Daily Vaper

Why The Hysteria And Misinformation About Vaping Is So Frustrating To Me

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Joe Sylvester Contributor
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Because of the relative newness and popularity of the vaping phenomenon many are unaware that there are organizations that advocate for them. One may be scratching his or her head while reading this: “To advocate for me? Why?”

Yes. To advocate for you. Vapers need advocates to fight for your right to vape. There are actually many such groups, ranging from trade associations to consumer organizations. Why are they necessary? Because on the other side of the issue, some of the most powerful interest groups are actively seeking to crack down on your freedom to choose vaping. Groups like the American Heart Association spread harmful misinformation, such as the discredited notion that non-users can be exposed to air pollution from “vaping-related chemicals.” They are also responsible for promoting the hysterical hypothetical that vaping will “help re-normalize tobacco use and get kids started, even leading them to regular cigarettes over time.” Yet, we know that no study has credibly shown that that vaping is a “gateway” to smoking. And studies claiming that it has led teens to pick up cigarettes are not supported by their own evidence.

By wielding their power and influence, tobacco control activists want you to believe heating a liquid with propylene glycol and nicotine has the same cancerous effects as smoking a Marlboro Red. In doing this, they have put the cart before the horse. They want to make vaping as much of a social taboo as cigarettes, but they have yet to cogently present an evidence-based reason why.

What they have done is successfully capitalize on fear of the unknown. They assume most people don’t know much about vaping, so they can spread misleading or even fictitious claims. In doing so, they are making waves at limiting or even removing your freedom to choose.

In 2013 at the age of 29, I was up to three packs of cigarettes a day. Marlboro Lights were my cigarette of choice. I couldn’t get enough. Even though the cigarettes were causing frequent splitting headaches, I couldn’t stop. I tried many times to kick the habit. I tried Nicorette. I tried quitting cold turkey. Nothing worked.

One day, I saw an infomercial featuring testimonials of people swearing that it helped them quit smoking. I wanted to quit. Not only could to reduce the threat of lung cancer and heart disease, but also because of how bad you smell when you’re a smoker. Only later did I realize that people can smell your smoke from a distance and even on your person a day after your last cigarette.

Even though I am what some consider to be an extreme skeptic, I decided to give it a try. I ordered a V-2 starter kit and it arrived four days later. The day I received the vaping pen was the day I quit smoking. No more smoking. Not even a single urge to have a real cigarette.

For those skeptics out there, it does indeed work. Not for everyone perhaps, but it worked for me. When studying the pros and cons of vaping one must seriously take this into account. Smoking kills. Anything that helps end it should be heralded.

The government’s collection of onerous taxes on e-liquids and vaping instruments will not slow down the vaping movement, it will simply make an already bloated and corrupt government wealthier so they can waste and squander further. Excessive taxes on tobacco was certainly not the prime mover in the reduction of tobacco use in this country, it was education.

The same principle must be applied to vaping. Sites like The Daily Vaper exist to help everyone (both pro- and anti-vaping) learn about the relatively new phenomenon. Let the studies be done. Let people choose what is best for them based on their own reason and intellect. Once all of the chips are on the table, only then can the government intelligently evaluate the situation.