Although vaping has become a hip, accessible alternative to traditional smoking, it’s important for dedicated vapers to understand that not everyone shares their enthusiasm for this particular pastime. Regardless of how keen you are on vaping, many of the people around you are likely to expect you to abide by certain unspoken rules.
Luckily, respecting these rules and practicing exemplary vaping etiquette shouldn’t prove particularly difficult or inconvenient. To avoid drawing the ire of friends, coworkers and members of the general public, vaping enthusiasts should work to avoid the following behaviors.
Getting Combative When Asked to Stop Vaping
As is the case with cigarette smoke, most people don’t enjoy having vape clouds blown into their faces. Even your fellow vapers are liable to be put off by this. So, if you have a habit of getting combative when asked to stop vaping, it’s in your best interest to rein this behavior in. For example, if you’re at the home of a friend or family member, they have every right to ask that you either stop vaping or take your vape pen outside. Similarly, if you try to have a puff during a meal with friends, it’s understandable that you’d be asked to stop.
Instead of flying off the handle in scenarios like this, place yourself in the other party’s shoes. You assuming that they’d have no problem with you vaping in their presence placed them in an awkward situation – and you lashing out in response to their request is only going to make things even more uncomfortable. No matter how urgent a vape craving you’re dealing with, there’s no sense in getting angry at the people around you for making a reasonable request.
Never Asking Permission
While you may be naturally inclined to ask for permission to have a puff in certain places, you may not be as keen on asking at the homes of friends, family members and other close acquaintances. As discussed above, simply assuming that people will be okay with your vaping can pave the way for uncomfortable situations. So, no matter how comfortable you are around certain people, it’s always recommended that you get permission before taking out your vape pen.
Vaping in Vehicles
Vaping in confined spaces is practically guaranteed to draw people’s ire in an expedient manner. Since spaces don’t get much more confined than vehicles, you’d do well to avoid vaping when riding with others. Even if the windows are open, the other passengers are liable to be bothered by your vape clouds – and there’s no reason they should have to be uncomfortable because you lack basic courtesy.
In addition to not vaping when riding with people you know, you should absolutely avoid it when utilizing public transit or rideshare services. Vaping in these settings stands to earn you bans and fines and may even land you in legal trouble.
Vaping During Meals
Vaping during meals isn’t going to endear you to anyone with whom you happen to be dining. Whether you’re enjoying dinner with your family or grabbing a bite with friends, pulling out your vape pen at any point during the meal is liable to put a damper on things. For starters, this will place all attention on you, and no matter how pleasant you think your vape juice smells, most people don’t wish to be hit with strong outside aromas while enjoying a meal. Secondly, this places everyone around you – people in your party, other diners and restaurant staff – in an awkward position.
Vaping in Public Places
Since vaping is off-limits in the vast majority of stores, restaurants and other businesses, it’s generally a good idea to assume that you can’t vape in indoor public settings. Even if such rules aren’t explicitly spelled out, there’s a better than average chance that vaping in these locations is prohibited. That being the case, it’s best to avoid vaping in settings like these. If you’re unclear on a business’s policies regarding vaping, take care to ask an employee before attempting to have a puff.
Regardless of how enjoyable you find vaping, it needs to be understood that not everyone you encounter is going to feel the same way. As such, it’s imperative that you become well-versed in the art of vaping etiquette. Not only will this help prevent you from drawing the ire of non-vapers, it will effectively project your commitment to common courtesy. Anyone whose vaping etiquette could use a little work would do well to steer clear of the missteps discussed above.