In 2026, many public venues, workplaces, and travel hubs have strict anti-vaping policies, but "hiding" a vape is not recommended as it can lead to significant legal or financial penalties. If you are traveling, the most important rule is that vapes and lithium batteries must be in your carry-on bag, never in checked luggage, due to fire risks. If you are trying to be discreet in public, many modern vapes are designed to look like USB flash drives, pens, or highlighters. However, "stealth vaping" (holding the vapor in so none is exhaled) is easily detected by modern IoT air-quality sensors now common in hotel rooms, airplane lavatories, and schools. These sensors can detect chemical signatures even without visible smoke. Instead of hiding it, the best practice is to use designated smoking areas. Attempting to hide a vape on a plane, in particular, is a federal offense in many countries and can result in being banned from the airline and facing fines exceeding $2,000.