Dispelling the myths of vaping- questions and answers with a veteran of vaping.

To help dispell the myths of vaping, Vape Escapes recently launched a weekly Internet broadcast called, The Vape Channel, to provide new Vapers and veteran Vapers with news, views, how-to’s and tips in a fun and entertaining fashion.  You can check them out on YouTube and soon at www.TheVapeChannel.com.  Meanwhile, the host of The Vape Channel, Joel Vinson, offers the following answers to some of the most often asked questions regarding Vaping.

1. How can you say they’re less harmful than cigarettes when we don’t even know what’s in them? I heard they were in anti-freeze!

~ If you defined ‘we’ as ‘the general public, then yes. “ We” don’t .  But for people who have used vaping as an alternative to smoking, it’s been the same four basic components for years.  Propylene Glycol has been used in medical inhalers since the 1950’s.  Vegetable glycerin can also be found in e-cigs, and that’s in everyday items such as your liquid Crystal Light and Mio Water .  Add some artificial flavorings and some pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, and you’ve got yourself a fog machine that has nicotine in it, basically. As for the antifreeze part, you’re partially correct.  Propylene Glycol can be found in a product called ‘green antifreeze’.  It’s supposed to be eco-friendly and not harmful in case you have pets in your garage that are curious to the puddle under your leaky car.  Most importantly, ‘green antifreezes’ are supposed to be non-toxic.   Toxic antifreezes contain things you would never find in an electronic cigarette.  Period.

2. Aren’t they dangerous because they can explode?

~    I’ve seen this story used as a scare tactic quite a bit.  To be perfectly honest, yes,  E-cigarettes can be dangerous just like most any consumer product that is not used properly.  The things that lead to defective malfunctions with electronic cigarettes are, poor product quality, severe abuse, lack of maintenance, and “wrongful misuse”.    A polite way to describe ‘wrongful misuse” is to say ‘anything other than what the product was intended to do”.  Your imagination can fill in the blanks. When it comes to buying an e-cig, buy from a company that is well trained and sells only quality products and save yourself some headaches.

3.  How much nicotine is in an electronic cigarette compared to a pack of actual cigarettes?

~    It’s impossible to make an exact comparison.  Since cigarettes are basically a bunch of chopped up leaves, each little chunk of leaf that is stuffed into a cigarette can have any amount of nicotine.  Any reliable eCig vendor will have varying levels of nicotine in any given flavor.  For example, if you came into Vape Escapes and wanted Vanilla, I could offer it to you in different levels of nicotine.  Zero nicotine would basically mean you have a Vanilla flavored fog machine in your hands,  Low nicotine would be 6mg, medium would vary between 12mg and 18mg, and high would be 24mg.  A 24mg would be roughly equivalent to someone who smokes more than a pack a day.  When the nicotine level increases, the burn in your chest and throat increases.  Smokers love instant satisfaction, so finding the correct level of nicotine is vitally important when making the switch from tobacco.

4.  How can you sell this as a device that helps people quit smoking when it still has nicotine in it? Isn’t that just replacing smoking?

~  A great question.  First, no good vendor will market e-cigs as a ‘cessation device’.  However, they CAN market it as a ‘Sensation Device”.  It mimics smoking, and can indeed have nicotine in it.  Lowering your nicotine levels is ultimately up to the user, and from my experience, it’s completely doable.  As for   replacing smoking, there’s nicotine in both, and that’s where the similarities end.  E-cigs do not have the thousands of toxic carcinogens in them which ultimately helps people transition to a healthier lifestyle.  The key lies in the fact that nicotine is just as harmful to you as caffeine, in that in constricts your blood vessels.   Ecigs were never meant as harm prevention devices.  They are harm reduction devices.

5.  Do you think it caters to minors because of the multitude of fruit/candy/sweets flavors?

~  I’ll answer that question with a question:  ‘ Have you been in the vodka aisle at your local grocery store”?  Mainstream media has been on a witch hunt for electronic cigarettes for some time.  Most people are trying to get away from smoking, and the nasty taste of cigarettes.  After a few weeks of quitting smoking, your taste buds rejuvenate, your sense of smell heightens, and breathing has already begun to improve.  Having a flavor that doesn’t mimic a cigarette simply encourages the body to shy away from cigarettes.  At least, in my experience.

6. Is there such a thing as second-hand vapor?  If so, is it dangerous?

~  When using an ecig, the nicotine is absorbed mainly through the walls of your mouth and tongue.   Yes, you feel it in your lungs too, but if someone blows vapor in your face it’d almost be like walking into a fog machine in a laser tag arena or night club,  Actually, take out the ‘like”. It would be EXACTLY like walking into a fog machine.  Why? Because they both have the same ingredients, just in different concentrations.

7. How successful are people when transitioning to e cigarettes?  Do they still smoke?

~  When I started 5 years ago, the technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now.  Now, you can get a starter kit that adjusts the power on your battery, regulating how much vapor you get, and how much nicotine you receive.  The feeling of instant gratification is different for everyone and now it’s easier to achieve for just about anyone. . Success rates now are the highest they’ve ever been and it only looks to improve.

8.  Why do people have those huge light-saber-looking devices in public? Are they any better?

~  That depends on the device, and the heating element atop the device.  Realistically, it’s all for show. Vaping is a completely customizable experience, so you can be as flamboyant or discreet as you want.  Knowing if your device has adjustable power and how powerful the heating element is are the main concerns if you’re looking to stop smoking cigarettes.  They sure do make for great conversation starters though. I get stopped everywhere I go when I’m toting my more intricate-looking devices, such as the iTaste 134.

9.  How do I know how to a find a good electronic cigarette shop that doesn’t sell dangerous products?

~   Ask questions.  Do your research.  Find American made e-liquids, and find authentic products. Even after you purchase, continue to learn.   Finding what works for you may take some trial and error but too much can be a costly endeavor.  At Vape Escapes, we stress all those facets: education, reliability, and quality.  Not all stores will do that, so I would highly encourage making the right choice over the easy choice. 10.  Why do you think the government is trying to crack down on e cigs if they’re not so dangerous? ~   Easy answer.  Money.   Big tobacco is losing thousands of smokers each year to electronic cigarettes.  We know the dangers of tobacco yet tobacco is regulated and monetized on a government level.  Couple that with the pharmaceutical companies losing money on the thousands of tobacco-created cancer patients, it’s a no-brainer why they’re demonizing e-cigs.   They want to regulate things that are already FDA approved.  They can’t ban nicotine because they’d have to ban tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and any other plant that contains nicotine.  And yes, those plants do contain nicotine in small amounts.  Maybe that’s why I like pizza so much. Thanks for the time.  If you’d like to contact me and you’re in the Phoenix, Arizona area, feel free to stop by Vape Escapes so we can chat.