A tobacco cig contains about 10 mg of nicotine Paul, but on average only
1 mg or so of that gets to the smoker, per cig. Most of the nicotine is either burnt up or carried off in the smoke from the end. Smoke is also quite acidic, which further affects nic absorption. So anyway - a mL of 20mg juice is the nicotine equivalent of a pack of cigs.
Nic intake for vapers varies widely
(different nic levels, different lengths & depths of inhalation, etc) - but generally, many vapers take in more nicotine now than they did as smokers. Remember, smokers are also inhaling thousands of toxins & carcinogens, along with tar & smoke & all that crap, along with their nic. When a smoker's body says enough, it's more a case of
"please stop poisoning me with all this other stuff, take a break already" rather than the body saying
"I've had enough nic."
Because vaping is a clean, infinitely safer delivery system that
doesn't deliver all that junk that smoking did...a vaper's body can handle & enjoy more nic than before, taking longer before it sends up the
"take-a-break, we're-satisfied-for-now" flag. At the levels we're vaping, nic itself is no more harmful than common caffeine intake. So this isn't a surprise.
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WHAT NIC LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Yoiu already know that the nic levels people find satisfaction from vaping varies. Some are happy with none. Some are content with low to low-ish levels. Many prefer something in the mid range, like 16 to 18 mg. Some regularly notch it up to 24 mg. A relatively rare few
(who have an unusually high tolerance) will take it as high as 36 mg. I've never heard of anyone vaping it higher than that. This should illustrate the range you're working within.
But remember - it's not like vapers are swallowing a pill and bam, they have 20 mg of nic in them all of a sudden. Doesn't work that way at all. We're vaping a puff here, a puff there. It takes many drags over the course of hours, to go through a filled Boge carto for example
(which holds about 1 mL of e-juice).
So here's a rough & quick example: if you went through 1 mL of 20 mg juice, over the course of say 40 drags...that would be 0.5mg of nic per drag.
You'd probably get more than 40 drags too, from 1 mL of juice.
The point is, it's obviously not a sudden jump from 0 mg to 20 mg. Nicotine has a half-life of about 2 hours. As soon as you take some in...your body's metabolism begins to break it down. So vaping is a gradual intake, while your body continuously processes & eliminates it at the same time. You
are getting all* the nic - but gradually & spread out, a bit at a time.
* (98% on average. Your body absorbs nicotine very quickly & efficiently.)
So to finally answer your question, haha - the nic level that gives
you vaping satisfaction is the right level for you. It's all about finding out what you can enjoy as an all-day vape, while getting good throat hit etc & satisfaction...without overdoing it. Mild headache or queasiness are two signs that your nic level is probably a bit too high.
For me, 20 mg is indeed strong!
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OLD LIQUID
To answer your final question about e-juice, yes: e-juice does
not age well. Old e-juice / e-liquid will not be as tasty
or as flavourful as the fresh stuff. The nicotine will actually come to the fore & overpower the flavouring.
Also, the nicotine will break down & degrade
(i.e. go bye bye) over time, due to oxidation. Air, heat & light will all contribute to this process. It's impossible to avoid any oxidation at all...but that's why you should store it properly to minimize that, and opt for fresher liquids more frequently.
Oxidation is also what causes the liquid to go from clear, to light yellow...to darker & darker until eventually it can reach a deep rusty hue. This is yet another reason that I strongly prefer DIY. I like being able to know that the PG w/nic I used for a juice is fresh & relatively clear...and not some oxidized old crap.
And it's another reason why I don't recommend buying huge stockpiles of e-liquid. PG itself will also break down over time, when exposed to air, heat or light.
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Anyway, hope that helped! Yes, I know I write long posts...but there's a lot to be shared, lol. Happy vaping hon & all the best.
but I'm leaving in my ramblings below..
