Do You Deserve To Vape?

I'd like to air a grievance here against CASAA.. all of us are concerned with advocacy, a united
front and support for fellow vaper's rights, regardless of where they live.
I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. There are thousands of Canadians concerned with the uninformed
and misdirected legislation being aimed at the vaping community and small business owners who
make a living by providing effective non-cigalite alternatives to those who wish to better their lives and quit smoking.
Wherever they live!
I find it ironic therefore that as a Canadian it is apparently impossible to join CASAA, despite the pleas and suggestions
that all vapers should do so.
The application form will only accept Americans with a valid State and ZIP code.

My sincere retraction if I'm missing something and incorrect, but this appears to be the case.

I have emailed CASAA with my concerns, but have received no reply.
Seems a bit hypocritical to claim to be the voice of smoking-alternative advocacy, but to exclude
everyone who doesn't fit a zip code criteria.  

Monday 7th October

On Monday, October 7th, asking vape shops, online retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and other entities that want to see vaping survive to donate some, or even all, of their profits for the day to the AVA and CASAA. Additionally, we are asking you around the United States to support small vape businesses around the United States on October 7th by shopping at businesses participating.  

I was gonna post this in the Media and General News forum, but I figured it would get quicker & more exposure here. I've also posted it in my state CASAA ffb group, and asked Kristin to post it on the main CASAA group ffb page.
Nicotine science and policy Q & A  

Hello everyone.

Hope you and your loved ones are staying safe.

What small things we do while vaping that deserve no explanation?

Myself I have the quirk (hope this is the right word) of only liking to set my wattage in some specific numbers and/or sequences:
2-7-12-17-22-27-32-etc or numbers ending with 9.

What else... I have a thing for black mods and black atomisers.

Anyone else have some things that fit the topic that want to share?

Stay safe. Have fun.  

Received this email this morning...

On Monday, November 4, or early in the week, we are anticipating an announcement from the Trump Administration regarding FDA guidance about sales of flavored vapor products. According to recent reports, this guidance is expected to go as far as banning every flavor other than tobacco and menthol. In spite of years of communications from consumers and meetings with industry stakeholders, it is clear that officials remain unknowledgeable about how the vapor industry functions and what customers need.

Two flavors will not sustain independent vapor retailers and
will unnecessarily make vaping less attractive
to people who want to switch away from smoking.


The White House needs to hear from adult vapers and anyone who loves a vaper! A flavor ban won’t protect our children, but it will kill their parents.

We need to
Light Up The Switchboard
At The White House!
Ph: 202-456-1111
(Comment Line)
or
202-456-1414
(Switchboard)


On your call:

The operator will likely ask where they can direct your call Simply tell them that flavored vapor products saved your life, Tobacco and Menthol aren't enough to save small businesses or help people quit smoking; and, tell them “We Vape, We Vote. Be polite, be brief, and say thank you.
On hold? Here's something to do while you wait: Send a Message! Share this Call to Action with your friends, family, and on social media!  

Maybe it's just my lack of knowledge on the matter, due to the fact that I don't care enough to look it up, but based off of the emails that I've received from JUUL over the past few years, it just seems like they don't have an ounce of fight in them.

First it was the banning of all flavored pods, meaning 85% of their product line is just out the window. I was actually surprised they survived as a company after that happened, but I guess the buckets of money they were making before the ban helped out a lot. I know the law is the law, and it's not like they could just continue selling flavored pods, but I just didn't see any push back from them at all on the matter. From my point of view, they just folded and accepted the loss.

I know they've taken other hits after the pod ban, but again, specifics elude me. So, what sparked my interest in making this post was an email they sent out on April 20th of this year that I just now read...

"Final call - order before our online sales pause on April 22nd."

It basically reads something about federal regulatory changes...blah blah blah. So ALL online sales are just gone now. So does JUUL have people in the trenches actually fighting for the vaping community? I just haven't come across much proof, or rumblings in the media about them actually fighting for the many, many, many millions of dollars they have lost out on due to them taking huge L's left and right. I don't even use JUUL products anymore, so if you're wondering why I care so much about the matter, I'm wondering the same myself. It's just odd. I guess the parts of big tobacco who didn't own any shares in the vape industry finally got tired of losing money to it. Anyway. That's a rant.  

