This section also features a selection of the most used terms in vaping for a more in depth view please see our FAQ/Help Section
Introduction
The majority of people believe that e cigarettes have only been around for the last few years. This is not actually the case as the first e-cigarette idea was patented in 1963 but it wasn't until 2003 that Hon Lik a Chinese pharmacist and inventor came up with a process similar to what we know today after his father a heavy smoker died of lung cancer. It wasn't until late 2006 to early 2007 that e-cigarettes were exported from China.
The early days of e-cigarette use were hard, troubled times and took a great deal of patience and determination to succeed with them. It wasn't until the last few years that devices got that much better that it has made switching to an alternative a relatively easy process.
Nearly every single smoker I have seen who has been looking into switching has been very sceptical about e-cigarettes and rightly so as all that has come before it has been relatively unsuccessful but I can honestly say that e-cigarettes have taken the struggle out of it. Whether it be the hand to mouth process of inhaling or the exhale of vapour or the delivery of nicotine something feels very natural about vaping and takes the challenge out of the equation.
Why are E-cigs better than traditional tobacco?
This is very simple to answer as the main difference is that it is not tobacco and we are not burning anything. Therefore the vast majority of nasties are taken out of the equation. We cannot say that E-cigs are healthy because inhaling anything at all is not classed as healthy but what we can say is that it is far far better for you than smoking as you are cutting out the estimated 4000 ingredients that are in tobacco cigarettes and replacing it with the 4 ingredients in E-liquid.
What is E-liquid?
E-liquid is a flavoured liquid which can contain nicotine of varying levels. The user will typically set the nicotine level to what they previously smoked and then reduce that amount if they wish to not use nicotine any more.
It is a myth that nicotine is harmful, yes it is addictive but the harm in cigarettes is not from the nicotine it is from the tar and carcinogens.
E-liquid is made up of 4 ingredients typically
1. Pharma grade Propolene Glycol (PG) which is found in asthma inhalers and food.
2. Pharma grade Vegetable Glycerine (VG) which is found in food and the cosmetics industry
3. Nicotine in PG or VG
4 Flavourings usually sourced from the food and confection industry or extracted from the tobacco plant itself
Different mixtures of PG and VG are needed for each devices coils to wick correctly and not leak. Too much PG in a sub ohm kit (DTL) could lead to leaking similarly too much VG in a pen style or low wattage device (MTL) could lead to dry burnt draws.
A 70VG (70% VG) mix is common in a DTL device and a 50/50 (50%PG/50%VG) mix is recommended in a MTL tank.
What is an E-cigarette or a vape?
An e-cigarette or vape comes in many different forms but essentially it is
1. Battery
2. Tank (vessel to hold e liquid)
3. Atomizer or Coil (a coil of wire heated by the battery to evaporate the e liquid)
The batteries are generally rechargeable and the tank can be washed
The Atomizer or Coil which is the piece that does all of the work is perishable and will need replacing on a regular basis. This can be anywhere between a week and couple months dependent on usage.
There are three different types of draw when talking about vaping and this is very crucial when choosing your vape device. We have noticed that this is often where people make their mistake when they make a purchase.
Each of us smoked or vape in a certain way for us to succesfully ween ourselves away from traditional cigarettes it is important to get over our dependence on them and the best way to do that is to mimic that experience. For most people that would be a Mouth to Lung device. Like a pen style or low wattage device.
Mouth to Lung (MTL) is used to describe when the user takes the vapour into their mouth and then inhales it into the lungs. This is the most common way people vape or smoke
Direct to Lung (DTL) is used to describe when the user takes the vapour straight into the lungs bypassing the mouth. This type of draw is used to create bigger vapour clouds.
Restricted Lung Inhale is used to describe when a device is capable of both a mouth to lung inhale and a more restricted direct to lung inhale giving a best of both worlds in some peoples opinion.
Tanks are usually designed for one way or the other. The easiest way to tell is if they have large air channels they are for direct to lung and if they have small holes to let the air into the tank they are designed for mouth to lung.
There are devices that cater for a best of both worlds this is known as Restricted Direct to Lung but still requires the vapour to be taken straight to lung rather than more natural way most people smoke which is Mouth to Lung.
