NEWS
confirms ‘no smoking or vaping.’
A spokesperson for Metra highlighted:
“Smoking is not allowed on any trains,
in stations or within 15 feet of station
and enclosed area entrances. This ban
includes e-cigarettes.”
A spokesperson for Amtrak stated:
“All Amtrak trains, Thruway buses and
stations are entirely non-smoking. No
one may smoke anything in any area on
trains, on Thruway services, in stations
or in any other location where smoking
is prohibited. This includes electronic
smoking devices, such as electronic
cigarettes.”
“Public health officials
should be doing all they
can do to continually lower
this astounding number of
deaths, and that includes
embracing the idea of
harm reduction.”
Though, their policies are not so
regimented unlike many other railway
networks as they do permit smoking
stops. On their website it reads: “If time
and conditions permit, passengers
may smoke on station platforms as
announced by train crews.”
However, other railway networks may
not be so forgiving - a spokesperson for
Sound Transit explained that bus and
train passengers are to adhere to a “no
smoking or vaping” policy. Violating these
rules could result in the police evicting
you from the bus/train or worse: “Failure
to comply with either may subject you to
arrest and/or prosecution for
criminal trespass.”
But is it fair, to equate both smoking
and vaping as one. Or is it just easier to
overlook the problem all together?
The above has sparked plenty of heated
debate, relighting the candle by igniting
the smoke with a flame.
Steve Miller, spokesperson for White
Cloud, the leading US-based e-cigarette
company said:
“Viewing tobacco cigarettes and
electronic cigarettes as being on the
same level is disingenuous, and does
a grave disservice to public health.
According to the CDC: “Tobacco use
will cause more than 8 million deaths
annually by 2030.”
“Public health officials should be doing
all they can do to continually lower this
astounding number of deaths, and that
includes embracing the idea of
harm reduction.”
He went on to say: “The banning of
vaping on open-air platforms or stations
is a symptom of the poor job that
the media has done in covering and
informing the public, as to the proven
lifesaving benefits that vapor
products offer.
“There is no justifiable reason why areas
couldn’t be dedicated to vapors, to use
their products. Tobacco products and
electronic cigarette products are vastly
different, and restricting the availability
and ease of use for vapor products,
compared to tobacco products, is
a mistake.”
As well as trains, if you are travelling by
buses or subways, you will find there
is not much difference in their policies
as they also ban vaping. So sadly, just
like vaping on planes and airports is
prohibited across the U.S.A. - the same
rule applies to vaping on trains and
railway stations.
VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE USA 21