It’s never been easier to quit smoking, and stay off cigarettes — for good — and many former smokers are finding they’re able to do so perfectly well with the help of e-cigarettes. They get the nicotine they want but none of the many thousands of toxic chemicals given off by burning tobacco that are so incredibly harmful to human health. With e-cigs, there’s simply nothing to burn.
And as the summer season approaches and people prepare to get away for a while and enjoy themselves on a well-earned break, millions of ex-smokers will be packing up their vape gear and taking it along for the journey — as well as those who never smoked but love marijuana vaping for the many fruity and other flavors, with or without nicotine.
One thing every vaper should know is that just because your vape pens or any other type of vape gear don’t give off anything other than vapor, it doesn’t mean you can vape anywhere you please. Many places ban the use of vapes in confined spaces, especially on buses and trains, and most certainly on planes.
Plus, if you’re flying and have put your precious gear, including e-juice such as salt nic and whatever else you like to vape, into your check-in luggage, you’ll be making a big mistake. Almost all airlines will require you to bring all your vape equipment onto the aircraft with you — either in a pocket or your carry-on bag. This is not so you can use your vapes while on board but rather so you can keep an eye on them, in case of the battery overheating or anything else that might be problematic.
Avoiding Trouble with Your Vapes
You’ll also have to be mindful of your vapes when you arrive at your destination, particularly if it’s a foreign country that’s far, far away. Not every nation is as vape-friendly as many in the Western world, especially the United Kingdom, where the health authorities have embraced vaping as a leading smoking-cessation method and are urging smokers to switch to e-cigarettes to stub out for good and get healthy.
In places like Thailand, for example, you can be arrested and either fined or jailed for even carrying vape gear with you — prison sentences for this seemingly innocuous offense in the Land of Smiles run to a hefty 10 years, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It may seem crazy, in a place where millions of people smoke and put their health at direct risk, but it’s the law, and you either have to respect it or fall foul and end up in trouble.
Earlier this year, a Frenchwoman was on a family holiday in the Thai hotspot of Phuket when police spotted her blithely vaping and arrested her; she was issued with a fine, which she refused to pay, and ended up being deported. The Buddist nation is possibly the worst place in the world to try to vape, and if you’re headed there, you should definitely leave your vapes at home.
Big Vaping Clampdown
In nearby Singapore — also a popular tourist destination for people all over the world — it’s a similar, sorry vaping story. In the tiny, wealthy city-state where chewing gum has long been outlawed, it’s reported that the long arm of the law can even reach into your home, if you happen to be casually vaping there. Since a vaping ban came into effect in 2018, at least 67 people have been arrested for being in possession of vape gear, and 245 taken into custody for selling e-cigarettes and e-liquid.
Strict vaping laws are also in place, banning the use of e-cigs, around much of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and it’s also the case further south, in Australia, and in parts of the Middle East and South America. And while it’s probable that the laws could be overturned, as governments learn more about the health benefits of vaping compared to smoking — British research says it’s almost completely harmless in comparison — you need to do your research before you head overseas.
Otherwise, you run the risk of your holiday going up in smoke.
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