Lifestyle

Mango JUUL pods are back in stock so if you’re a fan and own a JUUL vaping device, you need to...

One of the biggest advantages of electronic cigarettes is how easy it is to switch between different cartridge flavors. For smokers, tobacco and menthol are essentially the only options, but vapers have a cornucopia of flavors available, ranging from coffee and chocolate through to more exotic tastes such as mango and grape.

Rechargeable batteries based on lithium-ion technology are what power many of our electronic devices, not just e-cigarettes. And because of the nature of their chemistry, lithium batteries all possess inherent risks.

So Cal, and more specifically Orange County, has been hit by another phenomenon in recent months. As an OC resident, it seems as though the rising popularity of electronic cigarettes is especially strong in the area, where the market has absolutely exploded. There are currently over 30 brick & mortar shops in the county alone and a ever-growing number of "vapers" that will soon outnumber smokers.

We've all heard the arguments before. The anti-e-cig crowd cries that there hasn't been enough research on the effects, that the hypothetical issues with the manufacturing process could lead to catastrophic consequences for users or that they are as dangerous tobacco outright. However, an old rationalist analogy from philosopher Bertrand Russell teaches us that it is the anti-e-cig crowd – not researchers who understand the amazing potential for harm reduction – are the ones who should be offering evidence.

The worst thing about the continuous spread of misleading information and the manufacturing of misguided panics about vaping is the fact that e-cigarettes are really about harm reduction. Arguments like “e-cigarettes aren’t absolutely safe” are ridiculous in the context of harm reduction, and this becomes pretty clear when you apply common anti-vaping arguments to other forms of harm reduction.

The American Legacy Foundation has released a statement which makes the bold claims that “consumers are taking unknown risks by using e-cigarettes,” contributing another misinformed, scaremongering piece of pseudo-scientific nonsense to a debate where lives literally hang in the balance. They advocate the use of traditional nicotine replacement therapies, which will generally only successfully help 17 out of 100 people. Let’s think for a second about what they’re proposing that those other 83 people do… Yep, if the current NRT products have failed you, you should be “wary” of using e-cigarettes, so assumedly the only option left from Legacy’s perspective is good old, carcinogenic tobacco.

Imagine that after 20 years of smoking, 5 of which were spent trying to quit using patches, nicotine gum, inhalers and pills, you finally found a solution. Through a combination of will power and an electronic cigarette, you haven’t lit up a real smoke in almost 2 months. Your health has drastically improved and your significant other no longer despises the smell of your clothes. However, despite being tobacco free, the government suddenly decides to label you as a smoker yet again. The sense of freedom acquired from avoiding tobacco is gone, as you are restricted to only using your healthy alternative in designated smoking areas.

For smokers just switching to vaping, one of the most common questions is: “which e-liquid will taste like my favorite brand of cigarettes?” However, you quickly learn that finding an e-liquid that tastes like Marlboro cigarettes, for example, is not an easy task. So, do you keep searching for the e-liquid that will manage to perfectly replicate your chosen brand of cigarettes, or is there another way?

One of the arguments often put forwards by current smokers is that e-cigs are actually ineffective for their intended purpose. It’s often said with an underlying smugness, an inherent assumption that tobacco cigs are “the real thing” and e-cigs are just a childish imitation which could never replace their analogue habit.

Recently, I did a quick recap post listing the best online vaping-related sources of information. There’s a ton of great...

Vapers come in all shapes and sizes and in my 8 years of vaping I’ve never seen two people who...

Researchers in Greece seem to have a thing for testing airway resistance. Two Greek studies published last year found that use of electronic cigarettes increased airway resistance in smokers without COPD or asthma.

There are many examples of unavoidably normal things being used to criticize vaping specifically. In everyday life, the potential problems relating to them are roundly ignored, but when you toss e-cigarettes into the equation, all of a sudden they’re a cause for panic and outrage. Here are five examples

Companies like Vapor Chef, Namber Juice, and Five Pawns offer ranges of “gourmet” e-liquid, complete with complex, carefully balanced and exotic flavors and borderline pornographic descriptions. But is it all hot air?

If you’re new to vaping, you might be under the impression that it’s a relatively new thing. You would only...

Are we inhaling carcinogens and still exposing ourselves to similar risks to smoking a cigarette? Well, no. In fact, looking into the issue in more detail could even give you reason to accuse some anti-smoking advocates of outright propaganda.