Public shaming is more effective at changing behavior than passing laws. I am sorry she was so intimidated and frightened that she might be considered "offensive" that she feels she must hide the things that she does to add years of productivity to her life and save her untold future expense.
I suspect it's because it's effective and in a form-factor that appeals to people who don't want a clunky mod.
I was at my bank a couple of weeks ago, doing some administrative stuff with a floor manager. She was fairly young, no more than 30. I spotted a juul on her desk and asked her how she liked it. She was all embarrassed that I noticed it put it in a drawer, "Some people are offended by it". So I pulled the l'il pinch out of my shirt pocket and said, "Not me!" and I asked her if she smoked. "Not anymore!" "Good, I smoked for 36 years and wish vaping had been around when I was your age."