​Vaping and Outdoor Events

Summer is fast approaching and you know what that means? It means fayres, fetes, festivals, county shows, classic car rallies and so much more. Here in the UK we love our seasonal events, despite our world record dodgy weather. Given that so many of us will be heading outside over the next four to six months we thought a blog post on vaping and outdoor events would be in order.

Vaping and Outdoor Events: The Law

The chances are that as an ex smoker (vaping is ideally set up as an alternative to smoking) that you already know all about the Go Smoke Free legislation. Just in case you’ve forgotten here’s a recap. Back in 2007 the Go Smoke Free legislation was actioned. These regulations were spearheaded by Public Health England in response to evidence that passive smoking had been proven to be just as harmful to those unwillingly breathing in tobacco smoke as those doing so deliberately. In addition to this it was hoped that a public smoking ban would serve to curb the number of smokers and reduce the harm from smoking overall.

The legislation effectively banned smoking in the majority of indoor areas for examples at the pub, in cafes, inside venues, railway stations, at work and more. In addition to this smoking was banned on public transport and later new laws passed making it illegal to smoke in a private car with minors inside. Attitudes to smoking changed almost overnight and while many still smoke many have moved over to vaping as a useful alternative to smoking that makes quitting smoking easier for many, and that is overall a cleaner and healthier hobby as compared to tobacco smoking).

When it comes to vaping and outdoor events you’ll be glad to hear that vaping is not including under the Go Smoke Free legislation. It is not illegal to vape in public although each individual business or venue owner has the right to decide whether vaping is allowed. If you are heading to a festival or other outdoor event it is your responsibility to check whether vaping is allowed. Generally it is allowed at open air event but not in enclosed spaces however, you need to check!

Vaping and Outdoor Event Etiquette

Clearly smoking tobacco cigarettes and vaping are nothing alike. The general public are understanding the difference more and more with each passing day, thanks in the main to the number of public awareness campaigns and Public Health England’s support of vaping. That doesn’t mean that non-vapers want a faceful of flavour vapour when attending their favourite outdoor concert or other event though.

While your favourite dessert flavoured e liquid makes you squeal in joy the chances are that there will be others who don’t want to be wrapped in your big vape cloud, and we can’t blame them. When it comes to vaping and outdoor events the general rule of thumb is to be considerate of those around you. Don’t vape in a queue or heavily populated area.

If you are a high VG e liquid fan or sub ohm vaper especially you will know that your e cigarette has the potential to create a lot of vapour so be mindful of this when choosing where to vape when at these events. If vapers don’t employ proper vaping etiquette there is always a chance that following complaints that event organisers will ban vaping in the future which doesn’t help anyone. Be polite and aware of people around you when vaping outdoors.

Being Prepared For Vaping and Outdoor Events

How prepared you will need to be when it comes to vaping and outdoor events will depend on how far away from home you will be and for how long. For same day events not too far from home an e cig freshly filled with e liquid and a fully charged battery should do the job. An in car charger will help if you want to make sure you won’t get home to a depleted e cigarette battery. For longer events it is worth stocking up. Make sure that you have plenty of e liquid, spare batteries, a new tank if necessary or wicks/coils if you change yours out, wipes or tissues for mopping up excess e liquid when refilling and something suitable to keep all of your kit in. This should be more than enough to keep you going. One top tip for vaping and outdoor events is to consider an accessory such as a lanyard. This will enable you to keep your e cigarette to hand and not have to worry about dropping it, sitting on it or otherwise losing this.

Make sure that alongside your general rubbish, i.e. food wrappers and so on, that you discard any vaping-related garbage properly. Glass e liquid bottles should not, for example, be sat around in the glass waiting for someone to step on!

Vaping and Outdoor Events: In Conclusion

Assuming that you are allowed to vape at the event you plan on attending, and remember that it is your responsibility to check the rules, there is no reason why you can’t enjoy your favourite hobby at a variety of brilliant festivals, fayres and more. You must remember though to be mindful of others around you, to vape responsibly and to be courteous. If in doubt, ask those around you if they mind if you vape. Avoid filling at area with thick vapour and take ownership of your own vaping kit and any rubbish that needs to be discarded. Do all of this and not only will be enjoy vaping at your outdoor event but you will help pave the way for other vapers and help build a positive image of vapers, perhaps helping more smokers switch over to vaping in the future. You never know!