pubs

Should Vaping Be Banned in Public Places?

September 29, 2015

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?

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Electronic Cigarettes on Sale in a Surrey Pub

September 10, 2015

The national smoking ban has been a real problem for many pub landlords since it was ushered into law in July 2007. Smokers can’t smoke inside anymore, which means they have to pop out to have a cigarette whenever the need arises. That’s all well and good in the summer, but what about when it’s raining, cold and damp or even snowing? Many have called the ban anti-social, and that’s certainly true on long winter nights.

However, one landlord in Chobham, Surrey has come up with an innovative solution. Why not allow people to use electronic cigarettes in his pub? They’re completely legal to use indoors so no one is breaking the law, and there’s a real opportunity here to get takings back on the up again.

30% drop in takings

The smart-thinking landlord, Frank Booth, runs The Sun Inn. He got his idea after attending the National Pub Show in Birmingham and wasted no time in putting his plans into action. He hasn’t just allowed e-cig smokers to use their e-cigs inside his pub though. He’s actually selling the e-cigs as well.

In common with many other pub landlords, Frank saw his takings slide when the ban came into force. It’s one thing to go outside and smoke a cigarette when the weather is good. However it seems many smokers would rather stay at home and smoke during the winter than go to their local.

So Frank did something smart. He ordered a batch of the e-cigarettes and now has them available to buy alongside a pint in his pub. He thinks this could be a great opportunity to bring in some extra income. And of course, it might encourage some more punters to leave their cigarettes at home and use the e-cigs when they go out for a drink instead.

Will it encourage real smokers to try their luck?

It’s a possibility. However there are some very real differences between e-cigs and the real thing. While the e-cigarettes Mr Booth has for sale are designed to look like real cigarettes, they don’t have to be lit. They don’t produce smoke either – just a vapour that does no harm to anyone else nearby, unlike second-hand smoke. So if anyone did try and light up a real cigarette as a result of the e-cigs being on sale, they’d be caught out pretty quickly.

A spokeswoman for Smokefree Surrey, Karen Simmonds, pointed out the highly-addictive nature of nicotine. Since e-cigs still have nicotine in them – albeit in a much-reduced amount – going cold turkey is the best route. “Stop smoking altogether,” says Karen. Of course, anyone trying to stop might well switch to e-cigs and gradually reduce the amount of nicotine they ingest. The cartridge refills for electronic cigarettes are made available with varying amount of nicotine in them, giving people a choice to reduce their intake gradually.

Clearly Mr Booth is hoping his takings will improve. However, his idea is certainly more sociable than the alternative.

Would you like your pub to sell electronic cigarettes? Let us know what you think below

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