Smoking E-Cigs at the Convention??

[coolforever]

I figured I'd just mention this since no one else did so at all.

I noticed several people smoking electronic cigarettes this past weekend at the con. I personally have nothing against E-cigs, but I know it's becoming an issue in certain cities, so I figured I'd ask, kinda like the gender neutral bathroom topic, did anyone have a problem with this at the con?

[chaobunny]

I was really surprised to see that too, given that the e-cigs contain nicotine vapor. I have no idea what the law is regarding those though.

[Don Julio]

i dont know enough about them to really say much, but i know they where made pretty much for that reason..i guess as long as its not harming anyone i have no issues..those smokers where some of my friends

[dokuro]

I was scared at first upon seeing one mostly because I didn't know what it was LOL. I thought this person was getting high or using some kind of bong or something.. I mean, I'm not familiar with drugs at all except for the occasional "420 blaze it" joke, so when I saw this guy I was talking to using one, i simply asked, "Are you smoking?" and he explained it to me. I was just surprised because I'd never actually seen one in person before, but once I was enlightened I didn't care at all! Nope, didn't bother me here. If it helps someone and it's not actually unhealthy to the person or anyone around them, then whats the harm, right?


I mean I know nothing about'em but if it helps then it should be fine. Though I'd be sketchy with people using them around smaller children, might give off the wrong impression. Best saved for an area without the small(er) ones, yeah?

[NOlemons]

I actually have some insight into this. I work in a strict nonsmoking facility (the interior of the building is rated class 1000 or higher clean room) and the effects of the water vapor are minimal,so minimal that in the non-clean room class arias the will allow vapor plugs and e cigs.

The reasoning behind this is technically it only adds to the "humidity" of the room (Humidity in certain clean rooms is nessesary, like in the building I work for), as what is expelled is little more than water droplets. the nicotine factor is minimal (example. the average nicotine level of a blue e cigarette, is 1.8% by volume, so if your cig has 10ml water, it has only .18ml nicotine). the smoker gets the full effect, but due to it dissipating in air, it has little effect away from the main user. The threat of second hand vapor is laughable, if only because the concentration levels are so small, contain no foreign particulates besides the drug, which again is a very small part of the cigs total mass.

[DemonGirl-Setsuna]

The threat of second hand vapor is laughable, if only because the concentration levels are so small, contain no foreign particulates besides the drug, which again is a very small part of the cigs total mass.

Not necessarily true...

I have asthma & I do bring my inhaler with me, but I've never really had to use it.
I can even briskly walk up & down stairs without any problems!

But this year I had to use my inhaler at con for the first time in years!


What I'm trying to say is: "The second-hand vapor from E-Cigs affects me the same way second-hand cigarette-smoke does"

[chaobunny]

The threat of second hand vapor is laughable, if only because the concentration levels are so small, contain no foreign particulates besides the drug, which again is a very small part of the cigs total mass.

Not necessarily true...

I have asthma & I do bring my inhaler with me, but I've never really had to use it.
I can even briskly walk up & down stairs without any problems!

But this year I had to use my inhaler at con for the first time in years!


What I'm trying to say is: "The second-hand vapor from E-Cigs affects me the same way second-hand cigarette-smoke does"

This is a good point. I think the comfort of people in regards to asthma is infinitely more important than giving smokers some comfort. Apologies to anyone who is using the e-cigs but that is not a health issue, while asthma is.

I also had to use my inhaler once during the con (I rarely use mine as well), but with the extent of allergens probably floating around in the air I'm not going to immediately jump to conclusions and assert any sort of causation from the e-cigs. But still, if they have an impact on even one person's health, like the above poster, I think that's important to acknowledge.

[DemonGirl-Setsuna]

I also had to use my inhaler once during the con (I rarely use mine as well), but with the extent of allergens probably floating around in the air I'm not going to immediately jump to conclusions and assert any sort of causation from the e-cigs. But still, if they have an impact on even one person's health, like the above poster, I think that's important to acknowledge.

Well, I only have two asthma triggers, with cigarette-smoke bring the only external trigger I have. (The other only occurs during the middle of Summer because of the heat & humidity. But is remedied/prevented by drinking water.)

And I was indoors during most of the con, except when I went outside into a smoke-free courtyard for a photo-shoot.

[lordshamus]

There are more frightening things in the air than the water vapor and propylene glycol put off by vaping. I don't really use e-cigs myself because staffing a con requires the terrible, terrible analog originals, but I am aware of the highly unscientific war currently being waged against e-cigarettes. It's playing right into the hands of the tobacco industry, who would love to smoosh a safe alternative to their products by making people afraid of them. if you were having problems breathing in the con, it is 9-bazillion times more likely that it was something besides e-cigarette vapor. Don't get superstitious about stuff. Science is rad.

But all smoking is of course bad, shamus is not a scientist, yadda yadda disclaimer.

[Elli21486]

I am a non-smoker so I wouldn't know any of this. However, I think it would be a good idea to have some kind of notice/policy for next year's con.

[ABFAN]

I don't recall seeing the e-cigs, but what about banning chemtrails over the convention?

[Aurabolt]

I saw a couple folks with E-Cigs get stopped by Hynes security at the door. When they explained what it was, they were let through without further incident.

If AB's going to ban them next year that should probably be communicated to Hynes staff so they know.

[Roboto5578]

I stopped smoking E-Cigs so this won't bother me

[Elli21486]

I am a non-smoker so I wouldn't know any of this. However, I think it would be a good idea to have some kind of notice/policy for next year's con.

