I remember going to events years ago and coming home smelling like cigarette smoke. Now, I only smell like my natural body odor because most places ban smoking inside. And a reaction to that ban—along with a growing concern for a healthier lifestyle—has seen the rise of the electronic cigarette (e-cig).
If you’re not familiar with an e-cig, it’s a device that simulates smoking a real cigarette by vaporizing a liquid solution. Some solutions have nicotine in them, while others are just flavored (e.g., cherry, coffee, mint, etc.). The solution’s ingredients are a concern for some non-smokers. The fear is that they are or can be just as harmful to the body as regular cigarette smoke.
This debate has created some great conversations about managing e-cig use in venues.
“Venues should allow e-cigs to be used inside. E-cigs are the future, and the future is now,” said Carl Rasmussen, a Dallas-based supporter of e-cigs. “Companies should encourage safe alternatives to traditional cigarette consumption for their attendees by openly accepting more people for profits while minding their choice to be healthier. It’s a win-win.”
For the Allen Event Center in Texas, e-cigs were initially not allowed under its non-smoking policy.
“As we received push back, we began to look into it and stated that the current no e-cig policy was a temporary policy as we researched the e-cigs, reviewed the FDA’s opinion, and internally reviewed if they fell under any current city ordinances,” said IAVM member David Angeles, interim general manager at the center, on VenueNet. “That bought us time, but in the end our attorney let us know that current ordinances don’t prohibit them. We were told the city could look to create an ordinance, but in our opinion, it was premature to do so since they are so new and the FDA and the e-cig companies are still jockeying in the courts (at least they were earlier in 2013). Creating a building policy allowing or prohibiting was up to us.”
Angeles said that the center chose to allow them to show its openness.
“And [we] began to document complaints about e-cig use that we could potentially use as support if we saw a need to create a building policy to not allow the e-cigs,” Angeles said. “Surprisingly, we have had little to no complaints regarding them, and the number of actual users are small.”
For most venues, e-cig policies may not even matter when it comes to attracting guests.
“E-cig policies wouldn’t stray my decision to attend a particular venue,” Rasmussen said. “I still have a strong vaping etiquette from my cigarette days, and I’m fine with going outside with the others to take a vape.”
What’s your opinion on e-cigs? How should venues police their use? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
(photo credit: pixelblume via photopin cc)
“The solution’s ingredients are a concern for some non-smokers. The fear is that it is or can be just as harmful to the body as regular cigarette smoke.”
NO study on e-cigs has shown the vapor to have either short-term or long-term negative health effects. The liquid is typically a mixture of PG and VG, two liquid solutions which are combined to give the vaping experience a similar taste and feel to real smoke/hookah.
You probably encounter VG every day without even knowing it. It’s proper name is Vegetable Glycerin and it’s more commonly known as Vegetable Oil. When it burns and is vaporized it’s about as harmful as breathing the steam/vapor from cooking pans and pots when cooking with vegetable oil. VG is what gives the liquid a strong taste
PG is a little more unique. It stands for Propylene Glycol and is responsible for producing the sensation of “real” smoking by being a delivery agent for the nicotine. Nicotine is the only other additive and you can get liquids with no nicotine added (these liquids are purely for flavor). The health risks associated with Nicotine by itself are largely insubstantial (and there are even some associated benefits from the use of nicotine). It is actually slightly less harmful than caffeine, another drug which the majority of Americans consume on almost a daily basis. The difference is that Nicotine is far more addictive. What makes cigarette/cigar smoke so harmful is all of the additives and the chemical burn off which occurs with traditional tobacco. Vaping essentially does away with all of the other harmful burn off chemicals which arise in traditional smoking. Most people use vaping as a way to decrease their nicotine intake, as it is a far more satisfactory substitute for things like nicotine patches or gum. The amount of nicotine can vary by liquid, ranging from a strong nicotine additive (14mg-18mg) to little to no nicotine (0mg-8mg). The central idea when using vaping as a way to quit smoking is to start with a high amount of nicotine and slowly reduce the amount until you do not need the nicotine any more. I’ve personally known many more people who have had far more success quitting smoking by vaping than patch/gum/any other quitting method.
The other main reason people vape is purely for flavor (this is why i do it). If you have a 0mg nicotine liquid it is akin to a flavorful habit such as chewing gum or snacking on sunflower seeds.
But this is all besides the point, Venues should be able to make their own policy regarding vaping. I see both sides of the argument. If a venue allows vaping but not smoking, it will become very difficult to discern what is smoke and what is vapor. Furthermore, while most vapor flavors have a pleasant smell, some can smell just like cigarette or cigar smoke (depending on flavor). So while one vapor may smell like strawberries and sunshine, another may smell like a traditional cigarette.
Conversely, if a venue allows vaping inside their building, they may be engaging in a new level of customer service and comfort that has been all but denied to smokers for the past 20+ years. Offering a haven for vaping may actually see a venues popularity and public perception rise, especially among smokers/vapors, a target market which has only seen negative trends toward their habit.
Perhaps the best solution is to keep vaping and smoking in designated smoking areas.