For those of you that don't know, I am or was a very heavy smoker. I smoked a pack a day on the weekdays and if I was driving or drinking, or in a heavy converstation I could easily double that. I recently discovered electric cigs and am extremely impressed and reccomend it to all smokers. Heres a little write up I put together.
Introduction to vaping
You may be asking yourself what the hell is “vaping”. Vaping is a cheap, safe and more accepted way of getting your nicotine versus smoking, chewing or dipping. Vaping is a pretty simple concept. A personal vapor (electronic cigarette) is used to turn liquid containing nicotine into a vapor which is inhaled as you would a regular cigarette. I stumbled upon electronic cigarettes at my local convenience store and figured I’d give it a try. It cost me $25 for a kit containing 5 nicotine cartridges, a rechargeable battery, an atomizer, and a battery charger that hooks right into any USB port. First thing I noticed when I tried it was the taste was a lot better than smoke and I still got the “throat hit” that a regular cigarette gives me. I became very interested and started doing some research and some math and quickly knew that this was going to be my ending of a 10 year habit of smoking a pack a day of Parliament Light 100s
Electronic Cigarettes:
They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and from all different companies all over the world. Some look like cigarettes and even have a reddish color led light at the end. These help you blend in with the rest of the smokers if you don’t want to be asked a million questions. There are others that do not resemble cigarettes at all, these are for those that wish not to be included with the smokers. They all have similar parts though and are bases off of the same concept. First you have the battery which is usually in stock trim a 3.2 volt rechargeable battery. These batteries are turned on and off one of two ways. An automatic sensor that senses noise or air movement or by a button that you push on while taking a “puff”. This provides power to the atomizer. As convient as the automatic batteries may sound, they have proven themselves troublesome over the time that I had them. A regular battery does not last through out a day so 2 or maybe even 3 are needed depending on your habit. (now this is not always the case I’ll get into that later) The atomizer is nothing more than a resistor that heats up as it is powered. The atomizer has a bridge that sits in the filler material of the cartridge that holds the nicotine liquid. The atomizer, as it heats up wicks the liquid like an oil candle and when heated it turns into a mist/vapor that you are inhaling and exhaling. The cartridge is a small plastic piece that holds the liquid within a filler material and also keeps you from taking in a mouthful of liquid. The liquid is available in all different strengths from 0 milligrams up to 36 mg. Depending on what you smoke depends on what you get. Best bet is to start with something in the middle such as an 18 mg. The liquid that is used as a base either contains some or 100% of these liquids. Propylene Glycol and or Vegetable Glycerin. Propylene Glycol (PG) is the same substance used to make “smoke” with smoke machines at concerts and Halloween gigs. Vegetable Glycerin (VG ) is nothing more than an extract of vegetables and herbs. It is thick like syrup and sort of sweet. The liquid nicotine is based on 99% nicotine so it has to be cut with something that something being VG or PG. there is also flavoring. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of different flavors, from your favorite dinner, to bubble gum, onto tobacco flavors. Being a smoker I instantly went tobacco flavors but it did not take long to realize that tobacco doesn’t really have a good taste and I started experimenting with other flavors.
Health:
There have been tests performed on this but nothing “official”. Doctors all over will tell you that it is safer than cigarette smoke. All tests have proved of nothing harmful. There is only 4 chemicals here compared to the THOUSANDS that they ADD to tobacco. There is no Tar, No Fiberglass, and no CO. Even second hand “vapor” has proven not to be dangerous (when I go into freedom I’ll get into this more). I started noticing my senses of smell and taste strengthening quite a bit. You are also pretty much taking Lung cancer and Emphysema out of the picture. If you wean yourself down to a 0 mg you also can use this as a tool to quit nicotine all together.
Cost:.
For a good set up that will give you good quality and quantity you are looking at forking out about $100 in all supplies. It is important NOT to get a cheap piece of crap like I did for the first one. Problems and battery life will probably scare you away. Another thing to keep in mind is that companies want you to buy cartridges that are pre-filled with liquid. They make good money on this because you keep buying cartridges off of them and also keep buying liquid( Liquid costs cents to make). By buying pre-filled cartridges you are probably not going to save any money at all. This is where other not so stingy suppliers come in handy. You can buy the liquids pre-made!!!. A cartridge takes about 8 drips of liquids to refill which equals out to about a half a milliliter. I go through about 2 cartridges a day which equals out to 1 ml a day. I bought a 120 ml bottle of pre-made liquid for $30. This equals out to $.25 a day compared to $7.85 a day. $2900is what I was paying for a year of smoking compared to about $95 a year that I’ll pay to “Vape” THIS EQUALS TO A YEARLY SAVINGS OF $2805!!!!!!! Now another thing to keep in mind is you can make your own liquids which I’m about to start doing. This will probably cost me somewhere in the neighbor hood of $30 a year!!!
