Vape Magazine August 2015 by Matt Schramel

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NEWS, BUSINESS & CULTURE VAPE Magazine is the only international vaping industry focused magazine with more than 35,000 readership in the United States, Europe and Asia, where vaping professionals find the latest news, products and trends. EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Alyssa Stahr content@vapemz.com 800-958-6427 x2 Executive Editor Laura Batty Art Director Van Avanzado Graphic Designers Joe Buehner, Laura Camp, Matt Ritzenthaler Webmaster Axel Gillespie

letter from the editor: The Power of One Wow! What a whirlwind the past two months have been for the VAPE Magazine staff. We have traveled to several international events and conferences—Dekang’s conference in Amsterdam, SFATA’s conference in Chicago, VaporFair Frankfurt, Vape Jam UK, VCCPA, World Vapor Expo in Miami and Vapor Expo International in Chicago—just to name a few. Not only did this give me plenty of time to catch up with familiar industry faces, but it also gave me time to meet new movers and shakers. A recurring theme that I noticed was that vapers are a strong bunch, however groups don’t start out that way. There is a power of one. Chris Glandon made a difference by simply speaking out on Facebook, and now he’s in a power position at the Florida Smoke Free Association. Sarah Mason was a smoker who didn’t have a vape shop within 45 miles of her house. Now she’s the first female Canadian vaper broadcasting in America. Pip Gresham’s Suicide Bunny started just because she wanted one person to quit smoking—her husband. Reverend Dark changes lives at each outdoor event he attends, all because of one singular traveling vape shop idea. These people are just a few highlighted in this bigger-than-ever issue of VAPE. Due to our enormous growth, we’ve introduced more new columns and departments than ever before, featured more guest writers and expanded our events coverage. We couldn’t have done it without each individual person who has pitched in and made VAPE what it is today. Each interview, each word, each photo as a singular entity grew into this issue, proving that one isn’t such a lonely number after all.

Contributors Steffanie Atkins, Peter Beckett, Norm Bour, Cynthia Cabrera, Michael Callis, Azim Chowdhury, Dave Cross, Maggie Follett Bryan Gateb, Nick Green, Jan Halili, Erin Hedrick, Jennifer Hubby, Chris Mellides, Leigh Oates, Susan Oser, Tony Ottomanelli, Barnaby Page, Arvid Sollom, Maria Verven ADMINISTRATIVE Chief Executive Officer Matt Schramel Chief Operating Officer Alyssa Stahr Vice President Jon Laverde National Event Coordinator Norm Bour Executive Assistant Erin Hedrick ADVERTISING Mike Schramel, mike@vapemz.com 800-958-6427 x1 Jon Laverde, jon@vapemz.com 800-958-6427 x4 Jacob Barger, jacob@vapemz.com Tim Artz, tim@vapemz.com China-based advertisers contact Wingle Group Electronics LTD +852 51759256 dev@winglegroup.com CONTACT Advertising sales@vapemz.com News news@vapemz.com New Products newproducts@vapemz.com Employment jobs@vapemz.com

@VAPEMAGAZINE 12

MAGAZINE

/ VapeMZ

VAPE Magazine is wholly owned by Starpixel Marketing LLC 2230 Highland Hill Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376 info@vapemz.com 800-958-6427

Columns 16 Vaping From the Outside 26 Let’s Ask GrimmGreen 117 Mastering the Vape Space 120 Eurozoned 137 Crowd Chasers

109

168 Techin’ Geek

Departments

table of contents 46 Market Research Firm Presents at

60 First Female Canadian Broadcaster

42 Juice Judge

on American Network Shares

Newbie Experiences

The VAPE Meet Scene: L.A. Vapers Club

64 Tech Reflect

66 FDA Regulation of E-Cigarettes

69 Just In Juices

—Are You Prepared?

83 VAPE Fashion Pictorial

75 A Regulatory Look Stateside and

109

Scenic Vapers #CloudCheck

Across the Pond

79 Avail Vapor Vaultz Keeps Vape

123

31 Vape Jam UK Blazes International Events Trail

39 VapeXpo Ann Arbor Makes

Supplies Under Lock

Virtual Chatting a Reality

92 Mobile Vape Store Rolls Through

NATO Brings Top Industry

Experts Together

American Northwest

80 Vapers Find Entertainment

and Innovation at PA Vape Expo

World Vapor Expo Provides

VAPE Vixen

Hot Atmosphere on International Stage

152 VAPE Talks Shop: Cosmic Vapes

100 Vapor Expo International, Chicago:

102

161 Vaping 101: A Guide to Newbie Vaping 175 Mods on Mods

Vape A Vet Supports Military Vaping Efforts

Where Business Gets Done

Features

114 Florida Smoke Free Association

104

2015 SFATA Conference Calls for

Advocacy, Education

19 Spike TV Personality and

127 Suicide Bunny Creator Mixes

131 Vapecon—A Celebration of

Butt-Kicking, South African Style

Tattoo Shop Owner Inks Place

in the Vaping Community

141 Vaping Californians Urged to Vote,

146

Dekang Biotechnology Company Hosts

Distributors Press Conference

23 Are You TPD Ready?

28 Perception Vs. Reality

143 Vaping Loud By Chasing Clouds

156 The Vape Summit Rocks Las Vegas

36 XOLO Creator Aims for Attractive

150 A Brief Look Inside the Philippines

164

Rex Vapor Creators Put

180 VaporFair Frankfurt Combines Vaping,

3D Printing on Vape Display

Convenient Device

45 Nicobine Prepares for Pending Regulations

Events

Dekang Conference

MAGAZINE

Lobbies for Sunshine State

Artistic Love with Girl Power

Dangerous Laws Could Pass

171 Steel City Hosts Vaping Convention Circuit Show

Hookah in German Hub

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Vaping From the Outside:

The Passionate Vaper

By Susan Oser My uncle, John Oser, passed away on Veterans Day 2013 from stage 4 lung cancer after smoking for more than 50 years., I’ve always felt that it was his death that propelled my passion for vaping and making sure that others had the right to do so. That has included my boyfriend who has been at least a year and a half without smoking. I don’t know if I ever told that story or not. I do know that I have told this story on an old BlogSpot blog that I hardly use anymore as well as on my Vapenet show a time or two. It is worth repeating now and again just so that those of you out there can relate in your own way. When I learned that my uncle’s lung cancer had spread quickly throughout his body, I started to research vaping a little more deeply. Incidentally, my uncle’s diagnosis came at the same time that my mom was diagnosed with stage 1 ductal cancer. I hung out on http://vaughnlive.tv and kept hearing about vapers taking over the website, which led to the creation of http://vapers.tv. That was where I met two friends online who I was finally able to meet in person at last year’s VapeXpo. That’s when I knew I found the right place. Let’s face it; it’s where I decided to start my hosting gig back up after being off for a few months and after http://www.blogtv.com got shut down. The more I started hanging around vapers online, the more I learned.

MAGAZINE

I don’t remember the first show I hung out at, but I was ghosting Beauty and the Beast before I actually decided to jump in and chat. I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but when you first heard about fruit flavors, horchata or custards, did you find yourself thinking of foods instead of vaping? If you did, you’re not alone, because that’s exactly what I thought when I first heard about all this stuff. I found myself hanging out primarily at Vapenet, but also checking out some of the latenight shows. Then, I started reading up on vaping and how it helped people. Unfortunately, I was a little intimidated, because numerous people railed against the fact that some vapers merely supported the community, or because they didn’t smoke much but still wanted the experience. I even questioned myself, as to whether I should walk away from good people and a hobby, or see what vaping was like, learn about it from the outside and then introduce people who I thought might want a bit of a lifestyle change. It wasn’t until my boyfriend grew curious hearing me on Skype with him while watching shows that things really took off. At the time, he was smoking pretty heavily. In any event, he decided to join me in a chat one day. He started chatting and asking what was going on. I even was asked if he was serious about getting into vaping, because it seemed at the time some people said they were serious vapers or were newbies, but were found to have vaped for a while. My boyfriend won his first bottle of juice and got hooked up with a setup from chatter that night; he received it a week later, and the rest history. Starting out, he was a bit skeptical. For a while, he vaped part time to get used it, but still smoked cigarettes. This was not something to be ashamed of, because that is par for the course. Unfortunately, some people feel it’s a bit of a stigma and defeats the purpose of vaping. It took him my boyfriend at least six months to finally decided to stop smoking cigarettes entirely. Once in a while, he’d buy a cigarette just to see if he could still do it. However, once he realized how nasty it was, he realized that he had gotten into the right thing. Now, he loves going to VapeXpo and can’t wait to go every year with me. He loves meeting people that he never dreamed of meeting in person. In addition, he’s visited a few local vape shops with me and is not afraid to voice his opinion in support of the vaping community. The moral of the story: If making friends or merely having an interest in the vaping community can convert a smoker or two to try vaping, the community is on the right track and shouldn’t forget why vaping is a “community” in the first place.

Susan E. Oser aka Angelwriterspeaks is a host on Monday nights on Vapenet (http://vapenet.com/). For her day job she is an online tutor and parttime freelance writer. She is a passionate activist for vaping rights. Find her at http://angelwritercreations.weebly.com/, http://twitter.com/angelwriter78 and https://www.facebook.com/Angelwriterspeaks?ref=hl. You can buy her knitted accessories (esp for you the vapor) at https://www.facebook.com/knitzyknitz.

SPIKE TV

Personality and Tattoo Shop Owner Inks Place in the Vaping Community By Alyssa Stahr, Photos by Kauwuane Burton From Ink Master to Tattoo Nightmares Miami on Spike TV, Clint Cummings has made a name for himself as a polarizing individual who viewers love to watch. Cummings’ no-holds-barred attitude and 15 years of tattoo experience made him a fan favorite, as he helped the ink unfortunate cover up their tattoo misfortunes. Cummings was a self-proclaimed troublemaker as a child, and his dad bought him his first tattoo machine at age 15. It was around the time that Cummings was delving into the world of cigarettes. Nowadays, when he’s not traveling, the majority of Cummings’ work on cover-ups and crazy original tattoo requests (think tattooing someone’s head, palms or a major surgery scar) happens within the confines of his own shop: Sparrows Tattoo Company in Mansfield, Texas. Now a vaper, Cummings, along with his team at Sparrows, hopes to send the message that self-expression isn’t just skin deep. VAPE: For our readers who might not know, can you tell us about how you got Ink Master? Cummings: A guy from my shop tried out for the show, and they wanted me, too. It was kind of weird. I had to go to Austin to do an interview, and I guess they liked what they saw. VAPE: And then they brought you back for Tattoo Nightmares. Cummings: They allowed me to do this thing again. They’re always calling me and pulling my card for something. It doesn’t surprise me—maybe because I’m attractive, I don’t know. I got the biggest hairdo on the show, that’s what it is. VAPE: What are some of the worst nightmares you’ve had to cover up? Cummings: Geez, there’s so many. A lot of ones on the show I was like, “What in the world did you guys do?”

A lot of that was interesting. I’ve covered up full sleeves before. Those are tricky. I have one girl right now that has like a really, really fucked up back piece of a dragon. It looks like a 4 year old drew it, and she’s a tiny little thing. I’m slowly covering it up. VAPE: Where do you get your inspiration for both new and coverups? Cummings: It’s kind of hand in hand. I come up with something, and they might have an idea that they come up with. People may come up with the stupidest ideas, but I have to do it anyway; it’s my job. VAPE: I’m assuming all of the mistakes bother the hell out of a professional such as yourself. Cummings: I’ve made it a habit to worry about what it is that I do. I worry about my shop and my thing. If you worry about other people you just put on extra stress. But, I don’t agree with it. You should go out and find the right way to do it. VAPE: What are some of your favorite pieces or favorite styles to do? Cummings: Maybe comic book. I loved comic book stuff when I was a kid.

VAPE: I read in your bio how cool it is to see your ink essentially get up and walk out of the shop. Your work truly is on display permanently for the world to see. How do you deal with the stress that comes with that challenge? Cummings: It was, now I’m just like, whatever. I used to be that way maybe back 10-15 years ago; I used to be really prideful. I’m not saying it’s like that now, but now it’s just like second nature. I hope that’s its great and exceeds their expectations. Now it’s more or less coming up with something I can work with later. Once I tattoo somebody, I want to tattoo them for a long time, so it’s something I can add to and feel good about tattooing. VAPE: I read that Japanese is one of your toughest styles. Is this still true? Cummings: The thing about Japanese is that it’s traditional and there are a lot of rules, and people take those rules very seriously. I think I can do Japanese just fine. Can I do it as well as people out there who do it all the time? No. I wouldn’t say I was bad at Japanese at any means. If I wasn’t up to par with anything it would be more geometric shapes. That’s a big thing going on right now. VAPE: How have you seen the industry change in the 15 years you’ve been doing this?

Cummings: It’s so weird now. When I first started tattooing in the ‘90s, the tramp stamp was going on. Then it shifted from that to the tribal, to the new-school styles and bright bold colors, and now traditional ones. Girls are getting the side boob tattoos, and nowadays it’s the under boob tattoos. I’m not complaining, but I’m saying it’s a big damn leap from 20 years ago. They’re coming in and ripping their clothes off and getting tattoos all over the place. People are realizing that tattoos can shape the body into something you like. They really don’t care about what it is, they just want something pretty. The reason why, is it puts more attention on the curvature of their boobs. Same thing with guys: they get tribal on their chest. It’s just a collection of art that makes the body look better. VAPE: Let’s switch gears to vaping. How long were you a smoker? Cummings: I was smoking when I was like 14 years old. I would run across the street of the high school; they would give me Marlboro Golds. They were a foot long and harsh as hell. Before I knew it, I was 18 and smoking Marlboro Reds, and finally quit about three to four years ago. Vaping kind of saved my life in a sense when it came to that. Now that I don’t smoke, if I’m at a bar and my battery dies, I’ll smoke and take a drag, and it’s so disgusting to me. I smell it on my hands and my breath and I think about all these girls I’ve had in my life— they’re like sleeping with an ashtray. VAPE: How did you find out about vaping? Cummings: The guys that tattoo out of my shop, one of them started doing it and it caught on. I was like, I don’t know—it’s was around me, but I never tried it. It got to the point where I was sick of smoking. I felt like crap. I woke up and felt good, and then I’d smoke and I’d feel like hell. I woke up one day and said, to hell with this. I threw away all my cigarettes, and I went to a vape store and said,“I quit smoking today, so what do I do?” James, a good friend now, turned me onto it and I haven’t been back since. I like it a lot; I’m happy with it now.

VAPE: What’s your favorite vape and device? Cummings: I had a Sigelei magnetic mod with two batteries that went into it. It was awesome; it was a great mod. I was at a McDonald’s in South America, and it got stolen, and then I was stuck in South America without a mod. It sucked. James makes [my liquid] for me: Vicious Vapers. It’s very mellow, like a honey kind of taste; its nice, the RY4. VAPE: Do you plan to use, or have you used, your platform to spread the word about vaping, especially now with all the travel you do? Do you vape while you’re tattooing? Cummings: Yeah, I vape all the time. Almost everybody in the shop vapes all the time. We work with the vape store down the street from us and we promote them. I did a Truth commercial, which is an anti-smoking commercial, and I was vaping while I was doing it. They [customers] were like, “You shouldn’t be doing this,” and I’m like, “Uh, this isn’t smoking.” At first they asked, but now they know what it is. Nowadays, I think it’s weird as hell if people don’t know what it is. VAPE: Have you ever done a vape-related tattoo? Cummings: No, but that would be cool; I’m sure it’s right around the corner. I see vaping being tied into the tattoo industry big time. I go to conventions and see at least one vaping booth there. They go hand-in-hand a little bit. Remember when the iPod first came out, and people thought this was stupid? Same thing with e-cigs. At first people thought it was a quick fad. It’s going to get to a point where cigarettes are a luxury item like cigars. People are going to realize that vaping is a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes, and it’s just going to take off from there. To follow Clint Cummings, visit facebook.com/ClintCummingsTattoo; twitter.com/TheArtOfClint; and instagram.com/clintcummings_sucks. For more about Sparrows Tattoo Company, visit www.sparrowstattoo.com.

Are You TPD Ready?

By Peter Beckett

If you’re planning to stay in business when the Tobacco Products Directive comes in, you need to act now. It’s been a year since the EU institutions agreed the Tobacco Products Directive, which contains rules for the vape sector. Its provisions are not binding for another year, but the complexities involved in meeting the standard it sets mean that leaving preparation to the last minute isn’t an option. Let’s not forget that whatever we think of TPD, it’s far more attainable than the alternative on the table when it was agreed: compulsory medicinal licensing for all nicotine containing products. But it’s no walk in the park either. It’s possible that Totally Wicked’s legal challenge, which is likely to be heard later this year, could strike down some or all of its provisions. But the European Commission is, unsurprisingly, rather good at defending EU law in court; and if TPD were to fall, what might replace it? We all know the headline provisions, which are fairly arbitrary and well defined. Tanks will be limited to 2ml, refill bottles to 10ml, nicotine concentration to 20mg/ ml, and most advertising will be completely banned.

But, this is far from the end of the story. What vapour companies will spend the most time and money getting to grips with is the notification of products and their various properties. By this time next year, new products will need to have been registered with the authorities in the country of sale six months in advance. If the product was around before May 20 of next year, their vendors will have until November 2016 to register it retroactively. Submitting that registration won’t be straightforward. When TPD was agreed, the industry was left in the dark as to exactly how this part of the Directive would be handled. This is normal when a new EU law is passed— the finer technical detail is refined by what are know as implementing acts, which are agreed using an expedited procedure once the main provisions are decided. This year the European Commission has consulted on the details of what the submission will need to contain, which it has set out in what it calls a data dictionary. Essentially, they will want to know—in quite some detail— how a product is made, what goes into it and what comes out of it.

Europe Considers Vape Tax

With excise duties already levied on electronic cigarettes in Portugal, Italy and Romania—and quite probably more to follow—the European Union is considering harmonising how it is structured and collected. They are due to report on the implementation and functioning of the EU tobacco taxation Directive this year and some Member States have asked whether it’s worth including electronic cigarettes in any new legislation. My colleague Vaidotas Linkevicius—a former European Council tax attaché—discussed this at the Global Forum on Nicotine. Implementing an excise duty is a complicated thing. Aside from considering how it’s priced into a product, there are the technical considerations, the bonded warehousing and the insurance requirements to think about. While this remains a couple of years away, it’s something to consider in the medium term.

