Vaping in public

[sheryder]

I vape wherever I feel comfortable doing so as a rule. I usually ask if it is ok and I don't return to places that say no. However, my vaping occasionally makes someone else uncomfortable. For example, in a local bar where vaping is encouraged (they even sell disposables) a smoking nazi made all the nasty comments to others at her table, gave all the negative looks, then finally complained about my "smoking" to the waitress who set her straight. I had made sure the waitress was aware of my e-cig use earlier because it blows a lot of vapor. I've had mostly good experiences. I think we need to avoid being "in your face" about it but we also need to not act like we are doing anything wrong. If it is ok to vape then we should with confidence. The more the public at large is respectfully exposed to vaping the better we will be. Being respectful doesn't mean "caving" to the anti's...it just means respecting that everyone else has the same right to choose, as much as they are able, what they breathe as we do. Our rights are no more important than theirs. Should an anti choose to confront me in a disrespectful manner they may get a surprise when I inform them they are invading my space and it isn't very wise on their part to approach a stranger in such a way. There are a lot of crazies about and for all you know....I may be one while giving them my "look".

As Grammie said, "I don't flaunt it but I won't be quiet about it either!"

 

[ConsoleRepairGuy]

I get weird looks all the time when I'm vaping in public. I'm pretty sure most people think your doing drugs. LOL

 

[starla]

i dont vape anywhere i wouldnt normally smoke anyway...seems most of my vaping is done in the car or while on the computer

 

[BerSerKer99]

I get weird looks too! Maybe it's the mild gurgling sound?

 

[chevelle]

2.) We stop calling them electronic cigarettes or e-cigs. That just reinforces the connection between cigarettes and vaping in everyone's minds. I say we start calling them vapor sticks and completely separate ourselves from cigarette smoking in their minds ... and in our own, since most of us seem to be vaping as a healthier alternative to smoking.

This is a very good point. I have always felt uneasy calling PVs "electronic cigarettes" and prefer to use some other term.
I'm sure whoever came up with "Personal Vaporizer" felt the same way so thats frequently what I call mine. Other cool names I've used are: "magic steam wand", "sword of the mist", "Fog Generator", "my personal cloud machine" etc...mostly I just call it my PV.

 

[Sjjy]

Anyone from Singapore ? Vaping in public will there be any issue?

 

[Teke507]

I tried vaping in club in maryland and the bouncers kicked me out, I won't go back there

 

[deuxtrouble]

I work in a university and was standing in line for coffee the other day and had someone who was vaping walk by me. To be honest my first thought was "hey...you can't smoke in here..." but then realized what he was doing. I think a lot of it is education and understanding of what e-cigs are. I immediately went to "someone is smoking." My bad. LOL.

 

[jwtaylor27]

I look at vaping in public the same as anything else. If its a public place then its affecting other people weather its safe or not. I'd probably get mad if someone was misting something in the air and it was going in my face reguardless of what it was. I'm pretty sure I have enough self control that I can make it through a trip in a resturant or store without having to vape. If someone was spraying hairspray or cologne or even for that matter just plain water and the mist was going in my face or around me then I would probably say something, so i wouldn't expect someone else to want to breath my vaping mist. After all it is a public place we are talking about.

 

[The M4n C4nn0n]

This is a very good point. I have always felt uneasy calling PVs "electronic cigarettes" and prefer to use some other term.
I'm sure whoever came up with "Personal Vaporizer" felt the same way so thats frequently what I call mine. Other cool names I've used are: "magic steam wand", "sword of the mist", "Fog Generator", "my personal cloud machine" etc...mostly I just call it my PV.

There's a guy on youtube that calls his PV's a P.E.N.I.S. (Personal Electronic Nicotine Inhalation System) lol. But speaking of vaping in public, I use my 3.7v box mod... I bet most people think it looks like a triggering device for a bomb until they see me vape it.

 

[ryl417]

New to the idea of vaping and am glad to have found this forum. If anything I don't think vapers should be conscious in public, after all it's the right thing to do, smoking for real isn't any better I reckon.

 

[mafig]

if in doubt ask 1st from staff..if allow then U vape...anyway i vape indoor or out ..only will get a few inquisitive asking..i do preach the good of e-cig over analog as i am a testament,a habitual 30 yrs smoker and now a convert..spreading the wisdom of using e-cig to all smoker whenever i can..A-M-E-N

 

[chevelle]

Reading through these responses, it occurred to me that this is a very important topic. Many good points have been made - Very interesting reading! Regardless of what or why you vape, this is something that most of us deal with on a daily basis.

Some Observations:

How we conduct ourselves in public has far-reaching potential when decisions on the use/regulation of PVs are made at the Federal, State and Municipal levels. Its not just whether the bar down the street will let me vape or not. When we're out and about, you never know who is gonna be strolling along; Could be a State Senator, County Sheriff, FDA bigshot, Doctor, Lawyer, The Marlboro Man, or Santa Claus. One thing is for sure - If their first encounter with a Vaper is a negative one, we could ALL go on the naughty list. The phrase "one's perception IS their reality" was coined for good reasons.

At the local level, I really like the idea of bars and restaurants offering PVs for sale. That alone would help to raise the visibility of vaping and further legitimize use in public places. In days of yore, Big Tobacco (BT) was not slow in recognizing the potential of marketing in these areas. Imagine going into a bar that offers a quality PV such as a basic 510 kit with a couple of really tasty cartos, and sell them at a REASONABLE price - Say, $10 or less. Throw in a well-written fact sheet along with the URL to ECF and you're good to go. The convenience store stuff sold now usually has cartos that taste like the north end of a dog going south and are way overpriced...Ok, all you vendors, here is a prime opportunity to carve out a nice market for yourselves! Some cool posters, maybe a little help from local media...CASAA...Banners and Ballyhoo? Its your call. Could be big.

