And the side show continues, does it not? The race to create the most asinine labels, treading blatantly close to the trademark border that separates a known product from e-liquid, and the deliberate cloud blowing in personal public places that attracts and offends others. Trademarks... well they'll send those cease and desist letters and file lawsuits against them, so they'll drown in their own cesspool.  We can't be to blame for that....we've warned. As far as those using child-like and cartoonish labels.....You should be ostracized and any shop owner or consumer worth their salt should refuse to buy your product. For that, I have no tolerance and the lack of orders you receive from shop owners should shut you down before you can shut us all down. Your labels show how truly uncreative you are and the shop owner who carries your product is just as bad, in my opinion. 

Moving on....it's no secret that a very controversial tv show attended a recent vape convention. After many trade shows turned their entrance down, they managed to find their way into the heart of one.....to catch the side show they so desperately wanted to showcase, rumored to highlight the outlandish, immature behavior and to make a mockery of what many of us believe to be a medical miracle. A solution to the tobacco problem. Those that sought fame enough to deface it, should be embarrassed and ashamed, yes.....yet that is not my point in this. So what's my point...read on...you might just learn something you can use at your next meeting with your city council. attorney general, health department, FDA, state or federal official. 

Before the early 1900's and beyond the common practice, when a newborn was born premature, was to do away with it, kill it, as the theory was they were not worth saving and would never live and thrive. In 1903 a pediatrician by the name of Dr. Martin Couney believed these infants deserved a chance and thus had a theory of how they could be saved. He developed a small unit that filtered sterile air through it, had a heated water pad at the bottom that kept the perfect temperature and in general kept the entire atmosphere in perfect sterile thriving conditions. The incubator. 

After a few successful attempts, he sought to have these incubators sold and placed in hospitals around the country, only to be shot down by every one of them he introduced it to.

Medical professionals across the globe scoffed at his invention, calling it ridiculous and worthless. Dr. Couney set out to prove them wrong. 

In this early period the great Coney Island was a place where you could find amusement rides and games that entertained hundreds and thousands a day. Along side that was Luna Park (Freaks of yesterday and today) a place where you could find the most outlandish. Siamese twins, the lion faced man, limbless woman, and many more. This freak show approached Dr. Couney with the thought his "experiment", could become a part of their show. After careful deliberation, Dr. Couney agreed, hoping the exposure would provide him the break he needed to get these units in hospitals across the country. Babies were brought in and added to these units month after month and highlighted in the "freak show". Four decades went by with his attraction still running before it was given the merit it deserved and adopted into the medical system as a trusted necessity in the neonatal units. Over 6000 babies were saved during Dr. Couney's "freak show" decades and, thankfully, countless others there after. 

Was your daughter, your nephew, your cousin a premature baby? Prior to this Doctor's Freak Show acceptance and four decades of public humility and determination, they would have been killed at birth.

Why did I tell you that story? 

What should you take away from this? 

Well, for my Eeyore and potty mouth Chicken Little friend, and you know who you are by name, I must add this:

If you believe you have the "RIGHT" to the following:

A. To Vape indoors anywhere you like. 

B. Cloud up a hotel room, setting off the alarm, wasting tax dollars and life saving community resources drawing out the fire department and laugh it off (BTW...only certain units do this..and you know this) 

C. Tell government you should have NO rules

D. Put whatever cartoonish character label you want on a bottle of e-liquid and say, "Adults like it too" OR rip off someone else's design/variation of their name and use it as your own (trademark infringement)

E. Mix e-liquid in whatever environment you want....a product people will be drawing not only into their bodies but directly into their lungs

F. When quality assurance questions are raised regarding safety or chemistry you shrug it off (because hey...we're not regulated anyway yet, right?)

And last but not least: 

G. Fill your personal space or shop with complete cloud coverage where it will chase off about 80% of smokers wanting to quit responsibly.

Then...you might just be part of our problem and why we are easy prey for the "freak show" seekers of our media. We can not defend you at all in these cases and consider you the reason we are in the predicament we are in right now with legislation, politicians, media and overall society as a whole. 

True story...I took the kids to San Antonio this weekend and I had the waitress tell me adamantly that my mod was worse for me than cigarettes....it took me 20 minutes to convince her otherwise. A 40 yr smoker relocated from New Orleans due to Katrina...she will now be going by her nearest vape shop to try and lay them down. They are winning my friend..and you are making it easy for them.

For the rest of the "responsible crowd", please take this away:

It is very highly unlikely you will ever find another time throughout history where the correlation can be made between two potentially life saving devices that were marked as outlandish or exploitive such as the incubator and vapor products. Both could save lives, both were dispelled for a time from the medical community and both have been exploited extensively and intensely. The difference is, the good Dr. Couney maintained decorum, responsible practices and dedication for the greater good. We can still point this scenario out to legislators and remind them we stand for the "good actors". It has medical merit and should be used as such. Let me say that again....this has medical merit. Regardless of the individuals out there trying desperately to ruin it for us.... keep plugging...we don't have time to watch what they're doing.. As long as we are, we aren't watching what we are doing. Keep saving lives and allow them to star in their own freak show. 

And with that...cheers to all those babies saved after the 1940's by the incubator...they very well be many of the ones we are trying to save today from the tobacco problem. How's that for irony?