Me, the public do declare

Let me start this post off with the following statement:

I do not work for, nor am I affiliated with either the Tobacco or Vaping Industries.  I am a semi-normal person that works a bog standard 9-5. I have opinions and feelings.

There, now that is well and truly out of the way, on with the post.

It seems that many in public health, and by extension the “smokefree” agencies don’t believe a single word anyone says.  I’ve told my story on this blog, and it has been shared by me and many other vapers in an effort to make it heard.  It seems that certain folk don’t believe a single word.  That hurts.

As of June 11 2014 I stopped smoking.  By any definition that is “smokefree”.  So far, I’ve been smoke free for 9 Months, 25 days, 3 hours, 3 minutes and God knows how many seconds.

As a _direct result _of being smoke free through vaping, I have _not smoked _almost 9000 cigarettes.  Think about that for a second.  That averages 30 cigarettes per day avoided.  When I smoked, I would quite easily get through 40 per day.  I was a serious chain smoker, especially at home.  I guess public health would like some correlation with drinking here, yes I drank moderately.  Am I violent? Nope, not unless you threaten me or my friends.  If you do that, no power in this universe will save you.

The CDC are doing their “Tips from Former Smokers” thing. Again.  The question is, why oh why are they ignoring the likes of me and millions of others that have successfully stopped smoking by using e-cigs?  The reason is that they specifically looked for former smokers, and e-cig users that were _suffering _from specific ailments.  Just so they could over-hype their campaign, and by including vaping in that, they are obviously hoping that the public will turn against it.

Congratulations folks, all you’ve done is bring awareness of e-cigs to those that might not have known.  Thereby doing the job you are specifically against.  Who’s “Big Vaping” now?

Oh, that’s right, I am. Apparently.