Find Your Vape Squad: Tips to Joining the Community

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Animals travel in packs for lots of reasons: Safety, community, and believe it or not, because it helps them make better decisions by relying on collective wisdom. Whether it’s a flock of sheep, a gaggle of geese, a cackle of hyenas, a murder of crows or a pride of lions, our furry and feathered friends know there is power in numbers.

Same goes for vapers.

If you’ve started your vaping journey all on your own, you might feel like you’ve wandered into a whole new world with no roadmap. That’s no fun. And while there’s a ton of reference material online, there’s nothing quite like having a living, breathing community to offer words of advice and encouragement when you need a helping hand.

This is especially important for vapers who are just starting out or moving into more technical vaping territory. After all, if you run with people who support your goals, expand your horizons, and teach you things, you’re much more likely to succeed than flying solo.

Luckily for all of us, the vaping community is one of the most helpful, knowledgeable and supportive groups out there (not to mention, funny.) They’re like evangelists in the best sense of the word. That’s because most vapers have found an alternative to smoking cigarettes that works for them and their lives are better because of it. So, all they want to do is help out people who are just getting started by providing guidance and support. They’re not getting paid to do this, by the way. They’re giving freely of their time just to support people like you. (It’s actually kind of incredible.)

So here are some tips on how to find your vape squad:

Make New Friends

This may or may not be your style, but you can simply stop someone on the street who happens to be puffing on an e-cig. We vapers are a subculture so that generally means most of us don’t mind sharing tips or recommendations, even if it’s a brief exchange while you’re standing outside a restaurant or idling in traffic.

Go Local

Ah, the joy of browsing in a vape shop. If you happen to have one nearby, you’re lucky. If you’re not sure, try simply searching “Vape Shops Near Me” on Google.

Because it’s a specialty store, chances are very good the staff behind the counter is passionate and knowledgeable. They can recommend products based on your preferences and supply you with plenty of tips. And once you become a repeat customer, those folks will get to know you and what you like. (Also you have to be an adult to enter, which means no screaming children. Yet another plus!)

If you don’t have the luxury of a local vape shop or you really prefer socializing online...

Go Digital

Posting your vape questions online is one of the fastest, most effective ways to jumpstart finding your community.

Have you heard of Reddit? (Fun fact, the name of the site is a play on the words ‘I read it.’) Some user-created boards called 'subreddits' were set up just for vapers.  Vaping101 is a great resource for inquiries, concerns, and how-tos for budding vapers. We are also big fans of the Electronic Cigarette and Vaping subreddits. Plus, unlike a physical meeting space or Facebook, you can keep your anonymity on Reddit. Opt in or out at your discretion or find a small group of people you trust to keep in close contact with.

Breazy’s got educational materials (here), a Facebook group (join us) and even a blog (got that too!).

Also, there are Facebook groups for every kind of vaper. Mom? Try Vape Moms. Queer? Check out the LGBT Smoking Vaping Heating group. Central Floridian? There’s a group for you, too.

There’s also a discord server for gamers/vapers (it’s basically like if a Whatsapp group, Twitch and Slack all had a baby together.)

Last, if you’re a joiner, there are plenty of support and advocacy groups such as the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA). Not only does it have a massive following on social media, but its mission to ensure we continue to have a choice to vape is critical. CASAA’s followers have plenty of stories to share from various walks of life, and you can share yours as well.

So go check out the places in real life or online that appeal to you. You will find your flock!