Actors’ Equity Guidelines for Stage Cigarette Props
Productions working under an Actors' Equity Association agreement may use smoking effects only in accordance with the applicable Equity requirements. Actors' Equity's current guidance expressly includes a category for "E-Cigarettes, Vape Pens, and Similar Products (Glycols and Glycerol Only)."
Stage Props filters contain only propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). They contain no nicotine, tobacco, flavorings, colorings, or other additives. Stage Props is therefore designed to match the material scope of this AEA/Ramboll category.
Important: Stage Props does not claim that its products are individually "AEA-approved." Actors' Equity's published guidance addresses a category of products and the way they are used. Each producer or theater remains responsible for its applicable Equity agreement, current AEA requirements, reporting, venue rules, blocking, and production-specific assessment.
The Short Answer
Actors’ Equity’s official Smoke and Haze FAQ states that any e-cigarette, vape pen, or similar product, including an e-cigar or e-pipe, may be used when the actual use follows the Time-and-Distance chart established for that category.
For products containing glycols and glycerol only, the current chart shows:
Duration of Draw
Exhale Intensity
Distance From User
Wait Time After the Effect
1–4 seconds
Weak or strong
1, 2, or 3 ft
0 seconds
5 seconds
Weak or strong
1 ft
30 seconds
5 seconds
Weak or strong
2 or 3 ft
0 seconds
Stage Props recommends a maximum draw duration of 2 seconds. Longer durations are shown only because they appear in the official AEA/Ramboll table; they are outside Stage Props’ recommended operating practice.
Source: Actors’ Equity Association/Ramboll, Theatrical Smoke, Fog, and Haze Testing — Time and Distance Guidelines, updated April 2024, page 89.
What “Time and Distance” Means
The table considers three practical factors:
Draw duration: how many seconds the performer draws on the product.
Exhale intensity: whether the visible effect is exhaled weakly or strongly.
Distance: how close another person is to the user when the effect is released.
The stated wait time is the average time after which the measured airborne concentration was below the guideline level at the listed distance. A wait time of zero seconds means that, under the tested conditions, the concentration was below the guideline level at that distance when the effect began.
It does not mean that the product has received an individual safety certification or product approval.
How This Relates to Stage Props
Stage Props is a draw-activated professional stage cigarette prop. Its replacement filters contain only:
Propylene glycol (PG)
Vegetable glycerin (VG)
They contain:
No nicotine
No tobacco
No flavorings
No colorings
No other additives
The product creates a visible effect that is exhaled by the performer. Because its composition and use correspond to the material and draw-and-exhale scope described in AEA’s “similar products” category, this is the relevant published chart for a production to review.
Practical Stage Props Guidance
For productions applying the published chart, Stage Props recommends:
Use short, controlled draws of 1–2 seconds.
Do not direct the exhaled effect toward another performer.
Do not require deep inhalation.
Keep draw duration, blocking, and exhale direction consistent in rehearsal and performance.
Treat a 5-second draw as a special case: the chart states a 30-second wait time at 1 ft, but zero seconds at 2 ft and 3 ft.
Do not plan draws longer than 5 seconds without separate review; they are not covered by this table.
Review repeated draws, multiple effects, and any simultaneous smoke or haze effects with the production’s Equity representative.
What the Chart Does Not Establish
The Ramboll notes state that testing was limited to glycols and glycerol and to secondhand exposure after the effect was exhaled. The amount inhaled directly by the user was not measured.
The chart therefore does not establish:
An individual AEA approval of Stage Props
A general health or safety certification
The performer’s direct inhalation exposure
Permission under every venue policy or local rule
Automatic compliance for repeated, longer, combined, or differently staged effects
Production Responsibilities
Before using Stage Props in an Equity production, the producer or theater should:
Confirm which Equity agreement and rules apply.
Review the current AEA Smoke and Haze Regulations and FAQ.
Document the product composition.
Identify every draw or smoking cue.
Confirm draw duration, distance, blocking, and exhale direction.
Determine whether repeated use or other simultaneous effects require air sampling or additional review.
Comply with AEA reporting and callboard notice requirements where applicable.
Confirm venue, fire-safety, and local requirements.
Contact the production’s Equity Field Representative when clarification is required.
Is Stage Props “AEA-Approved”?
No individual product approval is claimed.
AEA’s published FAQ states that any e-cigarette, vape pen, or similar product may be used when its actual use follows the applicable category chart. Stage Props provides its composition and practical operating information so that the producer, theater, and Equity representative can evaluate the planned use against that guidance.
