The recent popularity of vaporizers has sparked a heated debate about vaping in public places and beyond. While some of these objections and dilemmas fall under a moral argument or legal grey area, in some states there are clear cut laws regarding the use of vaporizers.
It’s important to acknowledge that there are a few federal vaporizer laws that stand no matter what state you live in. But these laws don’t attempt to define any limitations on smoking (or vaping) in certain areas. This legislation came about after a long debate over how to tax and denote vape pens and other vaporization devices, and were put into place to keep vape products out of the hands of minors and subject to regulation by the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Rules concerning vaping in public, on the other hand, vary from state to state. And as it stands today, over forty states now regulate vaporizer products as though they were cigarettes (even though vaping is 95% safer than smoking). This means that in the overwhelming majority of states, vaporization is illegal in any place it would be illegal to smoke, most notably bars, restaurants, schools and national parks. This has prompted a fair amount of discussion about whether smoking and vaporization should be treated as equal, especially since vaping is a much healthier alternative that doesn’t leave foul odors and irritants hanging in the air. While there is some variation, most states currently adhere to similar vape regulation.
As vapor enthusiasts will tell you, vapor is much safer than smoke. It’s produced by heating material at a thermal sweetspot below the point of combustion, extracting essential flavors, aromas, and compounds without the harmful irritants found in smoke. Whereas smoking involves lighting material on fire, vaporizers with convection heating methods simply heat air which flows to the heating chamber to vaporize its contents. Vaporizers with Precise Temperature Control can even pinpoint the ideal temperature at which to vape specific materials, ensuring the purest vapor production. While all that may be true, it doesn’t change the federal government’s current view on vaping, which is a bummer.
Before you get too caught up in where vaporizers are illegal, let’s remember that public vaporizing is legit in most places. Most outdoor areas are ripe for the vaping. Indulging in your car? You’re good to go. A variety of portable vaporizers are designed specifically for making it easy to vape on-the-go. Some handheld vapes are even designed for outdoorsmen, like the splash-proof Vapium Summit Plus. If you prefer vaporizing in the privacy of your home, you absolutely have the right to bear vaporizers. With high-performance heating systems, precise temperature controls, and whip-style or balloon bag inhalation methods, desktop vaporizers are crafted especially for home use.
To have a say on vaporizer regulation in your state, make sure to stay informed and watch local ballots to ensure your voice is heard. While vape debates are great fodder for conversation, change is only made at the polling booths.
