#532 Time To Shame The Vape

In this episode, Niall opens the phone lines and asks a hot-button question: should vaping be treated the same as smoking — with the same stigma and the same strict laws?

With vaping now seen as “cool” among younger people, it has quickly become a public health and social issue. Unlike cigarettes, many vapers have no hesitation using e-cigs in public spaces, restaurants, or even indoors — as if it’s somehow more acceptable. But is that really the case? Should we apply the same restrictions and cultural shame to vaping as we do to smoking, or is there a meaningful difference?

Listeners call in with strong opinions on both sides:

✅ Callers in favour of stricter laws and stigma:

Point out that vaping normalises nicotine addiction among teenagers.

Argue that public vaping makes it harder to quit and unfair to others.

Worry that the “harmless” image of vaping echoes the early days of cigarette marketing.

⚠️ Callers defending vaping as different from smoking:

Note that e-cigs don’t produce the same dangerous second-hand smoke.

Argue that vaping is a proven tool for quitting cigarettes.

Believe it’s an overreach to ban vaping in the same way when risks are not identical.

From public health concerns to questions of personal freedom, this episode dives deep into how society should view vaping — and whether the time has come for it to carry the same social stigma and strict laws as smoking.