Are you interested in learning what you need to purchase to start vaping along with the best techniques? Then check out this complete guide for beginners.
In 2018, 13.7% of US adults 18 years old and above were “current” cigarette smokers. That’s a considerable 7.2% decrease from the smoking population back in 2005.
A likely reason behind this drop is the increase in smokers who switched to e-cigarettes. In 2017, 2.8% of US adults vaped, which then went up to 3.2% in 2018.
After all, vaping, or the use of e-cigs is originally meant to help with tobacco cessation. Studies found that its use can help maintain smoking abstinence by up to 77% over a period of two years.
In short, smokers who start vaping now are likelier to smoke fewer cigarettes. They’re also likelier to quit within the next couple of years.
If you want to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke, consider vaping. Read on to learn all about how to get into vaping and what you need to get started.
Why You Should Switch from Tobacco Cigarettes to Vaporizers
Vaporizers have a heating element that heats and then converts e-liquid into vapor. Inhaling or “puffing” on the vaporizer triggers this heating element to turn on.
Unlike tobacco cigarettes, vaping doesn’t involve burning anything at all. It only heats the flavored or flavorless liquid to the point of vaporization. Whereas the smoke from burning traditional cigarettes contains at least 7,000 chemicals.
It’s this smoke that contains at least 250 harmful chemicals, 69 of which are carcinogenic.
Vaping is also different from smoking using water pipes or hookahs. The smoke from a hookah, albeit “cooled down”, still comes from a mixture of burned tobacco and molasses.
Since vaping doesn’t involve burning, it should theoretically be safer than tobacco smoking. Indeed, the UK Public Health England says that e-cigs are 95% less harmful than smoked tobacco. The US CDC and FDA also admits that e-cigs (which are like vaporizers), can benefit adults who want to quit smoking.
Allergy Testing: A Must Before You Start Vaping
The first step on how to start vaping is to figure out if you have e-liquid allergies. It’s rare, but some people have allergies to propylene glycol (PG), a main ingredient of e-liquids. Note that PG is a food additive that the FDA says is “generally recognized as safe“.
A potential reason behind these allergies is the water-absorbing property of PG. In humans, this can cause some dryness in the mouth and throat. That’s why some people react to PG by coughing after puffing on a vaporizer.
In case you’re sensitive to PG, your other option is vegetable glycerin (VG). It may be less irritating and dehydrating. Moreover, VG’s higher viscosity allows for bigger “clouds” when vaping.
What’s important is to get yourself tested first for any e-liquid ingredient allergy. This way, you can avoid excessive gagging or coughing when you do take that first puff.
Choosing a Vaporizer
Disposables, pens, and mods are three of the basic types of vaporizers. The fourth, known as sub-ohms, are for the more advanced vape users.
Disposables
Disposables are exactly what they sound like. These are ready-to-use, after which, you dump them once they run out of e-juice. They’re the least expensive, so they may be a good choice if you want to try out a few vapes first.
Vape Pens
Vape pens are rechargeable vaporizers that also come with changeable batteries and atomizers. They’re a bit pricier than disposables, but they provide a better first experience.
Best of all, you’ll find vape pens, like this product, in a complete starter kit. These kits already come with everything you need to start vaping.
Mods
Mods are “modified” vape pens that come with advanced and enhanced features. They’re bigger than regular pens, which is usually due to larger battery capacity. Their larger size also allows them to carry more e-liquid.
You can also “modify” the coils — the heating element — in these devices to produce more vapor.
Mods, however, are trickier and more complicated to use than standard vape pens. That’s why they’re usually not the best first choice for those who are only getting started in vaping. Once you’ve mastered vape pens though, you may consider investing in your own mod.
Sub-Ohm Vaporizers
“Ohm” is the resistance rating of a vaporizer‘s atomizer coils. It measures the current that the coil allows to pass through. Before the birth of “sub-ohm” vaporizers, ohm ratings were between 1.5 to 3 ohms.
The lower the ohm rating, the greater the amount of current that passes through the coil. As such, a lower ohm equates to a hotter coil, which in turn, generates more vapor.
Sub-ohm devices have a rating of less than 1 ohm. This is how such vaporizers produce the most amount of vapor.
Don’t Go Too Low on Nicotine
While making the switch to vaping can help you quit cigarette smoking, going “cold turkey” may not be a wise step. Sudden abstinence from nicotine may lead to withdrawal symptoms like headaches and nausea.
That said, try a gradual approach to reducing the nicotine content of your chosen e-juice. If you’re a heavy smoker, it may be best to start with an e-liquid that contains about 18 mg/ml of nicotine. From there, you can slowly go down to 12 mg/ml and lower, until you get used to an e-juice with 0 nicotine.
Don’t Stick To Only One E-Juice Flavor
The best e-juice flavors are strictly preferential. However, as a first-time vaper, it’s a good idea to start with milder flavors. You should also make it a habit to swap flavors from time to time.
These will help you avoid “flavor fatigue”, which can desensitize your tongue.
Get Vaping Right the First Time
Keep in mind these tips on how to start vaping to ensure that your first experience will be a great one. Otherwise, you may end up gagging and coughing a lot, which can put a damper on your first step to quitting smoking.
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