E-Cigs banned by NPS

[Majortrauma]

What an absolutely ridiculous waste of time, money and effort. Good luck enforcing this. As if the NPS doesn't have enough to do with real issues.
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/09/16/national-park-service-bans-electronic-ciagrettes-from-parks/?intcmp=hphz08
This is nothing more than an attempt create revenue. Tourists from overseas busted with their e-cigs will be issues a ticket to appear or pay a fine. No way they can or will appear so they pay fine. Ka-ching!

[Dochartaigh]

Where is smoking regular (tobacco) cigarettes banned in state parks besides the type of regular areas we're all used to? (i.e. inside buildings and such)?

On the NPS website I found these areas it's banned in so far:

“interior spaces of all [Fish and Wildlife] Service facilities,” “in motor vehicles, heavy equipment, aircraft, and most watercraft we own, rent, lease, or control.” “in all interior space, courtyards, atriums, balconies and bus stops.”

Then I also found:

(a) The superintendent may designate a portion of a park area, or all or a portion of a building, structure or facility as closed to smoking when necessary to protect park resources, reduce the risk of fire, or prevent conflicts among visitor use activities. Smoking in an area or location so designated is prohibited.(b) Smoking is prohibited within all caves and caverns.

As an e-cigarette user, as long as we're not banning smoking/vaping when I'm in the great outdoors (i.e. where there's an extremely minimal chance of other people inhaling my smoke) I'm actually fine with this. All it does is ban the use of e-cigs where regular cigarettes are banned, and I personally never vape where you can't smoke a regular cigarette anyway (as I think it's simply not polite and pretty ignorant).

[rafe]

If regular cigs are banned, I don't see a problem with banning e-cigs. Same rules should apply. I have no issue with that. There is a vapor generated by e-cigs, and it may not be harmless. Said as a new "vaper" as of a couple days ago.

[egilbe]

Where is smoking regular (tobacco) cigarettes banned in state parks besides the type of regular areas we're all used to? (i.e. inside buildings and such)?

On the NPS website I found these areas it's banned in so far:

“interior spaces of all [Fish and Wildlife] Service facilities,” “in motor vehicles, heavy equipment, aircraft, and most watercraft we own, rent, lease, or control.” “in all interior space, courtyards, atriums, balconies and bus stops.”

Then I also found:

(a) The superintendent may designate a portion of a park area, or all or a portion of a building, structure or facility as closed to smoking when necessary to protect park resources, reduce the risk of fire, or prevent conflicts among visitor use activities. Smoking in an area or location so designated is prohibited.(b) Smoking is prohibited within all caves and caverns.

As an e-cigarette user, as long as we're not banning smoking/vaping when I'm in the great outdoors (i.e. where there's an extremely minimal chance of other people inhaling my smoke) I'm actually fine with this. All it does is ban the use of e-cigs where regular cigarettes are banned, and I personally never vape where you can't smoke a regular cigarette anyway (as I think it's simply not polite and pretty ignorant).

Maine bans smoking in State parks. Part of the reason you see very few butts on the ground. Smokers are slobs.

[rocketsocks]

...glad I quit 11 years ago, would have been nice to have a e-cig back then. 32018 pimpin' ain't easy baby!

[susiegear]

Maine bans smoking in State parks. Part of the reason you see very few butts on the ground. Smokers are slobs.

Not all smokers are slobs. i am a smoker and I put every butt in my pocket as to not leave a mess anywhere.

[Dochartaigh]

Maine bans smoking in State parks. Part of the reason you see very few butts on the ground. Smokers are slobs.
Come on now, we all know that people are slobs, period.

And I don't know about smoking banned in every single area in Maine state parks either. Maine law §1580-E, specifically states "A person may not smoke tobacco or any other substance in, on or within 20 feet of a beach, playground, snack bar, group picnic shelter, business facility, enclosed area, public place or restroom in a state park or state historic site" (which all of those areas we're used to not smoking in). The only questionable one is "public place", which in Title 22 § 1542, is specifically defined as "any place not open to the sky into which the public is invited or allowed". I'd say that most areas in a state park are open to the sky...




Not all smokers are slobs. i am a smoker and I put every butt in my pocket as to not leave a mess anywhere.
Me too! Another benefit of e-cigs is there's no butt to dispose of either.

[squeezebox]

e-cigs stink. I do not want to breath that poison.

[greenmtnboy]

Pot smells bad too, I hope the regulations on tobacco apply to other smoked substances. Actually I grew up around smokers, my father smoked Salems, pipe smoke is usually nice, but the laws should be common sense.

[Offshore]

What an absolutely ridiculous waste of time, money and effort. Good luck enforcing this. As if the NPS doesn't have enough to do with real issues.
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/09/16/national-park-service-bans-electronic-ciagrettes-from-parks/?intcmp=hphz08
This is nothing more than an attempt create revenue. Tourists from overseas busted with their e-cigs will be issues a ticket to appear or pay a fine. No way they can or will appear so they pay fine. Ka-ching!

