I smoked my last cigarette on the 10th of this month, on the fourth day of my vaping experiment. As I mentioned earlier in this blog, I was no featherweight smoker. I was an overnight chain-smoker when I started smoking at 16. I logged thirty-three years of smoking 2 to 4 packs of menthol cigarettes a day, every day except for a 6 month long "quit" that, obviously, did not endure. I've learned that the biggest obstacle for putting analog cigarettes behind me really was not the nicotine - it was losing the physical sensation of inhaling cigarette smoke. Because I was able to replicate that sensation very closely by inhaling vapor, I have been able to quit analogs and genuinely enjoy the process of quitting.
I've discovered that I am just as satisfied inhaling 0 mg./ml nic e-liquid as I am inhaling 36 mg./ml nic e-liquid. All of my future e-liquid purchases are going to be nicotine-free. I've been playing around with different levels of nicotine, and percentages of PG and VG. I've found that, for me, what is most important in my level of satisfaction is strong flavoring and the right balance of PG and VG in the juice.
Throat Hit vs. Lung Fill - Confusion?
I am beginning to wonder if my interpretation of what experienced vapers refer to as "throat hit" is correct. I have always described that most satisfying sensation of the inhalation as a "lung-filling" sensation. After reading about "throat hit" and having heard it defined in many how-to videos, I thought that TH must be that same "lung-filling" sensation. After experimenting around with PG-VG ratios, I'm now not so sure...
I began to question my understanding of exactly what "throat hit" was when I discovered that I missed the sensation of the 100% VG, 0 nicotine e-liquid I had ordered especially to vape when my 1 year old grandson was here, when I wasn't vaping it. I chose 0 nicotine for obvious reasons and 100% VG because I had read that there was less potential for allergic reaction and irritation of mucus membranes with VG than there was with PG. VG, I was told, produces much better vapor but less "throat hit." If that "lung-filling" sensation is the same as "throat hit" and both PG and higher nicotine levels are reputed to provide better "throat hit," why did I find the 100% VG juice without nicotine so satisfying? Is thick vapor actually responsible for the "lung filling" sensation I am really after? If that is the case, I suggest someone coin a descriptive term that applies to the sensation that a good, thick vapor (and a deep drag off an analog) provides in the lungs so that other new vapers won't be confused as I have been. Anything that helps ensure that a new vaper's expectations are met will help to ensure a successful transition from smoking to vaping.
Tinkering...
I'll be the first to admit that I can be a little slow on the uptake. It dawned on me today that I have not been 100% satisfied with a single e-juice without tinkering with it at least a little first. That shouldn't really come as a surprise, considering I have never followed a recipe to the letter in my life without tweaking it a bit. Today I put two and two together and realized that it's really stupid to buy pre-mixed 0mg/ml e-juice because it's the nicotine in the e-juice that is so expensive. I can buy 240 ml of plain PG, VG or a mixture of the two plus enough flavoring for it for about the same price as one 30ml bottle of quality e-juice, with or without nicotine. Hmmm... 8 ounces vs. 1 ounce.
Now, it may make a little bit more sense to buy pre-mixed e-liquid if I was going to be buying e-liquid with nicotine, but not for zero nicotine e-juice. I will definitely be on the DIY wagon next month.
Nicotine and e-Liquid Regulation
Going nicotine-free raises some questions for me. Everyone is probably aware that the FDA is going to regulate e-liquid as tobacco, because the nicotine in it is extracted from tobacco. Nicotine-free e-liquid, however, is not derived from tobacco and has absolutely no components of tobacco in it at all. Do the FDA and those states/municipalities that are targeting e-liquid for regulation have any legal ground at all for curtailing the vaping of zero nicotine e-liquid in private or in public? Legal professionals please weigh in!
If You Ever Gave Up Vaping...
Inquiring minds (mine) want to know ... why? In an internet vaping chat, someone stated that 90% of first time vapers give up vaping never to return. I was astounded by that number. Now, I don't know if that is an accurate statistic but I do know that some vapers are not successful. I'd like to know why. My experience with vaping has been so positive that I have a hard time getting my mind around it not working out for others. If we can identify the obstacles to a successful transition from smoking to vaping, we can help other smokers circumvent those obstacles.
If I Were a Vendor...
