Welcome to The Vaping Reviewer, a blog that tries to introduce smokers to one of the most modern alternatives available today - electronic cigarettes. As a seasoned vaper, I will try to share my experience with you, and answer the most important questions about e-cigarettes. Because most people often question if they're safe, I'd like to open with this video of actual doctors reviewing vaporizers:
Does E-Cigarette Vapor Taste Like Smoke?
One of the biggest concerns faced by tobacco smokers over switching to e-cigarettes is regarding taste, the fear being that tobacco-free or smoke-free devices might just not taste the same. Sure, e-cigarettes are being marketed as the ‘real thing’, they are said to be close imitations in terms of the taste, feel and look of tobacco analogs. But it is easy to see why long-term smokers might be skeptical about these claims.
The first step to differentiating between the taste of e-smoking and regular smoking is to understand the exact functioning of an e-cigarette. The device looks very similar to an analog cigarette but does not contain any tobacco. Instead, it contains liquid nicotine and an atomizer that vaporizes it when the e-smoker takes a drag. The nicotine vapor is inhaled into the lungs, the sensation of which is said to be very similar to tobacco smoking. Since e-cigs involve vapor that is very different from the smoke produced by tobacco cigarettes, it is quite unfair to claim that the tastes would be identical. There are bound to be differences between the two experiences.
Having said that, let’s take a look at some statistics. Did you know studies in 2011 showed that over 31% of the people who responded to a survey said they quit smoking just six months after using e-cigarettes? And that regular users of electronic cigarettes have reported health benefits such as less coughing, no bad odor, greater fitness and improved breathing? If it were difficult for smokers to adapt to the taste of e-cigarettes, this would not have been the case at all.
The bottom line here is that electronic cigarettes do appear to be a healthier alternative to tobacco smoking. The devices do help people quit smoking and those who make the switch appear to enjoy the taste. They are available in a variety of flavors too, like coffee, chocolate, menthol, vanilla and more. Some brands even have Marlboro and Camel flavored ones. The only person who can decide if e-cigarette vapor tastes like smoke or not is you, once you have given it a try.
How to Choose the Right E-Cigarette Liquid
Ask any experienced vaper and they’ll tell you an enjoyable vaping experience usually boils down the e-liquid. That’s why choosing the right one for you is crucial.
You’ve probably read e-cigarette reviews that talked about long-lasting batteries and devices that produced thick clouds of vapor, and while these things are very important, it’s the flavor of the e-liquid that ultimately makes a vaping session pleasurable. Depending on a variety of factors, the juice can either help you kick the smoking habit for good, or go back to traditional cigs after a disastrous experience.
Probably the most important thing to look out for when trying out an e-liquid is the base substance used to make it. The most common one is propylene glycol, a harmless odorless liquid used to make cough medicine and various inhalers. However, some people are allergic to it so chemists have come up with another type of e-juice, based on vegetable glycerin. Glycerin is a viscous substance used in the making of various every-day products.
Another thing you have to consider is the amount of nicotine in each e-liquid. Most brands offer 4 levels of nicotine to choose from, from 0 to 24 milligrams, depending on what kind of a smoker you used to be. If you had a cig every now and then, you should use a weak e-cigarette liquid, but if you had two packs a day, you’ll only be satisfied by the stronger juice.
Finally, there is the matter of flavor. Most ex-smokers who decided to give e-cigarettes a try usually prefer the tobacco flavor, but most premium brands have a wide selection to choose from, including creamy, fruity and candy flavors. It will take a while to find the ones you really like, but once you do, you’ll probably stick with it for a long time.
Side Effects of Switching to Electronic Cigarettes
Whether you like it or not, the transition from analogs to electronic cigarettes does have some minor side effects. Luckily they’re just your body’s response to a big change.
Even if you’re using the best e-cigarette money can buy to kick the smoking habit, you’re not going to prevent your body from reacting to the absence of the carcinogenic smoke you’ve been feeding it for years. These symptoms may not be the most pleasant, but you should take them as a good thing, a sign that your body is healing and adjusting to a healthier lifestyle.
