Monday, June 1, 2009

E-Cigarettes: The Gateway Arguement

Another of the arguements I continue to hear from "professional" cigarette cessation experts is: "This product will become a gateway to real cigarettes for teens and young adults."

Never mind the "teens and young adults" portion of this arguement....I've gone over that before. But - the gateway...... Oooooo. Sounds scary, doesn't it. This word is yet another carefully engineered term created and used to manipulate the consumer in a direction that they (the "expert") want you (the uninformed consumer) to take.

Is the E-Cig a gateway? NO. Unequivocably not. But I'm willing to back my statement up with my experiences, instead of insisting you take my word for it.

I purchased my first PV kit in March. 1 atomizer, 2 batteries, and some smoke juice. I vaped on this for a week. Loved it. Had no want, desire, or need for a traditional tobacco cigarette. This was my Holy Grail, the thing I had been waiting for since I first lit up in the 80's. Then, disaster: 1 week to the day, I burned up my only atomizer. Replacements were on order, but not shipped yet......Oh, God, what could I do?

I smoked. Went back to the nasty tobacco cigs. Without hesitation. I had to have my hand to mouth, my little cloud, the cylinder between my fingers when I drove, for this is the driving force behind my personal addiction, far greater than the nicotine I'm inhaling. I will say now, with passion: Those were the worst 2 days of my life!

Now, the FDA is fixing to ban this wonderful new toy of mine, because they are afraid that I, using an electronic gizmo, will entice someone else to smoke cigarettes? That this will become so attractive to a non-smoker that they will feel the irristible urge to light up?

Come on.....pull the other one. The only way this could possibly become a gateway is if they now pull it off the market. The genie has been released from the bottle. If they pull this product, they create the gateway - a self-fulfilling prophecy. Period.

This is an invasion of my personal liberty to do what I will with my body as long as I'm not harming anyone else. Tell me, what do you think will happen to me, what will I do, if they do, indeed, pull my alternative off the market, in the name of protection? I'm sure you can connect the dots here....

I could fill this page with other consumers' stories that mirror mine.....the e-cigarette-forum and petition both are full of such personal experiences. Many have gone further on their journeys than I have, and have cut to zero nicotine solutions. What's going to happen to them? What will they be forced back into in their pursuit of happiness?

Granted, there are some who don't share my own experiences.....there are some who find this product not quite my Nirvana, but simply a substitute for their own addiction.

But, almost universally, there is the same sentiment: going from an E-Cig to traditional tobacco cigarette is the same as going from Lobster to Fish Sticks.

Care to try another arguement?

3 comments:

  1. .., the good thing with e-cigarette is that they are more presentable the the natural puff.. beside the fact that it is not harmful in terms of second hand smoke...
    electronic cigarettes reviews

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete