Mackenzie C
A new type of e-cigarette is taking the world by storm. Used by teenagers and others as a substitute to smoking, “vaping” is getting used more and more every single day. This smoking-alternative is both safer and has a variety of flavors to love and enjoy. Available with or without nicotine, this is fun for any type of person. What is vaping? The exact definition of vaping is, “Inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device.” Vaping is simply an alternative to smoking without the bad breath, bad smell, cigarette burns, ashtrays, etc. There is also less of a likelihood of getting cancer or other smoke-related illnesses. Inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device. The vapor juice is made of a simple 4 ingredients: vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and pharmaceutical-grade nicotine (which is completely optional). Nicotine amounts can vary depending on what the user prefers. There is also more than 250 flavorings to choose from. Vaping is not a drug and is legalized almost everywhere. There are restrictions in some places, but not everywhere. At first there was no age limit, but now you must be 18. In New York vaporizers are banned anywhere that regular cigarettes are banned due to the Smoke-Free Air Act.
A man vaping with an electronic cigarette
History of Vaping The very first e-cig was patented in 1963. It was patented by a man named Herbert A. Gilbert. He noted how gross smoke was and he wanted another choice that didn’t smell but still gave him nicotine. His patent included flavored cartridges, heating elements, and flavored air without smoke. But nobody wanted to manufacture the ecigs, so his patent just sat around until 2003. In 2003, Hon Lik, a Chinese medical researcher, hated his smoking addiction. To make it worse, his dad had passed away from lung cancer. One
night, Hon Lik forgot his nicotine patch which caused a dream. History of Vaping says, “He dreamed that he was drowning in a sea. He was dying, his lungs were filling with water. Then, miraculously, the water he was drowning in transformed into harmless vapor that he could easily breathe.” From then on, Hon Lik went through many trials to be able to bring his dream into reality. In 2006, Lik released his electronic cigarette. E-cigs were gaining popularity in the early 2000s, and so was the subculture. A lot of people wanted more out of their vaping experience, so they started making their own types of e-cigs. Many people made modified and customizable vaporizers so that you could have things like flashlights or an e-cig that looks like a pen. As well marketed e-cigs are, one can only imagine that they will only get better as technology evolves. As for as short of a time that they have already been in the public, e-cigs have undergone quite the transformation. Anatomy of a vaporizer The vaporizer is compiled of various components that help make the vaping experience
what it is. The first part of the vaporizer is the battery. The battery can differ in e-cigs. It can have a battery that is manually operated with a button or one where inhaling activates the battery power. You can also have the choice between a disposable battery or one that you can plug in and charge. For some vaporizers, you can get a detachable or built-in battery. The next part is a tube. The tube is the main console of the vaporizer. It connects the wand with the mouthpiece so that you can actually vape. Another part is a cartridge. It holds the e-liquid/juice that converts into the vapor. Then there is the atomizer. The atomizer heats up the juice and actually creates the vapor. The cartomizer is the combination of the cartridge and the atomizer. It is hard to clean, holds 1-2 ML of liquid at a time, and has to be primed before use. The last part is the e-liquid. Eliquid is a water-based liquid that can be infused with nicotine. It comes plain or with a flavor that you pick out of hundreds of choices. The juice is made of vegetable glycerine/propylene glycol, nicotine, and a flavor. Vegetable glycerine is a “simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations.” Propylene glycol is an “organic compound with the chemical formula C₃H₈O₂. It is a viscous colourless liquid which is nearly odourless but possesses a faintly sweet taste.” Benefits of vaping There is a big debate on whether or not vaping is completely safe. What people do know is that vaping contains no tobacco. It gives people their nic-
otine fix but does not have the harmful effects of smoking like cancer and other diseases. Considering smoking is breathing in over 4,300 harmful chemicals, vaping is extremely healthy. Flavorings for e-juice is just like the flavorings in candy and other food eaten by people everyday. It does contain nicotine, but that is a lot less harmful than just straight up tobacco. According to Flavr, “One in five deaths in the United States are smokingrelated, about 443,000 Americans a year, including babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and those inhaling second-hand carcinogens.” This is a big problem that vaping can fix. The American Lung Association has said that thing like e-cigs and vaporizers help get rid of withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. Just after a year of no smoking, people drop the chance of sudden heart attacks sharply. People get things like strokes, lung cancer, throat cancer, pneumonia, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, heart attack, and other things from from breathing in tobacco smoke. Then of course there is the fact that vaping is safer for the environment. Vaporizers have no open flames that could cause fires or burns. There has also only ever been one case of an e-cig exploding, and it was due to a modification made by the user to give it more power. When used as they should, e-cigs do not just blow up in people’s faces. How to Vape When vaping, there is a specific list of instructions that one should follow for safety and the safety of others. First there is a pre-vape checklist. It is usually good to make sure one can actually turn the e-cig on and off. Then, make sure that one knows how make the e-cig produce vapor. Without that, people can’t do much. For the first time vap-
or watts to the lowest setting possible. Then make sure there is enough of the e-juice in the tank. After doing these thing one can finally start vaping. But wait, before one begins make sure it is allowed. Nobody wants to be in trouble with the law. Next, if the e -cig has a button, press it, put the mouthpiece up to the mouth, and inhale. If the e-cig has no button, it is either broken or is activated by inhalation. Wait a second and then exhale- it doesn’t matter if it is through the mouth or the nose. Then just repeat until satisfied. One will notice that vaping is not the same as smoking. When smoking, you can tell when you are done with a cigarette. Just keep in mind is not as easy with an e-cig because you have to keep track of how much e-juice is left in the tank. One with probably attract both positive and negative attention while in an open place where there are many people. And lastly, don’t forget an extra battery because when a battery is dead it will take a while to charge again. Bibliography "5 Leading Benefits Electronic Smoking Has Over Traditional Cigar ettes." E-Cigarettes vs. Traditional Cigarettes: Benefits of Vapor Smoking. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. "10 Facts That Everyone Gets Wrong About Vaping." Gizmodo. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015." "Ch. 1 History of Vaping - OnVaping." OnVaping Ch 1 History of Vaping Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. Ch. 7 Vaping for the First Time - OnVaping." OnVaping Ch 7 Vapi ng for the First Time Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. HealthDay, WebMD News from. "Benefits of E-Cigarettes May Out weigh Harms, Study Finds – WebMD." WebMD. WebMD, 30 July 2014. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. Google Image Result for Http://www.newhere.com/wp/wp- cont ent/uploads/2015/02/vaping.png." vaping.png. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. "Redirect Notice." Redirect Notice. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. "The Health Benefits of Vaping Over Smoking - FlavrVapor." Fla vrVapor. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015. "What Is Vaping? Your Complete Guide." N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.