Please educate me about nicotine

[Nubiwan]

I have been having a real vaping day - cleaned atomizers for the 1st time and spent hours mixing diy liquid/juices.

1) How dangerous is nicotine? I usually use 18mg but I got a bottle of 100mg (EcigXpress) and I am wondering if I should be wearing gloves or a mask.

2) Does anyone know of a conversion table (or?) showing how much nicotine I got from smoking Benson & Hedges and Marlboro Blend 54? I vape much more than I smoked so I am wondering what the actual meaning of so-called "low" or "medium" nicotine content as it relates to smoking tobacco.

3) During my first face-to-face meeting with a vendor, I thought she was hyping their "Organic" nicotine. [I may have smirked at the idea of organic poison] Now - I am wondering whether there are some nicotine extracts out there that should be avoided?

4) does nicotine remain in solution better in VG or PG?
4b) can you freeze nicotine extracts? (I am thinking of stocking up)

TIA - You folks have been a big help.

 

[LongHaul]

i wouldnt suggest licking it off your fingers.... but the skin is the best sponge that nic can find.......it WILL get into your system from your fingers and i personaly wont handle it untill it is at or under 30mg

no2.....dunno i personaly think i get more cause i can get a headache faster vaping than i could smoking

no3 I may have smirked at the idea of organic poison......i woulda done the same....poison is poison

no 4 i think is a matter of taste VG to me is sweet and even with the flavor i can taste a bitterness in PG that makes it clear that its PG to me.....

no4B i think its recomended.....

happy vaping

 

[Scottinboca]

100mg nic doesn't require a mask, but you may want to wear gloves. As far as organic nic goes, I know that almost all of our nic supply is extracted in China and is from an organic source, but to label it as being "organic" is just a ploy to sell more at a higher cost IMO. Nicotine can be frozen in a glass bottle that's filled all the way. The less air that gets to the nic the better it will hold up.

 

[Xaiver]

I have been having a real vaping day - cleaned atomizers for the 1st time and spent hours mixing diy liquid/juices.

1) How dangerous is nicotine? I usually use 18mg but I got a bottle of 100mg (EcigXpress) and I am wondering if I should be wearing gloves or a mask.

2) Does anyone know of a conversion table (or?) showing how much nicotine I got from smoking Benson & Hedges and Marlboro Blend 54? I vape much more than I smoked so I am wondering what the actual meaning of so-called "low" or "medium" nicotine content as it relates to smoking tobacco.

3) During my first face-to-face meeting with a vendor, I thought she was hyping their "Organic" nicotine. [I may have smirked at the idea of organic poison] Now - I am wondering whether there are some nicotine extracts out there that should be avoided?

4) does nicotine remain in solution better in VG or PG?
4b) can you freeze nicotine extracts? (I am thinking of stocking up)

TIA - You folks have been a big help.

This is a pretty dangerous topic here, and if a mod pops by, I'd suggest that this gets moved to the DIY forum. If I understand correctly, ECF doesn't endorse or support any vendor that carries nic concentrate over 36(?)mg. Once you get past that threshold, it gets more and more dangerous. The actual ammount of toxicity of Nicotine will vary from person to person, but generally speaking, it's 0.5-1mg/kg body weight. I'm around 230 lbs, which comes out around 105kgs. That means that something around 105mgs of nicotine will make me -very- sick, possibly even leading to kidney failure and we know where that goes. Tolerance is a little higher in smokers, but...why risk it. Nicotine also absorbs through skin contact, and it absorbs very quickly. If you were mixing 100mg liquid without gloves on and somehow accumulated less than 1ml on your skin during the mixing session, you're in some trouble. 1ml isn't a lot, as you probably know from measuring stuff. I throw at least that much Diet Coke away when I think that the can is empty and I've shaken it to try and get the last drop out.

Yes, you'll get some people that say they mix with their tongue and use it as a lotion before they vape it. I don't feel that it's worth the risk. I've got enough problems without being sloppy with a dangeorus chemical.

Also, nicotine can build up in the atmosphere, which is especially true for higher doses. You really don't want to be handling it in an enclosed environment. Make sure that you've got plenty of ventilation. If you do, a mask shouldn't be required, but it's still not a bad idea.

Okay, now I'll hit your questions.

There isn't a converison table. The FDA is too busy trying to lump this in with analogs to bother studying it. We can make some educated guesses, but that's all they are. The general rule around here is to vape until you don't crave an analog anymore. We were self-medicating with cigarettes, this is the same deal. I was a pack-a-day smoker, and I started on 18mg liquid, didn't have any trouble switching over, but I did/do vape way more than I smoked.

