# Why the vape-hate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505 "2016-08-01T21:46:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@MrLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrLee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/1 "2016-08-01T21:46:46Z")
_Disclaimer: I am a long-time [ex]-smoker, who now smokes e-cigarettes._ One would think that on the face of it e-cigarettes are a good compromise for the now, perhaps rightly, much maligned _smokers_. After all, with e-cigs, smokers can still smoke - but for a fraction of the price and with fewer health complications for them and those around them. I mean, what is there not to like? Lots, apparently: [https://www.facebook.com/ihatevapes/](https://www.facebook.com/ihatevapes/) [http://brobible.com/life/article/vaping-bad-for-you/](http://brobible.com/life/article/vaping-bad-for-you/) [http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/19/the-5-most-annoying-things-about-vaping-4953458/](http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/19/the-5-most-annoying-things-about-vaping-4953458/) What’s the deal, here? Why the hate? Even my grand-mother, who is 80+ years of age, remarked on how uncool I was for smoking an e-cigarette - this has really gone mainstream… A few reasons, off the top of my head… 1. ‘Vaping’ represents some kind of loathsome hipster culture of men-with-very-large-beards; it is symbolic of something bigger which is cool to hate. It isn’t vaping itself which is unattractive, it is the people who do it. 2. The whole thing which was cool about smoking (for some, at least) was that it is _bad_ for you - smoking ‘real’ cigarettes implied _not giving a fuck_. Vaping suggests the opposite. In short, it is a weak-ass compromise between ‘all-out smoking’ and ‘not being a smoker’. Either one is fine, but sitting in the fence is lame. 3. Those who vape do so more publicly (and less shamefully) than those who smoke. This irks non-smokers - who would prefer that the whole thing be as ostracised as possible. Your thoughts welcome 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/2 "2016-08-01T21:57:35Z")
There are people (I’m not one of them) who are very sensitive to fragrances and being around an e-cig user can definitely make them feel quite ill. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/3 "2016-08-01T22:01:22Z")
But there’s no scent to the vapor. ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/4 "2016-08-01T22:01:32Z")
It’s not as disgusting as actual smoking but it’s still pretty unpleasant. Add to this the attitude “I can do this where and when I want with impunity” and the hate comes naturally. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/5 "2016-08-01T22:08:01Z")
Most people aren’t appreciative of drug addicts, especially those dosing up in public. You say you’re an ex-smoker, but you are still feeding your nicotine addiction – in public. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/6 "2016-08-01T22:14:17Z")
For some reason, a large percentage of Vapers give off a very noticeable hipster-douchbag-exhibitionist vibe. The whole production of using the silly thing (especially the ones with the LED) just screams “Look at me, I’m cool! Watch me make a huge cloud of sweet stench!" ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/7 "2016-08-01T22:18:18Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > But there’s no scent to the vapor. Depends on what you put in it. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/8 "2016-08-01T22:31:30Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > But there’s no scent to the vapor. I made the mistake of vaping indoors at work and my manager came in a few minutes later and knew immediately. Perhaps some vape liquid doesn’t have a scent, but I would guess most of it does. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/9 "2016-08-01T22:33:51Z")
I blame the [cloud chasers](http://www.newsweek.com/veteran-e-cigarette-users-fret-cloud-chasers-give-them-bad-name-238978). [URL=“[Cloud-chasing - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud-chasing_(electronic_cigarette))”] ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/10 "2016-08-01T22:37:04Z")
I don’t like people blowing clouds of anything into my face – smoke, water vapor, halitosis, you name it. So I don’t like the way that some people (not all people, but an annoying few) seem to take pleasure in ostentatiously blowing out clouds of chemicals in places where smoking isn’t allowed. If e-cigarette users just swallowed all of their “harmless” vapor instead of expelling it, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. EDIT: And now I learned a new term: “cloud chasers”. Hurray. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/11 "2016-08-01T22:38:46Z")
Because I hate the word. I think it’s dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/12 "2016-08-01T22:40:27Z")
I have asthma, & a number of allergies. **Vaping doesn’t bother me one bit.** I’m not tempted to smoking. But I’ve considered trying vaping. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/13 "2016-08-01T22:41:16Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > But there’s no scent to the vapor. Bullshit. I’m sure that relatively scentless exists but most that I’ve experienced have a smell. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/14 "2016-08-01T23:04:00Z")
I don’t really care, but there is an amusing _[we get it; you vape](https://youtu.be/976LHTpnZkY?t=4)_ vibe to many of them. Though it concerns me a bit when I see clouds of vapor wafting out of a car; surely that might obstruct their vision. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/15 "2016-08-01T23:07:59Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > But there’s no scent to the vapor. Yes it does. I can tell when my kid was doing it and he confirmed I could smell it immediately. Maybe not all do, but they certainly all don’t. It’s sticky sweet and would trigger a migraine. Not a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/16 "2016-08-01T23:14:40Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Most people aren’t appreciative of drug addicts, especially those dosing up in public. I agree. Every time I pass a Starbucks, I feel like I just stumbled upon a methadone clinic. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/17 "2016-08-01T23:22:59Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Yes it does. I can tell when my kid was doing it and he confirmed I could smell it immediately. Maybe not all do, but they certainly all don’t. > > It’s sticky sweet and would trigger a migraine. Not a fan. A lot of the liquid or whatever it’s called comes from China. It’s unregulated and who knows what they put in there?? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/18 "2016-08-01T23:34:35Z")
I’ve seen a whole lot of self-entitled behavior in the form of “I can vape in a store! I can vape on the train! It’s not smoking!” ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/19 "2016-08-01T23:44:59Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > For some reason, a large percentage of Vapers give off a very noticeable hipster-douchbag-exhibitionist vibe. The whole production of using the silly thing (especially the ones with the LED) just screams “Look at me, I’m cool! Watch me make a huge cloud of sweet stench!" that’s my take on it. some of these vape things are so ostentatious they seem designed to broadcast what they are. so it screams “douchiness.” There are some which resemble a normal cigarette which don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505/20 "2016-08-01T23:54:19Z")
I have no real evidence for the following implication. But given that the industry in question has never had any shame whatever about doing absolutely whatever it takes to keep people smoking tobacco, ask yourself this question: - who stands to gain if vaping is uncool and smoking tobacco is cool? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-vape-hate/761505.md?page=2)