Do you VAPE? US-DOT to ban E-cigarettes!

VAPE? Never heard? So did I, until we got an inquiry from a reader of “Silent Gardens” two days ago. Vape means: To inhale vapour from E-cigarettes.

3 weeks ago my daughter Diane came for a visit to our little island. After lunch she took an engine out of her handbag, sucked on it and produced white clouds. Until this moment I knew e-cigarettes in the shape of a ball-pen but not as such a big engine.

US- DOT Bans E-Cigarettes (VAPE) From Checked Bags

The US Transportation Department is to permanently ban passengers and crew members from carrying e-cigarettes in checked baggage or charging the devices on board aircraft.

US Transportation Secretary cited a number of recent incidents that show the devices can catch fire during transport. Passengers may continue to carry e-cigarettes for personal use in carry-on baggage or on their person, but may not use them on flights.

Fire hazards in flight are particularly dangerous. Banning e-cigarettes from checked bags is a prudent and important safety measure.

The rule covers battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices including e-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-pipes, but does not prohibit passengers from transporting other devices containing batteries for personal use such as laptop computers or cell phones. The rule makes a temporary ban instituted in November permanent.

In August 2014, an e-cigarette in a passenger’s checked bag in the cargo hold of an aircraft caused a fire forcing an evacuation of the plane at Boston’s Logan Airport. In January 2015, a checked bag that arrived late and missed its connecting flight was found to be on fire in a baggage area at Los Angeles Airport. The incident was blamed on an overheated e-cigarette inside the bag.

The government said the danger has been worsened by the growing trend of users modifying and rebuilding their reusable e-cigarette devices and swapping components, which may include the use of batteries, heating elements, and electronic components.

In March 2016, the US Transportation Department separately banned the use of electronic cigarettes on commercial flights. Congress banned all smoking on airline flights in 2000, and no US airline allowed electronic cigarette use. But the Transportation Department said some charter flights may have allowed the practice.

The original article is here: AIRWISE

The VAPE Inquiry

The original inquiry we got from our reader:

Message: good afternoon! i just want to ask ,if you're going to qatar is it allowed in NAIA to bring a VAPE with e-juice, batteries, wires and tools??? thank you..

VAPE with e-juice, batteries, wires and tools ??? Holly cow. A cigarette smoker has a pack of cigs and matches with him. An e-smoker carries a whole arsenal with him/her. We did do a bit research and found this:

We can understand that Air Safety guards get nervous, when you carry such a tool-set with you. And we still found much worse on sale on the Internet …

In such a VAPE case, all sirens go off and a S.W.A.T. knocks you down.

What now?

Be reasonable and plan your VAPE trip. We recommend:

• Opt for a rather small device for travels. The big engine you can use at home
• Put the device and the battery (including spare ones) in your hand-carry
• Put the e-juice, charger and tools in the checked luggage

Caution

Many countries, e.g. Switzerland, do not allow nicotine loaded e-juice. Here is an interesting article with a list of countries. Canada doesn’t allow import of any e-juice. Have you already made your experiences in the Philippines? If yes, please tell us. Diane had no problems with Philippine customs and had enough e-juice with her for almost 3 weeks.