To tell those who lecture me on vaping to Fuck Off

[Dogsitterwoes]

AIBU. No, let them lecture you
YANBU - Yes, be rude to them

I'm in my 50s and was a long term smoker. I switched to vaping in January. I am considerate and only vape outdoors and move away from other people or into a smoking area. People sometimes
comment, there's a brief convo around my giving up smoking, and 9 out of 10 respond nicely in a 'well done you' kind of way.

The 1 out of 10 though start lecturing me on the evils of vaping. These can be complete strangers, or acquaintances. They go on and on.
Usual themes:

1. Just as bad for you or worse for you than smoking.
2. Children are vaping.
3. Environmental impact of disposables.

I respond politely. I acknowledge there is a concern around all of this, and
1 - I know they aren't exactly good for me but I think they are not as bad as cigarettes, and it's my intension to also stop vaping this year
2 - I agree the manufacturer's should stop targeting non-smokers with the sweet flavours
3 - I agree, I use a rechargeable, but there's probably a lot more all of us could be doing for the environment.

But they do not let it drop. I've literally been lectured at on and on.

YANBU to stop being polite after my initial response and tell them that if I stopped vaping today, I'd be back on the fags tomorrow so mind their own fucking business?

I'm an ex smoker who will smoke on a night out when drinking with friends who are smokers, as I lose my resolve. This used to be very infrequent as I don't often go out with smokers. But then I had friends who are smokers move on the next road over from me. We socialise a lot more now in our gardens, and so my occasional smoking was becoming more and more frequent. To combat this I got a vape for when I socialise with them. I have mostly nicotine free vapes. I have absolutely experienced heavy criticism about this from friends and strangers, when I never had any criticism for smoking tobacco.

The ironic thing is that the people who lecture me are always tobacco smokers. I agree that vaping culture is bad, and we don't know the long term affects, and they are probably going to be bad, but we DO know that smoking tobacco is very bad, so smokers are in no position to lecture.

If we called out anyone who wasn't perfect, there would be very few people left to give lectures.

Errrr, have you met Mumsnet? 😂

Well done, OP.
I was a heavy smoker, gave up 15 years ago with GP help.
Both the Bank Balance & me were much healthier for it.
DH eventually switched to vapes when I asked him not to smoke near me, & still vapes.
If anyone comments, he says "Yeah, right" & changes the subject.

If you want popcorn lung, go for it!

Some have been diagnosed in the UK with popcorn lung from using a vape...

Propylene glycol causes the popcorn lung. When it heats it up it goes thin. Turns to vapour once it cools in the lungs, it lines the lungs.

Smelling a vape reminds me that we are all breathing the same air - breathing in and out air that someone else has breathed in and out. That's a but icky to think about but no avoiding it.

@Emmamoo89 propylene glycol is considered safe in vaping. diacetyl has been directly linked to popcorn lung, to the original cases in fact who were popcorn factory workers and were exposed because it was used in the flavouring.

Popcorn lung is very rare and afaik there are no cases with a proven link to vaping, in the EU/UK at least. It's one of those myths that just won't go away.

I HATE all smoking and vaping. It's not necessary and very selfish. People who 'move out of the way' as they do it cant guarantee they'll do this successfully all the time e.g. someone could appear unexpectedly or you could make a mistake. Babies and young children are therefore affected. Just do it at home. Why is vaping more important than an innocent young child who has no choice?

YANBU
I don’t vape, but what happened to “Live and Let Live”?
People wouldn’t start lecturing someone buying cream cakes at the bakers or someone buying a bottle of vodka at the supermarket. You do you, smile and enjoy your vape.

Those most opposed to vaping and smoking usually do so having just alighted from their 4x4 Chelsea tractor - you know.... those machines that do not pollute the air and are odourless.

Meh, I probably have far fewer unhealthy habits than those who want to bang on about how awful vaping is.

I don't drink.
I don't drive a car.
I don't fly anywhere.
I don't spend much time at all around roads, traffic, etc.
I don't have a wood burning stove
I don't have a load of fuel guzzling racing cars, classic or otherwise (as some bloke who had a go at me for the pong does, he reeks of oil even after a shower!)
I don't do extreme sports or sports that generate expensive injuries (sunday footballers!)

I like vaping. I probably won't live long enough to see the side effects of it. I don't need to be questioned on whether i plan on giving up, or told how im addicted to nicotine whilst they guzzle their wine/gin/beer...

I do it in my own home or out in places where people can absolutely avoid me (ie they'd have to choose to come stand near me).

Do you not have any neighbours?

Why should people have to move because you are being inconsiderate to other peoples health?

I mean fine, carry on slowly killing yourself.

They might be annoying, but they're right.

Buying a cream cake doesn’t affect other peoples health

Absolutely!

https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/55/5/2000413

I gave up a 20 year 14 a day habit with the help of my vape 5 years ago
The liquids made in the uk are made to pharmaceutical standards and do not contain oils which are thought to be responsible for " popcorn lung"
It is not worse than smoking!!!
According to the NHS it's 95% safer than tobacco
Life involves balancing risks in every possible situation
Vapour by its very nature does not linger. Would the same people complaining about the sickly smell say the same to someone sucking a cough sweet? No of course not
Professional offence is so tedious
Live and let live I say

No it's not.

Congrats on quitting smoking OP. My understanding is that vaping to help quit smoking is a recognised and generally approved method by clinicians. As you say, the aim would then be to stop vaping as well.

For anyone that thinks vaping is totally harmless, I don't think that is the case. The number of teenagers that are vaping is becoming a massive concern.

U2HasTheEdge · Today 14:33
Qbish · Today 14:29

They're not wrong though. And vaping does hideous things to lungs.

and tell them that if I stopped vaping today, I'd be back on the fags tomorrow so mind their own fucking business?

Stop blaming others for your inability to give up smoking/vaping.
What hideous things does it do to your lungs”

I’m more concerned about what it’s doing to your brain. Heavy metals that you shouldn’t be inhaling are far more worrying,

Raise your kids not to follow the crowd then.

As if the OP, not being part of the younger generation, giving up vaping is going to have ANY affect on a teenager deciding to pick up a vape.
As if said younger generation is going to avoid getting a vape because middle aged Pamela in Nottingham decided she would stop vaping because she was told by some busybody on Mumsnet.

😂

I asked for proof that vaping is just as bad as smoking.

That link does nothing to convince me that this has proven to be true.

It's bonkers
I went from smoking 30 a day to none with an e cig
A 40 a day smoker told me they would kill me and lectured me on how bad they were for me
Nobody ever got this worked up over nicotine inhalers, the old type. Or nicotine gum