Is electronic cigarette smoking legal in public places UK?

[Ruby]

Nice points.

One can only hope the Government only starts to twist the facts a little later down the line when enough of us are e-smoking. As we see on this post they are already carping on finding 'tabacco traces'. For now even though I think it is catching on fast , I think we are small fry really & our voices will be lost in the wilderness at this point. But enough e-smokers worldwide, puts the balance in our favour.
Hopefully as you said Sandrajean, they can't decide to change the laws tomorrow.
More of us might also mean more medical records showing improvements in our health.

I agree with you TropicalBob. The only way is polite dialogue and trying to make them see it has financial benefit. I got my 901 from e-cigs here in the UK and I like what they are doing - with my pack they gave me a leaflet for my local pub/restaurant to put in the window & an explanation - I thought that was smart. Now I just have to see if they'll buy it.

Tomorrow I am going to Waterloo Station in London. I have a bit of a wait there for someone. I would not know who to approach to ask permission. So I am going to take the risk & have a vape... near the back entrance so if they bootle me out despite my justifications, I don't feel like a stupid ninny for giving it a try....

[sandrajean1955]

I can understand concerns regarding calling the electronic cigarette, wait for it!, an electronic cigarette but it's what the thing has been named, by the people that make it/sell it. Whatever we decide to call it (e-fag in my book) the ASBOS (Anti Smoking Brigade - Oh S**t) will know exactly what it is and then accuse us of trying to be sneaky by using an e-fag disguised as something else by calling it something else. I think we should concentrate pushing fact that it does not contain tobacco & is not lit & is therefore not against the law. Let's be open about it. I honestly think the media have been 'advised' not to print anything about the e-fag, after all there's nothing bad that can be printed about it & 'they' don't want it promoted. The amount of smokers that haven't heard of the e-fag is not that surprising considering there are no adverts in the papers selling them or any news articles mentioning them. I have emailed Jeremy Clarkson @ The Sun to ask him if he knows if any mention of the e-fag is taboo or if he's aware there is such a thing. He seems very much against being dictated to and is not afraid to express his views (in his column) which was why I chose him. I also emailed the news desk at The Sun telling them that The Department of Health don't know if the e-fag is legal or not - I personally feel that the public should know that the people that make the laws do not know the law. I also emailed The Publican to say that publicans should stop moaning about loss of trade and promote the e-fag to try and get some of it back. After all, the did precious little to oppose the ban and left it to Joe Public. I have not received as much as an acknowledgment to any of the emails. These bodies either think something that gets round the smoking ban is of no interest to anyone or they are being 'advised' not to print anything about it as that makes people who are not aware of its existence - aware.

Not all my emails were ignored, I sent one to my local MP asking him to ask the Health Secretary (Dawn Primarollup - good a name as any!) to say whether the e-fag is legal or not. This is part of the letter he sent to her:
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My understanding is that this device is fundamentally an inhaler that contains no tobacco and is not lit. I cannot see, therefore, that it can or should be banned in public and enclosed places but apparently some Authorities are less than familiar with the device and seek to prevent its use in public.

It would appear that earlier enquiries of your Department have produced an evasive response indicating the "the Department can't say that such procucts could be used in areas which are smoke free under the law". As it would appear that the product does not generate smoke I cannont see that it can possibly be regarded as illegal and I would be grateful if you woulod be kind enoughtg to clarify this for me.
With my best wishes, Yours sincerely, Roger Gale MP
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Roger Gale is a non-smoker but opposed the ban as he believes in freedom of choice. If everybody found out how their MP voted on the ban and found their MP voted against the ban they should ask him/her to contact Dawn Primarollup and ask for an answer to the million dollar question. She might ignore the public but she can't ignore or fail to answer a lorry load of MP's!

The legality of the electronic cigarette will raise its head sooner or later as the Government will have to make a decision if pressure is applied by MP's for them to do so. Whatever name we give it in an attempt to avoid the words 'smoking' or 'cigarette' will have no influence on their decision. The thought of the ASBOS snickering at our attempts to disguise the e-fag fills me with dread. I no longer ask if I can use it - I just use it as I'm too long in the tooth to act like a little girl asking if I can have a sweet.

