TSA Clarifies That E-Cigs Are Permitted … Except THIS One
E-cig users are often stuck in a gray area of permissibility (which we agree is slightly preferable to a knee-jerk ban), and the Transportation Security Administration (or TSA) has taken time out of snapping naked pictures of airline travelers to clarify their stance on electronic cigarettes.
Given the volatility of TSA practices, e-cig users are always fearful of taking their best gear and juices to the skies… and subsequently, the quality of vacation experiences can plummet for vapers forced to purchase an NJoy on the ground out of fear of losing their best dripper and most prized mods to TSA searches.
So a recent post on the official TSA Instagram account (which exists) is a neat barometer for vapers and e-cig users planning travel and fearing that an airline journey is a very real dice-roll for their sometimes quite expensive equipment.
As it turns out, the TSA isn’t going to confiscate your e-cig, your cartomizers, your tanks, your genny, or your mech mod, and probably not your box mod, unless…
It’s an Innokin Cool Fire 2. Yes, this particular mod has come under TSA scrutiny, and while it’s clearly a mod and tank combo, we have to reluctantly say we totally understand the TSA’s concern here:
In the Instagram post, the TSA explains:
“#TSATravelTip: #Ecig’s and #vaping devices ARE permitted in your carry-on and checked bags. Unless they look like a grenade…This #TSACatch is a grenade-shaped vaping device that was discovered in a carry-on bag at the #SaltLakeCity International Airport.”
The oft-maligned agency adds:
“If an item looks like a grenade, it is prohibited. When these items are discovered, they can cause significant delays while explosives detection professionals resolve the alarm. While E-Cigs and vaping devices are permitted in your checked and carry-on bags, using them at an airport or on an aircraft depends upon the airport, airline, and local laws.”
Okay, fair. That’s fair. On Twitter, the TSA tweeted:
RT @TSABlogTeam: #TSATravelTip: #Ecig‘s and #vaping devices ARE permitted in your carry-on and checked bags. Unless… http://t.co/5p3FAHNjup
— TSA (@TSA) July 9, 2014
Luckily, the Innokin Cool Fire 2 is the only mod that resembles a grenade so accurately, and most vapers are likely not to fall afoul of these guidelines.
That said, if you plan to travel with an e-cig and you have the Innokin device above, probably just pack a different mod. And if you have one of those custom rigs that look like brass knuckles or something else weapon like, preparing for possible confiscation is not a bad idea.
Have you passed TSA checkpoints with an e-cig?
