Standing Together – Thriving & Surviving

Welcome to the eighth and final edition of the Standing Together blog series. Last week we talked about standing together and preparing for e-cig legislation. As you now know, I realize I may end up stepping on a few toes. I will be as tactful as possible, and genuinely do not mean to offend. That being said; there are things I believe need to be said and discussed as a community. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at a summary of what we need to survive and thrive as a community.

Creating a Community of Support – We need to shift our focus from criticizing each other to being supportive of anyone and everyone that is using vaping to quit. We also need to offer positive support and encouragement to smokers, instead of an air of superiority because we were able to get off cigarettes and they haven’t yet. Let’s step back and remember what’s really important, getting off cigarettes.

Creating a Courteous Community – We need to think before we act and not allow our emotions to rule our choices. We may not agree with the regulations or public perceptions, but if we continue to fuel their perception we will never be able to change it. By being courteous when we vape, we can create a more open response to what we have to say.

Creating a Corporate Free Community – Perceptions and reactions need to change when working with vape shops. Corporations are an entity the community utilizes; people are the community. Let’s take a step back and remember that when it comes to vape shops online and B&M’s providing our vaping supplies, we are working with people, not corporations. We can’t stand together if we’re fighting amongst ourselves.

Standing Together – Picking our Battles – We are being pulled in different directions by those who oppose vaping, and a lack of information within the community is causing us to be divided amongst ourselves. Publicly sharing fear or hate about a specific company or product distracts from other issues, like proposed flavor bans, excessive taxation, overbearing regulations and more. If we’re wielding our pitchforks over a company or juice that didn’t suit us then we aren’t fighting the overbearing legislation issues.

Standing Together – Speaking Out – Whether we like it or not, we are currently under siege. One voice is never enough to be heard when money is involved. It takes a multitude of voices all saying the same thing to impact the end result in the legislation battle.

Standing Together – Preparing for E-Cigarette Legislation – We need to understand the battle we’re really fighting, and the motivations. We can positively influence change in legislation, but it will take all of us to do it. There are several things we can do as a community to prepare for the inevitable legislation.

Standing together and putting into practice the things we’ve discussed above will not only make us a more positive community, but also a stronger one. Thank you for joining us for the standing together blog series. Now, we want to hear from you. What do you see as necessary actions we can take to not only survive, but thrive as a community? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below. As always, vape on!

Written By: Michelle Harnden