Im currently on vacation in a European country where it is illegal to sell ejuice containing nicotine.

I of course have my vape gear and my own ejuice with me, as that is not illegal.

The current anti-vape hysteria and fake news is not just contained to the US, as I have been reading about it and seeing it on the news here also.

With the way its being reported about in the news, youd think there was some huge epidemic happening, and vaping is the worst thing to come along since ebola or aids.

Ive gotten mutiple evil eyes from people here because I continue to vape like I always have, and I also make sure to blow extra super sized clouds whenever I encounter anybody who is giving me a disapproving look or stare, while I am smiling back at them and vaping.

As for the current fake news hysteria and propaganda, it is my understanding that the cases involve a substance that is not allowed to be mentioned on this forum.

I happen to know a lot about that substance and I also know that there is an awful lot of counterfeit and homemade carts which are on the market, and yes, some of them can definitely be dangerous, as all sorts of suspicious and dangerous ingredients can be included. Nobody has any idea what is inside those counterfeit carts

That however has nothing at all to do with vaping, or with people who vape and use regular ejuice.

If somebody drinks gasoline, then yeah, they might feel unwell.

As for me, Ill continue to laugh at fake news and the people who believe in it, and Ill continue to vape just like I always have.  

I do realize that when the hammer comes down it isn't going to come down from a federal level because of the few that choose to make a game of vaping. I realize that it is all about the money they are losing because we have found a way to put the smokes behind us and hopefully a way to keep anyone else from EVER picking up the habit of smoking. Their ONLY concern is lost revenue.

The taxes and/or restrictions are coming, Of that, I have no doubt. We have to do whatever we can to keep them from taxing/restricting us into oblivion.

When the smoking restrictions started it didn't start from the federal level. It started very small and grew into what we have today. It started in small towns, grew to counties and then to states and finally to just about everywhere.

Businesses were no longer allowed to choose how they would handle smoking/no smoking. It became law and they were forced to abide by that law or close their doors.

It happened so slowly that most of us didn't see it coming. We were the frog in the pot of water slowly being brought to a boil. Hopefully we are more aware this time.

Those that make a game of it will have an impact on how vaping is viewed by those that don't understand or even care what vaping is all about. I don't like it but there it is.

I am talking about at a local level. A local busybody, someone that has nothing better to do at the moment, sees something she/he doesn't understand so doesn't approve of. I'm not saying it is right but, let's face it, it happens way to often in every small town in America and sadly, around the world.

Ever hear the term, squeaky wheel gets the grease. Well, that busybody is the squeaky wheel. Every town has at least one and that person has the ear of the "powers that be" in that small town. That person manages to get the "powers that be" to force businesses in that small town to put up signs "No Vaping Allowed" just to appease that busy body. It is not right but it happens every day.

This scenario is being played out in hundreds of thousands of small towns all over the world.

When I joined this forum it was all about helping your fellow vaper. I still see some of that but sadly, I also see so much infighting. We have to work together if we are going to preserve this healthier alternative to smoking for not only ourselves but also for future generations.

The bottom line is. We have to find a way to stand together or we will end up regulated into oblivion. Please think before bashing those that see the writing on the wall. One of the best things one can do is join CASAA so that you may keep up with what is actually happening and then answer those calls to action. If we don't stand up for our rights we WILL lose them.

Please don't let that local busybody win in the end. Thank you for reading my thoughts.  

So I have been coming on here and reading posts from people like say, in Washington State who are desperately trying to come up with something vapable after the flavor bans came crashing down, and I went on a pretty serious letter writing campaign in response. Here is the answer I got:

"Thank you for writing me regarding your thoughts on banning smoke-free alternatives to combustible tobacco. I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns.

The Trump Administration recently announced plans to ban the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes as officials in Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continue to investigate more than 450 health cases, including six deaths, related to e-cigarette use. According to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, the FDA intends to introduce a policy that will remove the sale of all flavored e-cigarette flavors except tobacco, until otherwise specified.

