Vaping in Different Countries

Turkey

I'm currently working in Turkey for a few weeks, travelled with Turkish Airlines. I had no issue during transit, had 2 mods, 6 batteries and 500ml of juice in my hand luggage. I've been vaping openly in public without any problems, smoking is allowed almost everywhere but I still stick to local smoking area rules. I know there are a few vape shops in the bigger cities but none in the destrict I'm currently staying in. According to what i read online, vaping is legal however selling vaping devices and liquid is prohibited but not strictly inforced.
Please return with some turkish delights for me! :-D
 
AUSTRALIA - First Account Experiences

As you all know, both the wife and I are avid vapers running Pulse squonks as well as making our own juice for the most part. We did not realize just how lucky we are with the vape scene in South Africa till we came to Australia, so just like I wondered about what to expect before we came, here's a bit of info for those that are wondering:

a) Vaping is legal in most Australian states in all areas where smoking is legal. It's pretty straight forward.
b) The sale of e-juice containing nicotine is illegal in Australia, however vaping juice containing nicotine is legal. The accepted solution is to import nic from New Zealand which only takes a day or two, then adding it to your locally bought juices OR just importing juice that's already at the required nic level.
c) There are local vape shops, however the one's I've seen are nowhere near the level of shops we're used to in SA. We're talking limited variety in both juices and devices. That being said, imports from China are exempt from taxation and China is just accross the pond, meaning you can import your goodies straight to your door in a week or two if need be and there's no limitation on the types of devices used.
d) Cigarettes are about AU$30 a pack, which equates to roughly R300 right now. The result is that there isn't a ton of smokers, i.e. there are hardly any vapers around. The average man on the street requiring his fix does not want to go through the shlep of importing juices and/or nic, so they either opt for analogs or just skip it altogether.

I'm sure that the vaping scene will still grow over here, but for now it's new and unknown and in Australia, if it's unknown, it's illegal.

Cheers boys! Blow some fat clouds on my behalf!
 
AUSTRALIA - First Account Experiences

As you all know, both the wife and I are avid vapers running Pulse squonks as well as making our own juice for the most part. We did not realize just how lucky we are with the vape scene in South Africa till we came to Australia, so just like I wondered about what to expect before we came, here's a bit of info for those that are wondering:

a) Vaping is legal in most Australian states in all areas where smoking is legal. It's pretty straight forward.
b) The sale of e-juice containing nicotine is illegal in Australia, however vaping juice containing nicotine is legal. The accepted solution is to import nic from New Zealand which only takes a day or two, then adding it to your locally bought juices OR just importing juice that's already at the required nic level.
c) There are local vape shops, however the one's I've seen are nowhere near the level of shops we're used to in SA. We're talking limited variety in both juices and devices. That being said, imports from China are exempt from taxation and China is just accross the pond, meaning you can import your goodies straight to your door in a week or two if need be and there's no limitation on the types of devices used.
d) Cigarettes are about AU$30 a pack, which equates to roughly R300 right now. The result is that there isn't a ton of smokers, i.e. there are hardly any vapers around. The average man on the street requiring his fix does not want to go through the shlep of importing juices and/or nic, so they either opt for analogs or just skip it altogether.

I'm sure that the vaping scene will still grow over here, but for now it's new and unknown and in Australia, if it's unknown, it's illegal.

Cheers boys! Blow some fat clouds on my behalf!

@SHiBBY Thanks so much for your post. It's always good to hear first-hand reports.
 
Hi Fam.

We are emigrating to The Netherlands in december. Flying with Turkish airways. So obviously stopover in Istanbul. Are there any vape related precautions I have to take in Turkey?

@GerharddP

Turkey was actually my first post in this thread!

TURKEY - 7 Nov. 2017

http://vaping360.com/turkey-vape-ban-who/

"Turkey will maintain its ban on the sale and manufacture of vaping and heat-not-burn products..."

TURKEY - 29 Sept. 2017

http://vaping360.com/vape-party-raid-turkey/


"Turkish police cited 800 vapers for indoor smoking after conducting a raid at a “vape party” in Istanbul. They also detained three of the party organizers...Apparently, all 800 guests received “administrative fines,” which don’t involve a criminal charge...

Vaping isn’t illegal in Turkey, but the country does include vaping in indoor smoking bans. Importation and advertising are prohibited, but vapers haven't reported problems taking devices and e-liquid into the country for personal use." [my highlights]

and on 31 July 2018 @JB1987 posted this:

Turkey

I'm currently working in Turkey for a few weeks, travelled with Turkish Airlines. I had no issue during transit, had 2 mods, 6 batteries and 500ml of juice in my hand luggage. I've been vaping openly in public without any problems, smoking is allowed almost everywhere but I still stick to local smoking area rules. I know there are a few vape shops in the bigger cities but none in the destrict I'm currently staying in. According to what i read online, vaping is legal however selling vaping devices and liquid is prohibited but not strictly inforced.
 
