I am extremely late to the party here but loving the content on Twitter under the #OldFartsVaping hashtag! Which as is obvious is various people telling their vaping stories of being Old Farts Vaping !
I did briefly touch on this in my news article in March when there was a reply to Javed Khan’s Tweet…
Promote all #SaferNicotine alternatives to deadly cigarettes with public messages showing OLD PEOPLE using them. e.g., #OldFartsVaping.
I can’t imagine a more effective way to discourage teen use.
Note: Anti-vaping NGOs use images of puppets, cartoons and children vaping.
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) February 23, 2022
Origin
Many countries are reporting an issue with underage vapers. I remember a time when youngsters thought vaping was “sad”!
We can debate this until we are Blue in the face, but nobody wants underage vaping. But there is the valid argument that these underage vapers would be smokers if they didn’t vape, which as we know is more dangerous. Anyway that’s a heated debate for another day!
Charles A Gardner, PhD (Twitter handle @ChaunceyGardner ) is a huge vaping and Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) advocate and the Executive Director of INNCO (International Network of Nicotine Consumer Orgainisations).
Back in 2019 he Tweeted the following…
If you qualify, post selfies to #OldFartsVaping, a new hashtag dedicated to discouraging under-age teen vaping. Try not to look glamorous. Men and women of all backgrounds welcome. pic.twitter.com/0Y5d7OWlbL
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) February 7, 2019
And he continued to follow this path…
Suggestion: The best way to reduce illegal teen use of adult e-cigarette products would be to promote ecigs for adult smokers by (a) telling the truth (they are safer) and (b) using images of grizzled #OldFartsVaping.
FYI, that hashtag was created to discourage teen vaping.
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) September 9, 2022
The best way to discourage teen use of these ADULT products would be to actively promote them for adult SMOKERS with images of grizzled #OldFartsVaping. This would terrify many public health “experts” and make @ParentsvsVape‘s heads explode, but adult smoking would drop faster. pic.twitter.com/qIbNowHFlz
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) December 3, 2022
#VapeFam: Send unflattering selfies to #OldFartsVaping, a hashtag created to discourage under-age e-cigarette use, and to allow adults (i.e., almost ALL ecig users) to tell their stories. The UK discourages under-age use by promoting e-cigarettes for adult smokers. We can too. https://t.co/HS7Ep4IlAX
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) January 24, 2020
The aim being that if youngsters saw older people vaping they might not think it is cool! What is more uncool than something your parents or grandparents do?
Well the hashtag really took off!
Charles himself shared lots of examples by retweeting them…
#OldFartsVaping https://t.co/DEYfJOJlFw
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) October 17, 2020
Also this shows that most vapers are in fact Adults using e-cigarettes to quit smoking and stay away from tobacco. Something that some authorities miss when ranting about teenage vapers.
A Twitter user named Golden Oldies Capitol Tours ( @OldiesTours ) have joined in sharing more stories of older adults who vape.
35 video testimonials of vapers in Michigan that have used flavor products to quit smoking. Submitted to MDHHS for their flavor ban hearing today.#adultsNEEDflavors #FlavorsSaveLives #vapingsaveslives #OldFartsVaping #GOCTthr #GoldenOldiesCapitolTourhttps://t.co/g4LSdciVe6
— Golden Oldies Capitol Tours (@OldiesTours) October 20, 2020
#OldFartsVaping https://t.co/C1Ryh9SyaV
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) November 3, 2020
As you can see this has been going on a for a few years and I love it!
Even I have had my say (no selfie though as I look rough!)
Our Shell getting on the #OldFartsVaping !! Get and join in! https://t.co/7aCMRINcQV
— EcigClick (@EcigClick) January 20, 2023
If you are on Twitter and on your way to being / already are an “Old Fart” please join in and get our voices heard!