Relax and read past the alarmist headline on that article. Its like people are looking for an opportunity to cast themselves as victims or to be offended. NPS banned ecigs wherever smoking of conventional cigarettes are prohibited - as several states and private employers have already done. Personally, I don't want to be inhaling that nasty second hand vapor any more than smoke. Vaping may be safer than smoking, but its not been shown to be safe. You're still inhaling a long list of organic chemicals with that nicotine, so don't kid yourselves, people. (and besides, vapers look ridiculous sucking on a metal tube with an LED on the end - skeuomorphism at its worst...)

[Starchild]

Pot smells bad too, I hope the regulations on tobacco apply to other smoked substances. Actually I grew up around smokers, my father smoked Salems, pipe smoke is usually nice, but the laws should be common sense.
Pot is mostly banned as it is, but to me does not smell bad and I don't mind it and would not mind the smoking it in public banned due to the smoke, but recently someone e-cig'ed in a restaurant and that stuff reeks, not appropriate.

But pot smokers I have found will usually go off together for a social smoke, which is fine and how it should be, e-cig and other tobacco users just seem to want to use them whenever they want without regard or respect for others, which is the problem, violating LNT 'be considerate of others'.

[Odd Man Out]

I don't think it due to the smell. If that were the case they would ban thru hikers ;-)

Where I live, e-cigs fall into the same restrictions as smoking so for the NPS to do the same only makes sense and is hardly a waste of time or a money grab.

[greenmtnboy]

One word on how the hippies covered up the odor of pot--patchouli.

[perdidochas]

What an absolutely ridiculous waste of time, money and effort. Good luck enforcing this. As if the NPS doesn't have enough to do with real issues.
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/09/16/national-park-service-bans-electronic-ciagrettes-from-parks/?intcmp=hphz08
This is nothing more than an attempt create revenue. Tourists from overseas busted with their e-cigs will be issues a ticket to appear or pay a fine. No way they can or will appear so they pay fine. Ka-ching!

Well, your title was a bit misleading (as was the headline). The real story is the NPS bans electronic cigarettes from designated non-smoking sections of the park. You can smoke e-cigarettes (and conventional ones) in most of the areas of the parks.

[perdidochas]

Not all smokers are slobs. i am a smoker and I put every butt in my pocket as to not leave a mess anywhere.

Unfortunately, based on my experiences when doing outside garbage cleanups, you are the exception rather than the rule.

[rocketsocks]

I use to field strip mine as well, use to really piss the wife off when she'd find em in the washer and dryer...not sayin' I never pitched out a butt.

[Pedaling Fool]

Pot is mostly banned as it is, but to me does not smell bad and I don't mind it and would not mind the smoking it in public banned due to the smoke, but recently someone e-cig'ed in a restaurant and that stuff reeks, not appropriate.

But pot smokers I have found will usually go off together for a social smoke, which is fine and how it should be, e-cig and other tobacco users just seem to want to use them whenever they want without regard or respect for others, which is the problem, violating LNT 'be considerate of others'.The smell of pot doesn't bother me near as bad as cigs; I've never smelt an e-cig, so no opinion there...

However, WRT pot smokers going off for a "social smoke", that's not because they are more courteous or something, rather it's because it's illegal -- it's kind of ingrained in pot smokers to sneak off, but I do know there are exceptions, especially on the AT.

Although, now that pot has become legal in some states and generally more accepted, I imagine a growing number of pot smokers (in the near future) will be less inclined to sneak off for a 'social smoke'.

[Starchild]

The smell of pot doesn't bother me near as bad as cigs; I've never smelt an e-cig, so no opinion there...

However, WRT pot smokers going off for a "social smoke", that's not because they are more courteous or something, rather it's because it's illegal -- it's kind of ingrained in pot smokers to sneak off, but I do know there are exceptions, especially on the AT.

Although, now that pot has become legal in some states and generally more accepted, I imagine a growing number of pot smokers (in the near future) will be less inclined to sneak off for a 'social smoke'.

Perhaps and we will see, but pot seems to be very much more of a social thing then tobacco. Now that could be due to the illegality push them into these groups, but also there is something very natural on a human get together /societal level about the almost ceremonial way the pipe is passed and shared and deep thoughts exchanged.

[Googan]

The gestapo at work.

[greenmtnboy]

How many laws actually get enforced anyway, 5% of what's on the books. People can always plead ignorance or act dumb if caught.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I feel safer already.

[egilbe]

How many laws actually get enforced anyway, 5% of what's on the books. People can always plead ignorance or act dumb if caught.

They already smoke. They ain't acting