Freedom:
Unlike a cigarette. A vaporizer produces a vapor that is not harmful. Due to this, they are allowed in public places as of now. Think, you can now to bars and get your nicotine and even some employers are cool with it, because it no longer requires cigarette breaks at a designated smoking area. It also is not as frowned upon, because there is no ash or cigarette butt. There is no CO (Carbon Monoxide) released so it is also better for the environment. There is nothing burning, no smoldering tobacco or open flame to ignite it. I personally do not like to use it publicly yet. There are still going to be ignorant people out there that have nothing better in their lives than to bitch and cry even after you explain what you are breathing out is harmless and there is no smoke for them to breathe in. I personally do not have the patience for people as mentioned above so I still hide it.
My recommendations:
The most common e cig out there is the “510 model”. It comes with many different names from many different companies. It is about 8mm longer than a regular “100 “cigarette. I have bought 3 of these kits in total for my girlfriend and myself The battery life sucks. If I use my cig like I would a regular cig I get no more than ¼ of a day out of a battery. I have also gone through 2 atomizers as well in a relatively quick period. These are good pieces if you have extra batteries and atomizers to bring with you. They produce great vapor and are very, very simple. I just recently placed an order on what is called an “E-go” These have thousands of reviews out there and all are at a minimum of good. What an Ego is, is a glorified 510. It has a bigger battery that lasts a regular user a full day without having to recharge. It still takes 510 cartridges and atomizers. With the bigger battery it is no longer looking like a regular cigarette. This is fine by me, because at this point people will realize I’m not smoking a cigarette, and all I have to do is charge a battery and fill a couple cartridges and I’ll be ready for the day. I highly recommend not to buy anything from your local mall or store. I would order over the internet. There are hundreds of companies out there with excellent reviews and competitive pricing.
By all means if anyone has any questions feel free to ask me
Introduction to vaping
You may be asking yourself what the hell is “vaping”. Vaping is a cheap, safe and more accepted way of getting your nicotine versus smoking, chewing or dipping. Vaping is a pretty simple concept. A personal vapor (electronic cigarette) is used to turn liquid containing nicotine into a vapor which is inhaled as you would a regular cigarette. I stumbled upon electronic cigarettes at my local convenience store and figured I’d give it a try. It cost me $25 for a kit containing 5 nicotine cartridges, a rechargeable battery, an atomizer, and a battery charger that hooks right into any USB port. First thing I noticed when I tried it was the taste was a lot better than smoke and I still got the “throat hit” that a regular cigarette gives me. I became very interested and started doing some research and some math and quickly knew that this was going to be my ending of a 10 year habit of smoking a pack a day of Parliament Light 100s
Electronic Cigarettes:
They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and from all different companies all over the world. Some look like cigarettes and even have a reddish color led light at the end. These help you blend in with the rest of the smokers if you don’t want to be asked a million questions. There are others that do not resemble cigarettes at all, these are for those that wish not to be included with the smokers. They all have similar parts though and are bases off of the same concept. First you have the battery which is usually in stock trim a 3.2 volt rechargeable battery. These batteries are turned on and off one of two ways. An automatic sensor that senses noise or air movement or by a button that you push on while taking a “puff”. This provides power to the atomizer. As convient as the automatic batteries may sound, they have proven themselves troublesome over the time that I had them. A regular battery does not last through out a day so 2 or maybe even 3 are needed depending on your habit. (now this is not always the case I’ll get into that later) The atomizer is nothing more than a resistor that heats up as it is powered. The atomizer has a bridge that sits in the filler material of the cartridge that holds the nicotine liquid. The atomizer, as it heats up wicks the liquid like an oil candle and when heated it turns into a mist/vapor that you are inhaling and exhaling. The cartridge is a small plastic piece that holds the liquid within a filler material and also keeps you from taking in a mouthful of liquid. The liquid is available in all different strengths from 0 milligrams up to 36 mg. Depending on what you smoke depends on what you get. Best bet is to start with something in the middle such as an 18 mg. The liquid that is used as a base either contains some or 100% of these liquids. Propylene Glycol and or Vegetable Glycerin. Propylene Glycol (PG) is the same substance used to make “smoke” with smoke machines at concerts and Halloween gigs. Vegetable Glycerin (VG ) is nothing more than an extract of vegetables and herbs. It is thick like syrup and sort of sweet. The liquid nicotine is based on 99% nicotine so it has to be cut with something that something being VG or PG. there is also flavoring. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of different flavors, from your favorite dinner, to bubble gum, onto tobacco flavors. Being a smoker I instantly went tobacco flavors but it did not take long to realize that tobacco doesn’t really have a good taste and I started experimenting with other flavors.
