To vape or not to vape in public
Just because they look the same doesn’t mean they are the same. Just because e-cigarettes look like a regular cigarette from a distance doesn’t mean it’s the same. Not even remotely close. E-cigarette users know it’s a different experience from tobacco smoking and scientists know the technology, ingredients and levels of risks between the two are unlike.
But how does the general non-vaping public feel about it? How would you, for example, feel if some stranger at the table near you puffs e-cigarette vapour while you are having brunch in your favorite restaurant? If you haven’t been educated about the features and characteristics of e-cigs, you’d probably be as annoyed as you would if someone lights a regular cigarette in front of your non-smoking face. It is reactions like this that leave many vapers asking just where exactly, outside of their own homes, are they allowed to smoke?
There are places where e-cig usage is banned. The New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act, for example, prohibits vaping in indoor work and public places. In New York, smoking of e-cigarettes within 100 feet of a public or private school entrance is not allowed. There are also airports, restaurants and establishments that restrict e-cig smoking. It is important to first research the rules certain establishment or pubic place have on vaping before you decide to bring one outdoors. If you’re really tempted to use that e-cig stick in your local coffee shop, it’s always best to ask the staff first. And as regular etiquette would suggest, it’s always polite to ask the person near you if it’s okay, given the limited information the public has about e-cigarettes.
But with e-cigarette companies making more efforts to inform the world about the benefits of vaping and with more and more studies conducted to prove its safety, I’m sure it won’t be long until it would be socially acceptable to vape in public. I can’t see why not when this precious piece of technology has no odor, no smoke and as recent studies would suggest, no significant health risks. Looking forward to that day.