E-Cigarette smoker wrongly banned from pub

beat the smoking ban!

Derek Green has smoked electronic cigarettes in a number of pubs across the UK without any fuss but was told he wasn't allowed to smoke in a pub in St. Annes.

Mr Green said Just out of politeness I asked if I could use my electronic cigarette and was told I could not by a female member of staff. After the meal I asked to speak to the person in charge and was told by another member of staff that I could not use it there. He told me he was a smoker and was going out to have a cigarette. I can't understand what the difficulty was, as these things are legal to use in public places. They do physically look like cigarettes, but are longer and thinner and shiny. They don't emit smoke or fumes, it's just a vapour. I wasn't going to use it in the restaurant, just at the bar. I have smoked for 30 years and am using these as a way of quitting, I have cut down my cigarette use already. I have used it in other bars and restaurants and never had a problem before. I always ask, just to be polite, and once I explain what they are to people they always say it is fine.

Electronic cigarettes are not banned in the UK and are not affected by the smoking ban so they can be smoked anywhere.