Are you a smoker if you vape, for travel insurance?

sylviesinc

My husband has pre existing medical conditions so has to answer a load of extra questions for travel insurance. One of the questions is whether his smokes. He stopped over 10 years ago but lately has started vaping with nicotine liquid which is a lot healthier, and produces no smoke at all, yet he is still required to declare that he smokes! How can this be fair? Could it be challenged in court? Where do the insurance companies get their definition of a "smoker" from?

System

As he is still taking nicotine into the body then he is still being affected by the toxic effects of it and hence the health risk is still elevated.

Torry_Quine

He's still a 'smoker' as nicotine is still being used.

After 10 years what made him start again?

starrystarry

sylviesinc wrote: »

My husband has pre existing medical conditions so has to answer a load of extra questions for travel insurance. One of the questions is whether his smokes. He stopped over 10 years ago but lately has started vaping with nicotine liquid which is a lot healthier, and produces no smoke at all, yet he is still required to declare that he smokes! How can this be fair? Could it be challenged in court? Where do the insurance companies get their definition of a "smoker" from?

They can get their definition of a "smoker" from wherever they want to get it from. They can charge smoker rates if you once shared a lift with someone who smokes, if they want to do. If you don't like their terms, just take your business elsewhere.

lisyloo

As he is still taking nicotine into the body then he is still being affected by the toxic effects of it

I don't think this is correct.
There is no toxic effect of nicotine.
It's tobacco not nictoine that contains the bad toxins.

I think you need to ask the insurer for their defintion of "smoker".

kingstreet

Life offices have something like this, in their question;-

Have you smoked in the
last 12 months?

A smoker is anyone who has used
any form of tobacco or nicotine
replacement products in the last
12 months.

Other types of insurance may have a similar question in their application.

zygurat789

lisyloo wrote: »

I don't think this is correct.
There is no toxic effect of nicotine.
It's tobacco not nictoine that contains the bad toxins.

I think you need to ask the insurer for their defintion of "smoker".

You couldn't be more wrong.
Nicotine is a deadly poison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
It is the burning of everything in a cicarette which produces tars that cause lung cancer

starrystarry

Regardless of the effect of the nicotine, someone who uses e-cigs with nicotine or any other nicotine replacement product is more likely to smoke real cigarettes than someone who doesn't use nicotine products. If they're still using nicotine they haven't really kicked the habit.

There's a bloke I know who uses e-cigs. If he ever forgets it, or runs out of cartridges (or whatever they're called), he just smokes normal cigs instead for the evening.

Tigsteroonie

I would advise the insurance company that he does not smoke but instead uses nicotine replacement products. Let them decide whether that is a risk factor or not.

magpiecottage

lisyloo wrote: »

I don't think this is correct.
There is no toxic effect of nicotine.

It is considered more toxic than, say, cocaine and also increases blood pressure.

oneeye1

zygurat789 wrote: »

You couldn't be more wrong.
Nicotine is a deadly poison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
It is the burning of everything in a cicarette which produces tars that cause lung cancer

you couldnt be more wrong

everything including water is a deadly poison,its about how much you take