I understand that this is an important issue for parents and consumers of e-cigarettes in our district. As your Representative, I will continue to monitor this situation as it develops and will keep your thoughts in mind if any legislative action is taken on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Again, thank you for contacting my office about this important issue. If you would like to receive regular updates on this and other matters, please visit my website (www.demings.house.gov/) to sign up for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Val Butler Demings
Member of Congress"

The part that instantly grabbed my attention was this:

FDA intends to introduce a policy that will remove the sale of all flavored e-cigarette flavors except tobacco, until otherwise specified.

Is this going to happen ahead of the deeming regulations? Is the FDA going to come up behind us and slip this over our heads while we aren't looking? And while vaping is coming under a full frontal assault, tobacco companies are laughing as they continue to kill 1200 people a day - because the spotlight ain't on them anymore.  

since my last cigarette. I haven't been posting in recent months, I have been keeping up on the treadmill of life.
Thanks to ECF for being here, to the mods for keeping it sane, CASAA for working so that we can have a future, and all of you for helping each other and yourselves!

Like most of you, I spent too large a percentage of my life killing myself slowly, and eventually spending a lot of money to do so. In my particular case, I still loved smoking, but grew disgruntled over the health realities, BT, and the taxation of cigs. I have quit many times, in many ways, but never for more than a few months. During those few months, I was never pleasant to be around.

It's easy to make excuses to keep smoking, I made them all.

I am *not* an expert, and nobody asked me, but since I am waxing eloquent I will make suggestions about how it worked for me. YMMV

1. To quit smoking, you really only need two things. A device that works for you (charging, form factor, blahblah) and juice that you like.

2. Don't feel obligated to stop smoking immediately. I was an accidental quitter. Initially I wanted to smoke some and vape some. I could save some money, and not have to stand outside in the rain. It's OK to smoke while you are learning what works for you. You can do that for the rest of your life, if you want to.

2b. Keep an idea of where you are on supplies. You need backups of everything (home, work, car). After I decided to actually quit smoking, two weeks in I had two battery deaths in two days. I only had two batteries. After 12 hours of crazy, I had to smoke.

3. Learn your device well, before you start collecting more and more! It can be convenient to wind up with a couple of different styles that work for different life situations. If you buy one every week, you will spend a lot of money and could still be deep down unhappy that "it's not working like I thought it would". Many of us as smokers can be a wee bit OCD anyway. Don't let collecting get in the way of Not Smoking (tm)

4. Don't buy a gallon of the first juice that you like. It will take a month or more before your damaged sense of taste/smell start regenerating. What you loved initially you may hate in a month. Buy lots of small samplers, to discover what you like.

5. Yes, you will save money, lots of it. See #3 and #4 above.

6. At the end of the day, all PVs are just batteries. How long they last, charging, the form factor, the ability to adjust them during use are all just variations on a theme. Some of the cig-a-likes have a lifetime of 30 charge cycles. Some larger ones can be charged 500 times. Find the balance that works for you. What *does* matter, is the actual vaping end of it. Explore attys, cartos, tanks, RBA. Try them all, this is what determines the taste and vapor production.

7. Support your local vape shop. I know you can get this stuff from China for cheap. Your local B&M is spending a lot of money for rent and employees, and the ability to sample juice is not possible on AliBaba. They are also providing a valuable service in being a first exposure to vaping for many. Go in and hang out. If nothing else, buy some drip tips, juice, attys or doo-dads. Check out the new PVs.

8. With few exceptions, the kiosk at the mall is not a good deal, nor a good idea. Free trials online or from radio ads are always a ripoff. You will spend a lot more on much inferior equipment and then have a hard time getting it off of your credit card.

9. Don't be arrogant about vaping in public. They don't know that you are not smoking from 10 feet away.

10. Don't get in flamewars on ECF about your favorite PV. Yes, there are idiots here, don't be one. If it works for you, that is the best one for you.

11. Once you get comfortable with vaping, consider DIY. Juice is what costs the most in the long run. Start small, measure with precision, keep detailed notes, be safe. You know what you like better than any description on a web page.

12. Join CASAA, and do things.

13. ECF is great for support. Don't be afraid to bare your soul to kindred spirits here in a hard time, you can find a lot of strength.