Mouth, lungs or both?

[twgbonehead]

Cut and paste from Post 17, sorry about the formatting!

First time I heard about nicotine absorption being different with e-cigs was this thread: Inhalation technique with an e-cigarette

4. E-Cigarette vapor is a water-based mist and not smoke. This has two main consequences:
a. The droplet size in vapor is ten times the particulate size in smoke (10 microns vs 1 micron). This means that cigarette smoke penetrates far more deeply into the lungs, travelling deep into the smallest passageways. Vapor cannot go anywhere near as deep, and this means that nicotine is not available so easily from the lungs, and is obtained more slowly.
b. It is likely that just as much nicotine is absorbed by the mucous membranes in the mouth and nose as within the lungs. In fact for maximum nicotine delivery, all three need to be employed: mouth, lungs, nose - otherwise all the nicotine cannot be delivered.

I believe the above quote refers to the following study:
Nicotine delivery per puff
A 35 mL puff from the Ruyan® v8 delivers only 10% of the nicotine obtained from a similar puff of a Marlboro regular cigarette. Deeper 50 mL puffs from the Ruyan v8 delivers only slightly more nicotine.

Particle size distribution

Particle size was approximately 0.04 microns (countmedian diameter or CMD). A second laboratory confirmed that CMD was below their cutoff of 0.1 micron. CMD of tobacco smoke was much greater, at 0.15 to 0.25 microns, though measured on a different instrument.

Chemical composition.
The Ruyan V8 yielded >300 (35 mL) puffs of mist:
82% PG, 15% water, 1% free-based nicotine, 2% particulates and flavours.
Mean puff weight was 0.88 mg.
Toxicology and safety of mist.Of 50+ priority-listed toxicants tested and found present in cigarette smoke, none was found in Ruyan V8 e-cigarette mist.
Nicotine absorption site:
The nicotine dose and particle size are too small to ensure either deposition in the alveoli or bronchioles or rapid nicotine absorption as in cigarette smoking
sources:
http://www.seeht.org/Laugesen_Apr_2009.pdf
http://www.healthnz.co.nz/DublinEcigBenchtopHandout.pdf

This puzzles me. The two reports seem to be saying opposite things.

The second is saying that vapor particles are much SMALLER than smoke particles, and they can't get absorbed effectively because they are too small. The first is saying vapor particles are 10 times LARGER.

While it would make sense to me that vapor is larger particles, the science still seems to be confused...... Is it just me?

Edit: Also note that their measurements of particle size don't agree at all, anywhere:

Vapor: 10 microns or .04 microns?
Smoke: 1 micron or .15-.25 microns?

 

[FireDragon1138]

I've gotten nicotine hits from just taking the vapor into my mouth, like with a pipe or a cigar, only stronger.

Inhaling seems to produce a stronger effect but it is not as dramatic as cigarettes, where inhaling is almost required.

 

[Lucky1384]

When I haven't vaped in a while, I'll take it into my mouth, then my lungs and out my nose. These seems to settle me in seconds. Otherwise it's just how I smoked before, mouth then lungs. Even with cigarettes, I noticed a lot of people really inhaling deep and holding it. I'm almost certain that most of the smoke never got past my throat as it was always a little tiny gasp in and instant exhale.

But yeah, I'm not sure if your lungs come into it as much as your mouth and nose, but for me it replicates smoking and I feel better doing it that way. I wouldn't read too much into the science unless you have a genuine interest, just do what feels good!

 

[FireDragon1138]

Agreed.

I never once felt nic-sick from all my days of smoking (though it made me sick. LOL)

I know people that seriously smoked a lot (including some that still do), and they are the same people that will get quite nic-sick if they go above 12 mg for even short periods (not even subohming or anything like that).

Count me as one of those. I can't vape 16mg cartos in the Blu setup (hardly the greatest performer) without feeling ill, but I can go smoke a Marlboro Red. 12mg is my max strength for vaping regular juice in any device.

I find NJoy Kings intolerable. The throat hit is massive but the nicotine just turns my stomach. It doesn't feel close to smoking a cigarette in terms of what the nicotine is doing vs. smoking, at least not enough to get me to switch painlessly.

12-18mg should be plenty for anybody... if nicotine alone were the issue. But clearly it isn't. Real tobacco, even weak tobacco, can be satisfying to smoke- people just smoke more of them (light cigarettes anyone?). Something is wrong with ones premises ("people smoke for the nicotine") when it's suggested we go vape 50mg/mL nicotine.

 

[tatiana]

I just started vaping and I'm just noticing it makes me cough a lot when I inhale too deeply, and it tastes best when I keep it in my mouth and french inhale. I'm excited that it absorbs through the mouth because my lungs really need a break. I'm curious though, just because this is all new to me -- would higher absorption through the mouth possibly be a problem in the future for like...my mouth and gums? This is so great compared to smoking, I can't believe I'm not smoking actually and think it's .......ing THRILLING I just am wondering if anyone has had any issues-- also, since it makes me cough if I inhale it, and I was smoking a lot for a long time so I thought my lungs were used to abuse, does this suggest any problems for the lungs? What's up with that?