Every smoker has experienced the dirty looks from non-smokers when lighting up, sometimes even in their own homes. Smokers have become that segment of society that it is socially acceptable to discriminate against. Even the animated television show South Park has done an episode on tolerance in which every aberrant behavior is lauded and upheld as something that must be accepted and tolerated with the exception of smoking, which is depicted as the most evil and disgusting of all human behaviors.
It has become almost impossible for smokers to find an acceptable place to smoke in public. Smoking is prohibited in workplaces, on college campuses, in restaurants and bars, in many public parks and venues, and, in some communities, even in apartments and condominiums. It is arguable that soon smoking will be banned everywhere in every situation.
Obviously, one of the goals of the stigma, the dirty looks, and the laws and ordinances is to get the smoker to quit smoking. However, many smokers do not wish to quit. They enjoy the pleasures of cigarette smoking, even given the Surgeon General’s warnings or the evidence that smoking is hazardous to the health of the smoker and others. If a smoker wishes to continue that enjoyment in today’s society, it is advisable that they find an alternative to smoking.
One alternative is smokeless tobacco, though this is understandably not the first choice for many. Aside from stereotypes surrounding those that utilize dip, snuff, and chew, many smokers enjoy the act of inhaling on a cigarette and do not necessarily desire to be spitting on the sidewalk as they walk down the street or into a cup when in “polite” society. There is, however, a smoking alternative that allows the smoker to enjoy the sensation of inhaling on a cigarette with a smokeless, tobacco-free product.
The advent of the e cigarette is a smoking alternative that can make everyone happy. Non-smoking campaigners are happy because there is no second-hand smoke, no nasty odors, and no allergens with which to contend. Smokers are happy because they have the simulated sensation of inhaling on a cigarette and having the “throat-hit” of nicotine, as well as the flavor and taste that they enjoy. Business owners are happy because they can cater to both smokers and non-smokers without worrying about government intervention. And, the government officials are presumably happy because they can continue to enact anti-smoking legislation to their hearts’ content without stepping on the toes of any of their constituents.
E cigarettes afford the smoker a smoking alternative that gets rid of the stigma, dirty looks, and the problem of smoking bans. E cigarettes provide smoking pleasure without smoking problems.
