7 Things You Need To Know About Vaping
As society continues to evolve, so does our means of entertainment and recreation. Technology has crept its way into our lives, and wherever we go, we are reminded that the world has immensely changed because of these new machines.
And it doesn’t stop on smartphones and MacBooks alone. Cigarettes and the traditional smokes are now slowly replaced with a handful of nifty tech. With continuous health warnings and restrictions imposed on cigarettes, many had turned to vape as a better alternative.
But what makes vaping different from those we’ve grown up with to those who aren’t familiar? Is it merely due to the change of times, or does it really have benefits to offer?
The Invention of E-Cigarettes
Vaping has been around since the early 1900s but wasn’t popularized until the mid-2000s when a Chinese company called Hon Link created the first modern e-cigarette. Since then, the industry has exploded with all types of popular vaping devices, ranging from large box mods to discrete thumb-drive sized devices.
What Is Vaping?
“Vaping” is the blanket term for any person inhaling and exhaling the aerosol/vapor byproduct of e-juice through an e-cigarette. E-cigarettes have vastly changed since the term was first coined in 2007, and refers to any vaping device.
A vape can be a slim pen-style mod that looks like a thin cigarette-like device (Logic devices), a thumb-drive device (Juul), or a box mod (usually an external battery-powered box mod with a 3-8mL vape e-liquid tank screwed on to the top). These devices can vary in price, from the relatively low price of $20 for a Logic device or a whopping $100-$150 device for a Smok box mod.
How E-Cigarettes Work
Each device is powered by either a single or double battery. The battery is either internal, which can be recharged via a micro USB cord, or external, and can be taken out and charged in a safe battery charger.
The batteries in these devices power up the heating element, allowing the vape’s e-liquid to burn from a liquid to a gas, creating a thick, puffy cloud. E-liquid passes through a cotton atomizer, also known as a coil, allowing users to inhale and exhale a cloud of aerosol, also known as “vapor.”
What’s Vaping E-Liquid?
Vape e-liquid is a fascinating concept consisting of unlimited amounts of flavors, ranging from sweet and fruits, desserts and menthols, to tobacco flavors. However, no actual tobacco is used (think of it as the taste of tobacco).
These vape e-liquids are simple enough and can be made at home since it only requires a handful of ingredients. However, due to the amount of work and time needed to make one, most vapers are content to purchase their favorite flavors in a vape shop, along with the best vape pod they can find.
The vape e-liquid is made from a ratio of VG (vegetable glycerin), PG (propylene glycol), a percentage of nicotine (0MG, 3 MG, 6MG are the most common), and flavorings (blue raspberry, chocolate chip cookie, strawberry milkshake, guava, and lychee, etc.).
A growing number of vape shops also sell THC-free CBD products that carry the relaxing and pain-relieving elements of marijuana and without the hallucinogenic effects of THC naturally found in pot.
Cons of Vaping: The Juul
Vaping, like alcohol, is restricted to a specific age group, namely people over 21. Unfortunately, many gas stations and convenience stores are lax about verifying the ID of every person who buys their products. This has resulted in a nationwide problem of underage teens getting their hands on a device intended only for responsible adults.
When the Juul was first presented to the market, several of the e-juice pods came in enticing flavors like mango, fruit medley, and crème brûlée. To address the problem vaping has imposed on the youth, Juul halted production of the three flavors mentioned above, leaving Juul users with only two bland options: tobacco and mint.
The Amount of Nicotine In Vaping E-Liquid: The Juul
Juul pods are a form of nic-salt e-liquids created to be an easier alternative for smokers looking to kick the habit. Each Juul pod contains around 35-50 MG of nicotine, nearly the same amount of nicotine in an entire pack of cigarettes.
While heavy smokers greatly appreciate the high nicotine content and sweet flavors, it becomes detrimental in the hands of an underaged teen. As a result, vaping has gotten itself a bad rap, simply due to the carelessness of convenience stores and gas stations.
What Vaping Means For You
As America is pulling itself out of the long and tedious quicksand of smoking, vaping seems to have been sucked in as well, albeit unfairly. A simple phrase to remember is, “If you smoke, it’s better to vape. If you don’t smoke, it’s better if you don’t vape.”
Vaping, in itself, is not a bad thing. But like alcohol, driving a car, and even owning a credit card, without proper self-control and moderation, even the most simple things can become toxic.
Takeaway
Vaping is still in its infancy, being a mere 12-year old invention. There is still much to learn about what vaping is and how it can be improved. However, it is an exciting journey fraught with many advantages as well as disadvantages.