Registrants will need to declare the molecular composition of the liquid they sell and submit toxicological data proving that they are safe to heat and inhale. In addition to that, they will need to test the emissions their products create—the vapour that users inhale—and declare the molecular composition and toxicological qualities of those. This applies regardless of whether the product is a liquid or a device: devices will be tested using the company’s most popular liquid and vice versa.

And as if all that wasn’t enough, there is a need to make sure that nicotine is delivered at a (reasonably) consistent rate, describe the manufacturing process in detail and provide some indication of how much nicotine users are likely to get. Getting hold of all that data will require extensive analytical work that few European laboratories are set up to do. As far as I am aware, you can count the number of labs with validated methods for collecting and testing e-cigarette vapour on one hand.

This is not going to be an easy rise for an industry that isn’t vertically integrated, consists of a large number of small specialist players and has never been formally regulated by specific statutes with detailed provisions. Without adequate preparation it is quite possible that the European industry will face a mass extinction event. The people who stay in the game when it becomes a reality will be the people getting their act together now.

And once all that is done and the notification is submitted, there is an ongoing requirement to set up a system for what is known as pharmacovigilance. This means making sure customers are able to report any adverse effects to you and that you have a system for ensuring that they are recorded and fed into any future product development. This information, along with annual sales data, should be submitted to the country where the product is sold, who will pass it onto the European Commission.

Peter Beckett is managing director of Policy Matters, a specialist political and regulatory affairs consultancy for the vape sector. He is head of public policy for the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association and worked on the legislative negotiation that led to the adoption of TPD. He writes in a personal capacity. For more information, contact peter@publicpolicymatters.com.

The first step is figuring out exactly who is required to do what.

Vape Roadshows Head East

Under the Directive, the burden of submitting this notification is born by the manufacturer or importer. Generally speaking, the brand owner will be considered the manufacturer under EU law, even if the product is actually made by a contract manufacturer. So even if a company doesn’t physically make any products itself, it still has to submit the notification itself and accept product liability. Obviously, if a manufacturer sells their own brand of e-liquid, they bear the responsibility. This is all reasonably straightforward for liquids, but things are going to get tricky when it comes to devices. The same device is often sold under a plethora of different brand names in the same country and all of them will need to be registered separately. These kind of white label manufacturers, based in China, will do well to make arrangements that help their clients clear the TPD hurdle on their devices It gets trickier still with devices branded in China that are sold by multiple vendors—like those made by Innokin, KangerTech and Aspire. In theory, anyone who imports them will need to submit a notification. But that, of course, simply won’t work in practice: national authorities would be overrun by hundreds of registrations for the same device. In this instance, centralised distribution with regulatory capacity could be the answer. When the question of “who” is answered, the next are “what” and “how.” It would be worth conducting a gap analysis to do this—and from that it will be possible to

analyse where deficiencies exist that could be fatal under TPD, what needs to change and what needs to be done.

The Global Forum on Nicotine held the second of its landmark annual events in Warsaw at the beginning of June, and I was honoured to be able to chair the satellite session on vapour product standards. They keynote speech— known as the Michael Russell oration—was given by former WHO tobacco control specialist Derek Yach, and Australian physician Attilla Danko was given a standing ovation for his speech on experiences with former smokers down under. I travelled to Russia in June to speak at the first vape show and conference in the Russian Federation. The event was sponsored by Standpoint Vapour and will bring together the leaders in that market. As well as me, speakers included Steve Hong (Roebling Research), Tim Phillips (eCig Intelligence), Arnaud Dumas de Rauly (FIVAPE), Ray Story (TVECA) and Oliver Kershaw (ECF). For more information visit www.vapexpo.ru.

By Nick Green

Photo by Metal Jeff

What is the best vaping kit for starters like me? -Ian Ashley Pagkaliwanggan Manuel Hey Ian. There has really never been a better time to start vaping. The starter kits have become better and better over the years, and easier and easier to use. The first thing I would recommend checking out is the new eGo ONE kit. It’s a full kit that includes a 2200 mAh battery, a tank and two atomizer heads. It really could not be easier to use. Fill the tank with some juice. Attach the atomizer head into the base. Screw the whole thing together and start vaping! Another product that I have been raving about are the iStick products. They come in 20 w, 30 w and 50 w versions. They are small, cheap and powerful. They also have the ability to let you grow as a vaper. Pair the iStick 50 w up with a nice Nautilus Mini tank. Set the wattage to 10 w. and you will be good to vape. In the future if you want to upgrade to a rebuildable atomizer or a cloud chasing tank, the iStick 50 w will allow you to use the full wattage of the device to accomplish that. Happy Vaping! -Nick

Hey, got a VAMO V7 and want to know the best atomizer to use with it. I’m currently using Nautilus but can’t turn up the wattage without it tasting burned. Help please. -Nathan N Robin Beck Hey Nathan. The Nautilus tank is great, but generally can’t hold up to higher wattage settings. I don’t think I’ve ever gone above 12 w with any of my Nautilus tanks. Now, the VAMO V7 can go up to 30w and will fire as low as 1.0 Ohms. So, you can’t exactly sub-Ohm with it. But, what you can do is grab a Kanger SubTank Mini with some 1.2 Ohm coil heads. Assuming that your coil head is nice and wet/primed. I’ve been able to use the 1.2 Ohm coil heads on the subtank as high as 20 w. Also keep in mind that you don’t NEED to use all that wattage. A good rule that I stick to in most cases is to start my wattage low and work my way up until it feels right. Additionally, if you are feeling adventurous, there also are a multitude of rebuildable atomizers that will work on the VAMO V7. Again the VAMO V7 has a 30 w/1.0 Ohm ability. So, if you build a nice 1.0 Ohm dual coil and turned the wattage up to around 25 w it should be a nice warm and cloudy vape. Hope that helps out! Keep on vaping, Nathan. -Grimm

MAGAZINE

PERCEPTION

Reality

By Cynthia Cabrera Critics and concerned individuals point to potential “marketing to kids” by the vapor industry. Recently the discussion has reached new and frenzied heights. The media and opponents of vapor continue their assault, and the vapor industry needs to respond appropriately—but what exactly, does that look like?

The Myth

There is a perception held by some that the industry markets to kids, but perception isn’t reality. In point of fact, what we have are not-so-bright people infringing on trademarks or using tasteless images combined with loud, bright colors. But, no rational or logical person would take that as concrete evidence that this is a repeat of Big Tobacco trying to hook a new generation of customers. Marketing is communicating the value of a product, service or brand to customers, for the purpose of promoting or selling that product, service or brand. In order for the statement that “the vapor industry markets to kids” to be true, there has to be evidence of businesses attempting to communicate to kids the value of vapor products through distribution channels or outlets where primarily kids would see them, like Nickelodeon, Toys R Us, The Lego Store, etc. That simply doesn’t happen.

The Reality

What does happen is that uncreative and inexperienced business owners use images or graphics that are recognizable but stolen or just tasteless—but that’s not the equivalent of “marketing to kids.” No one in the industry says these products are for kids. Age verification of consumers before completing a purchase is already standard practice for most business owners.

MAGAZINE

In more than 40 states, the law restricts sales to minors. More than 1,300 companies participate in SFATA’s Age to Vape retailer age verification program. Vapor products are for adult smokers, being sold in adult venues, by adults to other adults.

The Other Reality

There is no accounting for personal taste. The market for brightly colored bottles or bottles covered with half naked women exist because consumers are buying them. The vapor industry itself exists because there was a vacuum in the “useful alternative to combusted cigarette” space (demand) and the innovative and entrepreneurs started providing vapor products (supply). That is The Market hard at work. Likewise, if there were no demand for these uncreative and tasteless products, no one would provide them. That’s how the market works. Many businesses, with what can only be called super “adult” themed branding, have mentioned that they don’t sell nearly the amount of product their trademark-infringing competitors do.

The Test

The vapor industry always is under attack—it is a natural to want to brand a villain in order to stop the attacks, but that’s not how this will shake out. Being tasteless is (currently) not against the law. Stealing someone’s trademark is, and the injured parties have legal avenues to remedy. The FDA is tasked with protecting the public health—not regulating morality or taste. In fact, it was the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—not the FDA—that decided the infamous Joe Camel had to go (reams of documents from Reynolds confirming their desire to hooks young consumers helped cement that case). Rushing to judgment on social media or the airwave isn’t the answer—we should discuss the issues and determine whether there is truly a villain or just some uncreative or tasteless schmuck who could probably use some internal guidance.

Turning against clueless or idiotic business colleagues give vapor opponents the ammunition to say, “See? The industry itself agrees that they market to kids.” That’s the start of a slippery slide down to places we don’t want the industry to have to go. Some of the longterm consequences of buying into the myth that the vapor industry is marketing to kids include: • Giving the anti-vapor crowd the ammunition they need to turn it around on the industry. By neglecting to insist that these are adult oriented products, sold only in adult venues, by adults to adults, the door is opened to the long-term and ultimately ruinous solution that online sales be banned. • Inadvertently fueling the abstinence only approach to vapor in general. • The long-term promise of harm reduction is greatly diminished.

