Home Game: How to Ban Vaping/Smoking? (3 Viewers)

[upduck]

After 2 years of allowing it, I want to enforce a new rule: no smoking or vaping indoors.

What is the best way to approach this topic with my group? I fear that I will lose some players due to the ban. Would it be hard to last an entire session without vaping?

• About 5-6 players vape regularly out of a pool of ~30 active players.
• Some friends mentioned that if I do ban it, players might try to vape secretly or in the bathroom regardless.
• I live in a high-rise apartment with no balcony and no easy outdoor access (take the elevator to the lobby). I guess they could try to vape out the window?

Thanks in advance for suggestions! (I have no experience with nicotine by the way)

 

[detroitdad]

Seriously? Just fucking tell them they can't smoke or vape. If they must take it outside. If not, find another game.

 

[GamingWithChips]

I have friends who used to vape and they couldn't stop sucking those things for 5 minutes. They've since transitioned to pouches, so maybe offer complimentary pouches the first time this rule is in place as a overly nice gesture on your part.

And if that doesn't work and they don't respect your place as a host, I agree with detroit dad, tell them to grow up and smoke outside or just don't smoke/vape at all.

 

[upNdown]

I’m a social smoker of cigarettes and weed - not every day, but certainly when the drinks are flowing. I never allow smoking of anything in my house. We’ll usually pause the game once or twice for an outdoor smoke brake and of course people can run outside whenever they want. But I won’t have any smoking of anything indoors because that’s gross.
Vaping though? Vape away whenever you want. That’s a totally different thing.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Is this a raked/for-profit game? Different answers.

If its just friends tell them what's banned and why. If they push back oh well, you can hang out outside of poker. Do whatever you want, its your game and if they can't keep their lips off their lil pens for a few hours its their problem.

If its underground, I would think more about solutions. Some people have set up vent systems near windows or other strategies. I want butts in seats for as long as possible, so think about fans or the venting to limit distractions.

 

[upduck]

Seriously? Just fucking tell them they can't smoke or vape. If they must take it outside. If not, find another game.

That's fair. I wasn't sure how controversial this topic was.

It feels like vaping is more widely accepted and tolerated these days, so I wasn’t sure if I was overreacting. No one’s really complained about it.

 

[upduck]

Is this a raked/for-profit game? Different answers.

If its just friends tell them what's banned and why. If they push back oh well, you can hang out outside of poker. Do whatever you want, its your game and if they can't keep their lips off their lil pens for a few hours its their problem.

If its underground, I would think more about solutions. Some people have set up vent systems near windows or other strategies. I want butts in seats for as long as possible, so think about fans or the venting to limit distractions.

I take a $15 seat fee on the first buy-in and provide drinks, snack, and self-deal. Other than that I would say it leans towards a friendly/home game.

 

[mikem_nyc]

After 2 years of allowing it, I want to enforce a new rule: no smoking or vaping indoors.

What is the best way to approach this topic with my group? I fear that I will lose some players due to the ban. Would it be hard to last an entire session without vaping?

• About 5-6 players vape regularly out of a pool of ~30 active players.
• Some friends mentioned that if I do ban it, players might try to vape secretly or in the bathroom regardless.
• I live in a high-rise apartment with no balcony and no easy outdoor access (take the elevator to the lobby). I guess they could try to vape out the window?

Thanks in advance for suggestions! (I have no experience with nicotine by the way)

No rooftop access? I live closer to the lobby, so my players that vape just step outside for a quick break every hour or two. No indoor vaping for my home games either due to child(ren) in the apartment.

 

[bigblind]

Vaping is allowed, no smoking in the house, we have a break
When we color up and people go outside to smoke

 

[TheYeti]

I was a heavy smoker for 30+ years. 17 years ago vaping was the only thing that worked to get me off cigs, it literally saved my life. If I can't vape at your table, I won't be at your game.

Second-hand vape is harmless, second-hand smoke is another thing altogether.

 

[mikem_nyc]

I was a heavy smoker for 30+ years. 17 years ago vaping was the only thing that worked to get me off cigs, it literally saved my life. If I can't vape at your table, I won't be at your game.

Second-hand vape is harmless, second-hand smoke is another thing altogether.

Disagree on second-hand vape’s effects if there’s child(ren) in the host’s home, a lot of studies on it already…

 

[owlbee]

Another solution might be to have your vapers pitch in for a air purifier for the poker room. Have them exhale into the intake area.

 

[Coyote]

Smoking and vaping (or heating) are two vastly different things.
Heated tobacco reduces tar intake by 95% already for the person inhaling. For bystanders it is negligible. Any odor disappears within 30 seconds of opening a window. And it does NOT sink in clothes, hair, curtains, furniture etc.

By the way, I 've just made another related post in the Home Games thread:

"One of the basic reasons I only play in my home or in friends' homes is the US-sourced, and by now global, Puritan Pilgrim non-distinction between smoking and vaping/heating in public venues. Protestants just wanna fix you.
NO relation between the two. Actually, cigarette or cigar smoke bothers me, 'cause I can't enjoy heated tobacco, and this is why I only allow smoking in the balcony (or, under the kitchen hood in winter) in my home.
In other friends' houses, where both are allowed, I can still tolerate smoke out of being nice to hosts and friends."

 

[dpeks13]

Smoking and vaping (or heating) are two vastly different things.
Heated tobacco reduces tar intake by 95% already for the person inhaling. For bystanders it is negligible. Any odor disappears within 30 seconds of opening a window. And it does NOT sink in clothes, hair, curtains, furniture etc.