UAE lifts ban on vaping
19 Feb. 2019

"After several months of review, the government of the United Arab Emirates has announced that it will lift its ban on the sales of vapor products. The first approved products are expected to be available in mid-April..."

https://vaping360.com/vape-news/76803/uae-is-ending-its-ban-on-vape-product-sales/

I really hope that Australia will follow suite and at least get to NZ regulation levels so that the industry can grow a little over here. I haven’t vaped in almost a month now. Just got tired of the hassle of getting hold of decent stuff in Aus. No secondhand market to get rid of my old gear that I was getting bored of, so decided to just quit altogether :(
 
I really hope that Australia will follow suite and at least get to NZ regulation levels so that the industry can grow a little over here. I haven’t vaped in almost a month now. Just got tired of the hassle of getting hold of decent stuff in Aus. No secondhand market to get rid of my old gear that I was getting bored of, so decided to just quit altogether :(
I have some of the same issues here in NL.. Walk into a "vape" shop and the guy behind the counter starts his sales pitch with a pod system that according to him is a beast, me with my noisy v1 in pocket thinking...ja swaer
 
I have some of the same issues here in NL.. Walk into a "vape" shop and the guy behind the counter starts his sales pitch with a pod system that according to him is a beast, me with my noisy v1 in pocket thinking...ja swaer

Lol @GerharddP
 
Ja these guys call me stoomtrein..I am the only guy in our branch that vapes and trying to convert the 20+ smokers is a hopeless cause with these "beast" pod systems being mostly your only option really..other mods are like 50+ euros, moer expensive.

I guess we are quite spoiled here in SA - vaping gear is still relatively cost effective

Die "Stoomtrein" van Suid Afrika. Lol
 
I guess we are quite spoiled here in SA - vaping gear is still relatively cost effective

Die "Stoomtrein" van Suid Afrika. Lol
Yea its stoomtrein or springbok.. they cant pronounce my name unless they murder it. I am actually considering trying to convince some vendors in SA to ship to me. I think even with shipping it might be cheaper to buy "local"
 
Yea its stoomtrein or springbok.. they cant pronounce my name unless they murder it. I am actually considering trying to convince some vendors in SA to ship to me. I think even with shipping it might be cheaper to buy "local"

Thats quite amazing @GerharddP
Fancy that - leaving SA and ordering vape gear back from here. That is classic
 
Yea its stoomtrein or springbok.. they cant pronounce my name unless they murder it. I am actually considering trying to convince some vendors in SA to ship to me. I think even with shipping it might be cheaper to buy "local"

Maybe speak to the guys from twisp and ship a couple of Cue's over.
 
I popped over to New Zealand where the vape industry is booming just like good ol' SA. Ended up getting myself a new setup today on account of having left my trusty Pulse 80W - Recurve combo at home in Australia. Got a Drag 2 with a Wotofo Profile Unity on top. Masehare. This setup is lekker. Having nice juice doesn't hurt either, nor does the fact that I can buy 3mg off the shelf instead of importing nic like a bergie.

Now the question is: What the hell am I going to do with my old Pulse? Seeing as secondhand sales in Melbourne is a matter of fiction.
 
I popped over to New Zealand where the vape industry is booming just like good ol' SA. Ended up getting myself a new setup today on account of having left my trusty Pulse 80W - Recurve combo at home in Australia. Got a Drag 2 with a Wotofo Profile Unity on top. Masehare. This setup is lekker. Having nice juice doesn't hurt either, nor does the fact that I can buy 3mg off the shelf instead of importing nic like a bergie.

Now the question is: What the hell am I going to do with my old Pulse? Seeing as secondhand sales in Melbourne is a matter of fiction.

@SHiBBY Keep it as a back-up. A vaper can never have too many mods!
 
E-cigarettes to be legal in Seychelles

"(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles is legalising the use of electronic cigarettes with a new regulation that will classify alternative nicotine products under the tobacco control law following the approval by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Under the new regulations, alternative nicotine delivery systems (ANDS) will be classified as tobacco products so that all provisions in the Seychelles tobacco control law will extend to their manufacture, distribution, sale and use."


http://www.seychellesnewsagency.com/articles/10599/E-cigarettes+to+be+legal+in+Seychelles
27 March 2019
 
Hawaii Kills Proposal to Ban Flavoured Vaping Products

"Earlier this week a Hawaii legislative committee dropped a proposal which was introduced last month and would have banned flavored e-liquids ... the committee deferred the bill and passed another one which would raise fines for underage possession of e-cigarettes and raise taxes on vaping products.

