Results of Incorrect Use
As we can see, incorrect use doesn't work and has issues: little or no nicotine will be delivered; coughing or irritation to the throat or lungs may result. An e-cigarette (especially a mini ecig) is not used like a tobacco cigarette for multiple reasons. tobacco smoke contains materials that are engineered to have an anaesthetic effect on the throat and lungs, but e-cigarette mist does not have these compounds.
There are probably more clinical studies carried out and published where the researchers didn't know how to use an ecig than studies performed correctly with advice from an expert. We can easily see this in results that include reports such as '"zero or little nicotine was delivered" or "the lungs were affected". It is a little worrying to see such results since it brings into question the results of other studies: if clinical researchers are not competent to obtain correct results (by asking for advice from experts), could other results they obtain also be wildly inaccurate?
The sub-optimal results many researchers have obtained resulted from the assumption that EVs and cigarettes work in a similar way and are used in a similar way. Don't make the same mistake or you will also get poor results.
They are different
Always use your ecig in a different way to a cigarette (apart from them both going in the mouth). If you find yourself doing something - anything - the same, it's probably wrong and almost certainly suboptimal.
Expert users
Experienced users, using a variety of different hardware and refills, use different approaches. Some use a direct lung inhale, sometimes where this is combined with a large air hole in an RBA. Because there is no one-size-fits-all solution in vaping, there are a multitude of different inhalation techniques. Read this thread for a description of some of them:
Lung Inhale vs Mouth Inhale
The posts in that thread are a clear indication that smokers, and vapers, use a wide variety of inhalation methods. The advice above is designed to allow newcomers with less than optimal set-ups to get the best results.
Definitely to be avoided J
Try not to apply a lighter to the end of your e-cigarette.
Don't try to flick ash off the end, you'll look stupid.
Do not throw your ecig out of the car window after finishing with it.
General Notes
This information is derived from multiple expert sources including clinical trials and lab tests that we know were executed correctly, such as by Dr Laugesen [2]; and expert vapers' experiences with multiple hardware and liquid types.
There is a wide variation between the effects of e-cigarette use for different individuals, and in some cases this has been demonstrated first here at ECF. For example, we can show that there is a factor 10 difference in individual tolerance to nicotine: some cannot over-vape 6mg (0.6%) strength liquid; some must use 60mg (6%) strength in order to avoid relapse to smoking. Because of this it is impossible to state what any given individual's response to a specific item of hardware, or e-liquid type or strength - and especially a combination of the two - will be. The differing effects on individuals are multiplied by equipment variations and then multiplied again by refill variants. Therefore, only the individual's own experience is valid, since the variables are impossible to calculate. There is no one-size-fits-all in vaping.
Because of this, no hard and fast rules can be stated. The above advice is a general guide, and best used as a starting point for individual testing and trial. It is specifically written for beginners and those not familiar with optimal e-cigarette use; it is especially applicable to mini ecig use. Experts find their own way of utilizing their hardware-refill combo. With larger and more powerful equipment and/or strong refills, the inhalation method is less critical for deriving full benefit with minimum negatives.
