What is Vaping? The Complete Guide
Welcome to another Vape House blog! Today we are answering the question ‘What is Vaping?’ If you are new to vaping or just interested to know what it’s all about, then we answer this question for you.
What is Vaping?
Vaping is the inhaling of a vapour (produced by e-liquids) that comes from an electronic cigarette or another vaping device. E-cigarettes are basically battery powered smoking devices that heat e-liquid (with or without nicotine) to create a vapour that can be inhaled - hence the name ‘vaping’.
E-liquids and Vape Juice
There are many different flavours and varieties of e-liquids that people use in vapes. You may have heard of the different fruity or minty flavours that you can get such as Strawberry, Raspberry or Menthol Special Blend. You can find out more in article on ‘what is e-liquid’. You can also read about some of the most popular vape juice brands such as Zeus Juice, Vampire Vape and Decadent Vapours.
Vaping Devices and Kits
There are many different vaping devices available on the market, depending on your personal needs and preferences. Vaping devices need charging - some of them can be charged via USB which means that you can even plug them into your laptop to charge! Some of them even have digital displays with the temperature setting, battery level and wattage/voltage displayed on an LED screen.
The main two types of device or the pod or pen devices vs the more complex tank devices. Here is a short summary of these:
- Discrete Pod or Pen devices - These are mouth to lung devices. Mouth to lung is where you inhale the vapour from your e-cigarette into your mouth, then into your lungs. This is popular amongst beginners who are transitioning from cigarette smoking. Pod devices usually have a battery and some have a disposable e-liquid cartridge. Pen devices have a battery, a refillable tank and a coil that heats the vapour.
- More complex tank devices - these are direct to lung devices. Direct to Lung inhale is when you inhale the vapour directly into your lungs, without holding it in your mouth first. These are the ones that make bigger clouds.
If you are a beginner not sure about where to start then don’t worry, we can help you! Here at the Vape House we have created a number of guides to purchasing the correct vape kit for you.
Vaping laws and Restrictions
In the UK, vaping is still restricted to the over 18’s. So, anyone under 18 will not be allowed to buy any vaping devices or vape juices. It is also against the law for any models in vaping advertisements to appear under 25 to avoid encouraging young people to vape - the fine for breaking this law is £2500. This is to protect children from being exposed to vaping and/or smoking.
There are also laws and restriction on the manufacture of vaping products in the UK such as e-liquids. This is to keep the quality high and ensure the production of safe products. For example, the strength of e-liquids and the sizes of their containers are limited.
Vaping is a restricted activity in many destinations. Although vaping isn’t always banned in the same places as smoking, you may find that it is still restricted in many places. If you vape, you will need to check if vaping is allowed in certain areas such as in or outside your workplace or on public transport.
A brief history of Vaping
Vaping can be traced back to 1920s New York when Joseph Robinson filed a patent for an electric vapouriser. It was patented but never manufacture at that time. In the 1960s Herbert Gilbert patented the first ‘non-tobacco cigarette’. It wasn’t until 2006 the first e-cigarette became available to the public.
This means that vaping is a relatively new phenomenon that has only really taken off in the UK over the last 10-20 years. If you are interested in finding out more about the history of vaping then you can read our blog here (LINK).
Is Vaping Addictive?
The answer to the question ‘is vaping addictive’ actually depends on whether there has been nicotine added or not. Some vape juice is nicotine free and people can add the amount of nicotine that they require depending on their needs or where they are up to in their vaping journey.
So, some vapers vape totally nicotine free, which means that it is not addictive. They are just vaping the vape juice or e-liquid which is usually a mix of base ingredients such as water, vegetable glycerine, and propylene glycol. Different flavourings are then added to give the vape juice its flavour. Vaping without nicotine is generally said to be safer than with nicotine.
However, remember that just because the vape is nicotine free, this doesn’t mean that there are no health impacts at all. In fact, because vaping is still a relatively new phenomenon, it is difficult for the long term health effects of just vaping vape juice to be fully ascertained.
But if you start to vape with nicotine, then yes, you can become addicted because nicotine is an addictive substance. You may have heard of ‘shortfills’ in the world of vaping. These are bottles of e-liquids that leave room for people to add their nicotine shot (nic shot) as required. So, for example, some bottles of vape juice may have a 60ml bottle filled to 50ml of vape juice, leaving room for up to a 10ml nicotine shot.
How is vaping different to smoking?
So, is there a difference between vaping and smoking? Yes, there is.
Cigarettes always contain nicotine, whereas vape juice only sometimes contains nicotine and quite often you are in control of how much. The other main difference between smoking and vaping is that regular cigarettes deliver the nicotine by burning the tobacco, and this creates harmful toxins that are also inhaled.
Many reputable healthy organisations (including the NHS) agree that vaping is less harmful to your health than smoking (although it is not completely risk-free).
Vaping is also seen as a helpful way to give up smoking. And so many vapers are ex-smokers who are looking to give up. Quitting smoking has many health benefits and will be better for many of your main organs including your lung and heart.
But smoking is very addictive and difficult to give up. Many people have tried things like nicotine patches and gum, but these haven’t worked. Many ex-smokers have explained how vaping has helped them to give up. This is because they still have a similar ‘habit’ of the smoking action, but they are filtering it through the vape which is better than burning tobacco. They can then reduce the tobacco intake down slowly over a period of time before completely weaning themselves off it.
Essentially, vaping gives you much more control over your tobacco intake than cigarettes. Some vaping devices have a digital control panel and of course you can also control how much nicotine you are adding to your e-liquid.
Why do people vape?
So why do people vape? Some people enjoy the taste and the action. They may find it more enjoyable than smoking real cigarettes. Vaping is often cheaper than tobacco products and also ca sometimes be used in other areas where tobacco products are not allowed. As previously discussed, some ex-smokers use vaping as a way to give up because they can adjust their tobacco intake down slowly and this makes the transition easier.
I’m Interested in Vaping - Where do I start?
If you enjoyed this blog on ‘What is vaping?’ and you are interested in starting your vaping journey with us, we can help you. In fact, whether you are a newbie, an ex-smoker looking to give up or a more experienced vapour we will be able to help you find a device and e-juice perfect for your needs. You can check out some of our blogs to find the information that you need, or even call us or pop into our Caerphilly store.
Further reading
You may like to find out more about different aspects of vaping such as vaping devices, e-liquids, and kits. Here are some of our most popular articles:
At the Vape House many of us are vapers and ex-smokers, and we are here to support you. So don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Come on, get your vape on!
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