The NHS line is: "there is no evidence so far that second-hand vaping is harmful". That is the official position, worded carefully, and it is worth reading closely. Whether you can vape somewhere is a separate question, usually decided by whoever runs the place.
The short version
- NHS: "there is no evidence so far that second-hand vaping is harmful".
- "So far" matters: it describes the evidence to date.
- Where you can vape is mostly down to employers, venues and operators.
- Vape-free places have been consulted on, with no start date.
The NHS line
On its vaping myths page, the NHS says: "there is no evidence so far that second-hand vaping is harmful". That is the official UK health position, and it is the one we quote.
Notice the wording. It is about evidence, and it is time-stamped with "so far". It describes what has been found, which is a careful, honest way of putting it. We are not going to stretch it into anything stronger.
For the other NHS lines on vaping, including its comparison with smoking, see what the NHS actually says.
Reading it properly
People tend to read this line in one of two wrong ways. Some take it as "second-hand vapour is proven harmless". Others ignore it and assume vapour must be as bad as smoke. Neither is what the NHS said.
"No evidence so far that it is harmful" means exactly that: the evidence to date has not shown harm. It is not a guarantee, and it is not a warning. It is a statement about what is known.
For you as a vaper, the practical upshot is that the main reasons to be careful around others are courtesy and the rules of the place you are in. Flip the cards to see the common misreadings.
Who decides where you can vape
Smoke-free law covers smoking. There is no single UK law that bans vaping indoors, so in practice the rules come from whoever runs the space. Your employer sets the rules at work. A pub, cafe or shop sets its own. On a plane, vaping and charging on board are not allowed at all.
The Tobacco and Vapes Act opens the door to change: vape-free places, including cars carrying under-18s, have been consulted on. There is no start date yet, so nothing has changed in law.
More detail is in our guides to vaping at work and vaping in cars.
Source: nhs.uk; ASH; EASA; CAA
Vaping around other people
Even where vaping is allowed, a bit of thought goes a long way. Not everyone likes a cloud of mango ice drifting across their table, and some people simply would rather not be around vapour at all.
Small MTL pod kits produce far less vapour than sub-ohm tanks, which helps in shared spaces. Check out pods if you want something more low-key. Asking first is free, and stepping away from doorways and children keeps everyone happy.
Tick off the habits you already have.
Good manners also protect the places that currently let people vape. Venues are free to change their minds.
Where it stands, in numbers
To keep things in proportion, here are the key facts about second-hand vapour and the rules around it, all from the sources named.
The NHS position is about evidence of harm, and it is the only health statement we make on this subject. The rules position is about who gets to decide where vaping happens, which is mostly employers and venues today, with vape-free places consulted on for the future.
Nothing here gives anyone licence to vape where they are not welcome. It just means you can talk about it from the facts rather than from rumours.
Source: nhs.uk vaping myths and the facts; ASH; EASA; CAA
Quick quiz
One question to finish. It tests whether you can tell the NHS's health statement apart from the rules about where you can vape, which is the distinction this whole page is built around.
Get it right and you can answer the next person who tells you vaping indoors is illegal everywhere, or that second-hand vapour is proven harmless. Both are wrong, for different reasons. And remember the NHS's other line, too: "Children and non-smokers should never vape." For more myths, read our guide to the popcorn lung myth.
Quote the source, not the rumour.
What does the NHS say about second-hand vapour?
Quick answers
Is second-hand vape smoke harmful?
The NHS says "there is no evidence so far that second-hand vaping is harmful".
Is vaping indoors illegal in the UK?
Smoke-free law covers smoking. Whether you can vape indoors is usually decided by the employer, venue or operator.
Will vaping be banned in some public places?
Vape-free places, including cars carrying under-18s, have been consulted on under the Tobacco and Vapes Act, with no start date yet.
