Vaping just for show? Is that true?

Have you ever, as a Vaper, been told things like this?

"Oh, you're so tacky"

"Ugh, why do you vape? It's probably just for show"

"Don't vape, it looks bad, it's better to smoke to look macho"

Is it true that vaping is just for you to show off? Following a trend? Or just wanting to try it to look cool? Of course not, the real purpose of Vaping is not to show off or to be considered to have luxury goods, but to help people who have smoked to quit and switch to vape products.

Some time ago, a video of a passenger vaping on the MRT went viral and received a lot of criticism from netizens. Vaping was then considered a way to climb the social ladder (pansos) by showing off and following trends.

Johan Sumantri, as the Chairman of the Indonesian Vapers Association (AVI), stated that vape is a therapeutic tool to help smokers who want to quit their smoking habit and not just a tool to follow trends.

"The purpose of vape is as a therapeutic medium. And we also urge stores not to sell vapes to people who don't vape at all. And also especially to those underage," said Johan.

Johan also added that AVI is actively providing information related to vape to inform the public that, fundamentally, vaping is not recommended for people who have not smoked before. Because according to Johan, vape is like medicine.

"Vape is like medicine for sick people, so people who are addicted to cigarettes use vape to quit smoking," he explained.

In response to the viral video, AVI wants to meet the person in the video to educate them about which places are not allowed for Vaping.

"We educate again that vape is a derivative of cigarettes and until now we still refer to the existing laws on cigarettes. Where there are smoke-free areas, vaping is prohibited there," said Johan.

So, even though the vapor produced by vape is different from cigarette smoke, there are still rules that state that vape should not be used just anywhere. The same applies to places where there is a "no smoking" sign, vaping is also prohibited in such places.

Therefore, in order not to get negative comments from the surrounding community and then get into trouble, you Vapers must always follow the rules and know where vaping is allowed.

See? Don't just use your vape in prohibited places, and clearly, don't make people around you uncomfortable because of your vaping activities so you don't get called tacky, showy, and so on. Always abide by the rules and stay safe while Vaping!