In September 2018, during a debate on electronic cigarette reporting by the British Council for Science and Technology, a member of Parliament suggested that consideration should be given to setting up a separate room or area for electronic cigarette users. Carol Monahan, MP of the Scottish National Party, said that putting electronic cigarette users together with traditional smokers was equivalent to "expecting a bar drinker to quit drinking".
The British Ministry of Public Health (PHE) has previously issued a report to provide designated vaping areas for e-cigarette users, saying that forcing e-cigarette users to use their equipment in smoking areas would undermine their efforts to quit smoking.
But many British parliamentary organizations still ignore this proposal. Studies conducted by the Freedom Association show that most British parliaments still adopt the same policy towards e-cigarettes and smoking, and most of them are still forcing e-cigarette users to vape in smoking areas.
Ms. Monaghan, a member of the Science and Technology Committee, said that it was common for e-cigarette users to have to share smoking rooms with traditional smokers. "Maybe a dedicated room or area should be set up for e-cigarette users so that e-cigarette users will not be forced to face what they are trying to give up?" She suggested.
Norman Lamb, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, said that although he believed that the best solution for smokers was to quit smoking altogether, he agreed that electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes needed to be treated differently. Simply sending e-cigarette users to the smoking room outside is completely counter-productive, which makes it more difficult for people to give up smoking. Because electronic cigarettes do not harm second-hand smoke, the establishment of a dedicated room in the building using electronic cigarettes is an appropriate measure that many organizations can take.
There are still many people who misunderstand electronic cigarettes, do not know the difference between them, and treat electronic cigarettes and cigarettes equally. This situation is not conducive to everyone to quit smoking, and share the smoking room with traditional smokers. You may also have to face what you want to get rid of. If you are not careful, you may relapse. We think it is very necessary to set up a special room or area for the users of electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes will not cause the harm of second-hand smoke. It is completely feasible to set up a special room in the building.
