VAPE LAWS

Sorry, Smokers: The Flight to Vapelandia Is Officially Canceled

After a five-year wait, the federal government finally adds vaping to its no-fly list.

By Ramona DeNies March 2, 2016

Shutterstock 313081367 akfnpx

Vaping captain? Not gonna happen. Image courtesy Shutterstock.

For years, the laws on in-flight vaping have been, shall we say, a little hazy.

Since 2011 (when the US Department of Transportation first suggested it was working on a policy), there’s been no official ban on electronic cigarettes on planes and airports, leaving carriers and facilities to establish their own rules. One Frontier passenger reportedly got the green light on a 2012 flight, but earlier that same year, a Continental flight out of PDX rerouted back to Portland after a man refused to power off, um, all electronic devices.

No more, vapers of America. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced a "final rule" for the use of electronic cigarettes on airplanes. Going forward, any flight to, from, or within the United States—foreign carriers included—must consider e-cigs part of the “existing prohibition on the smoking of tobacco products.”

"This rule explicitly bans the use of electronic cigarettes in all forms, including but not limited to electronic cigars, pipes, and devices designed to look like everyday products such as pens. The ban does not include the use of medical devices such as a nebulizers."
— USDoT press release, March 2, 2016

Sorry, smokers. It’s gonna be a longer flight. But consider this, at least—if you’re flying in state, you can totes carry on your (ounce of) pot.

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