An e-liquid manufacturer pointed out recently that his 7 year old son loves the Audi A7—a car whose average driver is over the age of 48. If we forget that the goal is to make more adults smokers aware of the potential vapor products and to have them switch to them or quit combusted cigarettes entirely using them, one day Audi may be directed to revise its design in case kids are tempted by the sleek and sexy look of the brand to try to drive before they are legally allowed to do so.

The Other Myths

Having Facebook pages and websites on the Internet also don’t qualify as “marketing to kids.” Right now, websites for alcoholic beverages, porn and sex toys are using bright, attractive colors including like pink, green orange and purple. They exist peacefully online, free of accusations of “marketing to kids.” These sites, including many social media pages without age verification, employ the use of cupcakes, bunnies and fuzzy, cute looking things in a variety of creative ways but no one says they are marketing to kids. Why? Because everyone knows these industries are adult-only markets. Likewise, vapor products are intended for adult smokers. Further, parents have the ability to restrict access on computers, cellphones and tablets and they should do that. They should educate their children about the inappropriateness of minors attempting to access adult products. To subscribe to the argument that vapor products have to be regulated so that no minor ever comes within a mile of seeing one for sale is to agree that marketing is the problem and not preserving adult access to vapor so that they move away from combustible cigarettes.

Think About It

Once the discussion moves away from the fact that vapor products are adult products, sold by adult to adults in adult venues, to a discussion about bright colors, cartoons and naked women appealing more to kids than to adults you go down the rabbit hole of having to (1) determine what “appropriate marketing” looks like and (2) must empower and entrust someone to make those decisions. Who will get to decide that? Who is the right person to determine what shade of yellow or pink or green or blue is allowed? Who decides when a cartoon character is meant for adults or kids? The television program “Archer” was the highest rated cable original program with adults 18-49. It is full of sexually explicit situations, bright colors and coarse language. It also is a cartoon.

But, the perception will persist until we do address the issue cohesively and coherently. Regulations are coming, businesses are becoming more sophisticated about their marketing and consumers are becoming more educated. All parts of this supply chain are in this together and as an industry we have the opportunity—some would say responsibility—to reinforce the positives vapor has to offer: • Vapor could potentially, finally do away with the 1,300 hundred deaths per day caused by smoking combusted cigarettes. • Vapor could make smoking obsolete altogether and the excessive health related costs associated with it. • Children could grow up in smoke-free homes while their parents move away from combusted cigarettes. • Thousands of small businesses continue creating jobs. • Business owners damaged by the harms of tobacco are giving others the same benefits they received. The vapor industry is young, but willing to learn and work together. Cynthia Cabrera is executive director of the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association; the leading and largest trade association dedicated to the education, promotion and continued innovation of vapor products.

Vape Jam UK International Events Trail By Alyssa Stahr Photos by Matt Schramel

The last time VAPE Magazine spoke to the organizers of Vape Jam UK, Amir Saeed and Maria Borissova, they were gearing up for the first show of its kind in London. Held at the London Olympia in early May, Vape Jam UK promised huge names, activist seminars and a strong kick-off. With proper planning and execution, most of Saeed and Borissova’s predictions came true. Nearly 4,000 attendees walked through the doors, with about 84 vendors setting up shop for the two-day event. During our last interview, the pair thought that the U.K. was a little behind the United States in terms of technology. However, now that Vape Jam UK is in the books, Borissova said that there is definitely a catch up, but the U.K. still is looking to the United States for vaping innovation, culture, trends and more. “I think the show introduced a new benchmark to the industry. We went beyond expectations with vendors and attendees, and generated a lot of interest for next year. We expect even more quality stuff for next year,” she said.

Saeed said that the show was a success mainly due to personal relationships with exhibitors and distribution companies across the U.K. He has been exhibiting with his e-liquid line at other shows in the United States previously. He explained the concept of Vape Jam and got a lot of good feedback to run with. “That was one of the main things that helped, that we already had that connection,” he said. The 4,000 attendees that strolled through the doors was a personal highlight for Borissova, with the public being incredibly supportive. The huge lines queued up both days hours before the doors opened, and exhibitors were helpful from build up to the closing hour. “We were overwhelmed with the all of the kind words, and in all fairness we were one of the first shows of its kind in our area. So, the customer satisfaction is what paid off,” Borissova said.

Saeed echoed her sentiment. “The satisfaction … actually seeing that the exhibitors were pleased and happy with the way the show turned out to be, that it was professionally organized. They voiced by far that this is one of the best shows they’ve been to in the last year.” Saeed and Borissova couldn’t have done it without the help of Event Shaper, an events company that has been organizing events for almost 50 years. Event Shaper came onboard to guide as far as how to put on an event in the U.K. and how to do it right. The company helped with floor plans, making sure vendors were happy with the spot they had. The show’s marketing efforts didn’t just extend to vapers. Going commercial, advertisements extended to billboards and every major London train station. Essentially, non-vapers were a key target audience, so they could be possible converts in the world of vaping. The other advantage of a first-time show was that the show floor wasn’t overcrowded with businesses; no one was left out. “We contacted media outlets that don’t concentrate on vaping, and we had a lot of media interest that came in to see what the show was about. It’s very interesting for vapers and non-vapers as well,” Borissova said. Saeed agreed: “Some people obviously are still smokers and were interested in vaping. They saw the ad and they spent the whole day—they actually decided to start vaping.” Once inside the show doors, attendees were greeted with a bevy of speakers, including Dmitris “VapinGreek” Agrafiotis and Phil Busardo. Just as in the United States, these guys are famous in the vaping world, so they didn’t get a rest at the show. Vapors in Power also spoke about fighting for vapers’ rights in the United Kingdom, along with Nicotine Alliance, who spoke about nicotine delivery in the electronic cigarette realm. Giveaways abounded at Vape Jam, with Space Jam, Ruthless, Suicide Bunny and more e-liquid companies listed as generous contributors. In fact, a number of companies sold out and packed up early on the second day, not expecting the overwhelming number of attendees. “They did not expect that amount of people to turn up, and they were shorthanded,” Saeed said. “Generally nobody walked out empty handed as far as I know.” More than 300 businesses from 10 different countries attended the B2B session on the first day, prompting a change for next year. Vape Jam UK 2016 will be a three-day event. In fact, many vendors said that it was such a true international show that the name should be changed to Vape Jam International.

Spectacular mods from Greece’s ElCigArt

“The whole point of the show is to bring everyone, international exhibitors, around. Because London is one of the main hubs for Europe, it’s not crazy expensive for them to travel for businesses. It was a no-brainer for a lot of these businesses to turn up. Whether you are from the United States or Europe, it helped every single exhibitor that walked through the door one way or another,” Saeed said. Borissova agreed:

“For U.S. companies to expand into Europe, the U.K. is a logical choice. Many U.S. manufacturers want to expand into the EU, and it’s a center meeting point.” Now that the numbers and feedback are in, Saeed and Borissova are looking ahead to Vape Jam UK 2016. While they weren’t ready to disclose all of the secrets of next year’s event just yet, they did say there were going to be some interesting changes, including the three-day shift. While the actual style of the show will remain the same, it will move to the large hall at the Olympia London that features taller ceilings. The fog was a bit thick, even for vapors, so the new hall will help clear out the venue and make 2016’s show even more visible. For more information, visit http://www.vapejamuk.co.uk/. Follow Vape Jam UK on Instagram http://instagram.com/ vapejamuk.

Spectacular mods from Greece’s ElCigArt

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XOLO Creator Aims for Attractive, Convenient Device By Alyssa Stahr Photos courtesy of Taman Powell, Ph.D.

YOLO, Try XOLO Launched in early June on Indiegogo, a crowdfunding platform, XOLO is made from anodised CNC aluminium. The XOLO vaporizer is 50 percent smaller and 70 percent lighter than most vaping products. XOLO can be taken apart to switch flavor pods in just 10 seconds, while a simple dial on the bottom of the device can adjust the strength of the vape. According to Powell, the coils are basically the Aspire Nautilus BVCs modified slightly for the XOLO. “We will be customizing the resistance in the coil for the specific liquid, and of course you can easily vary the voltage/wattage with the dial on the bottom. We’ll also be monitoring coil improvements and integrating these into the pod design as they come through.” Pods are 10 ml, and should last around a week for the non sub-Ohm crowd. Fitting in the palm of your hand and about the size of a pack of 10 cigarettes, the device only needs to be charged every couple of days. Powell and his team also are curating a wide range of flavors— mints, desserts and fruits—for XOLO, which will be produced in the U.K. and the United States.

