Leonardo DiCaprio faces vape-free Oscars

Leonardo DiCaprio was scolded by the American Lung Association after he was seen vaping at the Screen Actors Guild awards last weekend. Now he may need to find another way to wait for the announcement of the Academy’s best actor prize, after reports that e-cigarettes will not be tolerated at this year’s Oscars.

TMZ says the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is enforcing a strict no-smoking zone inside the Dolby theatre, Los Angeles, which will include vaping. Those who wish to smoke will be asked to do so in dedicated areas next to the venue.

“As we previously reported, the American Lung Association ripped Leo for vaping inside the SAG Awards last week,” states TMZ. “If he does the same on Oscar night – we’re told it WILL be a problem.”

The American Lung Association said on Monday it was “deeply troubled” by the sight of DiCaprio vaping in public, largely because it could affect the health of those around him. “Without Food and Drug Administration regulation and review, we simply don’t know what is in e-cigarettes,” the association said in a statement. “However, in initial lab tests conducted in 2009, the FDA found detectable levels of toxic, cancer-causing chemicals – including an ingredient used in antifreeze ... There is no evidence that shows e-cigarettes emissions (secondhand aerosol) are safe for non-users to inhale.”

DiCaprio is runaway favourite to take the best actor prize for his turn as a vengeful 19th-century trapper in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s western The Revenant at the Oscars ceremony on 28 February.