E-cig users planning a trip to Manila need to plan their trip accordingly. Those who vape are probably not surprised to encounter laws and regulations restricting their ability to use vape products, but traveling to the capital city of the Philippines – particularly when doing so from outside the country – is a nuanced affair in terms of when and where it’s okay to partake.
Read on to find out what e-cig users need to know before visiting the City of Manila:
In the airport and on the plane
E-cigarette users might be surprised to learn they can bring their vape products onto commercial aircraft. The act of flying with your vape and e-liquid is a simple matter of packing these items in your carry-on luggage. These products cannot be packed in your checked luggage.
While smoking and vaping is prohibited in most parts of most major airports, many of these facilities include a series of smoke and vape lounges throughout each concourse. As long as you’re in one of these designated areas, vaping in the airport is okay.
You’ve got your e-cig with your on the plane, but that doesn’t mean you can vape while on board. Just like with traditional cigarettes, vaping is absolutely prohibited on most commercial aircraft.
The reason you’re allowed to have it within reach is due to the rare but dangerous tendency for lithium batteries to explode. When it happens inside the cabin, flight attendants or passengers are able to quickly address the issue. If it happens in the cargo hold, the inability to reach the affected area can lead to fire.
In public
You’ve arrived in Manila safe and sound. Unfortunately for e-cig users, vaping has been banned in public since the beginning of 2019. This includes government facilities, restaurants, schools, and workplaces. Other parts of Manila where it’s unlikely you’ll be allowed to vape include public parks, museums, historical sites, shopping areas, and entertainment venues.
The inability for e-cig users to vape in public is not absolute. Certain establishments are able to include designated smoking areas, which include vaping, as long as these areas meet strict standards laid out by the government.
In private
Vape enthusiasts planning a trip to Manila can find comfort in the fact they’re still allowed to use their e-cigarettes in private places. For example, it’s perfectly okay to vape in an Airbnb in Manila where the host allows guests to do so. If you’re attending a house party, feel free to vape. The only stipulation would be if these places are within a certain distance from places where smoking and vaping is prohibited with no exception, like hospitals.
The capital city of the Philippines and home to nearly 1.8 million people, the City of Manila is a densely-packed crossroads of culture, history, and urbanization. Like most major cities around the world, Manila is not without a variety of laws and regulations restricting the use of vape products, but all-in-all it’s a metropolis which ranks high on the list of places worth visiting whether you vape or not.