By the way, I 've just made another related post in the Home Games thread:

"One of the basic reasons I only play in my home or in friends' homes is the US-sourced, and by now global, Puritan Pilgrim non-distinction between smoking and vaping/heating in public venues. Protestants just wanna fix you.
NO relation between the two. Actually, cigarette or cigar smoke bothers me, 'cause I can't enjoy heated tobacco, and this is why I only allow smoking in the balcony (or, under the kitchen hood in winter) in my home.
In other friends' houses, where both are allowed, I can still tolerate smoke out of being nice to hosts and friends."

 

[ekricket]

Another solution might be to have your vapers pitch in for an air purifier for the poker room. Have them exhale into the intake area.

Have them exhale into ballon’s or bags and take them out later.

 

[caballo993]

My cousins have a no vaping rule, so it requires multiple smoking/bathroom breaks for most of the players. Kinda kills the action at times.

When I host though smoke em if you got em, and if its of the green variety then the host gets at least a puff.

 

[GamingWithChips]

Kinda kills the action at times.

You know what it also kills? lol

And before people jump on me for “telling them what to do”, you can do what you want but smoking is completely optional and it’s an expensive killer, so you do you.

 

[Jimulacrum]

I smoked for a very long time. Just tell them they have to do it outside, even if that means a whole elevator ride downstairs (the humanity!).

They'll grumble and then deal with it like they deal with being told they have to go outside to smoke literally everywhere else they go.

All smokers know they have no real leg to stand on here. Non-smokers don't want to be around it.

The same logic applies to vaping, though you may have more traction with a fan-in-the-window solution if there's enough space to make it work. Vapor doesn't stink or cling the same way smoke does. But I promise if you do this, you'll have smokers wanting to smoke out the window too, and really it's better to just have the same rule and tell them all to go outside.

 

[grantc54]

When my game transitioned from smoking to non-smoking my player pool more than tripled. There are a lot of people who don't like smoking/vaping, you may find you have a larger selection of players.

 

[TheYeti]

The same logic applies to vaping, though you may have more traction with a fan-in-the-window solution if there's enough space to make it work. Vapor doesn't stink or cling the same way smoke does. But I promise if you do this, you'll have smokers wanting to smoke out the window too, and really it's better to just have the same rule and tell them all to go outside.

I have both vapers and smokers at my game. I allow vaping indoors but not smoking. I have never once had a smoker ask if they could smoke in my house because the vapers were vaping inside my house. People are smart enough to know there is a vast difference between the two activities. Well, most people.

 

[JWC]

Seriously? Just fucking tell them they can't smoke or vape. If they must take it outside. If not, find another game.

100%!!!

 

[chippitydoodah]

I'm sure they've had to adjust to no smoking/vaping bans at many other places already, so if they want to play poker at your place, they'll have to adjust there as well. Also, yuk! What does your place smell like after a night of poker?

 

[Jimulacrum]

I have both vapers and smokers at my game. I allow vaping indoors but not smoking. I have never once had a smoker ask if they could smoke in my house because the vapers were vaping inside my house. People are smart enough to know there is a vast difference between the two activities. Well, most people.

I would totally expect this when vaping is allowed indoors but not smoking because smokers do generally recognize a difference.

Where I think the window thing is different is that it has the appearance of almost going outside, where the point is to blow everything out of the apartment, and that's why I think smokers might try to jump on board.

Better to just make them all go outside. It really shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Depending on the crowd, I might still expect some vapers to try to sneak a hit in the bathroom.

 

[Jimulacrum]

When my game transitioned from smoking to non-smoking my player pool more than tripled. There are a lot of people who don't like smoking/vaping, you may find you have a larger selection of players.

I belong to a social club that used to be so full of smoke that your clothes and hair would stink just from being there for 10 minutes.

They finally passed a no-smoking rule a couple years ago, and now there are people who come to the club who never used to because either they are bothered by the smoke or can't be around it for health reasons.

People have tried to sneak vape hits on many occasions when it's late and the place is busy, despite outside being no more than 60 seconds of walking from any point in the club. Now there are signs all over the club saying if you're caught vaping in the club, "TEST US. YOU WILL BE BANNED." It has mostly stopped.

 

[Highli99]

If you need one, I also have a nice pdf with instructions for getting out of a wet paper bag.

 

[Coyote]

No wonder the USA's national-religious holiday is NOT the first Anglosaxon colony in the Americas, but rather the arrival of insane religious fanatics.

 

[DrStrange]

Just say no. Period. It is your home, your game. No smoking/vaping is a common situation in millions of commercial spaces. If a player can't abide by the rule, so long - not going to miss you.

I wouldn't let someone shit on my poker table either -=- DrStrang

 

[Jimulacrum]

No wonder the USA's national-religious holiday is NOT the first Anglosaxon colony in the Americas, but rather the arrival of insane religious fanatics.

Quoi?

 

[Munchies11]

After 2 years of allowing it, I want to enforce a new rule: no smoking or vaping indoors.

What is the best way to approach this topic with my group? I fear that I will lose some players due to the ban. Would it be hard to last an entire session without vaping?

• About 5-6 players vape regularly out of a pool of ~30 active players.
• Some friends mentioned that if I do ban it, players might try to vape secretly or in the bathroom regardless.
• I live in a high-rise apartment with no balcony and no easy outdoor access (take the elevator to the lobby). I guess they could try to vape out the window?

Thanks in advance for suggestions! (I have no experience with nicotine by the way)

Tell them to pack a lip ! Lol

 

[Taghkanic]

I’m all for hostly diplomacy with players, but this one seems pretty simple. Just say to them: “Sorry, guys, no more smoking or vaping indoors. I put a butt can outside the door.”