough for them. I've had some people say I'm "cheating". Hey, the way I'm looking at it, I'm cheating the government out of tons of tax money, I'm cheating the healthcare system out of treating me for COPD and perhaps lung cancer, and I'm cheating my wife out of collecting my life insurance early.

I'm also cheating that doctor that told me if I didn't quit smoking I wouldn't grow to be an old man. Who said cheaters never prosper?

[mcquinn]

Preach it brother

[nana]

[Schizophretard]

I wish it was that easy .The people who actually did smoking reserarch did not conclude smoking CAUSESS cancer ,they concluded it increases the likelyhood for those predisposed .The people who twist words for a living came up with the CAUSES part.If there were never another ciggerette on the face of the earth people would get cancer and lung cancer at an ever increasing rate.This would be due to some of the better living thru modern chemistry ,the increasing population,normal genetic mutations.Kinda like global warming ,if people ceased to exist the climate would still change.

I don't see much difference between causing and increasing the likelihood. Saying that over eating doesn't cause obesity but increases the likelihood for those predisposed doesn't change the fact that over eating is an unhealthy habit. If all smokers became vapers then the likelihood of those predisposed to respiratory illnesses would decrease. Lives would be saved.

One time I found a solid ball on my collar bone. It felt exactly like what I expected a tumor to feel like. I was terrified. I immediately went to the emergency room. When I told the doctor the problem the first thing he asked was if I smoked. I said yes. He listened to my lungs. After he asked if I have trouble breathing and cough up phlegm. I said yes. He asked how long its been going on. I said long enough that I cant remember. He told me it wasn't a tumor. He said it was a swollen gland because my immune system is reacting to my lungs. I asked him why is it reacting to my lungs. He said because I believe you have chronic bronchitis. He put me on oxygen for a few minutes. It was wonderful. I forgot what it felt like to breathe. He gave me a prescription for an inhaler. I asked him if it will cure me. He said no but it will help with shortness of breath. I said well shouldn't you prescribe a pill or something to cure me. He wrote out another prescription and handed it to me. It just said,"QUIT SMOKING!" I haven't turned in that prescription yet and I'm still sick. That was 10 years ago. The e-cig is my flying car from Back to the Future and it really is a time machine because it has the potential to take me further into the future than cigarettes could. I am 28 years old and can tell that I'm dying from COPD. If I try to run I feel like I can't get air and like I'm about to have a heart attack. I shouldn't feel like this at 28. When someone calls the only real chance at giving up cigarettes fake they are calling my life fake.