In only a little over 2 weeks vaping, I've already compiled a rather extensive "wish list." My point in this statement is that vapers buy things and then they keep buying. Vapers are return customers. They are an income stream that keeps coming in. Every smoker that attempts a transition to vaping and fails is a customer who does not keep returning (with cash in hand) for more. It is in the best interest of all vapers for these smokers to be successful. It strengthens our position politically to ensure that our right to vape remains unencumbered. A larger consumer market for vaping supplies encourages the establishment of more vaping suppliers. More vapers means more money flowing into the industry which translates to more research and innovation in product development. As the market for vaping supplies grows, the product will become more readily available. It is also in the best interest of the vendors that these brand new vapers are successful. Often there is only one opportunity to impress and if you blow it, it's gone for good.
I can see four issues that could cost vendors, and the vaping community at large, in the long run. The first would be the expense of the start-up kits. Yes, they can order a cheap "try me" kit that has only one battery, one charger, and one atty, but that could result in quickly send up another red flag. That red flag would be to have equipment fail and have no back up. At that point, it would become glaringly apparent that he/she could get stuck without supplies and no option to stroll to the market on the corner for replacement. Another potential deal-breaker is the mess involved. Sending a new vaper inferior quality e-Liquid with their start up kit would be the fourth.
If I were a vendor, I'd make sure to capitalize on that initial opportunity as much as I could. First, I would consider the start-up kit to be more of an investment than a sale. I would cut it down to an extremely small margin of profit or plan to just break even on it. Second, I would definitely include 30 - 40 ml of high quality juice with the kit, in the flavor or flavors of the buyers choice. Poor quality e-juice can be a killer. Why would a new vaper continue to vape if they come to believe that the flavor of vapor is disagreeable?
The other two issues can be addressed by assembling the kit. First, I would not sell a kit that did not include a drip shield and drip tip - mess solved. Second, I would make sure there were at least 3 batteries (preferably one being a pass-through), 3 attys (or 2 attys and 1 or more cartomizers) and 2 chargers. An adapter for the car that could power the pass-through would be a plus. No way would I send carts to a new vaper. If I had not had the option of cartos and the drip tip in the beginners kit that I had put together for myself, I would probably have bailed on vaping the very first day. Just saying... Also, if new attys and cartos can be prepped in such a way as to eliminate that disgusting taste that a new vaper may not be prepared for, I would certainly do that as well. I knew about the bad flavor of new cartos and attys from researching beforehand, but a lot of new vapers simply won't do that and won't know. At the very least, a thorough instruction manual and a large warning in a prominent place in the kit that the atomizer or carto may have an "off flavor" until broken in should be included. The industry definitely needs to do more in addressing new users' expectations and managing those expectations when they are likely not going to be immediately met.
Okay, that's my two cents worth for today.
I've discovered that I am just as satisfied inhaling 0 mg./ml nic e-liquid as I am inhaling 36 mg./ml nic e-liquid. All of my future e-liquid purchases are going to be nicotine-free. I've been playing around with different levels of nicotine, and percentages of PG and VG. I've found that, for me, what is most important in my level of satisfaction is strong flavoring and the right balance of PG and VG in the juice.
Throat Hit vs. Lung Fill - Confusion?
I am beginning to wonder if my interpretation of what experienced vapers refer to as "throat hit" is correct. I have always described that most satisfying sensation of the inhalation as a "lung-filling" sensation. After reading about "throat hit" and having heard it defined in many how-to videos, I thought that TH must be that same "lung-filling" sensation. After experimenting around with PG-VG ratios, I'm now not so sure...
I began to question my understanding of exactly what "throat hit" was when I discovered that I missed the sensation of the 100% VG, 0 nicotine e-liquid I had ordered especially to vape when my 1 year old grandson was here, when I wasn't vaping it. I chose 0 nicotine for obvious reasons and 100% VG because I had read that there was less potential for allergic reaction and irritation of mucus membranes with VG than there was with PG. VG, I was told, produces much better vapor but less "throat hit." If that "lung-filling" sensation is the same as "throat hit" and both PG and higher nicotine levels are reputed to provide better "throat hit," why did I find the 100% VG juice without nicotine so satisfying? Is thick vapor actually responsible for the "lung filling" sensation I am really after? If that is the case, I suggest someone coin a descriptive term that applies to the sensation that a good, thick vapor (and a deep drag off an analog) provides in the lungs so that other new vapers won't be confused as I have been. Anything that helps ensure that a new vaper's expectations are met will help to ensure a successful transition from smoking to vaping.
Tinkering...
