The Electronic Cigarette
by Vapetec
Copyright
Vapetec 2011
Personal Vaporizers from left to right
The Darwin by Evolv - likely the best
devise available today!
The Silver Bullet by Altsmoke - a proven and
reliable product.
The Hello-Tech 016 - a great entry level devise.
The Ego pass-through - a perfect entry
level devise.
5 volt pass-through (laying down)
What is The Electronic Cigarette
An electronic cigarette is a devise that simulates the the act of smoking by
creating a mist of vapor that is inhaled and then exhaled. As with most
products, some work for there intended purpose and some do not. Many
former tobacco smokers are finding the right combination of eliquid,
atomizers and personal vaporizers keep them satisfied and no longer
smoke burning tobacco.
As a former smoker I thought I would share valuable information about the
electronic cigarette and what it can offer to smokers. I think it is important
to mention up front that in my opinion, the e-cigarette is an alternative to
smoking and not necessarily a cure for nicotine addiction.
I have met many people that claim to have slowly reduced the nicotine in
their e-liquid and are now only vaping non-nicotine liquid, making them
nicotine free. I have seen no clinical data showing that these products help
to cure nicotine addiction in anyway. There is however clinical data
describing exactly what is in the e-cigarette and how these ingredient’s
compare to traditional cigarettes. We share these resources on our links
page so that you can educate yourself and make informed decisions.
For now I can only say that vaping e-cigarettes is an alternative to
smoking tobacco and not a cure for nicotine addiction. Therefore if you are
not addicted to nicotine, don’t smoke and don’t start using e-cigarettes
with nicotine e-liquid!
I think at the early stages of this article I should list the common
terminology (lingo) used by the e-cigarette community. Then I will go into a
little more detail how these devises work and in my opinion, what the
advantages are over traditional cigarettes.
Analogue: This is commonly referred to as a traditional cigarette.
Atty: Atomizer - an electronic heating element use to turn liquid into vapor.
Cart: Cartridge – The mouth piece containing e-liquid.
Cartomizer, Carto: This is an atomizer and cartridge combined all in one
unit to create vapor.
Devise: This is the e-cigarette, a battery or electric pass through, main
body.
Drip, Dripping: This is a method of adding e-liquid (Juice) directly onto
the atomizer.
E-juice, juice, e-liquid: The liquid used to make vapor.
LR Atty: This is a low resistant atomizer that creates more power to the
heating element.
Mod: This is modification or another word for an e-cigarette devise.
PG: Propylene Glycol – used as a vaporizable base for diluting the
nicotine liquid and base for flavorings.
PT: Pass-through – an e-cigarette devise using a power cord to plug into a
wall or another power source.
PV: Personal vaporizer – another word for an e-cigarette devise.
TH: Throat hit – a sensation at the back of your throat when inhaling.
Vape, Vaping, Vapor: These words are used in place of the words smoke
or smoking.
VG: Vegetable Glycerin – used as a vaporizable base for diluting nicotine
liquid and base for flavorings.
All these devises use an electric power source like a battery, or some type
of low voltage power adapter to plug directly into a wall socket, car,
computer, etc… Therefore one piece is an electrical devise, known as a
personal vaporizer or PV. The next piece is the Atomizer which is powered
by the PV and has a heating coil within it. Next there is a cartridge that
holds the e-liquid before it reaches the atomizer.
There are one piece disposable e-cigarettes that have all the components
mentioned above in one sealed unit. They usually have an automatic
battery, which means it is activated when you draw on it. Typically when
the batteries in these units dye you throw them away.
The most common PV is called a three piece device. They usually have a
rechargeable battery, an atomizer and a cartridge. These typically have
what is called a manual (push button) battery, which most in the vaping
community prefer for various reasons.
Another common PV and becoming very popular is the two piece devise.
This consists of a rechargeable battery with a cartomizer rather than an
atomizer. The cartomizer is a combination atomizer and cartridge in one
unit.
When the devise is activated (battery on) the e-liquid that is in contact with
the atomizer or cartomizer is quickly heated and turns into vapor which is
then inhaled. This is called vaping rather than smoking.
There is a raging debate going on about whether the e-cigarette is safer
than smoking tobacco and until the facts are clearly defined, we at
Vapetec will re-frame from making any statements about safety.
Unfortunately the FDA and other government and non-government
organizations are taking a firm stand against the electronic cigarette. It is
unclear at this time why they are taking this stand and why they refuse to
discuss the science related to the studies showing favourable results.
What we do know is that smoking tobacco is definitely a killer and well
documented. Therefore if you do not smoke, PLEASE DO NOT START!
For smokers that want to quit the best approach may very well be talking
with your family doctor and follow their advice. Support groups are another
good resource one should take advantage of.
As for smokers that just don’t want to quit for whatever the reason, vaping
may be a better alternative. It certainly costs less than traditional
cigarettes, has little or no odor and is less offensive to others. It is not a
perfect product but it does have its advantages for those looking for
choices.
Even though there is little to no smell with the e-cigarette, there is a lot of
flavor, literally hundreds of flavors. This may be the number one reason so
many former smokers choose to vape rather than smoke!
I recommend reading all the available information and decide for yourself if
the electronic cigarette is right for you.
Thomas McCormick
Vapetec