My Way or the Highway

If a person has cancer, we do our best to do everything in our power to help them get rid of it. We try as many different kids of treatments, medications, and surgeries as necessary to get the job done. If we can't cure it, we do everything we can to extend their life, keep them comfortable, and provide them with the best quality of life that medicine, faith, and support by loved ones can provide. As science and technology progress, we will be able to do even more for victims of cancer.

When a child is born with a disability, we do everything we can to help them overcome it. If it's something they will live with forever, we do our best to provide them with a productive and meaningful life by giving them the tools and support they need to live up to their full potential. We make accommodations so they can be valued members of our communities. As science and technology progress, we will be able to do even more for people with disabilities.

If a person becomes addicted to drugs, we try to help them. We have treatment programs and support programs. If the person struggles to remain drug free, we have medical interventions that can help some people move past their addiction and return to a fully productive life with their families, friends, and as members of society. As science and technology progress, we will be able to do even more for people battling drug addiction.

As the automotive industry grew, cars were able to go farther and faster. Accidents caused injury and even death. We've enacted laws requiring our vehicles to have built in safety features. These help reduce fatalities and injuries. We've also enacted "rules of the road", things like speed limits to further reduce the dangers of being in a car. As science and technology progress, we will be able to add even more safety features into our vehicles and save more lives. 

Such is the way of modern man. We identify a problem and we work towards solutions, and if a solution doesn't work for everyone, we look to science and technology to find even more and better solutions.

Or at least we do until we talk about people who smoke. It used to be we didn't think it was dangerous. Then we learned different. We did what man does best, we went on the hunt for solutions for smokers. We offered them ways to quit. We started therapies, support groups, we invented nicotine replacement therapies and medicines all to help smokers. For some smokers, these options helped them quit this deadly habit. Some smokers weren't able to quit. 

This should be the part where we say as science and technology progress, we will find more and better ways to help people quit smoking. But we refuse to accept science and technology when it comes to people who smoke. Smokers found a technology that helps them quit. They invented a device and over the years they have improved the device. Why isn't society embracing this new technology that doesn't cost tax payers any money and improves the health of their loved ones, by helping them quit smoking?

When do we tell a cancer patient "get cured my way or die"? We don't and we wouldn't. Nor do we tell an alcoholic "get sober my way or die". We don't tell someone with a disability to deal with it locked in a closet with no adaptations to help them succeed. We will never go back to cars with no air bags or seat belts to reduce the potential harm of going from A to B.

Why does this country think it's OK to tell a person who smokes "quit my way or die"? Shouldn't we be cheering for every smoker to kick the habit in what ever way works best for them? Do we really care if they quit cold turkey, use a quit line, chew gum, take a pill, or use vapor technology to quit smoking?

People in white coats in labs invent amazing things, but it is not possible for them to find the cure for everything that ails mankind. Sometimes what's needed most is the people fighting the battle to figure out what works best for them and invent their own cure. 

Many people who smoke have found their cure in a little battery operated device that is 95% safer than smoking. That little device can help millions of more people quit smoking, if we stop our current path and don't regulate the product out of existence.

It's time to focus on the smokers. Let them quit smoking in peace. My way or the highway shouldn't be the message we send them. 

"This Is My Fight Song"

I like to share stories from the vape shop and have 2 today I'll combine into 1 story. 1st off, a customer with special needs comes in to purchase e-liquid. She is with her group home staff. We helped this amazing person quit smoking a couple of years ago. She is limited to $10 spending money for vape stuff. She is here 1x per week and we give her a special deal, including tax. She either gets a 30ml and a coil or two 30mls for her $10. Today was a staff person who I've never seen before. That staff person mentioned they smoked and they will never vape because it's more dangerous than smoking. WHOA! They now know the truth. And my customer helped to educate her staff person!

The shop is a mess, it's in the middle of being remodeled and I should be putting stuff back in the cases, but there is so much advocacy work to be done, so I fire up my get motivated to fight for vape song and spend some time on the computer. Regular walks in the door, stops dead in their tracks, starts humming along to the song, then busts out laughing and says "Are you fighting for vape again? What do you need me to do?". 

I love our customers. From the ones we have to fight for to the ones who stand firmly buy our side and fight with us. Please fire up my favorite get to work song and fight with me Fight Song - Rachel Platten. 

Don't give up!

*All photos are screen shots from the video.

 

Tears.......

 

Time to share a story from a local vape shop owner! 

"I'm an emotional old lady, and I'm going to admit that over the last couple of weeks, I have shed a lot of tears. From the never-ending assault on this amazing industry to the harsh reality of the 10-month verdict, to the next day being the 5-year anniversary of the smoking-related heart attack that almost killed my 29-year-old son, to today, I'm a roller coaster river of happy, sad, worried, elated tears. And when I get down, it seems that something reaches out, and bitch slaps me a good one, reminding me to never give up.

It was time to lock up the shop last night when a guy in pretty rough shape walked in. He was so out of breath that he could barely walk. He just came from the doctor, and the doctor told him this is it, quit smoking or die. The old guy reached into his pocket for his phone and had to pull out 2 inhalers first. My hubby has COPD, so I recognized that one of them was Symbicort and mentioned it to the man. Yep, he has COPD, too. Much worse than my out-of-breath husband. The old guy uses 2 different inhalers and a nebulizer. (spelling?).

The man liked the Smok Infinix. I asked him how much he had to spend. He looked at the floor and said $20.00. I looked over at my son, and he had the same thought as me. I pointed to the man's hat and asked if he was a Veteran, and of course (Vietnam), he was. We don't have a military discount, but we're not going to tell that guy. So, he ended up with a 30mL of our house line, an Infinix, and a box of pods - with selling him the liquid at our Friday sale price (on a Tuesday, LOL) and our newly discovered military discount, it came out to exactly $20!!!! We got him set up, and he was so exhausted he could barely smile as he said thank you, and he headed out the door. I felt so bad for him that I muttered a little prayer.

The guy just came back to my shop! He's smiling! He hasn't had a cigarette since last night. AND AND AND!!!! Here's the exciting part.... his buddy saw him "puffing on that thing" and had to try it. Now he wants one. So I ask if his buddy is a Vet, too, and he is. So what the hell, his buddy got an Infinix and a 30ml for 20 bucks, and they're going to share the box of pods.

Off he went, and he's going to the Legion for lunch. Says he'll be back in a couple of hours with more buddies because getting old sucks, and he's got grandkids, and these puffing machines make it easy to not smoke! Guess I'm having a flash sale for Veterans!!

So now I'm in tears. Don't get many old folks coming in to quit anymore. Took an old Vet to remind me that Freedom in all its forms is worth fighting for. So go ahead - yell, cry, punch a wall, write a letter, take a day off, but whatever you do, don't give up. Come fight with me. Come fight with all of us. We have so many lives yet to save.

I promise I'll stand with you, I'll fight with you.
~Skip

P.S. - In 2 weeks' time, this Veteran brought in 9 of his fellow Vets, all of who quit smoking with what they call "puffing machines".