[TropicalBob]

Sandra, we've written here before of the difference between British and American use of the English language. That's relevant to your post. In America, at least the part I live in, the word "fag" is preceded by "disgusting" and has politically incorrect connotations. An e-fag would be a disgusting cyber pervert, for instance. I almost burst out laughing at the thought of you calling your e-cig an e-fag in America. Just ... don't.

We are stuck with e-cig and e-smoking, whether anyone likes it or not.

P.S. As a career journalist, let me assure you that no one tells "the press" (who is that?) what not to print unless national security is at stake. Right now, e-smoking is not an issue of public concern. Wait until it is; then you'll see press attention -- and regret it, I fear.

[brendajorsler]

As the title of this thread is
'Is electronic cigarette smoking legal in public places UK ' I too use the term e-fag to my friends and acquaintances.
I had some American friends once that believed I had a 'furniture fetish' as when they stayed with me I always told them that I was going to 'lay the table' and once when I told them that the postman had 'knocked me up' in the morning they were quite baffled.
I eagerly await our 'beloved leaders' response to the questions that they are being asked regarding the usage of this product in ares where 'smoking' is illegal.
Well done Sandra for getting our government squirming on an issue that they cannot declare illegal under the present law and yet fear to state that the product is legal as then they will lose their cosy relationship with the pharmaceutical companies when people are given the 'go ahead' to use the product and no longer require NRT supplied by the Pharmaceutical companies.
The large Tobacco companies will not be too happy for our leaders to endorse the product as their revenues will plummit as too will the government's tax coffers.
Unfortunately for the government there is absolutely NO way that the product can be classed as illegal to use in public enclosed places unless the law was changed. The law cannot be changed as the use of inhalers and nicotine are included in medicinal purposes. If there were a suggestion of any nicotine product only being available through a registered body then any folk that use the electronic cigarette without nicotine would be exempt anyway. I can't imagine the 'smoking police' confiscating ALL cartridges for analysis to see if they contain traces of nicotine to determine if the user faces prosecution if the device were being used in a public confined place.
Brenda

[iamzippy]

My first post, new members area. Used the term, 'e-Fag.' In the title. ARRGH.

But... 'Just...don't.' Is there some linguistic etiquette in play that the Rules don't write large?

This is the Web, right?

Z

[Ruby]

I used it too somewhere on here today !

I probably won't use it here again because what's the diffs - e-cig is fine and it's no skin off my nose. But I would not use it in America and I think that is what TropicalBob was saying in his post?

The government might not be able to pin us on the nicotine - but I don't for a second believe if they wanted to impose a ban on it they could & would - they will research the liquids carefully and if they even whiff any risk they will jump on that bandwagon faster than we could fight them with our arguments that it's still less risky than cigarettes. And there may be risks associated with them as Pillboxes chemical analysis stated.
Anything can be justified if you want that justification badly enough and they have both the power, contacts, motives and the money to do just this.
I for one am lying low and vaping high while I can.

[brendajorsler]

Us Brits and our friends from the U.S.A. are much too sensible to worry about certain words that 'we' use with different meanings.
Fanny in Britain is not a posterior as it is in America. An innocent "Park your fanny over here" may offend…
I would not be offended if an American asked me to park my 'fanny' but I would have to ask what was meant if I didn't know !! Then I am sure that once the both of us knew what the meaning was in our respective country we would both laugh.
I'm sure most Americans know that us Brits call a cigarette a fag and we know that Americans call a 'bottom' a fanny !!!
Brenda
Let's all puff in peace

[iamzippy]

Yeah, right Brenda. I'm chiilin' right now by doin' this here e-fag.

Bliss.

Z

[GOAQ]

I think/know it's an American anti gay (and very snobbish) thing not to call it an "e-fag". Call it what you like. Does it really matter if you're intelligent enough? Personally i don't call it anything yet, i just smoke it!
Even when i smoked real cigarettes the terminology would change from cig, fag, smoke, salmon, toof, toke, benson(insert brand), Rollie, puffer..... the list goes on. Just stick an "E" in front if your that concerned.
If someone truly come up and asked, i'd show them what it is and probably call it an electronic cigarette, but it really doesn't matter...

[Ruby]

TropicalBob posted this on another thread.
Kind of confirms my earlier thoughts - will only be a matter of time before government jumps on this & possibly other chemicals in the juice. Deep joy.

PG questioned in Canada