The most common side-effects of switching from analogs to e-cigarettes are excessive coughing, congestion, constant throat clearing and phlegm. They usually occur every time a person quits smoking after a long period of time, and aren’t associated with vaping. However, many first time e-cig users mistakenly believe vapor is even worse for them than tobacco smoke, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.
You should know electronic cigarettes take getting used, and you should be prepared for some other minor side-effects. Because propylene glycol (PG) is a humectant (absorbs moisture) it can dry your throat and leave it feeling sore the first few times you vape. Also, the PG is converted into lactic acid in your body, which causes muscle aches and cramps. These symptoms usually go away within two days, and it’s recommended you consume plenty of fluids to speed up the process.
Unfortunately for some people the side-effects associated with propylene glycol never seem to go away, which is a sign they’re allergic to it. For them, e-juice producers have come up with an alternative in the form of vegetable glycerin e-liquid. This is a clear viscous fluid used in many everyday products that doesn’t have any side effects.
E-Cigarette Warranty – Why It’s So Important
One thing you should always consider when buying your first PV is e-cigarette warranty. Like all electronic devices, these things break down at some point, so you’ll want to be covered when that happens.
Electronic cigarettes are becoming more popular with each passing day, and the prospects of a successful business are attracting new entrepreneurs to the industry. E-cigarette review sites are popping up like crazy around the Internet, as people are trying capitalize on this profitable niche. A direct consequence of this is the ever-growing number of brands seeking to get even a small piece of the pie, while there’s still some left. For buyers that’s both a good and a bad thing. On the bright side there’s a lot of competition and that always brings prices down, but you can also stumble across some pretty shady operations that don’t always stand by their products.
That’s why when shopping for e-cigarettes, one of the determining factors has to be the warranty offered by the supplier. Not only does this provide assurance that you don’t need to worry about the electric cigarette breaking down, it also says a lot about the brand and the quality of their products. When a company offers just a 30-day warranty it shows they’re not very confident about what they’re selling to you, and they want to be absolved of any responsibility as soon as possible, should anything bad happen.
On the other hand, there are premium e-cigarette brands out there that have 1 or 2 year warranties, and a few go as far as to offer lifetime warranties for their electronic components. That means that if you remain faithful to their products they will replace damaged parts anytime, for the rest of your life.
Still, regardless of how well a sales pitch sounds, you should always do a background check on the companies you’re considering, because not all of them stand by their claims. Others have poor customers service, which can also be very problematic, so be sure to check other people’s experience with them.
Are e-cigarettes necessary?
That seems like a pretty easy question, but it really depends a lot on the perspective of the person answering it.
The logical answer would of course be “no”, electronic cigarettes are not necessary, or rather they are as necessary as analogs or alcohol. That’s true, a person doesn’t need something to help prolong their addiction to nicotine, when they could just kick the habit completely and find something better to spend their hard-earned money on. But what about those who can’t?
Sure, there are plenty of smokers out there who do it because they enjoy it, but many others admit they have a problem they can’t seem to solve on their own. For these people, a less dangerous alternative to deliver the nicotine is indeed necessary, especially since for many of them oral fixation is really important. Yes, many of them have tried nicotine gum and inhalers, but found themselves going back to analogs.
Studies have shown oral fixation is a big part of the addiction, especially for long-time smokers, and e-cigarettes are a great alternative, considering so far no one has been able to prove they have any harmful effects on the human body. They can ultimately help ex-smokers beat their addiction by lowering the levels of nicotine, or at least lower the quantity they consume daily.
The greatest of e-cigarette benefits is the replacement of thousands of toxins with harmless vapor, and this alone is important enough to make the claim that electronic cigarettes are a necessary alternative to analogs. Many physicians have recognized them as considerably less dangerous ways of delivering nicotine, and their rising popularity is a signal the general public has too.