An Australian living for the past 20 years in London, Taman Powell, Ph.D., not only worked in marketing for Procter and Gamble, but he also served as a strategy consultant for 10 years. Powell, a 20-year-long smoker and a lecturer in strategy and innovation, had no interest in electronic cigarettes—until he decided to holiday in Portugal to get away from the London gray. Once he saw a cigalike in the airport, he was taken on an exciting path of no return—into the world of vaping innovation. VAPE: So, the cigalike was just an airport novelty to you at the time? Powell: I grabbed it as sort of a novelty; it was a bit of rubbish. I started doing more research into this vaping subculture that I’d never heard of. I started trying all these things, and I got a great vape. I actually prefered it to smoking. Why is vaping the future? Because it’s better than smoking. VAPE: And your journey as a vaper began ... Powell: It was somewhat sort of a typical journey. As a researcher, I found all of the devices a bit ugly and complicated; I wanted something a bit more easier to use. I started working on this idea that is sort of an espresso system, and that was about two years ago. I think the idea was sort of a simple idea— very small, good capacity, I wanted something that had some movement like a Zippo lighter or a pen. It took quite a long time, and it was quite a tough journey. In my opinion I think it’s quite beautiful; I think in terms of what I’m hoping for at the moment. I’m a big believer in vaping is massively better than smoking, but I think part of the problem in the current market is that it’s very male dominated. And the people who are getting quality vaping—you have to know too much and use something that’s a big and silly looking. VAPE: And you’ve found that with XOLO? Powell: It’s a vaporizer that lives up to the hype. Vaporizers and electronic cigarettes currently on the market are not powerful enough to help smokers quit. It’s the poor quality of most vaporizers and e-cigarettes on the market that is the real problem. I’ve designed a vaporizer that is simple to use, looks attractive and is high-performance. If you want to quit smoking, XOLO will help you. It’s simple—the better the device you use, the more likely you are to not smoke. We wanted a vaporizer that was easy to use, but it also was important to me for the product to look beautiful, because unless it’s something easy to use and also “cool,” the majority of people won’t use it—it’ll stay a niche pastime. VAPE: What are some of XOLO’s features? Powell: It’s about the size of 10 cigarettes. If you think of most vaping devices, they’re pretty similar—they have a coil, wick and you can play around with the resistance. It’s kind of the same thing, but it’s much more convenient and has a flavor pod that can last a week that you can pop in and out and use different flavors. There’s not clean out of tanks to get out the old flavor. It’s sort of anonymous; it fits into your day-to-day life. Given the coil is integrated into the flavor pod, it is disposed of, and it doesn’t get degraded. We can fine-tune the setup of the coil, customizing the setup for the specific liquid. It sort of guarantees the fidelity of the flavors.

VAPE: Let’s go back to the female demographic for a bit. There’s been a lot of talk about this being such a male-marketed industry. Powell: I hope it’s attractive to the female. My girlfriend won’t use any of the devices [currently on the market]. A lot of people vape with a poor-quality kit, and they don’t realize it’s of poor quality, and they don’t know why. I wouldn’t like to say it’s just women … but I would hope that it’s particularly appealing to women. If you walk down the street, most people are using cigalikes and eGos, but it is changing a bit. I think the broader market don’t use the high-performance devices because they are complicated. Most women think it’s too industrial looking and masculine. So, I think the product could particularly appeal to women, but I hope guys use it as well. VAPE: What did you most want vapers to get out of the product during the trial and error phase? Powell: It’s funny, because it’s one of those things where you look at the final design, and you say “That’s pretty obvious.” It took a long time, and it was quite tedious. It always seemed the end result was right around the corner; I didn’t think it would take this long of a time. The idea took two years, but when you look at each stage we went through there was great improvement. I think there will be a few pod systems coming up; it’s a logical product. We could’ve brought out one of our prototypes 18 months ago, but I think it was worth persevering to have something that was beautiful and small, and hopefully it was worth the wait. VAPE: How did you come up with the name? Powell: The name was almost driven a little bit by the logo, something styled that was graffiti-like. If you look at the branding and the positioning of vaping products, I don’t think they’re thought about that much. The biggest company in the U.K. is probably Totally Wicked, and I don’t think it was a brand they thought was going to be that big, and it evolved. Even a brand like Blu—it’s not a very interesting brand name. We thought about how we wanted to position this product. VAPE: You’ve come a long way from that airport cigalike. Powell: What is vaping? In essence it’s smoking without the bad stuff; we want smokers to switch to a healthier product. I’m convinced about vaping in general; I didn’t try Nicorette or go to a psychologist. It’s just nicer. It makes me very happy that I’m probably not going to die from lung cancer. That’s great, but I think it’s great that it’s just better for you. We’re trying to convert smokers. In Breaking Bad, they’re talking that they only have 95 percent purity and the guy says, “We’re selling to meth heads, it really doesn’t matter.” I don’t think the way to sell a better product to a smoker is the right way to say, “Oh, you didn’t care, then.” You’re using this device because the flavors are amazing; you’re doing it because it tastes amazing, and because of that you stop smoking. Then it has this massive health benefit.

VAPE: Are there any future variation plans? Powell: We’ve been through so many differentiations of the design, and we’re really happy where we ended up. I think there’s a couple of tweaks, but we don’t see any dramatic changes at the moment. Maybe a polycarbonate version at a cheaper price point. But, I think it’s largely going to be about getting it out there, getting a nice range of flavors; we’re looking at teaming up with artists because there are no economy of scales as far as they’re made. We want possibly graffiti art patterns across them, and maybe have people upload their own designs. We really want to make it so people can make the product their own and customize it. If we’re thinking product improvement, typically, maybe better wicking, better air flow. Those are very easy to integrate into the pod as we move along. Hopefully it will end up as a collectible. VAPE: Since you teach strategy, I’m curious. What’s your prediction for the future of the vaping market? Where do you think regulations will fall? Powell: I work in a business school as a professor of strategy and innovation, and I’m actually doing research in the vaping market. I wanted to take a more active part and in policy. It should be endorsed by governments— doesn’t mean it will be. But I think there’s a couple of angles to this. There’s some very powerful companies that don’t want vaping to be successful. If we look at Big Tobacco, it’s a $750 billion industry worldwide. Historically, if you look at pharmaceutical companies and Big Tobacco, they are serious competitors that don’t want this product to be successful. I think there’s an issue there. There’s a lot of very important parties that have a strong vested interest in killing vaping or to make it so regulated that you have to be a pharma company or Big Tobacco to make it work. But, if you look at the history of prohibition, it’s just too late. Vaping is just too big to ban. I think the other interesting thing about vaping is how it’s been dealt with all around the world. No one is quite sure of what it is. It’s been linked too close to smoking, which is a shame. I think the market is really complicated, and it’s really fascinating. I think we have enough research that vaping is massively more safe that smoking. It should seriously be endorsed and supported by governments and not overly regulated. I think it won’t die. I think people will realize it’s so much better than smoking. If the govt tries to ban it, it will go black market. They have the potential to be one of the biggest public health breakthroughs in the last 50 years, and I hope Big Tobacco will eventually die. Vaping is a really huge breakthrough, and I think it’s got a great future, although it’s not going to be easy. To learn more about Taman Powell, Ph.D., visit tamanpowell. com. For more information about XOLO, visit http:// xolovape.com/.

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VapeXpo Ann Arbor

ity l a e R a g n i t t a h C l a u t r i Makes V Words and photos by Susan Oser

This year was my second appearance to VapeXpo in Ann Arbor, Mich., which was held at the Wyndham Hotel & Suites (formerly the Clarion) and organized by VapingMarcy. The event already boasted 13 more vendors than October 2014’s event, making the grand total 43 vendors. Organizing the event was a bit of a challenge; two vendors previously housed on the second-floor balcony on Friday were moved to the main floor on Saturday because of poor foot traffic. Both VapingMarcy and PuterGeek said that they had to turn away many vendors who wanted to attend the event because they were overbooked.

being sold. One of the most popular vendor booths was BRV Vapors, which also participates in the Vape A Vet project. Almost every time I went by their booth, there was a crowd around them. Early on Saturday, I had a chance to talk with them, and I could understand why they were so popular. They work hard to help our veterans stop smoking, and that all the money they make from sales on their website and events go toward this project.

Attendees had a chance to see a variety of companies from Michigan and surrounding areas, as well as some from Texas and Alabama. One vendor that I felt sorry for was in a smaller meeting room and selling TagsUp Juice. On the first night, they moved to the back of the room and were under the impression that more vendors would show up. When that didn’t happen, they moved their table by the door where more people could see them and had better success. While some people felt that perhaps they would’ve been more successful selling their liquid next to The Vaping Militia’s table, they actually became a great room to visit, because they still had water available. They also had a nice air conditioned room to chill out in. While doing my post-mortem show coverage (and even during the event), I heard some people complain that there were more juice vendors than equipment and mod sellers. However, hardly any vendors sold vape charms, vape or even mod wraps, nor did I see any starter kits

From what I could see on Friday night, the turnout was a bit on the low side. Part of that was work related, but the other part, which I found out from one or two vendors when I got there, was that it also was graduation weekend for vendors who had kids participating in those ceremonies. On Saturday, the turnout for the event was a lot better, and at one point, it had gotten so vapey in the atrium that it looked like a fog machine had exploded. Could you imagine what it would be like if there were a cloud competition? Many popular items were available during the auction, including a treasure box from Odin with their whole collection of juice (including two unreleased flavors), at least two SX minis, two original Vaping Militia banners (one that went for $600 and another for $450), a Zen mod or two, and packages donated by vendors that were full of juice and equipment. You would think that attendees would have been bidding like crazy; after all, it was a charity auction and all the proceeds went to The Vaping Militia. However, when it came to actually bidding on items, it almost seemed as if the attendees were bargain hunting more than raising the bar for bids. Not only did Mondo (aka Monkeysquad) say it was painful, but so did my chatters who watched, observed and listened in. The bids on Saturday were a bit better, with at least $1,500 that was raised to get The Vaping Militia, Zen, VapingMarcy and PuterGeek to twerk (which didn’t happen). Still, the bids still seemed lower than they were at October’s auction, and rumor had it a few attendees were bidding low on purpose. Let’s just hope this trend doesn’t continue, since that’s not what a charity auction is all about.

