While speaking to military veterans about preparation for entering the work force, Will Cohen noticed an odor that can become off-putting to prospective employers: The smell of cigarette smoke.
"I noticed that so many of them smoked," said Cohen, who was working with the city of Phoenix, Ariz., specializing in workforce development for veterans. "One of the big things (veterans are told) before going into an interview is not to smoke before it because it can be off-putting."
The interviews sparked an idea in Cohen that has led to the start-up of the non-profit "Vape a Vet" project. The project is represented in one of the booths on display at the "Vaping the Coast" event that runs through Sunday at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.
Started in July 2013, the project provides starter kits and care packages to active and former service members to help them quit cigarette smoking.
In addition, service members are provided a "Bottle Ready to Vape" (BRV) product that is custom-made to provide the veteran with a flavor they might enjoy.
BRV was founded with the purpose of funding the Vape the Vet project. Each bottle that is sold, such as those on display during the Vaping the Coast conference, goes toward funding the effort in helping veterans move away from cigarette smoking.
Statistics show that veterans are more likely to smoke than non-veterans. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures show that 36 percent of U.S. military veterans ages 45-54 years old and who were men identified as being a smoker. For non-veterans in that same age range, only 24 percent said they were smokers.
Cohen said the project started "purely as a donation base" with internal fundraisers, but that the rise of the BRV line helped inject a way to pay for the program that has provided 1,506 starter kits to military veterans.
Cohen said the biggest challenge is convincing veterans to switch from traditional tobacco to e-cigarettes, which researchers have said is much safer than cigarette smoking through the elimination of carcinogen-filled smoke.
"We don't care how much you smoke or dip or chew," Cohen said. "Getting into vaping, the biggest expense is the initial purchase. You're not sure it will work for you. It's always cheaper to go out and buy that pack of cigarettes and making that jump to spend that money when you are not sure it will work is really tough."
Cohen said the project provides the veterans with the initial tools, free of charge, in kicking the cigarette smoking habit.
"They fill out a short application, provide a proof of service and we'll send out (the kit)," he said. "It's absolutely free with no strings attached. We just hope this makes them the transition from combustible tobacco cigarettes into a safe alternative."