All You Need to Know About Vaping

For many, vaping has not only become a healthier, more cost-effective alternative for cigarettes, but it is also a way of life. The vaping community has established itself within societies all over the world, and there are various groups and forums where people share advice and tips that anyone looking to start vaping can join – but what exactly is it and how do you start? Here at Havana House, we have a wide range of vaping accessories for sale, as well as a vaping lounge in Berkshire, UK, so we thought we’d explore everything you need to know about vaping, for both beginners and experienced ‘vapers’ alike!

What is Vaping?

Starting with the basics, vaping refers to the act of inhaling vapour produced by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or a vaporiser. The vapour itself is produced from a material such as an e-liquid, dry herb, or concentrate. This term is used because e-cigarettes do not produce tobacco smoke, but an aerosol or water vapour that is made up of fine particles. Generally, a vaping device will consist of a mouthpiece, battery, a cartridge for containing the e-liquid or e-juice, and a heating component that is also powered by a battery.

The History of Vaping

You would be forgiven for thinking that e-cigarettes have a fairly modern history, given the levels of technology involved in vaping as we know it, but the concept itself can actually be dated back to 440BC. This version of ancient vaping refers to Herodotus, a Greek historian, who described a tradition of the Scythians, who would throw cannabis onto red-hot stones before inhaling and bathing in the resulting vapour. While this may not refer to the vaping we know, it proves that the concept has actually been around for centuries. The first vaporiser made its way onto our shelves in 1960 and was introduced by Korean war veteran Herbert A. Gilbert, and the anatomy of the vaporiser created then remains basically the same as today. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who is now known as the father of modern vaping, invented the modern e-cigarette as we know it, and towards the end of the decade, e-cigs were well and truly in the spotlight. Thanks to various viral videos including ‘vape nation’ and other popular culture references normalising the culture, vaping continued to rise in popularity, and the sale of vapers in the UK alone increased from 700,000 in 20012 to 2.6 million in 2015.

Committing to Vaping

The most common reason people start to vape is to quit cigarettes but ensuring that you are truly ready to make the commitment is important. Cigarettes typically deliver a fairly regular dose of nicotine per cigarette, and the brain associates the end of a cigarette as having received enough nicotine. Vaping, however, involves a tank, with a lot more nicotine than you’d need in any one sitting, but thanks to the convenient nature of e-cigarettes, you’ll be able to vape whenever you want. This means your body loses the mental cue, making it difficult to judge when you’ve had enough but will also make you more likely to cut down your nicotine intake without suffering from the inconvenient side effects. That said, if you begin vaping and continue to smoke normal cigarettes, you could find yourself with a nicotine overdose and the unpleasant symptoms that come along with it, including nausea, dizziness and headaches.

Choosing Vapes and Liquids

When opting to vape, you’ll need to choose the right amount of nicotine depending on how many cigarettes you smoked. E-juice typically comes in five different levels, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24mg, although there are also some available without nicotine, and some with substantially more depending on the provider. You will need to do some trial and error in order to find the combination that works for you, but if you smoked more than a pack a day and are hoping to quit cigarettes completely, we recommend a strength of 18 or 24mg to start with. Listen to your body and its cravings, and adjust your intake accordingly, and remember, it’s always better to up the levels of nicotine in your e-cig as opposed to relapsing with normal cigarettes.

There is a plethora of e-liquids available, and whether you’re just starting out or an experienced vaper with a favourite go-to, it’s always a good idea to try a new flavour – you might just find yourself with a new favourite! From fruity flavours such as strawberry and apple to the other, less intrusive flavours such as menthol or tobacco; there’s certainly something to tickle the taste buds of everyone.

Tips

• Ensure you select your vaping accessories from renowned, trusted retailers such as Havana House, as low-quality products can pose various risks for your health that may not even be related to the act of vaping itself.
• Never assume you can vape wherever you want, and ensure you comply to rules and regulations. Where smoking is prohibited, chances are vaping will be too.
• If you can, try to eliminate nicotine from your e-liquids altogether which makes for a much healthier lifestyle, but still enables you to join and be a part of the vaping community.
• Child-proof bottles of e-liquids where necessary and keep them out of reach at all times – liquids can be poisonous if ingested.
• Look after your battery properly, keeping it in a plastic case wherever possible. Always use the charger as recommended by the retailer and try to avoid overcharging the batteries.

We hope you enjoyed this guide to vaping, and that you’ve learned a little more about it the trend that’s transforming the way in which we, as a society, smoke. If you’d like to know any more about vaping or would like to take a trip to our very own vaping lounge, don’t hesitate to contact the experts on our team today who would be more than happy to assist. In the meantime, browse our collection of e-liquids and cigars online today!