Electronic Cigarettes - Will they be banned to?????

Ok, now i really am confused!

On a Ryanair flight a couple of weeks ago they were selling some sort of paper, cotton cigarettes which had nicotine in them, a gentleman kindly asked if he could smoke his electronic cigarette which has no nicotine whatsoever and was told no as it was one of those water vapour ones and this is considered smoke and would disturb the other passengers!

In a restaurant last night in Marbella a couple asked if they could use theirs and the waiter said "NO" and started to panic, apparently as they look realistic and becuase of the "Smoke or water vapour" from the outside it looks like a real cigarrette and anyone walking past can confuse it, denounce them and cause them a €10.000 fine or even have the restaurant closed.

My question is: "Whats the poing of the electronic cigarettes if you can`t smoke them" these were made so that they could be used in public places and now it seems that even for that you need to go outside.

Is this yet another thing in which people have spent loads of money and will not be able to use, its absolutely ludicrous if you ask me, its not smoke its water vapour, no nicotine, completely harmless!

Joan

joanmalaga

yes, why shouldn't people smoke electric water if no harm to others and gets them off the nasty stuff?  

Would it create indoor clouds if enough lit up though. .

That a tricky one Joan.  The problem is that establishments can be heavily fined if people smoke in their bars or restaurants.  Why should the staff have to go checking what people are wanting to smoke, be they electronic or something else?  The staff can't be 100% sure that these devices are only producing water vapour?  It's an unnecessary risk for them.

The fake cigarettes are to help people give up smoking and if they want to give up then the best thing is for them to join in the inconvenience of having to "smoke" outside like the rest of the smokers.  That may be an added incentive to just give up the old fags

Justin

goodstich44, i myself have been around people with these electronic cigarettes and the water vaopur does not linger and can not cause indoor clouds, therefore i believe they should be allowed.

Justin, some people dont want to give up and full stop, why should they not be allowed to "Smoke" something that causes no harm to anyone indoors. I can understand its hard to tell the difference but we someone have to come to a compromise, those electronic cigarettes have been bought by people for a reason, they have cost money and people were told they could be used, is the government going to refund the people who have purchased one?

Also, has anyone noticed the inmense of smokers that have caught a cold or worse since the 1st Jan? I though this ban would help the medical system not have to deal with that many smokers! Looks like that will not work either!

Oh well, these things can never be easy can they!

Joan

Whether or not it is caught by the new law will depend on whether or not it contains, in whole or in any part, tobacco destined to be smoked, inhaled, sucked or masticated.  If it does, it is covered.  If it doesn't, it falls outside the scope of the legislation.  Nicotine is a poisonous substance only obtained from the leaves of the tobacco plant (Latin name Nicotiana tabacum).  So if the Ryanair product contains nicotine, it will definitely be treated the same way as any other tobacco product.

Wikipedia defines electronic cigarettes as "An electronic cigarette, e-cigarette or vapourise cigarette, is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine or non-nicotine vapourised solution. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. In addition to purported nicotine delivery, this vapour also provides a flavour and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no smoke or combustion is actually involved in its operation."

So, same answer.  If it contains nicotine, it contains tobacco.  If it doesn't then it is not covered.  But you are still left with the problem that the law is so fierce on offending bars, restaurants etc that they would never take the chance and would almost certainly refuse to allow it in order to protect themselves from the anonymous denuncia.

I have never seen these, so I  would not be able to comment on whether they cause harm to others.  If they contain nicotine then I am very much in favour of banning them as they will certainly harm others.  But if there is no harm I agree it's tough - but what is the practical alternative, Joan?  How would you protect bar staff from being killed by their customers while allowing the harmless type of electronic thing?

Just for completeness, the law does not cover herbal cigarettes as they contain no tobacco.  But they stink to high heaven and I remember trying them on one of my many unsuccessful attempts to give up several years ago; and being told very forcefully to go outside and smoke them.  But it's a parallel problem.  They too can be smoked quite legally in bars, restaurants, workplaces, hospitals, school playgrounds - wherever - in Spain.  But no bar owner in his right mind is going to permit it.  

But if a bar owner keeps a packet of herbal cigarettes and a non-nicotine electronic cigarette behind the bar for when the smoking police come round following the denuncia, does he have a defence by saying he only allows herbal and the non-nicotine electronic ones? I reckon he may well have.

All is not lost i still think you can smoke in Gibraltar pubs

Rod

www.ournextholiday.co.uk

"is the government going to refund the people who have purchased one?"

Yeah, right after they've refunded all the bars and restaurants who forked out to create separate ventillated smoking areas in their establishments.

roberto, thats exactly what i was thinking when i made that comment, it seems like the governement is making money everywhere with this matter.

jek, the ones i speak of contain no nicotine, sonner or later im sure that Spain will adapt to this and that they will be allowed, the anonymous denuncias are causing major problems at the moment but the novelty will soon wear off.

Joan

Joan,

If they contain no nicotine then they are allowed now.  The law applies only to tobacco.  The only source of nicotine is tobacco, so anything containing nicotine must be caught.  So the non-nicotine thing is not against the law.  The issue as you point out, is that pubs will ban them anyway to avoid the hassle. 

Are electronic cigarettes now banned or can you buy them in Spain and if so are they widely available?

My wife is trying to quit and is has been on these for two weeks now and having just purchased a property in Murcia we are flying out tomorrow for 10 days to furnish it, so we are wondering if we need to or are allowed to bring enough for the trip.

I noticed airline rules stated none in hand luggage.

Steve

As far as i am aware you can still buy them in any chemist for around €50

Joan

Thanks Joan,

I'll bring a supply as they are only £7 here for the equivalent of 40 cigarettes.

Steve

Surely the clue is in the words No Smoking-where does it state nicotine or any other substance? No Smoking means no smoking-of ANYTHING.

It doesn't. Electronic cigarettes are specifically excluded from the ' no Smoking' ban here  in Spain.

Does it specifically say that in the wording of the law?

Where is the post of Nov 27th, by t-cig-has it been deleted?

I'v been living in Barcelona for more than a year and I am a long-time smoker. My journey from tradittional tobacco cigarette smoker to e-cig vaping is about 2 years. Finally I got used to it and developed a habit, new chain in my brain I would say. Tried a lot of different suppliers, but have chosen the best one in Europe for me it is Airsmoke ones. Anyway, during these years I came across different situations and not the most pleasant ones. 

Some people really live in a stone age and their brain do not accept new technology. I got used that I am not allowed to vape in the restaurants and other public places. But spanish people smoke a lot and when I vape I do not want to stand next to tobacco smokers and passive smoke, what is the point of vaping then? At the end of the day I had to get used to stay seperately from everyone, asking my friends to accompany me not to feel lonely outside cafeterias or restaurants. Luckily the weather here permits it all year round. There is definately an interest of tobacco Companies, of the goverment, its all about the money as always. I do not have one suggestion of what to do, but I keep using electronic cigarettes and dealing with limitations and restrictions according to my own personal level of ethics.