Surely this shouldn’t be allowed in an office?

@ByShyRaven it is very serious for someone with an existing lung condition and as the OP is new to this job I’d be interested to know if this was discussed at interview as I personally , and I’m sure lots of others with similar conditions , would not be able to work in this environment. I will also point out that we have no idea how vapes will have affected people 40/50 yrs down the line , just like when people first smoked nobody had any idea that it could leave their relatives with serious lung conditions .

In any civilised workplace there would be a clear policy on this, probably aligning the practice with that of smoking.

Do vapes/electronic cigs not come under smoking indoors legislation? You cant vape in pubs, on the bus, supermarket etc

Well, I’m very glad of where I live. They just amended our environmental legislation to state that vaping was banned in any place/situation where smoking is banned and sane restrictions apply all round. So, no way it would be allowed. Sucks you are not the same 🫤.

I think that they should have made that policy clear at interview stage. Just ask to be moved and reconsiderif it'sthe right fit for you.

Let’s not scare monger shall we? It’s not a “serious health risk”. It’s a mild annoyance.

diacetyl (the possible reason for popcorn lung) is banned in uk vapes. And even if the user had a counterfeit vape the chance of developing a chronic condition from second hand water vapour is near zero

I've had the same thing and I ignored it. Walking into a weird fruity haze of someone else's second-hand air is pretty gross. You're better off saying something now, while you're new to the office. If you leave it months to say something, it'll be more difficult to raise an issue. You'll probably find that the other non-vapers in the office will thank you for it.

I started a new job in 1995, only to discover that people were allowed to smoke at their desks. I asked for it to be stopped pretty much immediately. I was only young at the time and not senior at all, but felt my asthma was more important than keeping in favour by saying nothing.

Health comes first. And I actually don’t remember there being any issues when the smoking stopped with immediate effect. Perhaps they’d realised they had been lucky to get away with it for so long!

I’ve no idea if officially second hand vaping is considered dangerous but as someone who has emphysema due to second hand smoke ( growing up) I can only say that vapes affect me as badly if not more so than cigarettes so on that evidence I would say it’s bad for you . ( log burners/ coal fires are also as bad a trigger for me ) . Check the company policy , if there isn’t one in place speak to your manager about implementing one and ask if there is a smoke free office that you can work in for the time being

Diacetyl is banned in the UK.

But the OP still needs to look into the policy on indoor vaping as it really shouldn't be allowed.

You should ask him to please go outside or into the corridor/kitchen to vape. That is if it's definitely permitted. If it's not tell the boss.

I think it's a bit unusual for workplaces to allow this. Though I don't actually know if second hand vape is dangerous.

I would be completely taken aback to see anyone vaping in an office. I just assumed it was covered by the same rules around smoking as I've never actually seen someone doing it. It would be as shocking in my office as someone lighting up a Marlboro.

Definitely shouldn't be happening. Stick up for yourself. You at least have your seniority behind you.

Broch the subject with your boss by asking to move desks and say why..take it from there.

Isn't it pretty much all.indoors places? I'm sure you can't vape in shops/pubs/buses so.I would be really surprised if this was allowed

it's a serious health risk for you. People develop popcorn lung from vapes. It's irreversible. You need to address this ASAP and it's not unreasonable to do so.
It's not currently illegal in the UK to vape indoors but it is prohibited in most public venues

I vape (I know it's bad and want to stop) and I wouldn't dream of doing this. I wouldn't even do it in the street next to someone else.

I don't know why the stuff has to smell. My dh vapes and it doesn't smell nor does it have clouds of smoke/steam whatever it is. The only time i know he's doing it is because the bloody thing clicks every time he uses it.
I don't know what you can do without pissing them all off but good luck.

Most workplaces have changed their smoking policies to incorporate the banning of vaping on the premises. What does yours say?

You are not being dramatic. I vape but wouldn't dream of doing it in an office.

He needs to go outside.

Surely it's illegal, go to HR

Get it sorted now at the start

It's certainly not going to be as healthy as breathing in fresh air now, is it?