One more observation - someone here mentioned that their first reaction when seeing someone else vaping in a place where smoking was not allowed was something to the effect of "WOW, they aren't supposed to smoke in here!" ...Thats coming from one of us. Its a knee jerk reaction; the product of decades-long anti-smoking conditioning. It may be only a second before we realize what it is but deep-down, we would all have the same initial reaction. A non-vaper wouldn't care what it is and would continue to be appalled. To them, it is smoking until proven otherwise.
So, there it is. Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to educate in an effort to break that cycle of conditioning.

I hasten to add that these are purely my personal opinions and observations. Your Mileage May Vary.

Carry On!

 

[Higbe33]

I usually go outside with the smokers and sing the praises of Vaping. I always tell them to visit this site if they want to learn more.

I'm with you Red, but having to stand upwind from them now. These are friends I've smoked with for years, but most of those analogs really stink. Not much luck converting any either. A couple have looked and thought it was too much work. I'll keep trying.

Hig

 

[wv2win]

I look at vaping in public the same as anything else. If its a public place then its affecting other people weather its safe or not. I'd probably get mad if someone was misting something in the air and it was going in my face reguardless of what it was. I'm pretty sure I have enough self control that I can make it through a trip in a resturant or store without having to vape. If someone was spraying hairspray or cologne or even for that matter just plain water and the mist was going in my face or around me then I would probably say something, so i wouldn't expect someone else to want to breath my vaping mist. After all it is a public place we are talking about.

Considering how water vapor dissipates, you would have to virtually be kissing the person to blow vapor in their face. All of us who advocate openingly vaping also advocate respect. But only vaping with smokers or where smoking is allowed and never vaping in the open around others, will confirm the myth by the "anti's" that vaping is just as dangerous as smoking. By openingly vaping in a respectful manner and being well educated on vaping, we as a community can build a positive awareness of vaping. Perception is reality. If we act like it is the same as smoking, then it will be PERCEVIED as being the same as smoking and will be banned everywhere.

 

[scinsc]

I had these two post in another thread and thought it would be good to have it here.

I work out of my home and vape throughout the house (for over a year). When I used to smoke it was always outside. My wife is a homemaker and has never smoked in her life. I knew that the nicotine in my exhaled vape was miniscule but to ease our minds we both took a nicotine test to see if there was any nicotine in her system. Of course my test showed levels high enough to show nicotine use. Hers was zero. I'm happy.

My test was certainly not a controlled scientific study and I am sure that no one will take it as such. It was just done to alleviate my concerns for my wife because she was telling me she could smell the vape. Since we are both at home 24/7/365 she is exposed to vape much more than most so if anyone could suffer from second hand nicotine she would be a pretty good case. I can only speak for myself but it shows me that what we are exhaling is harmless. I am not so sure about the falling issue but I would think that if my wife is showing no nicotine in her system from airborne exposure falling would show the same results.
The test was named “TobacAlert” and cost about $40 (for two test) over the net. It is easy to use and from my research it is very accurate. For the last nine months I have used eliquid that is a 24 mg 40% VG, 60% PG. Also I use a hi volt PV.

 

[Chime]

Double inhale then it don't matter, no ones gonna give you grief for chewing on a pen....

 

[WNYShovelBum]

Im pretty new to vaping, but Im not really comfortable doing it inside. New York has a serious mass hatred for anything to do with smoking. People give me the nastiest looks outside when im vaping, so inside is just out of the question.

 

[chevelle]

I had these two post in another thread and thought it would be good to have it here.

I work out of my home and vape throughout the house (for over a year). When I used to smoke it was always outside. My wife is a homemaker and has never smoked in her life. I knew that the nicotine in my exhaled vape was miniscule but to ease our minds we both took a nicotine test to see if there was any nicotine in her system. Of course my test showed levels high enough to show nicotine use. Hers was zero. I'm happy.

My test was certainly not a controlled scientific study and I am sure that no one will take it as such. It was just done to alleviate my concerns for my wife because she was telling me she could smell the vape. Since we are both at home 24/7/365 she is exposed to vape much more than most so if anyone could suffer from second hand nicotine she would be a pretty good case. I can only speak for myself but it shows me that what we are exhaling is harmless. I am not so sure about the falling issue but I would think that if my wife is showing no nicotine in her system from airborne exposure falling would show the same results.
The test was named “TobacAlert” and cost about $40 (for two test) over the net. It is easy to use and from my research it is very accurate. For the last nine months I have used eliquid that is a 24 mg 40% VG, 60% PG. Also I use a hi volt PV.

If you don't mind my asking, how high was your nicotine level as measured with TobacAlert?

 

[DigitalSmokin83]

I've had mixed results vaping in places where its not normally allowed.

I have a few different colored pvs and i think that makes a difference. I have batteries and cartridges that look the same as a cigarette, white battery, orange/red light with a white cartridge and if i use that indoor i get a lot of scorned looks from by standers because even though they dont smell smoke, it looks like a real cigarette. On the other hand when i use my silver batteries with a blue light and an green cartridge, people are more intrigued and ask my what the heck it is that i am using.

Since i am in Canada our exposure to e cigarettes is pale in comparison to the states, but it is becoming more widely acceptable.

I have been able to vape in pretty much every bar/club/pub i have been to here and even in the airports.