I'll be the first to admit that I can be a little slow on the uptake. It dawned on me today that I have not been 100% satisfied with a single e-juice without tinkering with it at least a little first. That shouldn't really come as a surprise, considering I have never followed a recipe to the letter in my life without tweaking it a bit. Today I put two and two together and realized that it's really stupid to buy pre-mixed 0mg/ml e-juice because it's the nicotine in the e-juice that is so expensive. I can buy 240 ml of plain PG, VG or a mixture of the two plus enough flavoring for it for about the same price as one 30ml bottle of quality e-juice, with or without nicotine. Hmmm... 8 ounces vs. 1 ounce.
Now, it may make a little bit more sense to buy pre-mixed e-liquid if I was going to be buying e-liquid with nicotine, but not for zero nicotine e-juice. I will definitely be on the DIY wagon next month.Nicotine and e-Liquid Regulation
Going nicotine-free raises some questions for me. Everyone is probably aware that the FDA is going to regulate e-liquid as tobacco, because the nicotine in it is extracted from tobacco. Nicotine-free e-liquid, however, is not derived from tobacco and has absolutely no components of tobacco in it at all. Do the FDA and those states/municipalities that are targeting e-liquid for regulation have any legal ground at all for curtailing the vaping of zero nicotine e-liquid in private or in public? Legal professionals please weigh in!
If You Ever Gave Up Vaping...
Inquiring minds (mine) want to know ... why? In an internet vaping chat, someone stated that 90% of first time vapers give up vaping never to return. I was astounded by that number. Now, I don't know if that is an accurate statistic but I do know that some vapers are not successful. I'd like to know why. My experience with vaping has been so positive that I have a hard time getting my mind around it not working out for others. If we can identify the obstacles to a successful transition from smoking to vaping, we can help other smokers circumvent those obstacles.
If I Were a Vendor...
In only a little over 2 weeks vaping, I've already compiled a rather extensive "wish list." My point in this statement is that vapers buy things and then they keep buying. Vapers are return customers. They are an income stream that keeps coming in. Every smoker that attempts a transition to vaping and fails is a customer who does not keep returning (with cash in hand) for more. It is in the best interest of all vapers for these smokers to be successful. It strengthens our position politically to ensure that our right to vape remains unencumbered. A larger consumer market for vaping supplies encourages the establishment of more vaping suppliers. More vapers means more money flowing into the industry which translates to more research and innovation in product development. As the market for vaping supplies grows, the product will become more readily available. It is also in the best interest of the vendors that these brand new vapers are successful. Often there is only one opportunity to impress and if you blow it, it's gone for good.
I can see four issues that could cost vendors, and the vaping community at large, in the long run. The first would be the expense of the start-up kits. Yes, they can order a cheap "try me" kit that has only one battery, one charger, and one atty, but that could result in quickly send up another red flag. That red flag would be to have equipment fail and have no back up. At that point, it would become glaringly apparent that he/she could get stuck without supplies and no option to stroll to the market on the corner for replacement. Another potential deal-breaker is the mess involved. Sending a new vaper inferior quality e-Liquid with their start up kit would be the fourth.
If I were a vendor, I'd make sure to capitalize on that initial opportunity as much as I could. First, I would consider the start-up kit to be more of an investment than a sale. I would cut it down to an extremely small margin of profit or plan to just break even on it. Second, I would definitely include 30 - 40 ml of high quality juice with the kit, in the flavor or flavors of the buyers choice. Poor quality e-juice can be a killer. Why would a new vaper continue to vape if they come to believe that the flavor of vapor is disagreeable?
The other two issues can be addressed by assembling the kit. First, I would not sell a kit that did not include a drip shield and drip tip - mess solved. Second, I would make sure there were at least 3 batteries (preferably one being a pass-through), 3 attys (or 2 attys and 1 or more cartomizers) and 2 chargers. An adapter for the car that could power the pass-through would be a plus. No way would I send carts to a new vaper. If I had not had the option of cartos and the drip tip in the beginners kit that I had put together for myself, I would probably have bailed on vaping the very first day. Just saying... Also, if new attys and cartos can be prepped in such a way as to eliminate that disgusting taste that a new vaper may not be prepared for, I would certainly do that as well. I knew about the bad flavor of new cartos and attys from researching beforehand, but a lot of new vapers simply won't do that and won't know. At the very least, a thorough instruction manual and a large warning in a prominent place in the kit that the atomizer or carto may have an "off flavor" until broken in should be included. The industry definitely needs to do more in addressing new users' expectations and managing those expectations when they are likely not going to be immediately met.
Okay, that's my two cents worth for today.
