Do you vape?

[fantalimon23]

I know this will attract judgement but I'm not asking for criticism, just discussion.

Never been a smoker but recently took up vaping. Dh does it and so do a few friends. I was curious. We are going through a very stressful time in life - young dc and no help, demanding job, house renovation. I was winding down in the evenings using booze and junk food which wasn't good for me either so I suppose I just wanted to try something that helped relax me. I do enjoy it but I don't think I'm 'addicted' per se, for example I don't take it out with me during the day and don't miss it. I just use it in the evenings.

Anyway bizarrely I have health anxiety which is quite ridiculous when I think of all of the unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms I have. But I do worry about the vape. There is so much conflicting info out there - loads of sources saying it's much better than smoking others saying it's as bad or worse. All the alleged health issues they can cause but no definitive studies as they've not been around long enough.

So I guess I'm wondering if you vape, why? What does it bring you? And do you worry about the health impact?

Thanks OneTC for the explanation, that makes sense. I didn't realise that they went 'out of date', either.

Adults like those flavours too.

It should be pretty easy to post some advertising that is clearly aimed at children only, if there's so much of it. Vapes being sweet flavours isn't sufficient. Maybe there's something with children on a roundabout merrily tooting away that I've somehow missed?

Lots of manufacturers would put a year on after production date. The juices that contain higher amounts of vegetable glycerine would go thicker and have less flavour. Higher levels of nicotine also seems to speed up spoiling for some reason I don't know.

I don't think at the time it was a requirement, just something that better companies did voluntarily.

Smaller independent companies were probably more amenable to deal with when it came to regulation rather than the tobacco companies who've been taking the piss with regulations for decades. There used to be an initiative from within the UK vape industry to not put stuff in cartoony type boxes or to do anything that could be argued was aimed at children. The brightly coloured, cartoony images was more of an American thing but some UK companies did adopt it. The company I was part of made our own lines of products and used low key packaging.

Adults and children like things that taste nice, I don't personally believe that the flavours are designed to appeal to children, they just appeal to kids because they broadly appeal to everyone. I do believe that some packaging is beyond questionable and tobacco companies have been marketing cigs on the sly forever, so they've just transferred the same tactics to vapes

OneTC, it's the accessibility that is one of the key indicators that they are being marketed to children. If they were restricted, in the same way that cigarettes are, adults would have no problems buying them - but children wouldn't get hold of them so easily.

We all know about the dodgy shops that used to sell single cigarettes to children but those are now gone and there is strict liability in place with custodial sentences/heavy fines for outlets that try to circumvent the age restrictions.

If restrictions were allied with cigarettes/tobacco then colour/flavour/sparkles really wouldn't be that much of an issue.

2 mins of crude googling

You're right about them being sly, OneTC, always 30 years ahead in making sure their customer chain is secured. Like drug dealers really.

trying to add…

Really we shouldn't be inhaling anything other than oxygen. If you think vaping is safe then I think you are telling yourself that to make doing it 'OK for you'. It's jot the case. As it's not a serious habit, it might be a good time to stop. Especially if you have health anxiety.

so many sadly

Maybe the third one I might agree with, but I've never seen any of those for sale anywhere.

The others, no they don't look like they're for schoolchildren. Particularly the bikini picture.

Those aren't children.

TheNewDeer, sad isn't the word. The UK government could have stopped all child access to these products but, incompetent, greedy, short-sighted... and many others.

That and nitrous oxide, it's like the Darwin Awards but it's children who are the casualties.

Same!

Why are you trying so hard to convince yourself that all is rosy in the garden here? Those are - or at least look like - youngish teens.

Ask yourself why there are no advertising photos of 40-50 year old women and men vaping? That's part of the demographic. Where are they?

youth market

so 12-16

very much children in most of peoples eyes

it’s very very peculiar isn’t it?

Yes, TheNewDeer. Completely predictable too.

It's not pleasant to think of a company that you use actively exploiting children but it's there, up close and personal. Nothing can distract from that.

They are not twelve years old! They look like university students.

Is this aimed at children? Brightly coloured packaging, cartoonish letters, fruity smells?? Or are those things also appealing to adults?

Yep, as a stop smoking tool it's pretty effective, can't understand why people who have never smoked cigarettes are now vaping.

I started vaping with the disposable ones.. socially and enjoyed it but knew it was a really bad habit and felt guilty every single time I did it! I would then do it after work when feeling stressed or just randomly really! I’ve never smoked so that wasn’t the reason! When I then feel guilty I fill it with water and put it in the bin to stop the temptation! Have stopped myself buying another. Watch Jordan North’s documentary which will encourage you not to… ignorance is bliss but when you see what you’re inhaling into your lungs it will put you off!!

@YouDidntEvenAskIfSheWasThereMoriarty

i will take a punt

You don’t think gaming for hours on end day in and day out is bad for children/ teenagers?

You're a lot more patient than I am, TheNewDear, that poster will keep 'othering' until their fingers bleed. I'm fully expecting a packet of Skittles as the next idiotic gotcha.

I'm not sure if that's a typo but if you mean vaping then no ideally no one would be doing it.

No one would be stuffing their face with chocolate and crisps or getting pissed on wine either but it's acceptable for adults to make the decision to prioritise fun choices.

we won’t get anywhere

on other threads posters have put views and studies to her on vaping and she just digs her heels in more 🤷