I would like to add an update to this particular forum. Since when I wrote the quote above, many places around Boston have banned the smoking of E-Cigs in their facility, including my job at the aquarium. I would not be surprised if the E-Cigs are banned at the Hynes next year as well.

[Fetch]

http://www.boston.com/2011/12/01/ecigs/ ... story.html

That is from 2011. And as far as I've heard, the law is still in place.

[Elli21486]

http://www.boston.com/2011/12/01/ecigs/ ... story.html

That is from 2011. And as far as I've heard, the law is still in place.

Since this whole topic is regarding smoking, I think it will be a good idea to announce that Boston has banned smoking, whether from cigarettes to e-cigs, in all public parks or anywhere controlled by Parks and Recreations. http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/upload ... 6_2_30.pdf

Also, this is a good reference of the history of smoking bans in Massachusetts. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massac ... l#comments

[Wembley]

The threat of second hand vapor is laughable, if only because the concentration levels are so small, contain no foreign particulates besides the drug, which again is a very small part of the cigs total mass.

Not necessarily true...

I have asthma & I do bring my inhaler with me, but I've never really had to use it.
I can even briskly walk up & down stairs without any problems!

But this year I had to use my inhaler at con for the first time in years!


What I'm trying to say is: "The second-hand vapor from E-Cigs affects me the same way second-hand cigarette-smoke does"

This is a good point. I think the comfort of people in regards to asthma is infinitely more important than giving smokers some comfort. Apologies to anyone who is using the e-cigs but that is not a health issue, while asthma is.

I also had to use my inhaler once during the con (I rarely use mine as well), but with the extent of allergens probably floating around in the air I'm not going to immediately jump to conclusions and assert any sort of causation from the e-cigs. But still, if they have an impact on even one person's health, like the above poster, I think that's important to acknowledge.

All of this. I don't have asthma but I have allergies and cigarettes are one of my worse environmental ones.

[Xias]

The threat of second hand vapor is laughable, if only because the concentration levels are so small, contain no foreign particulates besides the drug, which again is a very small part of the cigs total mass.

Not necessarily true...

I have asthma & I do bring my inhaler with me, but I've never really had to use it.
I can even briskly walk up & down stairs without any problems!

But this year I had to use my inhaler at con for the first time in years!


What I'm trying to say is: "The second-hand vapor from E-Cigs affects me the same way second-hand cigarette-smoke does"

Scientifically what you bolded is just impossible. E-cig vapor is totally different chemically from cigarette smoke, and it isn't nicotine that triggers asthma symptoms. Like, if you don't want people to smoke their e-cigs indoors then make that case, but make it in a way that doesn't rely on out-and-out impossibilities. There's just no way e-cig vapor and cigarette smoke can affect you exactly the same, or really even remotely the same. It's not possible when you look at the chemical compounds of both. One of my best friends is a huge asthma sufferer who can't be in the same room as one lit cigarette without suffering an attack, and he's been in the room with three different people "smoking" e-cigs and had absolutely no reaction. As Shamus said last year, it's probably far more likely that you picked up something else that was causing you asthma problems.

The war on e-cigs really does just scream "we're mad smokers found a way around our attempt to make them pariahs, so we're gonna throw 'em back out again just to be jerks", because there's absolutely zero proof that second-hand vapor poses any threat to anyone. With that said, it doesn't really bother me when people ban them, although lol if you think that means we take it outside. E-cig vapor is almost invisible and obviously doesn't set off any smoke alarms, so we just take it to the bathroom stalls. I'm sure saying that will annoy people but best of luck catching us.

[pulsedemon]

Regardless, if you don't like the law, vote for someone else. At this point, they'll get on your case for using them indoors, so keep that in mind. We won't be able to do anything if you get thrown out of the building. Considering we go to quite a bit of effort to make the event happen in the first place, we don't want to see anyone get thrown out for something like this, ya know?

[Xias]

I appreciate your concern, but I'm not worried about getting caught taking a two second hit from a smokeless e-cig in a bathroom. Even if there's actually someone IN the bathroom, what are they going to catch me on? The minute amount of vapor that's easily dispensable with a wave of the hand? You have to be incredibly stupid and/or not trying to hide it to get caught with these things. Which is why I find it amusing that people think these bans are going to do anything other than return us to where smokers were before they installed smoke alarms everywhere: taking up bathroom space (and in this case, it's incredibly stupid, but here we are). Until there's such a thing as "vapor alarms", you're not gonna get rid of people using them indoors.

And by the way, while I understand what you're saying RE: vote for different people and follow the letter of the law, anyone who has studied civics and/or history for even a short amount of time can tell you the idea that everyone should- or even CAN- follow every silly, ridiculous law and ordinance is laughable. If laws are passed that are unfair, unjust, and lack any real basis or need, plenty of people are going to break them. If you pass a ridiculous law that's almost unenforcable, for all the reasons I've already discussed, it's silly to expect me to follow it just because.

[pulsedemon]

Yeah, so long as we're all clear on it. You'll get hassled all around if it's done in the open. It's kind of amusing to think of it like in the movie Top Secret! I'd strongly recommend against drinking gasoline, though.

[coolforever]

So basically, anyone that is vaping at the con should know that they are doing so at their own risk. And if anything happens, well, that will be their own fault.

I really doubt anything will happen, but everyone should still be aware of their actions.