Can you bring a vape into a college football game?

Vaping has become an increasingly popular trend, with many college students using pens on campuses, but can you vape at a college football game?

You should not have an issue bringing your vape pen into a college football game unless the stadium specifically prohibits it. However, with most colleges enforcing smoke-free campuses, you may not be able to smoke your vape pen inside the stadium.

After extensively researching college campus guidelines and regulations for smoking, I have gathered enough information to determine if vapes are allowed at college football games. In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the rules for bringing a vape pen into a college football stadium, and whether you will be allowed to smoke inside.

Can You Bring a Vape Into a College Football Game?

Many attendees on gameday have a hard time deciding what to do with their vape pens. With smoke-free policies becoming commonplace on college campuses, a lot of people are wondering whether they are even allowed to bring a vape pen into their school’s football stadium.

Most college football stadiums do not have rules stating that vape pens are strictly prohibited inside. At the end of the day, a vape pen on its own is a non-lethal object that should not interfere with anyone’s safety or ability to enjoy the game. 

Some attendees are concerned that the vape pen will trigger the metal detector at the entrance of the stadium, resulting in security confiscating the pen. This should not be a problem, as most security guidelines state that you cannot bring lethal objects such as knives and firearms.

With that said, each college campus is different and may have unique guidelines on vape pens that differ from the norm. To be on the safe side, always check to see what the rules are for bringing things into the stadium online, at the ticket office, or at the stadium gates. If the college campus and stadium have not set out specific regulations banning vape pens entirely, you should not have an issue bringing your pen with you to the football game.

Can You Vape at a College Football Game?

Although vape pens are generally inside college football games, using them in the stadium is usually prohibited, especially on game day. The smoke-free policies enacted on college campuses apply to school stadiums as well. 

Virtually every college in the country bans the use of electronic cigarettes and similar equipment inside stadiums. You have to consider that much like tobacco, the use of vape pens affects everyone around you. For this reason, the use of vape pens is pretty much prohibited in every academic setting. 

Why Can’t You Vape at College Football Games?

While vaping does not contain nearly as many harmful chemicals as processed tobacco, there is still nicotine in the vapor, as well as other substances that can potentially lead to respiratory illness.

People suggest that vaping does not damage the body or lungs, but this is still a relatively new way to ingest nicotine, with new studies suggesting that there are dangers to vaping. Attendees who have respiratory illnesses or other health issues can be severely affected by someone next to them emitting clouds of nicotine vapor.

With that said, aside from the potential health risks, many attendees simply don’t appreciate people vaping next to them. While some people may not mind it, many people in the crowd will. Many college football stadiums ban the use of vapes based on this principle alone.

Where Can You Vape at College Football Games?

If you are itching for a nicotine fix during a college football game, you are not alone. A lot of people feel tempted to smoke or vape and feel a bit lost about where to go. 

Unfortunately, many college football stadiums have zero tolerance for vaping and may ban it completely. This means that you may not be able to vape anywhere within the stadium or even on the outside property. 

Some colleges are more lenient and will create designated smoking and vaping areas for people to utilize, which are away from crowds and other attendees. If the college football game that you are attending is connected to a stadium with lax vaping policies, you may be able to find a smoking area. 

However, even smoking areas are becoming harder to come by. The idea of creating a ‘smoke-free’ campus is a very popular trend with colleges across the country, and they may ban vaping completely.

What is the Penalty for Vaping at a College Football Game?

Since vaping is banned at most college football stadiums in the country, there have been a lot of people violating rules related to smoking. 

To ensure that people follow policies and respect other attendees, stadiums are equipped with security to enforce regulations related to vaping. 

The penalty for getting caught vaping in a college football game where smoking is prohibited is not overly severe, but it’s still an experience you want to avoid. Security personnel are watching video cameras and they have staff on patrol, so you are taking risks if you decide to vape.

Ejected from the Stadium 

The most likely thing to happen if you are caught vaping is that you will be ejected from the stadium. This is the general policy that most colleges have in place for dealing with people who vape and break the rules. 

A security officer will tap you on the shoulder, explain the regulations, and then ask you to leave. If you do not create a scene or argue with security, this will likely be the end of it.

Pay a Fine 

Paying a fine for vaping is quite rare, but not unheard of. Many businesses have signs in place saying that smoking is prohibited and that violators will be fined “x” amount of money for violating the rules. 

The college football game that you go to may have a similar policy in place, which requires you to pay a fine for smoking on the premises. This is becoming a common occurrence these days on school campuses that have declared themselves to be smoke-free. 

How much you have to pay for the fine can vary depending on the college football game you attend. However, many colleges have smoke-free policies that charge violators at least $100 for using tobacco and e-cigarettes on campus.

Legal Complications 

Although smoking is very popular among many different age groups, there have been laws passed in recent years that have raised the legal age for vaping. While 18 was the age across the country before, in December of 2019 legislation was passed that raised the legal vaping and smoking age to 21. 

If you are vaping in a college football stadium and are under the age of 21, you are actually breaking the law. This is not a serious legal offense, but security officials may have to follow through with their duties. 

The nearest police officer will have a talk with you about the violation. The approach they take for such a minimal crime will probably not be too severe. The current legal penalty for underage vaping either requires the offender to take a two-hour education course on the effects of vaping or a $500 fine.

Warning 

College campuses are strict with their policies, but they are not unreasonable. If you are a first-time offender who vaped in a college football stadium, you may simply be let off with a warning. 

This will especially be the case for people who were vaping without understanding that it was prohibited. If you happen to get caught by a security guard in a good mood, there is a good chance that they will issue you a warning or tell you off.

Can You Bring Cigarettes to a College Football Game?

When guests visit college football games on event days, they are allowed to bring cigarettes. While the use of cigarettes as vape devices is strictly prohibited, having such items on you does not violate any rules. 

If you want to double-check this when entering the stadium, there are concession stands that can usually provide you with relevant information regarding tobacco products. College campuses commonly have smoke-free policies, but cigarettes are by no means banned entirely.

Key Takeaways 

• You should not have an issue bringing your vape pen into a college football game unless the stadium specifically prohibits it. 
• Most colleges enforce smoke-free policies and you will likely not be allowed to smoke your vape pen inside the stadium.
• You are allowed to smoke and vape at college football games if the stadium has a designated smoking area.