What is Vaping?

Among the many new activities introduced in the past several years, one that has never had its novelty wear off is vaping. With a steadily increasing number of enthusiasts and hobbyists, many may be wondering what exactly vaping is and what it entails.

Vaping simply refers to inhaling a vapour that has been heated up by an electronic cigarette. The modern-day electronic cigarettes we are using as of 2021 was originally created by Hon Lik, who is a Chinese pharmacist. Back in 2001, Hon started playing around with ideas on how to create a modern-day electronic cigarette, and just a few years later, in 2004, the first electronic cigarette was manufactured.

Vaping or vaporizing simply means heating up some ingredients, such propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavourings. On its own, nicotine would be too toxic. Thus, you need a carrier liquid, which is made up of PG and VG in this case. Both PG and VG are deemed safe for inhalation. The food-safe flavouring that’s added is what gives the “E-liquid” or “E-juice” the variety of flavors you may know about.

What is E-juice/E-liquid?

The liquid that you vape is called the E-juice/E-liquid. These terms have the same meaning, but they have been thrown around since the inception of vaping. Most customers would call it E-juice or juice. The E-juice/E-liquid is a blend of PG and VG (which we previously spoke about) mixed with nicotine (salt or freebase) and some food-safe flavouring. All the different flavors you can buy are created by various manufactures to create a proprietary blend.

What is Salt Nicotine vs. Freebase Nicotine?

Freebase nicotine is what everyone used up until roughly 2019 here in Canada. After 2019, salt nicotine, which was developed by Juul, was introduced, and it became very popular. Salt nicotine offers more immediate nicotine satisfaction and smoother delivery than its counterpart, freebase nicotine, especially at higher mg levels. Many popular devices and setups (disposable, closed pod, and open pod) mainly use salt nicotine. Freebase nicotine and larger devices are becoming increasingly obsolete.

What are

Disposable devices comprise one-time use closed systems containing a battery and liquid container built into a single device. These are built to be throw-away devices. They typically contain salt nicotine, which gives great nicotine satisfaction. This is a suitable device for someone who wants something super simple while providing the ability to mix and match many different flavors. These devices are non-rechargeable and typically last a few days, depending on usage.

What are Closed Pod Vape Systems?

A closed pod device system comprises a vape device (battery) and pods pre-filled with E-juice. The pods are for one-time use and are replaceable. These pods contain salt nicotine most of the time. They are convenient for consumers because there are no coils to change, given that the pod contains the container and coil together. It’s a great first-time device for someone converting from tobacco cigarettes because this system is easy to use and convenient.

What are Open Pod Vape Systems?

Just like the closed pod system, you have a vape device (battery) and then you usually have a pod (which you can refill) and a coil (which is sometimes part of the pod and, other times, can be changed on its own). The benefit of this device is that, depending on the open pod system you use, you just have to change the coil while having the ability to buy refillable bottles of E-juice, which are usually 30 ml in volume, making this system highly cost-effective.

There are also many other types of higher end devices, from which you can gain greater battery power that leads to longer battery life or more vape products. For the majority of customers who come into our stores, we would typically suggest a disposable vape with either a closed pod or open pod system. They are relatively easy to get into, and the cost is much lower than going all in for a higher end setup with more bells and whistles.

At the end of the day, you are looking to quit smoking, and vaping is an excellent tobacco harm reduction tool. Many customers who start vaping have tried various other smoking cessation aids, such as the patch, prescription drugs, hypnotism, nicotine gum, and so on, without achieving the goal of finally being able to let go of cigarettes once and for all.

If you’re ready to take a step towards a smoke-free life, consider exploring ice casino gaming as a rewarding and engaging alternative to help distract and entertain yourself during this transition.

If you have further questions, please feel free to go into any of our Vapestreet locations throughout British Columbia, and we would be more than happy to create a solution based on your specific needs. Our staff members are fully trained in all systems, and they would be happy to walk you through your first setup. We have 26 locations in British Columbia, from Victoria to Kelowna and all places in between.