Now you’re all set up, mod in one hand, e-liquid in the other.
You have kicked the habit and you are free to do what you please, uninhibited by all those pesky SmokeFree signs and the stench of cigarettes.
I implore you to rethink your stance.
Almost 4 years ago, Vapourium set up the first dedicated brick and mortar vaping supply store in New Zealand, and since then vaping has become a nationwide phenomenon. The Ministry of Health is on board encouraging smoke-free services to introduce vaping as a method of quitting smoking, but we haven’t reached the finish line yet.
With new media articles every week “exposing” the side effects of vaping, we have to band together as a community and an industry to protect what should be the death of tobacco in New Zealand. But what can we do?
Education comes to mind. We can educate people about the benefits of switching to vaping.
Educate people in how to properly use their devices and feel confident doing so.
But in my opinion, the big one is etiquette.
Back in the day, before you made the switch to vaping, would you light up a cigarette in a crowded bus stop? Or at your friend’s house while you’re over for tea?
You certainly wouldn’t light one up at your kid’s school!
Ok, you got me. A couple of these examples are grossly exaggerated, but my point remains.
As smokers, we were forced by law and by society to keep our smoking habits to ourselves and refrain from lighting up just anywhere. It is my belief that the same should apply to vaping.
There are situations and settings where vaping is completely acceptable, and although I don’t claim to be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to social etiquette, there are some things that really just come down to good manners.
Vaping while driving?
I don’t know that any of you have tried vaping while driving. As someone who doesn’t drive, I haven’t, but I have been in the passenger seat. One change in wind direction and the vapour is all through the car and obscuring the drivers vision, causing a risk for not just us, but everyone on the road.
Vaping outside?
The reality is, vaping is intrusive. Although it smells nicer than cigarettes and it has been proven that second-hand vapour is virtually harmless, that doesn’t mean your average person walking down the street wants a face full of it. If you HAVE to vape on the streets, be mindful of the people around you. If you’re sitting outside a cafe with friends, it doesn’t hurt to ask the people around you if they mind, or switch seats so that the wind carries it away, rather than vaping out the entire seating area.
As you’ve no doubt noticed, there are also a number of SmokeFree signs outside around New Zealand, and they are not a guideline or a recommendation. They are the council taking into account that many people really do just want to breathe air, plain old simple air. And while the Ministry of Health is trying to catch up on vaping regulations in New Zealand, it’s only polite that we give your average non-smoker or non-vaper the space designated for them to be able to breath smokeless/vapourless air.
Vaping with smokers?
I’m sure we have all seen this image before: A smoker waving away your intrusive clouds with a cigarette in hand. There’s no need to get upset or criticize them. If you feel comfortable, try to talk to them about it. It’s really as simple as just blowing towards the ground rather than straight into the air.
Vaping with children or pets?
Robbie posted about this last week, and you can check out his full blog here. In short, and in my opinion, children and pets don’t get a choice in the matter. In the same way I wouldn’t cloud out a grocery store, I’m not going to cloud out my daughter at our house. No matter how many studies prove that second-hand vapour is virtually harmless, it’s about common courtesy.
Vaping at work?
Legally, you can vape in the workplace, but it ultimately comes down to your boss. I am extremely lucky to work in an office with my fellow vapers, but some of our staff do not vape and we have taken the necessary precautions to prevent them from having to sit in a vaped out room all day every day. For example; the office next door has a makeshift vent to prevent the room from being clouded up.
Again, just ask. Check in with your boss, and see how they feel about it. Although they probably won’t agree with you vaping inside, they may give you some options about where on the premises you can vape freely.
Keep in mind, these are not “Rules to Vaping”, they are simply measures you can take to prevent your vapour from becoming someone else’s issue.
Your on to it Liz Australia has lost the plot on vapour’s , It’s illegal for our local tobacconist/vape stockist to sell E-Liquids with nicotine or even to talk about nicotine products but I can import them legally !!!
All my fellow nicotine vapour’s import their E-Liquids and yes smoking section please and don’t forget your leaper status…. It’s the same as smoking apparently .
Hope you had a laugh at the prices there and the quality products OMG I had to buy a fake ( poor quality )$50 device while waiting for replacement glass and it stuck on , just wouldn’t stop so I shot back into the place of purchase then sat it on the counter and said " I think it’s gonna blow up"….. Poor fella nearly drew mud anyway God save New Zealand and the All Blacks
Just back from a week on the GC. Felt very uncomfortable vaping anywhere over there, got some queer looks and lots of sidways glances. Was standing outside a wildlife park, on the sidewalk, a offical came out and told me smoking was not permitted, I replied, “Im not smoking Im vaping” he asked “do you have nicotine in that?” I said “no” (even though i did) he said “oh thats ok then” and walked off!! wtf?, the only vape shop in Boardbeach had to cover all their counters and shelves with black out material, yes felt like they are a way behind us, not only in legisation, but in general preception. We fourtunate to live here in NZ and vape openly.
I asked security at Brisbane airport about vaping , coped the popcorn lung and" it’s your choice to kill yourself" straight off the bat …. Then was dispatched to the smoking section.
Remaining positive I asked directions producing my Vapresso veco , her fellow security ( car parking } partner then produced an ancient alternative to a vape device and we struck up a conversation much to the annoyance of the other.
I arrived at the smoking section and immediately noticed 2 other vapours doing the right thing , struck up a conversation about devices , E-Liquids , prices , coils , spare parts and web sites . Then noticed everybody was listening…….
Anyway I try to ask if in doubt , Remain positive when confronted with ignorant fun police with dominating personalities and enjoy the ever expanding vaping community.
I understand where you are coming from, however, I am convinced that no matter how courteous we are there will still be the very loud minority of self appointed ‘Fun Police’ that will do everything in their power to stop us vaping within 100 ks of civilisation and will want us treated us as lepers. No smoking areas are there for very good reasons, one is smoking tobacco is scientifically proven to have harmful effects on both the users and people nearby. Despite many of the aforementioned ‘Fun Police’ putting significant resources into proving that vaping "may’ be hazardous, no-one including bought and paid for scientists have been able to prove it. They have to resort to trotting out the old ‘Popcorn Lung’ story in a pathetic effort to scare everyone and turn the general non-vaping public against us. When a public health system such as GB’s comes out with “Vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking” and that the only reason it’s not 100% is they want to leave some liability room for the future, we should in my opinion focus the educational effort on telling the uninitiated that they are safe around vapers and that they should encourage vaping as a much more socially acceptable habit than smoking. Public ignorance will be our biggest enemy and force us back into the dark alleyways feeling (absolutely unnecessarily) shamed by our actions.
There is a very large difference between vaping clouds or vaping for cigarette replacement. I vape in my car, I vape in my own home. I am using low nicotine vape juice and reaping the benefits of no tared up lungs and not paying the Government exise tax. The pros out weigh the cons when it comes to choosing vaping. Choose wisely and stay considerate to others so we can keep on vaping 😁