Rep. Scot Matayoshi said that in his opinion raising fines will help deter teens from vaping. “I don’t feel like that the rights of adults to smoke flavored e-cig liquid outweighs our obligation to protect kids from getting addicted to a substance that’s made to be addicting,” he said.

https://www.vapingpost.com/2019/04/09/hawaii-kills-proposal-to-ban-flavoured-vaping-products/

9 April 2019
 
French Tourist Arrested and Deported For Vaping

"Cecilia Cornu, who was in Phuket on holiday last January, was arrested after being caught by Karon police holding an e-cigarette whilst on a scooter with her fiancée. Cornu is claiming that after being stopped by four police officers, they demanded a B40,000 bribe, which she refused to pay.

Cornu claims that following this she was taken to the police station where once again officers tried bullying her into paying a bribe. Following this she was charged, her passport confiscated and a trial date set for the following month, making her miss her return flight home. The French woman posted a bail of B100,000 and was released on the same day pending trial.

Meanwhile, an article on Phuket News said that Karon Police Chief Col Prasarn Hankotha said that some of the claims Kornu is making are untrue. “Karon police arrested Ms Cécilia Cornu after she was seen using an e-cigarette in Karon on Jan 30. After waiting in the station for many hours while police worked on the case with her lawyer, she asked for bail which was granted at B100,000,” he explained.

On the day of the trial Cornu was convicted for the offence and says she was fined B827 (23 euros). Following this she was taken to Bangkok where she claims she spent four days and three nights in a prison cell shared with 60 other women in dire conditions where she had to sleep on a hard, dirty floor with no sheets or mattresses, before being deported to France. She added that the whole ordeal cost her a total of approximately 8,000 euros (B286,000) in legal fees and travel expenses.

Thailand ranked as worst county for vapers
A recent survey conducted at the annual Global Forum on Nicotine in Warsaw, ranked Thailand as the worst country in the world to be an e-cigarette user in, and Australia the second worst.

Asa Ace Saligupta who runs the ENDS Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ESCT) said that“Thailand has a draconian approach with tourists as well as local people regularly getting arrested for vaping. Police often search vehicles at roadblocks for e-cigarettes and then use them to extract fines. This is not just terrible for Thai smokers who want to quit but also makes it a country to avoid for the tens of millions of tourists and business people around the world who vape.”
 
Vaping in Bali and Hong Kong

Any one travelled to Bali and Hong Kong recently, checked online and Bali seems okay but Hong Kong passed a new anti vaping bill on 20 February 2019 .

The new Hong Kong Bill covers anyone who brings in, imports, makes, sells, distributes or promotes alternative smoking products. Despite major push to stamp out supply, it will still be legal to use them.

Possession of the products or any part of them for the purpose of manufacturing, sale or distribution will be subject to the same penalty. Distribution in the form of a prize or gift will also be prohibited, while cargo and people in transit will be exempted.

This new law will still allow people to smoke e-cigarettes. However anyone who uses such cigarettes in a non-smoking area will be fined about HK$1,500 or risk a court-imposed fine of HK$5,000.

If I interpret this correctly I can take my vape gear through customs into Hong Kong as long as I vape in a smoking area?
 
I would also like to know as I am going to Hong Kong in just over a week. Don't want to arrive and get all my gear confiscated!
 
Vaping in Bali and Hong Kong

Any one travelled to Bali and Hong Kong recently, checked online and Bali seems okay but Hong Kong passed a new anti vaping bill on 20 February 2019 .

The new Hong Kong Bill covers anyone who brings in, imports, makes, sells, distributes or promotes alternative smoking products. Despite major push to stamp out supply, it will still be legal to use them.

Possession of the products or any part of them for the purpose of manufacturing, sale or distribution will be subject to the same penalty. Distribution in the form of a prize or gift will also be prohibited, while cargo and people in transit will be exempted.

This new law will still allow people to smoke e-cigarettes. However anyone who uses such cigarettes in a non-smoking area will be fined about HK$1,500 or risk a court-imposed fine of HK$5,000.

If I interpret this correctly I can take my vape gear through customs into Hong Kong as long as I vape in a smoking area?

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...2/hong-kong-proposes-blanket-ban-e-cigarettes

Quote from the article:
Customs officials will be authorised to stop and search any incoming parcel, cargo, baggage or traveller. Officers from the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office under the Health Department will be able to stop a suspicious person from leaving the scene and call for police help if the person refuses to cooperate with their search.

Deputy Secretary for Food and Health Amy Yuen Wai-yin said visitors to the city would be able to voluntarily abandon their products in boxes placed at the city’s ports.

“In case a visitor doesn’t throw them away and is later found carrying an e-cigarette during the immigration check, we will tend to handle this with leniency during the early stage if the visitor cooperates and hands over the product to our officers,” she said.
 
Back
Top