Many festivals prioritise their spaces on being inclusive of all, a place where we can all feel liberated. With the UK becoming more and more smoke-free, the popularisation of vaping at festivals begins to make a lot more sense. The discrete vapour from pod kits and single-use bars makes vaping a lot more tolerable for non-smokers.

Vaping doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals in its exhaled vapour, which is particularly ideal when you are squeezed into a tight spot with several other festival goers. As much as it may be slightly annoying, a strawberry-ice cream cloud floating into the wind, I’d much prefer it to a whoof of second-hand smoke from a Benson & Hedges cigarette.

I remember being at Jazz Cafe Festival last summer in the Plant Room, a section that was essentially a green house. As I listened to an artist called Qendresa, who sang about her vices and escapism habits, for the areas of the room that the smoke machine didn’t fill, the vapour clouds made up for it. The ambience of the heavy bass and thick clouds added to the overall atmosphere. I felt at one with the music.

As the night came upon us, the green room filled with dimmed red lighting as we waited for the headline act of the day, Earl Sweatshirt. Once again, vapour clouds blended seamlessly into the atmospheric scene. As this was a hip-hop/rnb event it made sense as to why it worked so well. Hip-hop has typically been a genre that celebrates self expression, individuality and authenticity. Vaping embodies these same qualities.

When attending music festivals I have noticed a wide array of vaping brands with their own stalls and sponsorship deals. It’s no surprise that vaping has woven its way into some of the biggest music festivals. Brands like Blu, JUUL, nzoVape, Vype and Logic, to name a few. Logic has embraced the festival scene with marketing strategies that resonate with audiences.

Logic had what they call a “Logic Vape Zone” at Boomtown, Reading Festival, Wireless, Lovebox, Citadel and the Secret Garden Party. These zones provide areas where festival-goers can charge their vaping devices, with staff on hand to assist. This is great as it pushes more and more vapers to bring along reusable devices as opposed to single-use bars which can be detrimental to the environment if not discarded correctly.

Festivals highlight the importance of a greener environment, which refillable vapes provide and are still many vapers' first choice. Disposable bars do have their challenges, however, many vaping brands are now drawing attention to recycling programs and eco-friendly alternatives like large-puff bars.

Music videos offer visual formats in which an artist can further tell their stories. As vaping has gained more popularity, it is slowly replacing the use of cigarettes in some videos. Music videos are reflections of the times we currently live in. With music and vaping sharing the same values like individuality, and style, it’s not a coincidence vaping appears more frequently.

Vape users often choose their device based on a reflection of their personality, For example, a builder might opt for a robust, dark-coloured mod over a delicate pink pod kit to better express their identity. In comparison, an artist vaping in a music video often does so as a personal statement as opposed to a promotional gesture.

Some may argue vaping in music videos is to target younger audiences, this is unlikely unless the artists lifestyle aligns with vaping. If an artist doesn't smoke or vape in their regular life or if it isn't attached to their brands identity, it’s unlikely that vaping will be shown in say Taylor Swifts music videos. The use of smoke in hip-hop videos however has always been a constant, it's now just being replaced with vapour.

There is no denying that the use of smoke or smoke machines has always helped create a certain atmosphere in a music video. Vape clouds can also be used to create a similar effect which works well depending on the type of mood the music in question creates.

Vaping can be shown in music videos to further add to the storytelling. Lily Allen’s ‘Hard Out Here’ music video (2013) shows the use of e-lites, which were an early innovation of e-cigarettes. The use of early e-cigarettes accentuates themes of independence and rebellion, aligning with her message of empowerment.

As a musician myself, I have used vaping in one of my own music videos. My reasoning for this was I wanted to create a music video that was filled with thick clouds to match the sounds in the song. It was also a personal choice as I had just made the switch over to vaping and didn’t want to fork out for an expensive smoke machine. For me it is also important to share each and every part of me as an artist and to not hide away from my own vices. Sharing me vaping and others was used to create a certain atmosphere as an extension of the music instead of glamorising vaping.