What did they come from?

A version of the vaporizer has been used for a long time. The old school version of the vaporizer was called a Hookah. I'm sure a few of you have heard of it.

"Hookah 2". Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hookah_2.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Hookah_2.jpg

A Hookah is used to smoke sheesha, or a flavored tobacco.
You smoke it by adding water to the bottom of the hookah, and a piece of burning charcoal on the top, on top of a piece of coil, to heat the sheesha.
You smoke by sucking through a long tube connected at the middle of the hookah.

As you suck through the hose the smoke is drawn through the water and out the hose

Again, vaporizers are just modern and more technical versions of a hookah.

For more information check out Hookah Company

In case you have wondered...

During my time writing this blog I have only covered vaping in reference to smoking e-liquid. I'm curious as to whether you guys are aware that there are other forms of vaporizers.

I am not advising you use the other forms, but you should be aware that there are other options.

There are vaporizers that allow you to smoke other things. The other tanks have oils, wax, and dry herbs inside of the tank rather than e-liquid. These use other heating methods to allow you to smoke other substances.

For example, the oil in the tank is supposed to slowly heat he active ingredients and give you the highest dosage possible.



You can click here to go to legalbuds.com and see for youself.

And yes, they do insist that:  

"All vaporizers sold on this website are intended for legal aromatherapy use"

Stopping Vaping

Vaping is fun! Yes, we all know that.
The fact of the matter is that ideally you're supposed to eventually stop vaping as well.
Vaping is a stepping stone into stopping smoking in general.

Where does the road to stopping start?

Well the answer to that would be slowly lowering your nicotine levels.
When your ready switch from 12 to 8, then down to 6.
Below six there is 3 in some stores.

Lastly, they have 0 nicotine levels for a reason. This will clense all the nicotine out of your system while you still get to vape. That way the act of smoking can still be preformed while you aren't getting and nicotine.

For there it is only he habit of puffing on something, rather it be socially or not.
Try smoking less often, or find something to do alternatively.

Just keep in mind the lack of studies done on vaping.
You know it's better than cigarettes, but it's better to put zero harsh chemicals in your body.

Fun before it's over!

I wanted to have some fun with a post before this class was over. 

I really enjoy looking at different types of vaporizers because they come in so many different shapes and colors. 

I have two favorites that I have choosen:
One looks like an old school pipe.
The picture below shows the ends of the cigar vaporizer.
The other plugs into your I-phone and thats how it gets it power. You vape with your phone!

Batteries

Both the Mechanical Mods and the Vape Pens are ran off of batteries. I know this seems like something I wouldn't need to write about, but your options are chargers are important.

Something my boyfriend runs into a lot of chargers that stop working. Normally you buy a small $10 one to two battery charger that plugs into the wall. It stops working almost immediately. Without a battery, how are you going to vape?

My boyfriend got the best of the best charger that was around $40. It charges up to four batteries at a time, and charges them in 5 minutes. It's the Efest LUC V4 charger.

Mechanical Mods Continued.

I brought Mechanical Mods to your attention in my last post.

I mentioned that they don't have a tank, which means that you have to build it yourself!

How would someone do something like that?

The answer is with wire and cotton. When the battery connects with the atomizer it heats up the wire allowing you to vape. The cotton soaks up the liquid. The cotton is wrapped around the wire, which is wound into a coil, and you burn the liquid just like with a tank.

Again, this is kind of like using a manual car instead of an automatic.

Mechanical Mods

Alright Guys!
I wanted to show you the type of Vaporizer my boyfriend is using currently.

But FIRST - What is a mechanical mod?
You can almost think of it as switching from an automatic engine to a manual engine.

It's a Mechanical Mod called a Nemisis.

The interesting thing is that it's not exactly like the vape pens I have been showing you.
This one doesn't have a tank.
You can't drop the liquid in and vape it.

On this type of Vaporizer, there is no tank. So... What do you do?
You have to build your own tank. (Which is actually called an atomizer.)



Check out this Tutorial for a sneak peak!

E-Cigarettiquette

I found this information on the 9 Laws of E-Cigarettiquette here and thought they were really cool! Like I posted before, people who aren't using these rules are the reason vaping is being banned indoors!

