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People who work from home could soon be breaking the law if they use an e-cigarette while in their own house.

‘Vaping’ while working in your lounge or bedroom outside of nine-to-five hours could result in a fine if a radical bill is passed – and it will also apply to priests and vicars in their official residences.

The Welsh Government hope to bring the use of e-cigarettes and vaping into line with the current smoking ban by the end of 2016 – including banning their use in workplaces.

This would mean people working from home would be barred from using the devices – but only in certain rooms and between working hours.

Welsh Tories and Lib Dems have blasted the rules – which would be policed by local council officers – as “unenforceable” and none of the Government’s business.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford said a court would decide if receiving one work phone call or checking emails in your lounge after hours was breaking the law.

A Tory spokesperson said: “The measures on e-cigarettes relating to the home as a working environment are unenforceable.

“Quite how this Government plans to police home workers under this legislation is anyone’s guess and, frankly, none of their business.”

(Image: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Leader of the Welsh Lib Dems Kirsty Williams said the scenarios showed how “difficult” the rules would be to enforce.

Ms Williams said: “The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to fight against these ridiculous and ill-thought out proposals.

“We believe in taking an evidence-based approach, rather than Labour’s attitude of banning things just for the sake of it.”

Will you be able to ‘vape’ in your home?

The Public Health (Wales Bill) does not ban the use of e-cigarettes and vaping in people’s homes or in prisons.

But if you work from home during working hours you will not be able to use the devices as they will be banned in workplaces.

But Prof Drakeford has set out a series of scenarios where a court could decide you are breaking the law in your own home.

1) A member of the clergy working from home, working ‘indefinable’ hours given the nature of the work, would not be able to vape in the room they are working.

2) If you work from home between 9-5pm and take a work call in your lounge at 8pm or check emails every 15 minutes your lounge could be classed as a workplace – so the ban would apply.

3) If your workplace is a studio flat you won’t be able to ‘vape’ at all in your home during working hours.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The Bill sets out that workplaces are smoke-free all of the time, with the exception of homes which are used as workplaces.

“Where part of a home is used as a workplace, it is only to be smoke-free when used as a place of work.

“This is a change to the current position under the Health Act 2006, which outlines that parts of dwellings that are also workplaces must be smoke-free all of the time.

“The owner or occupier of a home that is a workplace would be permitted to smoke or use a nicotine inhaling device when the premises are not being used as a place of work and are not open to the public.”