Nicotine extracts to avoid: That's a tough question. There's a giant thread around here somewhere that someone went ahead and tested the nicotine content of a bunch of the concentrate that people had and found that the numbers on the bottles were more or less wrong, to a dangerous degree. Someone had some 240+mg nic.... Check out the DIY Sub-forum: DIY E-Liquid

PG and VG retain the nicotine similarly. I don't think that there have been any tests done on the matter. Most people use a mixture of somewhere between 80/20 and 20/80 of PG/VG, mostly because they do different things to the vapor. PG tends to carry throat hit and flavor better, whereas VG makes better clouds and mutes the flavor a bit. The nicotine will stay good for quite a while, depending on how you store it. I store my concentrates in a chest freezer, and all my mixes are in a dark cabinet. The concentrates will not freeze, they do thicken up a bit because of the cold, but they won't freeze, so glass is perfectly alright...as long as you're not going to be smashing it in there. I use 36mg, btw.

Hope this helps,
-X

 

[Trilly]

Okay, big alarm gongs blaring here. Nicotine in that concentration is dangerous and can be fatal if you don't know what you are doing, even experianced DIYers tend not to use a concentrate that high. I would suggest using a lower concetrate and still would wear gloves.

Q2 - I have no idea but there are others that will point you in the right direction.

Q3 - Provided it is a reputable vendor I would guess you are safe, if they stamped organinc on the bottle it would double the price for what seems to be the same product.

Q4 - Both PG and VG hold nic the same, the big difference is taste and viscosity, PG is thinner but has a slightly bitter taste, VG is thicker, produces more vapor but mutes the flavour you add (or at least my experiance is that)

Q4b - Yes it is safe to freeze liquid.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

1) How dangerous is nicotine? I usually use 18mg but I got a bottle of 100mg (EcigXpress) and I am wondering if I should be wearing gloves or a mask.

Gloves should suffice but also wear glasses as an accidental spurt in the eye is very painful. Also plastic sheet under the area you're working in and NO distractions- no people, no pets, no music/ TV. Label and triple check everything.

2) Does anyone know of a conversion table (or?) showing how much nicotine I got from smoking Benson & Hedges and Marlboro Blend 54? I vape much more than I smoked so I am wondering what the actual meaning of so-called "low" or "medium" nicotine content as it relates to smoking tobacco

.
No idea.

3) During my first face-to-face meeting with a vendor, I thought she was hyping their "Organic" nicotine. [I may have smirked at the idea of organic poison] Now - I am wondering whether there are some nicotine extracts out there that should be avoided?

Best to research the forums here in regards to quality. I buy my nic juice from a US vendor that grows and extracts right in his own home state and can provide documentation.

4) does nicotine remain in solution better in VG or PG?

I buy mine in a PG base because PG is thinner than VG and is more easily to work with. VG also readily available at the pharmacy.

4b) can you freeze nicotine extracts? (I am thinking of stocking up)

I transfer all my nic juice to glass containers and freeze it- double thermal seal bag. Freezing will definitely extend the life. If keep in a cupboard over time the juice becomes yellow/ brown. Realize heat, light and air are the enemies of nic juice so when filling bottles leave very little air in.
I work with a much higher nic level BUT am VERY careful and observe ALL safety precautions.

 

[Spazmelda]

I use 100 mg/ml to mix with, and I've never had any problem with it. I am careful, but I don't wear a hazmat suit or anything. Gloves would be a good idea.

If you are not mixing up large batches, 100 mg/ml is kind of overkill. Small batches take such a small amount of 100mg/ml that it can be difficult to measure. Also it's easier to be inaccurate with the higher concentrations (i.e. 0.5 ml mismeasure with 36 mg/ml nic is a lot less of a mistake than 0.5 ml of 100 mg/ml). What I'd recommend is diluting it down to a more workable concentration like maybe 36 or 50 mg/ml. Just do the math and figure out how much pg or VG to add to dilute it down. You will need a larger container to store it in of course. After it's diluted you won't have to be as super careful or stressed about handling it.

 

[muriarte]

Nicotine is extracted from tobacco leaves, and if the plants where not trated with herbicidals, and other chemicals, then the nic would be "organic".

 

[Tolver]

My dog loves me, and licks me whenever he can, and to that end I ALWAYS wash up after handling juice so that my dog does not get dosed. It is bad enough he comes in my office several times a day just to breath the air in my room when I am vaping, I most definitely do NOT need to be inadvertently wiping juice on him when I pet him. I don't care much if I get the juice on me, since I am the one the juice is intended for, but pets and children should always be thought of first. Safety First, and all that jazz ...

 

[dayworks]

Nicotine r goooood!