9. Don't vape at the movies.
8. Don't vape at the dinner table.
7. Don't vape in an open office.
6. Don't vape in the bathroom.
5. Vaping isn't for quitters!
4. Don't vape on public transportation.
3. Cigarette smokers aren't inferior.
2. Don't vape around children.
1. Don't leave a trail of refill cartridges and wrappers laying around.
 

Where can you Vape?

Are there laws against vaping? 
When vaporizers first came out there were no laws against them. That was the exciting part! You can smoke them inside!
However, the smoke clouds that come out of these things have started bothering people. The unknown health affects also have created some concern and have sparked some laws. For example, Hong Kong has completely banned them. California is looking into having laws against smoking them inside too.

Lanyards

My boyfriend has discovered something new to use with his vaporizer. A Lanyard. 

Why would he need one?

These things are really cute and actually really helpful.


Where do you put your vaporizer when your not using it but you're out in town?

Your pocket? -No, there are a lot of germs and it risks breaking it and juice getting all over your clothes.

There are two different types of lanyards for a vaporizer.
1. Attatches to the middle of the vaporizer.
2. Holds it in a pouch.

My boyfriend likes the one that attatches to the middle so he can put it isnide his shirt and you never know he has it.

They come in all sizes and designs and colors!

Guest Post

I went to the same local store that I have been visiting and asked the owner if he would like to inform my readers about anything concerning vaping. Here is what he said:


"Depending on who you talk to, there are many important things you need to know about vaping. The first thing I like to talk about with my customers would be the miligrams of nicotine they should start out using. This varies depending on how often you smoke cigarettes.

Someone who smokes a pack or more a day probably needs to start out at 18 miligrams. This will give them the same amount of nicotine if not just a little more so that they aren't craving that cigarette.

For someone who smokes less than a pack you probably want to start at 12 miligrams. That's where I start most of my customers. The goal is to gradually decrease the miligrams you need til you hit 0 miligrams. Then it's just about dropping the habit of wanting to smoke something, rather it be socially or just from doing it for so long."

Aaron

Warning Labels - Cigarettes

I know you have all seen it. There is a warning label every
single pack of cigarettes in the United States.

They have recently started adding pictures of people passed away, diseased lungs, etc on the packages. The government has to let you know what you are getting into by smoking cigarettes.

I continuously ask myself how someone can look at these pictures and still light up a cigarette. 

Warning labels on cigarettes include pictures, as well as writing that explicitly tells you that there is a strong chance you will get cancer, or have other health issues that result in death from smoking them.

Replacable parts of your Vape Pen

When you get your first Vaporizer, you usually start with a Vape Pen. I have previously posted a picture of one and explained ir simply. 

A Vape Pen has many different parts, some of which you end up replacing. The more you use your Vaporizer, or Vape Pen, the more wore out it gets and you have to start replacing parts. It's basically like a car, except the parts are a lot cheaper.

Vape Pens run off of a rechargable battery. Therefore you will eventually have to replace the charger as well as the battery. - $10

Vape Pens use a wick, which soaks up the nicotine so you can smoke (vape) it.The wick is the part you probably will replace the most. -$3

The nicotine is held in a part called the tank. It is not often replaced. -$5-10 

Vape Pens also come with an atomizer, which you can buy for about $10

Keep in mind there are many different kinds of Vape Pens and Vaporizers.

 Check out more prices at GotVape

Warning Labels - Vaping

(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Now that I have written about the warning labels we all know about on the cigarettes. What are the warning labels on vaporizers? 

Maybe it's because there is so little known about the effects of vaping, but there are only  two warnings associated with vaporizers.

These are that nicotine is addictive, and that nicotine is a poison. 

Are we still asking ourselves which one is worse?

Medical Concerns?

Is Vaping safe?
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer from Medicine Matters gives her take on the subject.

As I have mentioned previously, one of the ingredients in the liquid used for vaping is polyethylene glycol. This chemical is used for theatrical smoke, but it is also an FDA approved additive in foods that can also be found in deodorants, moisturizers, and toothpaste.

"The new study in Tobacco Control analyzed vapors from a dozen brands and also found some toxic substances, but at levels 9 to 450 times lower than in regular cigarette smoke, implying that vaping may be safer than smoking."

Dr. Sandra Fryhofer concludes by saying some of the e-liquid brands have traces of other bad chemicals and that there is no conclusive data on the risks. More studies have to be completed.

