If you’re a noobie to vaping you’re bound to have tons of questions about electronic cigarettes and how they work so here is our complete vaping for dummies guide!!!
The most important thing to know is that when you vape, you don’t blow smoke! This is one of the biggest reasons that so many people have chosen vaping over smoking cigarettes.
So be prepared to leave your fags (cigarettes) behind and enter the world of vaping!
What is Vaping?
A simple explanation is that “Vaping” is the act of inhaling vapor created by a personal vaporizer or electronic cigarette. There is no combustion or burning involved with vaping which means that vapers do not expose themselves to those nasty carcinogenic compounds that are found in tobacco cigarettes.
Be aware that products used for vaping can also contain nicotine so you should always read the labels carefully.
Vapor devices consist of 3 main components; a battery, an atomizer, and a cartridge (also called a tank). The atomizer is used to heat the air drawn into the device to a sufficient temperature to vaporize the e-liquid, which is held in a replaceable & refillable cartridge.
What Is An Electronic Cigarette?
Electronic cigarette is a coverall term for e-cigs or vaporizers. They are electronic devices that offer an alternative to smoking regular cigarettes. These devices create vapor instead of smoke and run on rechargeable batteries.
The batteries in a vaporizer power heating elements called atomizers. They use very low heat to vaporize the liquid ( e-juice) into a mist/vapor.
Which Kind of e-cigarette should I buy?
Sorry, but there is no blanket answer as it’s a case of “horses for courses”. The best advice we can offer is to try different models, brands, and types of e-cigs before you decide which one to buy.
Start by thinking about what kind of vaping experience you are after and go from there. If you need a familiar “hand-to-mouth” experience like a regular cigarette, you could opt for a disposable model that is activated when you take a suck.
More complex and expensive devices such as rechargeable models and vape pens feature buttons that you need to push to deliver the vapor.
What is E-juice?
E-Juice is also known as e-liquid or vape juice. This is the liquid used in vapor products to make the mist that simulates the feeling of smoking.
The ingredients of E-liquid or e-juice are propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, water, and flavorings. They can also include nicotine which is available in differing strengths from 0 to 24mg.
For your info, tobacco contains at least 80 cancer-causing chemicals before being smoked and over 4,000 on combustion (including deadly tar).
Is it safer to vape than smoke?
No products that have nicotine are 100% safe, but there is a lot of evidence from scientific studies that suggest that vaping is a lot safer than smoking conventional cigarettes.
Health experts have shown that switching to vaping can minimize health risks to less than one percent of smoking tobacco.
Is vaping cheaper than smoking?
In most cases, yes it is. But of course, there are a few factors that must be taken into consideration. The first is the price of cigarettes where you live. In Vietnam for example, a packet of 20 Marlboro costs as little as $1.08, but in Australia, they cost a whopping $19.90!
The second factor is how much you spend on vaping. For many men, vaping turns into a hobby with many of them catching the bug to collect e-cigarette products to “show off” on Instagram!
But as long as you choose the right vaping starter kit and don’t “go overboard” on your new hobby, most people can save a significant amount of money after making the change to vaping.
Is vaping a good way to quit smoking?
Many smokers that have tried vaping never felt the urge to smoke a tobacco cigarette ever again and they confidently say that they have “quit smoking”.
If nicotine is your thing, bear in mind that e-liquids contain differing amounts of nicotine, which allows you to slowly step down / reduce the amount of nicotine that you consume.
For people brand new to vaping, it is normal to choose an e-liquid that contains a higher level of nicotine. Over the following months, you can switch to lower amounts of nicotine until you get all the way down to a zero mg nicotine e-liquid.
Everyone is different but there are tons of success stories where people have quit smoking completely by reducing their nicotine consumption thanks to the flexibility that vaping allows.
Does vaping taste like cigarettes?
No, it doesn’t. Cigarettes and vaping oil are totally different. But if you choose the right e-cigarette (with a “mouth to lung delivery”), buy the right e-liquid, and get the ratio just right, it does feel similar to the act of smoking a cigarette although it does not taste the same as tobacco (which is a big bonus for most people)!
Vaping certainly mimics the action of smoking and is often preferred as the variety of flavors available is truly breathtaking. E-liquids come in a ton of flavors and tobacco is one of them. In fact, there are more tobacco-flavored e-liquid varieties than there are with normal cigarettes.
What strength of e-liquid is best for me?
The amount of nicotine is a personal choice so try different strengths first but if you’re new to vaping and coming straight from smoking cigarettes, you should go with a stronger nicotine concentration. The recommended range is from 16 to 24mg with most types of vaporizers.
As your vaping skills grow and you want to make huge clouds of vapor over a throat hit (or vice versa), you can choose lower nicotine levels such as the most popular 3mg. If your priority is your throat hit, you will need an e-liquid with a higher level of nicotine of 8+mg.
Is there much maintenance with vaping gear?
Usually, very little maintenance is required. Just keep your vaping device charged and clean it regularly.
As the coil in your device gets older, it gets weaker and produces less vapor and less flavor so make sure you keep your vaporizer and tank well-maintained. Keeping your vaping gear clean is also vital for sanitary reasons, especially if you share devices with friends.
How long does the battery last?
The answer to this question varies depending on which kind of device you choose but a general rule of thumb is that the average battery can be charged about 300 times.
As vaping devices become more advanced, the better the devices become, much like smartphones or any other kind of electronic gadget.
How old must I be to vape?
As with the legal smoking age of your respective country or state, strict laws are governing the sales and use of vaping products.
The vaping community is very much against the underage use of vaping equipment.
How much does it cost to get started with vaping?
Although the cost of starting with e-cigs is more than a packet of smokes, it’s pretty cheap! Basic kits are very affordable with prices ranging from about $20 to $80.
How do you fill a tank of an e-cigarette?
If you choose disposable models or pre-filled cartomizers, you don’t need to bother with filling the tank but to get the best variety of flavors and the most economical way to vape, you should learn how to fill up your own tanks and cartomizers with e-liquids.
If you need a tutorial, check out the many YouTube videos for hints and tips on how to refill your vaporizer’s tank along with every other aspect of vaping imaginable!
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