Guernsey residents and groups call for limits on vaping at venues

People with lung conditions and local organisations in Guernsey are calling for vaping to be restricted in and around public venues. Indoor smoking has been illegal in most places such as bars and restaurants since 2005, but indoor vaping is currently left to each business to decide.

Calls for indoor restrictions

Glen Tonks, chair of Cystic Fibrosis Guernsey, said people with cystic fibrosis need to avoid second-hand vapour. He acknowledged that evidence on the effects of second-hand vaping is limited, but said there was enough to indicate an impact on people with a health condition.

Tonks said one family he had spoken to temporarily moved out of their home while builders carrying out work there were vaping. He said he would welcome rules covering vaping indoors and around venues, adding that the call was for vaping to be treated like smoking, not for opposition to vaping itself.

Alex Hawkins-Drew, associate director of Public Health, said the Combined Substance Use Strategy, due to commence in 2027, includes an action to consider introducing a ban on vaping in indoor public places.

Residents describe concerns around vapour

Mark Prevel, who has emphysema, a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has had a bullectomy, a procedure that removed part of his lungs. He said he cannot follow someone vaping while walking through town and avoids venues where people are vaping, including near entrances.

Prevel said he was not keen on tighter vaping legislation, but felt some people who vape did not show consideration for those around them. He said he stays away because of his lung condition.

Voluntary venue initiative

Lucy Cave, tobacco harm reduction officer at the Health Improvement Commission, said the commission had begun a voluntary smoke- and vape-free initiative for venues. Participating venues are asked to make their outdoor dining areas smoke- and vape-free.

Cave said uptake had been positive, with families describing the initiative as a “fantastic idea”. She said the commission would support indoor vaping restrictions, while decisions about legislation rested with policymakers and the States. Cave also said surveys carried out by the commission found that smokers and vapers were considerate of people around them.