Vaping etiquette is real. Here are my tips on how to vape in a polite fashion so as not to upset the rest of society while you drag on your e-cigarette.
Be considerate of others when vaping.
Just about no one appreciates having vapor blown in their face. Regardless of how much you enjoy puffing on your mango flavored e-cigarette, it’s best not to assume that others are going to appreciate it to the same extent as you, especially when it’s your secondhand vapor that they’re inhaling. So if you’re around other people or there’s a chance that they might smell what it is you’re vaping, I recommend politely asking them if they mind if you vape. If they tell you that it’s fine, you may not want to assume that it is. There’s a chance that they may simply be telling you what you want to hear in order to avoid the appearance of being rude. The best place to vape is somewhere where others are not exposed to your vapor.
Personally, I not only like to check with others beforehand but also directly after taking a puff. This way, I can confirm that no one is bothered by my vaping. For that matter, I often double-check to make sure by quickly posing the question, “are you sure?”
Be mindful of the flavors that you vape around others.
Not all vape juice flavors are the same. That much is obvious, I’m sure. But what you might not realize is that those who don’t mind your vaping might actually be repulsed by certain flavors. As a vaper, it might surprise you to find that I am one of those people. I’ll explain.
My friend vapes. She’s been vaping for almost as long as I have. We’re both former smokers that switched to e-cigarettes after years of failed attempts at quitting smoking. We both successfully transitioned to e-cigs and haven’t smoked in years. Now, to the point. We both vape while we’re in the car together. However, there are certain flavors of vape juice that she enjoys that I absolutely detest. As a result, I’m fairly particular about what flavors I’m comfortable with her vaping while she’s riding in the passenger seat of my car. If it’s a flavor that I find particularly awful, I’ll simply hand her one of my own unopened e-cigarettes and ask her if she wouldn’t mind vaping one of mine instead. She finds this solution to be quite agreeable. What exactly will work for you may differ but my point is that you want to be mindful of the flavors that you’re vaping and how others might perceive them.
Do not assume that it’s okay to vape everywhere.
There are rules and regulations that define where it’s acceptable to vape and where it’s prohibited. Be mindful of them. Adhere to them. But those aren’t what I’m talking about when I advise that you refrain from assuming that it’s okay to vape everywhere. What I’m actually talking about are situations where you are, for example, in someone’s home or car.
Before you pull out your vape and start puffing away in a friend’s car or home, do everyone a favor and ask if it’s okay before you start. While I don’t mind other people vaping in my car, I do ask that they simply roll down the window a bit to let the vapor out of the car and at least attempt to blow it out the window.
When it comes to vaping inside of someone’s home, I never assume that it is okay— not even if they’re vaping in their home. After all, it is their home. Typically, I’ll ask where it’s okay for me to vape. If they say outdoors and define a specific area, that’s where I’ll go. Simple as that.
Not everyone appreciates huge clouds of vapor.
Despite being a vaper, I don’t always appreciate huge clouds of vapor. While I find the spectacle of cloud chasing mildly amusing, I don’t want to deal with huge clouds of vapor in my personal space. If I’m in a car filled with vapor, rest assured that I will be rolling down a window. If you’re vaping for spectacle, you might want to consider limiting your antics to cloud-chasing competitions where it’s wholeheartedly appreciated.
Don’t use someone’s vape without asking.
It’s not particularly polite to take something without asking. In fact, some may even consider it to be rude. In some cases, it may even constitute theft. But more to the point: don’t just assume that it’s okay for you to pick up someone else’s vaping device and start puffing on it. Be polite and ask first.
Upon asking, you might find that you’re not welcome to use someone’s vape. Personally, I’d rather give someone a brand new vape out of my pocket than share the one that I’m using. At the very least, I’ll ask that they wipe the mouthpiece after they use it and will offer up a sanitizing wipe for the task. But in most cases, I carry a spare. I’ll either have a spare pod if I happen to be using a pod vape that day or I’ll have a spare device if I’m using a disposable. That way, I don’t actually have to share the one that I’m using, which I find to be preferable.
Having said all that, I recommend always carrying a spare vape. If not for yourself, then for others who might want to use it.
Don’t vape where can’t smoke.
If you’re wondering whether you can get away with “stealth vaping” somewhere, you might be better off not vaping there at all. If you’re not allowed to smoke somewhere, it seems a fair assumption that you probably shouldn’t vape there either. And I say this regardless of what the law may have to say on the matter. Obviously, you should abide by the law, but if there isn’t a law that says you can’t vape somewhere where smoking is already prohibited, you probably shouldn’t vape there either. However, you may find that there are exceptions to this in some places. If that’s the case, make sure you ask before you start dragging on your e-cig.
Be nice to smokers.
While shaming a smoker might help them quit smoking, it’s obviously not the most polite way to encourage a smoker to quit. And just because you quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes does not mean that you’re now in a position to look down on someone who has not yet made the transition.
Be nice to people that are still smoking. If they’re interested in vaping, help them find the information that they need to learn more about how it might help them quit smoking. But do so in a polite manner. If they’re interested, share. If they’re not, don’t force it down their throat.
Don’t blow vapor in someone’s face.
Even as a vaper, I do not enjoy someone blowing their vapor directly in my face. While I’d rather it be vapor than smoke, I’d prefer neither were blown in my face. It’s safe to assume others feel the same, especially non-vapers. If you’re vaping, consider this reality when you choose a direction in which to exhale your vapor.