They’re not cigarette girls, but e-juice girls who let you draw for some juice

Malice Doll

VapeNet host Dewknot blowing a nice cloud

J Ervin Bates and the Squirrel Juice Crew

An example of a mod for Vape A Vet

As a broadcaster, I enjoyed covering the event and co-hosting with my fellow VapeNet hosts who couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be there. I chose not to broadcast all day, because I wanted to enjoy myself and interact with the vendors, as well as do a bit of shopping. I picked up a few selected juices, a new mod and, of course, some swag. As I made my rounds, I took pictures and videos and interacted with the vendors who I knew well and who are supporters of vaping advocacy, including Malice Doll, who was attending VapeXpo for the first time. She, along with a few fellow VapeNet hosts, was awesome to chat with and get to know in person. Overall, VapeXpo 2015 was awesome. I met a few of my chatters who I usually talk to as a host on VapeNet, as well as chatters and hosts from other channels I visited. I also got to know a few people I had met in person before, and made a few new acquaintances along the way. In addition, when I hosted, I had people come up to me to say hello, wonder what was going on and, in the case of Boosted Vapors, do a giveaway of their product on the spot. Where else can something like that happen?

The estimated number of attendees is said to be more than 2,000 people, and money raised from both nights of the auction is estimated to be at least $15,000. For an event that had a few ups and downs, I would say those are respectable numbers. So, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to happen at the next VapeXpo? Stay tuned. For more information, http://vapexpo.com/.

The crew from GEOJuice

Zen showing one of his mods (with Malice Doll beside him)

THE

JUICE JUDGE Words and photos by Steffanie Atkins

The Refuge Signature E-Liquid “Coffee Cake” 3 mg TASTE - 4 VAPE - 3 THROAT HIT - 4 So, here’s a random tidbit of information about me. I drink coffee, copious amounts of coffee per day. If you don’t drink coffee or don’t like coffee (there is probably something wrong with you … kidding … maybe) then this e-liquid is not for you. But if you are a coffee drinker, let me tell you, this is the best coffee flavor I’ve ever had and I’ve tried tons. I am so impressed with “Coffee Cake” that after I finished all of my taste testing, I put it back in my vape and am currently vaping on it again. I don’t hardly ever do that. It’s so smooth and it’s so good. There’s a slight creaminess about it that gives it that milk in the coffee flavoring, and I really just have no other good adjectives to use about this. Thoroughly impressed. It would be an awesome breakfast vape—the only thing lacking is the caffeine that real coffee gives me or I’d be hooked! The throat hit was smooth and vape production was average. Again, bravo to Refuge. You’ve got a fan for life!

Cake-N-Bake Factory “P.B. Cheesey” 3 mg TASTE - 4 VAPE - 3 THROAT HIT - 2 I’m a sucker for peanut butter; I eat it straight out of the jar, so when I opened this bottle of P.B. Cheesey and smelled it, I was in heaven! The smell is amazing! The taste, however, isn’t quite as peanut buttery as the smell would have indicated. However, it is a good, light and creamy peanut butter taste. I kind of wish it had a little more umph on the peanut butter flavoring, but all in all I was impressed. Sometimes these types of flavors are hard to create without them tasting burnt, which I did not get at all. The vapor production was about average and the throat hit was slightly harsh, but all in all a good creamy peanut butter flavor. The name gives me the impression that maybe it’s a cheesecake flavor, so maybe the creaminess was supposed to be cheesecake, but I didn’t get that whole custardy taste that I normally get with a solid cheesecake.

Wet Dream Supply “Apple Bottom” 3 mg TASTE - 3.5 VAPE - 3 THROAT HIT - 4 So, I’m going to get on my high horse here for a second and then we can discuss the flavor. I’m a female as probably indicated by my name. And yes, I realize sex sells and lots of folks eat up the half naked vape models and it helps people sell products better and faster. BUT, I am also a huge fan of making a product taste amazing without using sexy half naked models to sell the product. In my personal opinion (because all of this is MY personal opinion) the vape community does not need half naked women to sell their products. Many of the products are good enough in their own right and the companies should have faith in their product to make the bottle without needing naked people in order to sell them. Call me a prude or whatever, I’m all about empowering women, but I also believe there is a time and a place and on my bottle of e-liquid maybe isn’t the right time or place. OK, off my high horse now.

The Juice Judge Judges are picked from respected members of the vaping community to give unbiased reviews of e-juice. The VAPE Verdict is reached by an initial blind taste test, and the review is written afterward. Want to have your juice judged? Email jj@vapemz.com. Reviews do not reflect the overall opinion of VAPE Magazine Steffanie Atkins is the self-proclaimed most pickiest vaper she knows. She has to be head over heels in love with a juice before she vapes it regularly. A baker and a foodie, Atkins is particular when it comes to taste and flavor. She loves long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, tattoos, art and rocking her face off at concerts. She is forever on the search for the perfect Oreo flavor.

MAGAZINE

The reason I say this in relation to Apple Bottom, is the flavor is good. It’s a really well-made apple and cinnamon flavor. The cinnamon is not overpowering like they can sometimes be, and the blend is really, really good. I really enjoyed the flavor. It’s not a new or original flavor, but it was very well-crafted. But, as you can see on the bottle, the label is a naked butt. This isn’t necessary to sell this flavor. It’s damn good in its own right without needing that provocative image. I’d probably vape this flavor regularly if not for the label. Now some may say hey, ‘It’s just a label.’ But to me (and again this is my personal opinion), it represents more about the company than it does anything else. The vape production was average and the throat hit was so smooth which again, I don’t see often in a cinnamon flavor. So kudos Wet Dream Supply, just wish the label was a little less … naked.

Happy Juice “Love” 6 mg TASTE - 2 VAPE - 3 THROAT HIT - 3 Happy Juice’s “Love” did not make me so happy, unfortunately. It’s a creamy and custardy flavor, but it’s just kind of blah. It’s a very average, over used flavor with nothing that stands out as a flavor I would vape again. And the aftertaste isn’t so great either. The throat hit was a bit harsh, which I’m not sure why considering there was really not much substance to the flavor. The vape production was average. All in all, I wouldn’t vape this again. It’s just too plain.

Mist Vapour “Jesus Juice” 3 mg TASTE - 3 VAPE - 3 THROAT HIT - 4 “Jesus Juice” is an e-liquid I’ve tasted before. Not this particular brand, but it’s a very run-of-the- mill melon and fruit medley flavor. It was done well and it tastes good, but I took off points for creativity. EVERYONE has a melon flavor or something similar. I was kind of hoping for something more from a juice named after “Jesus.” Shouldn’t it make me see like the sky opening up or something crazy? The vape production was about average, but the throat hit was so smooth. It was like I wasn’t inhaling anything but at the same time it hit me right in the back of the throat when it was supposed to. So, that was enjoyable. But, creativity is key.

Nicobine Prepares for Pending Regulations Jonnie Williams Jr., Nicobine CEO, recently spoke to VAPE about Nicobine’s take on pending Food and Drug Administration regulations VAPE: How does Nicobine view pending FDA regulations? Williams: Regulation is a necessary evil because the absence of regulation has made our industry vulnerable to public concern over safety and misconceptions regarding the relative merits of vaping compared to smoking. Regulation by the FDA will assure vapors, and frankly the 42 million Americans that want to quit smoking, that our industry has appropriate manufacturing and safety standards in place. We believe that regulations will set the stage for vaping to become mainstream.

VAPE: What is Nicobine doing to get ready for the new regulations? Williams: From our launch, we have invested in making Nicobine the highest possible quality, and as a result we believe that we already meet or exceed the expected regulations. For example, Nicobine never used PG—we have always used 100 percent organic VG. Our complex flavors, labels and advertising target adults, and each bottle is manufactured under stringent quality control in a FDA inspected facility, labeled for batch and lot control and child resistant.

VAPE : You are making a big impact at trade shows and on the vape industry; who is behind Nicobine? Williams: Nicobine was founded and privately funded by successful U.S. businessmen who have a long history of fighting Big Tobacco. In fact, our market strategy is founded upon our conviction that cigarettes are a major health problem and that the $80 billion cigarette industry will be disrupted and ultimately replaced by high quality, good tasting vape. Our high impact at vape trade shows reflects our commitment to becoming a major e-liquid brand. Trade shows are an important meeting place for the vaping industry and our presence is highlighted by our amazing booth, which is manned by our first-rate professional team.

VAPE : How is Nicobine different? Williams: Our unique manufacturing process creates an extra-ordinarily rich and smooth vape. We homogenize 100 percent organic VG, and our great flavors in our production process combines intense heat and pressure to bond the ingredients into the perfect e-liquid. Our partnership relationship with vape stores is also different. We appoint only one independent vape store in each territory to be our authorized Nicobine dealer. This exclusivity enhances our brand and empowers us to support each vape store with best in class in-store marketing material and displays and a favorable profit margin.

