Is there an etiquette to vaping? Yes! Vaping, unfortunately, does have a bad reputation for some people. Some of that bad reputation comes from the actions of bad vapers. Even people who were polite smokers can pick up some bad habits about vaping that tarnish the practice.

Worry not! We’re going to show you some unspoken rules of vaping etiquette that you should be following. Some of these are unspoken because they should be obvious. Others are good practices for vapers to spread awareness to others about the benefits of vaping and how it is different from smoking. Here they are:

Don’t blow vapor into people’s faces

Yes, it’s just water vapor, but people do not like having it blown into their face. Sadly, some uncouth people use this as a demonstration to prove they’re not smoking. Direct your vapor just like you would cigarette smoke, away from others. Even other vapers wouldn’t appreciate this!

Don’t stealth vape

Some vapers try to steal a  puff wherever they can, even in places where it is banned. They rationalize it with the water vapor argument. But if vaping is going to get accepted everywhere, we have to follow the rules that are in place now. Don’t sneak puffs where it’s not allowed.

Avoid vaping near children

Most parents don’t like smoke near their children. Vaping may be safer, but try telling that to a parent who doesn’t know anything about vaping? Best to avoid vaping near children, not just for calming the parents but to keep them from getting curious about vaping before it’s legal for them to vape.

Avoid vaping when Eating

Besides the obvious obnoxiousness to others of trying to eat in a cloud, the taste of the e-juice can adversely affect the taste of a meal.  Even if you can find a restaurant that still has a smoking section, water vapor is heavier than cigarette smoke and is more likely to cling around other patrons in the restaurant. Keep your secret e-juice/food combinations for your home meals.

Don’t use another’s vaporizer without asking first

Would you put your lips around someone else’s cigar without asking? Why would you do it with a vaporizer? Sadly, some people will try to do this to experience as many flavors as they can. It’s not cool. Non-vapers may even try to do this just to get the experience! If you really want to try someone’s vaporizer, ask first and accept the answer.

Don’t be a snob

Some people use vaping as a status symbol. They have to have the latest vaporizers, flavors, whatever. Nothing wrong with pursuing the best, but it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to look down on other vapers. Not everyone has a huge budget or the knowledge to sub-ohm down to ridiculous levels. Focus on the enjoyment of vaping, not on the fanciness of your vaporizer.

Don’t criticize cigarette smokers

Vaping may have many benefits over smoking, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to criticize smokers, especially if you vape to get nicotine. Vapers and smokers have to share the same spaces. Let their curiosity bring them over to vaping, not complaints about their smoke or comments about the superiority of vaping.

Avoid cloud chasing if half of your group are non-vapers

Going along with being polite to smokers and those you’re vaping with, keep cloud chasing within your vaping circle. Cloud chasing is the sport of trying to make extremely large clouds or manipulating the vapor to make shapes and ripples. It’s fun, but it creates a large amount of vapor which can offend other people in the area. It can be fun to show off, but keep it to people who will appreciate it.

Avoid conflicting with people who are opposed to vaping

Vapers are the new kids on the block. Until more people get educated about vaping, we can expect to get a certain level of harassment. If someone politely asks you to put your vape kit away, find another place to vape. It may be annoying in the short term, but people will get a better appreciation for the vaping crowd as a whole over time if we can avoid conflicts.

Inform and educate people about vaping

And finally, one positive thing! Keeping the above in mind, if people are interested in your vape kit, do your best to educate them about it. Vaping kits are still not exactly common, so it’s up to you as an early adopter to spread the word about the benefits of vaping over smoking. It’s a great way to expand vaping culture into the mainstream.

These are all simple things we can do to improve the image of vaping and vape culture. If we follow these rules, acceptance of our hobby will rise. And that’s good for everyone involved.