Superyacht crew are being warned to check vaping laws before they arrive in some foreign ports, with five new destinations joining the banned list says the retailer E-Cigarette Direct.
In the past four years there has been a 48% rise in vaping in the UK with 2.8 million Brits now regularly using e-cigarettes.
This means many vapers will arrive in port, potentially unaware of the strict controls on vaping products in certain jurisdictions.
There is a worrying lack of clarity, with numerous countries reacting to the meteoric rise of e-cigarettes by either bringing in new laws or applying archaic legislation. All travellers are being advised to urgently check local regulation before packing their device.
In recent months parts of India have effectively banned vaping – in one case a man was jailed for three years, based on a 78-year-old law. Vapers in the Philippines could face up to four months in jail due to a new ban on vaping in public spaces.
Lebanon, Cambodia and Vietnam have followed suit by recently banning e-cigs, however the potential penalties for breaking the law are much more unclear.
But if the sanctions in Thailand, which welcomes more than one million Brits every year, are anything to go by, travellers would be well advised to consider leaving their vape kit at home.
Vapers face a 10-year jail sentence for simply bringing e-cigarettes or refills into the country. A number of British nationals having been arrested in recent years. The UK Government describes Thai prison conditions as ‘harsh’ with ‘limited access to healthcare’.
While legal in the United States, the use of e-cigarettes is actually decided on a state and city level. In the past few weeks, San Francisco has banned flavoured e-liquids with reports that New York is preparing to do the same. All national parks including the Grand Canyon and the Everglades have restrictions on vaping in force.
It’s a similar picture in Canada with localised regulation in force. For example, in the province of British Columbia – laws restrict vaping in cars containing children and within six metres of doors and open windows.
Vaping is banned in the United Arab Emirates – Dubai Airport is well known for confiscating e-cigarettes and vape kits. Complete bans on e-cigarettes are also in force in Singapore, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman and Egypt.
South Africa, Malaysia and the Australian states of Queensland and the Northern Territories ban the use of e-cigarettes that contain nicotine.
Until recently, people could face jail in Hong Kong for possessing nicotine based e-cigarettes – the law is in the process of being changed.
Vapers are also being urged not to vape onboard aircraft – with a number of examples of travellers being removed from planes and jailed.
For a full guide to safely vaping whilst on holiday visit. https://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/ashtray-blog/2018/07/safe-travel-vapers-infographic.html