Vaping in the Workplace
With e-cigarettes gaining popularity, people are using e-cigarettes everywhere. There was recently a new post that highlighted the usage of e-cigarettes by teenagers who are not even of legal age to smoke. Another discussion is the usage of e-cigarettes at the workplace. Since e-cigarettes have no harmful side effects and cause no problems to the non-smokers around, vaping in the workplace has become very popular. But the big question that is in front of us is whether vaping in the workplace a good habit? Will it affect the others around us?
How did the concept of vaping in the workplace become popular?
As you might know already, e-cigarettes use water, flavouring agents, and nicotine to deliver the effect of smoking a cigarette. Even the smoke exhaled by people smoking e-cigarettes is just water vapour, which is completely harmless. That is the reason why smokers are increasingly smoking e-cigarettes in public. This trend has gone up to such a level that some employees are going as far as smoking e-cigarettes in the workplace. However, the non-smoking staff and the management group of many companies do not accept vaping in the workplace.
The reaction of employers
While there might be a few cases where employers might allow the smoking of e-cigarettes in the workplace, most employers are likely to oppose it. The Health Act that was introduced in 2006 actually defines smoking as inhaling and exhaling the smoke of a lit material, with or without nicotine. So, using e-cigarettes is also considered smoking by the health act.
However harmless the e-cigarettes might be, there is no doubt that the non-smoking community of the workplace will not approve of it. Smoking, as an act itself, is not encouraged. So, it will not matter if you smoke a real cigarette or an e-cigarette.
BMA opposes the use of e-cigarettes in public places
The British Medical Association, more popularly known as the BMA, has published a study that highlights the harmful effects that e-cigarette smoke has on the people who inhale it passively. The BMA has highlighted in its study that smoke-free legislation should extend to e-cigarettes as well. So, it is very unlikely that the usage of e-cigarettes in the workplace will actually be allowed and tolerated.
A simple suggestion is to avoid the usage of e-cigarettes in workplaces. Although you might argue that you are trying to kick the habit through the usage of e-cigarettes, do it in private. It will avoid controversies.
Vapouriz Headquarters welcomes its employees to use e-cigs in the office if they so wish and it is most definitely a 'smoke-free' zone!