Health:
There have been tests performed on this but nothing “official”. Doctors all over will tell you that it is safer than cigarette smoke. All tests have proved of nothing harmful. There is only 4 chemicals here compared to the THOUSANDS that they ADD to tobacco. There is no Tar, No Fiberglass, and no CO. Even second hand “vapor” has proven not to be dangerous (when I go into freedom I’ll get into this more). I started noticing my senses of smell and taste strengthening quite a bit. You are also pretty much taking Lung cancer and Emphysema out of the picture. If you wean yourself down to a 0 mg you also can use this as a tool to quit nicotine all together.
Cost:.
For a good set up that will give you good quality and quantity you are looking at forking out about $100 in all supplies. It is important NOT to get a cheap piece of crap like I did for the first one. Problems and battery life will probably scare you away. Another thing to keep in mind is that companies want you to buy cartridges that are pre-filled with liquid. They make good money on this because you keep buying cartridges off of them and also keep buying liquid( Liquid costs cents to make). By buying pre-filled cartridges you are probably not going to save any money at all. This is where other not so stingy suppliers come in handy. You can buy the liquids pre-made!!!. A cartridge takes about 8 drips of liquids to refill which equals out to about a half a milliliter. I go through about 2 cartridges a day which equals out to 1 ml a day. I bought a 120 ml bottle of pre-made liquid for $30. This equals out to $.25 a day compared to $7.85 a day. $2900is what I was paying for a year of smoking compared to about $95 a year that I’ll pay to “Vape” THIS EQUALS TO A YEARLY SAVINGS OF $2805!!!!!!! Now another thing to keep in mind is you can make your own liquids which I’m about to start doing. This will probably cost me somewhere in the neighbor hood of $30 a year!!!
Freedom:
Unlike a cigarette. A vaporizer produces a vapor that is not harmful. Due to this, they are allowed in public places as of now. Think, you can now to bars and get your nicotine and even some employers are cool with it, because it no longer requires cigarette breaks at a designated smoking area. It also is not as frowned upon, because there is no ash or cigarette butt. There is no CO (Carbon Monoxide) released so it is also better for the environment. There is nothing burning, no smoldering tobacco or open flame to ignite it. I personally do not like to use it publicly yet. There are still going to be ignorant people out there that have nothing better in their lives than to bitch and cry even after you explain what you are breathing out is harmless and there is no smoke for them to breathe in. I personally do not have the patience for people as mentioned above so I still hide it.
My recommendations:
The most common e cig out there is the “510 model”. It comes with many different names from many different companies. It is about 8mm longer than a regular “100 “cigarette. I have bought 3 of these kits in total for my girlfriend and myself The battery life sucks. If I use my cig like I would a regular cig I get no more than ¼ of a day out of a battery. I have also gone through 2 atomizers as well in a relatively quick period. These are good pieces if you have extra batteries and atomizers to bring with you. They produce great vapor and are very, very simple. I just recently placed an order on what is called an “E-go” These have thousands of reviews out there and all are at a minimum of good. What an Ego is, is a glorified 510. It has a bigger battery that lasts a regular user a full day without having to recharge. It still takes 510 cartridges and atomizers. With the bigger battery it is no longer looking like a regular cigarette. This is fine by me, because at this point people will realize I’m not smoking a cigarette, and all I have to do is charge a battery and fill a couple cartridges and I’ll be ready for the day. I highly recommend not to buy anything from your local mall or store. I would order over the internet. There are hundreds of companies out there with excellent reviews and competitive pricing.
By all means if anyone has any questions feel free to ask me
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