VAPE: What’s next for Nicobine? Williams: One word—international. We are currently building strategic relationships that will take Nicobine worldwide.

“Its consumers are fundamentally different; they are more Gen Y—they have Gen Y attitudes. And, because it grew up in a different time. In fact, it grew up online, something that didn’t exist when tobacco first started combusting. So, it has online principles in its DNA,” Hong said. Challenges Encountered When Studying the Vape Industry

Market Research Firm Presents at Dekang Conference Researcher and consultant Steve Hong delves into the world of vaping: Is it truly subsector of tobacco or something entirely different?

By Alyssa Stahr Roebling Research is a market research firm fully devoted to the vape industry. The reason why it’s so specialized, according to founder Steve Hong, is because the vaping market demands specialization. Hong presented at Dekang’s Distributors Press Conference in Amsterdam, presenting a counter argument about why vaping truly is an industry in its own right. Hong’s presentation was based on a conversation he had with a colleague a few months previously. Hong continued to use the phrase “vape industry.” The colleague argued that there is no such thing as the vape industry, and that the vape industry is a subsector of tobacco. Hong took that in, and as he discussed this phenomenon with more people, he began to realize that there’s always an assumption that the vape industry might act a little bit different now, but eventually it will act just as the tobacco industry does. It’s all of the regulation “talk” that’s the exception. Hong said in his presentation that it’s very difficult to compile data on this ever-changing industry. With that being said, Roebling specializes in qualitative, quantitative, syndicated, industry studies and consumer research. His counter argument was designed to say that the vaping industry is indeed different fundamentally.

1. Rapid product innovation. Hong explained that manufacturers go through different iterations of products at a blinding speed because that’s how things are done in China where most parts are made. 2. A highly fragmented market. There are a lot of players in this vast industry. 3. Predominance of independent channels that don’t offer a lot of feedback. 4. Rapidly evolving consumer behavior. Consumers are dropping cigalikes, as in the past few years, and going to open systems. Addressing the Current Cigalike Market It’s that phenomenon that motivated Roebling to do a study last year of both the current market for mods, the consumers who are using them and those who would be entering that market. The firm surveyed 879 adult Americans via the Internet and asked about their smoking and vaping habits. Using that data, Roebling put them into three different segments: tobacco smokers who don’t vape, cigalike users who might also smoke cigarettes and open-systems users who might also use cigarettes and/or cigalikes. Then they collected demographics and behavioral data to further segment those users. Hong explained that the current market would be those who are already using open systems. The addressable market would be those who are smoking and using cigalikes. So, he asked the addressable market if they had the intention to purchase an open system device. • 20 percent of the smoker segment said they intend to purchase one within the next six months. • 49 percent of cigalike users said they were intending to purchase one within the next six months. “We wanted to hone in on these cigalike users and find out why it was they had intentions to move on to the next device,” Hong said. “What we wondered was, was it their dissatisfaction with cigalikes that was driving them to move on to the next device? What we found out was quite the opposite.” Cigalike users were asked to rate their satisfaction with the product on a scale of one to five. About half the market rated their satisfaction as a four or five.

The higher satisfaction group had a higher intention to purchase a second-generation device. The same goes for volume. The heaviest users of cigalikes had the highest intention to purchase a second gen device. So, the logic is: “I like using my cigalike so much that I’m ready to abandon it for the next big thing.” The Addressable Market by Generation Roebling also looked at the addressable market in terms of generation. They took the two groups, cigalike users and smokers, and added in the dimension of generation: Gen X, Gen Y, etc. Then, they placed those six segments on a matrix according to each segment’s percent of awareness of what a second-gen device was and intention to purchase one. Of e-cig users who were Gen X, 70 percent had awareness of what a next-gen device was. Fifty percent of that segment had intention to purchase one. The largest segment surveyed was the smoker boomers, but they had a low level of awareness and intention. Survey Trends: • The younger the segment, the greater intention. • E-cig users also had a greater intention. • If you separate the three groups by generation, about half of open systems users are Gen Y. • Cigarette users are about half boomers, and cigalike users are relatively balanced by generation.

Roebling asked the addressable market what their primary motivation was for using an e-cigarette. Gen Y respondents, both cigalike users and smokers, ranked quitting smoking as one of the top two responses. Improving health was relatively low ranked. When open systems users were asked the same question, improving health jumped from the middle bottom to the top. Quitting smoking was lower ranked. • 78 percent of Gen Y cigalike users are dual users. • 54 percent of Gen Y open systems users are dual users. “So, what that says to me is that open systems users have been more successful in reducing exposure to a bad habit, so they see the means by which they’ve done so as a way to improve their health,” Hong said. What Makes the Vape Industry Different Than Tobacco? Bonnie Herzog, managing director and senior beverage and tobacco analyst at Wells Fargo Securities, predicts the growth estimate for the U.S. market in 2015, broken up by channel. She expects 22 percent growth in c-stores and conventional retailers, 71 percent growth online and 33 percent growth in vape shops. Why are independent channels outpacing traditional tobacco channels? Hong believes it’s because they run on different principles that explain its growth, and that’s why these independent channels are really driving the U.S. market. The Long Tail Principle

What’s Your Definition of Healthy? Another survey conducted by Aetna in 2013 asked respondents what their definition of healthy was. Millennials over indexed in believing that eating right and exercising were the definition of healthy, whereas they under indexed in believing the right weight for your height is the definition of healthy. “To me, that says millennials believe that being healthy is something you do, not something you are,” Hong said. Roebling looked at two surveys, one conducted in 1998, and one conducted in 2013. A sampling of 12th graders in their last year of high school were asked whether they disapproved of taking one or more drinks every day or smoking one or more packs of cigarettes every day. Over those 15 years, perception of the drinking habit did not change very much; it hovered around 70 percent. However, in the same 15 years, disapproval of smoking grew by about 14 percent. Therefore, this generation of millennials disapproves more of smoking than the previous generation. So, what do millennials think of vaping?

What is the long tail? It’s an idea that was popularized by the editor of Wired Magazine. He said that digital technology has enabled businesses to reach out to niche markets. Collectively, the sum of the these niche markets can be as big as or greater than mainstream markets. In order for this to happen, there are two requirements: 1. We need greater bandwidth. 2. We need low search costs. Hong used the metaphor of broadcast television, when consumer choice was very limited. There were only four channels, so everyone watched four channels and programs got enormous ratings. Now, of course, we have digital cable, satellite and Internet streaming, so we have much wider bandwidth. Users can search for new programs on social media and look at reviews that have been written online by bloggers and friends next door, so it’s easy to find programs that you might like. The result of this is that small networks, producers or anyone who wants to make television content can produce and show their work to only niche audiences. Americans are watching

more television than ever, and it’s said in terms of quality that we’re in the Golden Age of television. Hong thinks these same principles apply to vaping. “If you look at an online vape store, there are literally thousands of varieties available. You can get different brands, flavors, bottle size, etc. Whereas, if you go to a traditional tobacco outlet, maybe you get 100 or 150 different varieties,” he said. “There’s a much wider bandwidth with an online vape store. As well, discovery is enabled through search. On social media, we have our vape personalities. We have ECigarette Forum, where it’s a central hub of information for vapers. All of that allows the vape industry to run.” One could argue that even though the editor of Wired Magazine was writing about a digital environment, the same principles could apply to a vape shop compared to a c-store. Obviously, in a vape shop, you have more space to display juices, devices etc. When the shop discovery is enabled, you can find what device is appropriate for you and learn how to use it, and hear suggestions as to what are the best products and to sample. This discovery, Hong said, is just not possible in a c-store environment. Roebling Survey Independent Channel Preference The firm asked the current addressable market where they might want to buy their first or next device. Mod users, e-cig users and smokers all preferred the independent channels, as opposed to convenience, gas and discount retailers. Another recent study had to do with discovery. It asked, after researching online, how do you communicate with others about a service, product or brand? Millennials over indexed in communicating digitally about products they find online. “That’s an exciting concept to me, because they are both searching for things online, and they are evangelizing about them online. And that creates feedback. It enables others to find products online, and ‘round and ‘round it goes, and that’s how things go viral,” Hong said. This phenomenon was reflected in Roebling’s own survey. They asked the addressable market what information sources they turn to for vaping. Internet vape forums and social media ranked first and second, respectively, among all groups. Then came friends and family, which is usually a default response, according to Hong. Retailers rounded out the results. Therefore, it seems independent channels are facilitating their own discovery.

Users Want Flavors. Roebling asked the addressable market what potential benefits they were most interested in. More and better flavors topped the list for both e-cig users and smokers. Why is flavor so important? What Hong found is that vapers in the survey of those who use open systems were vaping, on average, 2.7 mls per day. There’s a lower percentage of dual use, so in terms of their vaping and smoking split, they’re heavily weighted toward vaping. That means that a lot of flavors are getting blunted. That causes these open systems users to constantly search for new flavors; that kind of behavior reinforces niche markets. In the old days, smokers had a tobacco brand and smoked the same cigarette all the time. Vapers are constantly searching for new brands. However, the research found that current market and addressable market respondents did not want Big Tobacco as a part of the their vaping brand. When a brand was preferred, small was preferred to big; new was preferred to old. “Vape execs say that it’s a new market and that people are still choosing their brand. If I had to guess, you won’t find that loyalty in the vape market [that people had toward their cigarette brand],” Hong said. “The market operates under different principles--people trying different flavors and varieties are built into the business model. This is not your father’s tobacco industry.” For more information visit http://roeblingresearch.com/.

