If you’re a vaper, you’re probably finding that the vaping landscape is changing all the time. The places where you’re permitted to vape are being reduced all the time, and it can be quite confusing to know where and when you’re allowed to use your e-cigarettes. Are you allowed to vape indoors? If so, how do you go about it without causing problems for other people in the space? Here we answer a few of these common questions.
In Legal Terms, Is Vaping The Same As Smoking?
When it comes to regulation and laws, vaping comes into a grey area. In some countries, vaping has been banned completely. In others, the law is moving towards treating vaping in the same way as it treats cigarette smoking. Although the evidence shows that vapour clouds aren’t as bad for people as second-hand cigarette smoke, still vaping possesses potential health risks. At the present time, vape products are in the same category as tobacco products when it comes down to regulation, although now, that regulation is primarily geared towards marketing and limiting sales of vape products to children. In the future, though, it is possible that vaping will increasingly be treated in the same way as smoking.
Can I Vape Inside?
Whether vaping inside premises or buildings is permitted is primarily down to the establishment’s owner themselves. It’s hard to keep up with the current situation when it comes down to vaping inside, however the trend is moving towards a situation in which, where smoking side is banned, a ban on vaping will also follow.
At the moment, there are no official laws to ban e-cigarettes from being used in specific environments, but many places such as restaurants, clubs, pubs, offices, hospitals, workplaces and airports have decided to put vape products into a category alongside tobacco, banning people from using them indoors entirely.
The only way to know for sure if there are no signs up to say whether vaping is allowed indoors in a specific establishment or not is to ask.
Can I Vape Indoors At Home If I’m A Tenant?
Although it isn’t illegal to vape indoors in your own home, that doesn’t mean it’ll be permitted if you’re a tenant of a rented property. Some landlords class vapers as smokers and ban them from using e-cigarettes while inside their property. Other landlords recognise that e-cigs don’t emit the same substances as cigarettes which stain the walls and cause lingering odours, and therefore they may allow tenants to smoke. It’s down to the individual landlord at the end of the day.
Can I Vape At Work?
Smoking is banned in most workplaces, and vaping is also often banned. Instead of allowing workers to vape inside the office or workspace, many employers offer a smoking area where vapers can go too. Some employers may be more lenient and permit their workforce to vape while at their desk – the only way to find out if yours will is to ask.
What Is The Unspoken Etiquette Of Vaping Indoors?
Since e-cigarettes and vaping are a relatively new phenomenon, regulations and rules about vaping inside often fall into grey areas. If you can vape indoors in a particular establishment, it’s important to adhere to the unspoken etiquette of indoor vaping:
·Be courteous to others. Bear in mind that non-vapers may find it distracting to have someone vaping nearby and they may not like how the vapour smells. Many people are still not clear about whether vaping is safe, so they may have some objections to someone vaping close by them.
·If you’re in any doubt about whether you can vape indoors, go outside to use your e-cigarette.
·Don’t vape around children.
·Don’t vape in an enclosed space such as a toilet cubicle, lift, in a car with other non-vapers, or on public transport.
·Ask permission from the owner of an establishment before vaping inside if there are no clear signs.
·Don’t blow any vapour into another person’s face.
·Avoid cloud chasing in public.
·Practice stealth vaping and use this tactic when you’re vaping in public areas where vaping is permitted to avoid disturbing others.
·Don’t use e-juices with strong scents in public places.
·Don’t leave used vaping gear or old e-cigarette cartridges lying around in public places when you’ve finished with them. Throw them in a bin for safety reasons.
·Be well-informed about vaping and its benefits over smoking so you can answer any questions that other people may ask you while you’re vaping out and about outside your home.
·Don’t try to convert smokers or other people around you into vapers while you’re using your e-cigarette in public places. Keep your views to yourself unless you’re asked your opinion.
As long as you adhere to this simple advice and only vape indoors in places where it is permitted you should have no difficulties in enjoying your e-cigarette inside your home.