Electronic cigarettes in church.

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   IDONOposted 11 years ago

   I recently attended a social event held in a church. The event was not church related. We were just allowed to use a room.
        I noticed a few women there were smoking on electronic cigarettes, With these, I am aware there is not an issue with health, second hand smoke, smells etc. But, the action of smoking inside the church seemed very disrespectful to me. Is my feeling warranted or am I splitting hairs? By the way; I am a smoker. What is your take on this?

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      BuckyGoldsteinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Were there cell phones too?

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      bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Directly speaking the to the OP, I agree it seems disrespectful and distracting.  As a side note, the health effects are an open matter of debate.  I work in an office building that has banned them.  Folks wanting to use e-cigs are relegated to the smoking area outside.  I am sure there will be much more to do about this in the near future.

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         wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         That's a new one to me.  Your office is really claiming that water vapor is a health hazard?
         
         Or is merely more "psychological" warfare against smokers, with any semi-plausible excuse being given?

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            bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            It contains nicotine and other chemicals.  It is not just "water vapor".  Unlike drinking coffee or eating a donut, you are causing others to ingest chemicals.

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               BuckyGoldsteinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-ne … por-safety

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               wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               You mean like the chemicals coming from coffee, or perfume.  Or the air freshener on your desk.  Or even the garlic breath from the next cubicle.
               
               If you can smell it, it's there and it's ending up in your lungs.

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                  bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  True, but I haven't seen defiant folks with "whatcha-gonna-do-about-it" attitudes blowing steam from their coffee cups at their cube mates.  Perhaps I haven't paid enough attention though.  Maybe they do.  I don't think the act of drinking coffee propels the fumes, but it does waft.

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                     BuckyGoldsteinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Where are all of these smokers doing such terrible things?

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                        bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Never been around an office environment?  Lots of adults are like big rebellious children, so when you put hundreds of folks in cubes for 8 hours a day, there are bound to be some with these attitudes.  Perhaps they are bored and missing the drama of their reality tv.  Perhaps they just want some excitement or to exercise a greater level of control into their day.  Whatever the reason, it shows up.  Real enough to contribute to the ban of e-cigs I mentioned.

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                     wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Demonize and criminalize coffee to the point is illegal to use almost anywhere (evil to imbibe caffeine, maybe), give a hard core addict (equivalent to a pack a month smoker?) some decaf coffee - a new product that satisfies their craving and is legal - a watch them blow steam across cubicle walls.
                     
                     Such actions as you portray are unfortunate and should not happen, but I can understand why they do.  It's a "So there!" attitude directly in response to the nonsense that has been propagated about smoking and smokers.
                     
                     Nonsense such as that second hand smoke in a 500 acre public park is going to instantly kill anyone within seeing distance.

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         Sapperposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         There is no debate about where the exhaled vapor is harmful. The long term effects on the person "smoking" is still unknown, but that’s it. Your office being ran by ignorance isn't proof of anything.

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            bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I have not had the interest to investigate, and still don't...but if you google it I am sure you will find it is far from settled.  I have not had it affect me as I haven't been around anyone using them...but I do know many folks are allergic to things like perfume and cologne, so anytime you expose people to unneccesary fumes and vapors in an enclosed area there is likely to be a debate.  Simply put, your making people inhale things they don't want to.  I know the folks who work in cubicles in that building, since a recent remodel, are sitting very close to one another and e-cig "smokers" were insisting they had the "right" to expose their neighbors to this.  I suspect I would have complained too if it happened to me.  Here is the opportunity for the 5th graders out there to begin the bathroom humor. 

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               Sapperposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               The vapor is nothing but show. If you hold it in long enough, you exhale nothing. There are still people who claim the Earth is flat; people arguing about it means absolutely nothing at all.

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                  Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Your pitbull probably doesn't bite, but I bet you're not allowed to bring it in the office either. lol

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                     Sapperposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Actually, I used to take her all the time. Granted, I worked at the shelter I adopted her from, but still.

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                        Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        If only we all worked at an electronic cigarette factory. The world would be a better place.

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                           BuckyGoldsteinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           It would be better if we all worked.

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                              Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              lol... I spose thats true to a point, however if every man and woman were creating a device that is used habitually, causing disease, I wonder what's actually preferable. If only we all farmed... not tobacco.

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                  bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  There you go.  Anyone not wanting a cube mate at work blowing vapor into the cube all day because the "smoker" feels like it and doesn't care about the other person, is an ignorant flat earther.  Those flat earthers deserve that treatment.  Bravo. 
                  At the tech industry building I work at those nerdy flat earthers are winning, though...at least for now.

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   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   Just intuitively I would agree.  I tend to assume smoking inside of any kind is not permitted unless you get explicit permission.

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      BuckyGoldsteinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      But...its not smoking.

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   Gcrhoads64posted 11 years ago

   If it were a social event with food and drink, I don't see the problem. Maybe we have just been programmed to think any form of smoking, even "smoking" water vapor is shameful.

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   Emile Rposted 11 years ago

   It is splitting hairs. imo. Why would it be disrespectful?

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      IDONOposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      To many Christians or other faiths, smoking is considered sinful. E-cigs are simulated smoking. I'm sure that simulated pre-marital sex , for example, would not be acceptable. Why simulated smoking? Isn't sinning in the house of the Lord pretty arrogant? This is not a religious debate. Let's leave that for another forum.

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         wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I think you're right - smoking is considered sinful.
         
         Given that, it does seem disrespectful to smoke in a church that has that opinion. 
         
         I don't see it as a religious issue, though.  Just one of respecting the beliefs and property of others.  It may be the silliest thing ever heard, but as long as you are in their church building, respect that they have their belief enough to go along with it while you are there.

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            IDONOposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I'm with you.  If me and my family wear our shoes in our house, and you and your family don't in your house, is it O.K. for me to wear my shoes in your house?

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               wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               It's OK.  It's also respectful if you don't.

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         Emile Rposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         It was a non church related social event. If she had asked if it was ok to smoke an e cigarette in church or Bible study I would have responded differently.

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   Beth37posted 11 years ago

   I was discussing smoking with a friend once... he was very much an "outside the fringe" kinda guy. He drank and womanized... even his job was pretty bada$$. He said something that always stuck with me. I told him I didn't know why I was smoking and he said "it's a form of rebelling." I was rebelling at the time and he think he hit the nail on the head.
   If anything, I wouldn't want to set an example for kids, making smoking look like it was a part of normal society... it isn't healthy in any form.

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      wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      No, it's not healthy.  Is it more detrimental to your health (as opposed to simply being not healthy) than covering your head in bleach, then in assorted chemicals, merely to change the color of your hair?  Or poking holes in your earlobes?  Stabbing ink into your skin?  I rather doubt it...

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   Gcrhoads64posted 11 years ago

   I saw a lady light up a cigarette once in church.
   
   I was so shocked I almost dropped my beer!
   
   
   (Hey, quit throwing tomatoes!)

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      Emile Rposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      

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