 I won't directly state my opinion of which is worse. Instead I'll give you a list of some of the 7,000 ingredients that are in cigarettes. Which I might also add that 69 of those chemicals are directly linked to cancer...

From the American Lung Association
Here are a few of the chemicals in tobacco smoke, and other places they are found:

• Acetone – found in nail polish remover
• Acetic Acid –  an ingredient in hair dye
• Ammonia – a common household cleaner
• Arsenic – used in rat poison
• Benzene – found in rubber cement
• Butane – used in lighter fluid
• Cadmium – active component in battery acid
• Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes
• Formaldehyde – embalming fluid
• Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid
• Lead – used in batteries
• Naphthalene – an ingredient in moth balls
• Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel
• Nicotine – used as insecticide
• Tar – material for paving roads
• Toluene - used to manufacture paint

Just how many are there?

I'm talking about Vape Shops. Just how popular has vaping become? 

Maybe if you stopped in one of the stores one day vaping would catch your interest too. 

Here is a list of all the stores in the surrounding area. Did you know there were so many?

To check out a list of stores and their locations you can visit E-Cigarette Vendors

Vape Solution

The Vape Shop

Vaping Xtreme

Fox Hole Vape Shop

Carolina E-Cigs

The Vape Loft

http://www.celticvapesllc.com/photos.html

Juice Menu

Probably the most enticing parts of vaping is being able to pick a flavor. The fun part is that you don't have to stick to just one. They have flavors that are just like a cigarette, and they have flavors that taste like certain foods, and they have flavors that don't really make sense at all.

I went to a local store and here are the flavors they had to choose from which they refer to as their "Juice Menu":

Andromeda - Sweet tasty pomegranates and perfectly blended with an unforgettable taste of blueberries mashed with a creamy flavor.
Astro - The fruit vape you've been looking for.    Apples and strawberries join forces in this tantalizing flavor.

Eclipse - Semi-sweet tobacco mix with salted cream.
Omega - Is a sophisticated blend of spiced peaches and sweet cream that will take you out if this world.

http://www.celticvapesllc.com/photos.html

​Pluto - Is our newest creation.    Wait till you try this refreshing melon and bubble gum

Starship 1 - ​Is a decadent vanilla custard topped with ripe tropical kiwi.

Afterglow - A sweet amd slightly tropical feeling, blend of pineapple, watermelon, and strawberry.

Brawndo - Mango, peach amd a hint of lime... It's got what vapers crave.

Chakra - A moist and delicious pineapple upside down cake

Blue Heaven - Blueberries and cream

Enlightenment - A complex Fruit blend with honeydew melon as the main attraction.
Jerry bears - Strawberry gummy bears

Peachy Keen - Peaches and cream

Yin Yang - Cool menthol and red hot cinnamon

Mandala -  Pomegranate, kiwi, and marshmallow
Meditation -This cool and clean key lime pie flavor will keep you centered.
Tao - Raspberry, pomegranate, and honey dew.

Actually, I'm going to stop right there. If you want to see the full menu, just click on "Juice Menu" above and it'll take you straight to their site!

Nicotine

What are you inhaling out of the vaporizer?

The answer to that is nicotine.
One thing to always keep in mind is that nicotine is a poison.
Numerous children and adults have been poisoned from the liquid you put in vaporizers.


When you buy a vaporizer you routinely fill it up with liquid.
The liquid is a mixture of propylene glycol with food safe coloring.
The liquid contains different levels of nicotine. You can buy liquid with anything from no nicotine to 24 mg/ml.

Keep in mind that the
average amount of nicotine in a cigarette is around 9 to 16 mg depending on what type of cigarette you smoke.

The fun thing about vaporizers is that the liquids come in different flavors as well. There are so many that I couldn't even list a fraction of them on this post. I will get into that as well as nicotine safety later!

FIRST.. Let's go over the basics.

I want to start by describing what you are seeing in the picture to your right. On the left you see an ordinary cigarette. In the middle you see an Electronic Cigarette/E-cigarette. Last you see a Vaporizer. For this particular blog we will be describing a Vaporizer as shown in the picture.

What is "Vaping?"

Vaping is defined is the act of inhaling vapor from E-cigarettes. Instead of smoking cigarettes
and inhaling smoke, you are inhaling vapor from the
E-cigarette, thus coining the term vaping.