How Would You Deal With a Vaping Ban? Here’s my Experience

How would you feel if vapes got banned in your country? And I don’t mean a slow phase-out over a number of years. I mean a complete halt on the sales of vapes. 

One day you’re puffing away, and the next morning it’s an illegal item that could land you in hot water with the authorities. Well, if you’re from countries like Brazil, Mexico, Norway, and Vietnam, this idea is your reality.

For me, currently residing in Vietnam, I have to say that I’m devastated! Vaping wasn’t just a way to put the cigs down; it was also a mini hobby of mine. I loved learning about ohms, resistances, voltages, crafting coils, and even the slight gamble of ordering an obscure vape juice flavor to see if it slaps or not. But now, that’s all gone.

So, what is a person like me, and so many others, supposed to do in a situation like this? Well, I’m not currently ready to kick the nicotine habit altogether, but I’m not going anywhere near cigarettes. Even the smell of them these days makes me nauseous, quite the difference from the 20 a day I used to get through (how was that even possible?)

I’ve recently looked into the nicotine pouch market, like Zyn and Velo. These products seem to have a bit of a question mark over their safety and legality, but for now, I’m currently enjoying a Lemon Spritz-flavored Zyn packing a 6 mg punch. 

To be honest, they’ve been great so far. They’ve certainly stopped me from falling out with everyone around me (no nicotine withdrawals), but they just don’t hit like vapes do, unfortunately. Also, the idea that they could be hurting my gums is worrying. So, for now, until I’m ready to quit for good, it seems boring old nicotine replacement products are the way forward.

Oh, and perhaps some unusual amounts of holiday trips to countries where vaping is legal. But don’t tell my wife.

Of course, this ban doesn’t just affect me. It’s also affected the locals and expats alike, and it’s been interesting to see how it’s impacted society here. While the older generation of locals seemed more inclined to smoke cigarettes and tobacco pipes, many younger people were dipping into the vaping market.

Over the past few years, many quality stores and credible online retailers popped up, encouraging many to ditch the cigs and opt for fruity clouds. But now that’s all gone. I’ve even seen one former vape store have its guts ripped out and turned into a shoe store. How am I supposed to vape a shoe?

Expat communities seem to have gone back to cigarettes, and I can’t blame them. Vietnam has one of the lowest costs per pack in the world, around $1.50 for 20 Marlboro. But it’s not just the cost that’s drawn people back; it’s the threat of the black market.

Being so close to China, the land of unregulated goods, has caused many to avoid even whispers of illegal vapes that may (or may not) be making their way into the country at the moment.

Someone who isn’t me may have sampled one of these unregulated vapes and instantly felt as though they were contracting pneumonia. It’s a hard pass, thanks!

Ultimately, a vaping ban forces people into tough decisions that are deeply personal: adapt, resist, or quit altogether. Adapting might mean exploring alternative nicotine options like pouches or gums, though, as we all know, these substitutes often lack the satisfaction and rituals many of us cherish. 

Resistance could lead you down a risky path of seeking out unregulated, black-market products, with all the potential dangers they bring. So, would quitting altogether be the only solution? While it might seem like the logical endpoint, we all know it’s easier said than done, especially when nicotine dependency has woven itself into daily life.

If faced with a ban, where would you stand? Would it feel like an opportunity to quit altogether? Or would it push you to find creative (and potentially risky) ways to keep vaping alive?

Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments!