In came the smoking ban and out went the smokers, as far as public places were concerned. More and more people have switched to vaping instead, and for good reason. Many use e-cigs to help wean them off cigarettes, and they have the advantage of being legal to use in public places too. Of course you should always consider any specific rules pubs, clubs or similar places might have before you vape. Some of them do disagree with using them.
With that said though, plenty of people are asking whether vaping will always be allowed in public places. Some e-cigarettes look very realistic and it isn’t always easy to tell whether they are e-cigs or cigarettes.
The Welsh government hit the headlines recently when it announced it was drawing up plans to ban vaping in enclosed public spaces. If the plans go ahead, they would probably be enforced in 2017. The definition of an enclosed public space means you wouldn’t be able to vape in a pub or in a restaurant, for example. Offices would also be out of the question. However you could still vape in public, such as in the park or while out walking.
Think about this for a moment. If this plan is enforced and becomes law, it means it would be illegal (in Wales at least) to smoke or vape in an enclosed space. So the very reason many people switched to vaping in the first place – namely to get around the smoking ban – would no longer be there.
E-cigarettes do still have nicotine in them, but it is there in a measured dose. It is also available at different strengths and it can help people wean themselves off cigarettes. Over time some people will likely stop vaping too, while others will continue instead of going back to real cigarettes.
Perhaps the biggest question here is whether the English and Scottish parliaments would bring in similar legislation to ban e-cigs being used in enclosed public spaces if Wales does bring in the law. It looks as though it is very likely they will.
So if you are vaping at the moment, and enjoying the ability to vape wherever you like – on trains, in restaurants and in the pub – what will you do if you are banned from doing so? Would you continue vaping or go back to the real thing again?