Brings Top Industry Experts Together Words and photos by Norm Bour

If there is one event that truly brings together the experts from the tobacco and vaping world, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NATO.

NATO, the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, has a proven track record of providing current insights and future trends for the tobacco world and, now, for the world of vaping. The event launched in 2001 as an exclusive tobacco trade show and has been owned by several different organizations over the years. Mitch Zeller, J.D., FDA director, Center for Tobacco Products; Bonnie Herzog, managing director, Beverage, Tobacco and Convenience Store Research for Wells Fargo Securities; and Don Burke, senior vice president with Management Science Associates (MSA), were some of the highlighted speakers. This event has been managed by Greg Martin and Renaissance Association Management since 2010, but this was their final year. A new event management company will take over the reins in 2016. Vaping events fall into three basic categories. There are “fests,” which are loud parties with combating sound systems and cloud-blowing contests, and usually serve the consumer market. Many now add an extra day for the business-to-business crowd, which allows for a quieter business environment.

Conferences and expos fall between a fest and a trade show. They are typically less of a party and focus primarily on business-to-business transactions. Finally, there are trade shows. The Tobacco Plus Convenience (TPC) show, held in Las Vegas in January, falls into that category, as does Vapor Expo International, formerly known as Vapor World Expo, which has been held in Chicago the past two years. Both of these events are run by Reuter Exposition Services and are currently owned by TMG International Inc., publishers of several industry trade magazines and headed by Edward O’Connor. NATO started as a tobacco trade show, but this year, almost 50 percent of the exhibitors were vape related. These numbers are similar to TPC, which is geared toward convenience stores and mass retailers.

NATO Speaker Highlights Brad Rodu, Ph.D., professor of medicine, endowed chair at The University of Louisville in Kentucky, covered “E-Cig and Vape Use True Consequences,” which highlighted the negative and inaccurate information that the media loves to share. Among his main talking points were the errors of condemning vaping and e-cigarettes as being a “gateway to teen smoking,” false claims of formaldehyde in vapor and the overstated incidence reports of child poisoning, which is far outweighed by personal care and cleaning product poisoning. Don Burke’s topic, “Trends and Insights,” showed survey results from vape shops and validated what many already know. The trends of lower nicotine demand levels in e-liquid consumption and the strong influences of popular fruit, dessert and other sweet flavors validated what many shops experience. MSA data also verified the increasing number of convenience stores that now sell e-liquids. The survey showed that 55 percent of vape shops consider online retailers a bigger threat than other vape shops, with 44 percent worrying about that. Only 32 percent of shops own exclusive e-liquid brands, which is overshadowed by the 39 percent that sell custom and name-brand lines. There is a definite trend toward vape shops launching their own lines, but a minority sell just their own flavors. The day one keynote panel of experts, moderated by Herzog, included NJOY Electronic Cigarettes Senior Vice President Vito Maurici, Nu Mark LLC President and General Manager Joe Murillo, North Atlantic Holding Company President and CEO Larry Wexler and Republic Tobacco President and CEO Steve Sandman. The day two general session was focused on the FDA and Zeller, but there were few revelations from the FDA director, though he indicated that there is a huge opportunity to develop a “comprehensive nicotine regulatory policy” regarding nicotine delivery products, and indicated that it may be time to create a new category. We can only hope that is an option. I encourage everyone in the vape space to attend NATO. The education and insight you will gain is unsurpassed in the world of vaping events. Crowds are well behaved, and smoke blowing and ear-splitting music is at a minimum. Plan on visiting Las Vegas next April 19-21, 2016, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. For more information, visit http://natoshow.com/.

L.A. Vapers Club Founder Proves Grassroots Efforts Grow Branches By Alyssa Stahr Photos by Mits Yamahata Vape shops are popping up on every corner nowadays; however, it wasn’t so long ago that we lived in a time where there were no resources, no one to share ideas with, no advice on what to do as a first-time vaper. So, what’s a determined newbie to do? If you’re Darrin Gold, you blaze a trail. Gold was getting sicker and sicker by the day after 27 years of smoking two packs a day. Living in a secondstory condominium even proved to be difficult, as walking up and down stairs left him out of breath. He always had a chest infection, a sinus infection or an ear problem. Around December of 2010, he started hearing about a thing called an electronic cigarette. He walked into a 7-11 to buy his trusty pack of American Spirit Ultra Lights, thinking this may be the cigarette that didn’t kill him. The c-store’s counter featured a sandwich board frame with three-piece e-cigs, which sent Gold on a path of change. Gold bought the Xhale 02 disposable, with little plastic cartridges that opened at the bottom with foil in the middle. Screw on the atomizer at the bottom, poke a hole in the foil and heat would get through inside of the cartridge. Today, we laugh if you get 200 puffs out of a disposable, and each one was like a cigarette to Gold—it was terrible. But, he bought it for $20 anyway, and hasn’t smoked a cigarette since that day. “It’s because I was ready. Like any other addiction, e-cigs will work if you want them to,” Gold said. “We hear so many stories about dual users. If you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready.” Gold’s journey with his $20 gadget wasn’t easy. He got more juice than vapor in his mouth, but he was determined to make it work until he found something better. He tried to find cartridges better than those in the 7-11, started researching and found the ECigarette Forum.

“It’s because I was ready. Like any other addiction, e-cigs will work if you want them to,” Gold said. “We hear so many stories about dual users. If you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready.”

He’d heard of it and decided that he was hell bent on not going back to cigarettes, even though the patch, gum, lozenges and hypnosis had failed miserably. “I got a rash from the patch, headaches from the gum, the lozenges are just disgusting. No one should’ve even made the things,” he said. After about a month on the cartomizers from Green Smoke, everything started to go away. Gold’s chest and ears cleared, and he could breathe better. Almost every health problem he had went away. His doctor was shocked and asked if he quit smoking. He didn’t know what the e-cig was, so Gold explained what he’d been doing. “He said, ‘I don’t know if it’s any good, but it’s working.’” Several months passed in Gold’s area of Southern California. From San Diego to Santa Barbara, there were no local resources. Gold found no one who vaped that lived anywhere near him. However, that didn’t mean that they didn’t exist. He knew there had to be someone; he wanted to meet people and share his excitement. “I finally found something that worked after 27 years of smoking, and I wanted to share it,” he said. “There were some devices coming out of China, eGos started showing up, people were making their own mods—I wanted to see some of that. I knew people were making their own liquids [from the ECig Forum], and I wanted to know how to do that.” Finally, Gold, who now switches back and forth between the pink (he’s a married man but said that he loves his pink, and pink is the new black) ELeaf iStick and the Provari P3, took action. He discovered three clubs in the entire country at that time: the NY Vapers Club, the Long Island Vapers Club and the Windy City Vapers Club in Chicago.

Since nothing was formed in his neck of the woods, he started a social vapers club thread on ECF, asking if anyone wanted to get together at a local restaurant. “They [the current clubs] met once or twice a year. I couldn’t get anyone to respond to the L.A. Vapers Club, but I said, ‘We’re gonna get together at Casey’s; if you want to get together—come,’” Gold said. The first official L.A. Vapers Club meet did indeed happen at Casey’s Irish Pub on April 16, 2011. To Gold’s surprise, 35 people came. Some were vendors making liquid and selling it online. Not only did vapers hang out, but Gold began emailing vendors for a sample juice giveaway at every gathering on the second Saturday of each month. As the Southern California vape scene started to grow and more shops began to open, Gold invited those vendors into the fold. Now, 99 percent of what comes into the club is local. “We get the manufacturers; we get the liquid vendors and store owners, and it’s become even bigger than I ever expected. It’s the perfect environment for social and networking,” he said. The L.A. Vapers Club isn’t just a party, though. It’s more organized with structure, and not with “half-naked women

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trying to sell bottles of juice.” Since the meets are held in public places, some members even bring their kids, and the club eats, raffles off prizes and talks about advocacy. However, the club isn’t too formal—there are no dues and no secretary. It’s a healthy mix of social networking and advocacy. “What we do is different, and not in a negative way or positive. Greg Conley [from the American Vapor Association] has come all the way out to us to speak. I try to infuse as much advocacy as I can. But, it is a sports bar, and people are having a nice time. Sometimes it’s hard to get their attention,” Gold said. As time passed, Gold needed help. He appointed his first board member, Lisa Kellett from Villain Vapors. “For the first maybe year and a half, we had 60 to 70 people every month. We got to a point to where we get 100, 150 now, and it got to be too much for me just setting up,” Gold said. Good samaritans who arrived to the meet early started volunteering to help set up, and Kellett was one of the first. Gold asked her if she wanted to be on the board, and she immediately said yes. However, that left all decision-making votes to a tie. The board had to grow.

Gold added three more people—two store owners and a juice vendor—to add a mix of interests onto the board. “The board is a good representation of the industry on how we handle things like the press. We discuss things and we kick it around, and we’re a democracy,” Gold said. “I didn’t want to be the one who made the decisions for everybody. I want vapers to have a voice, even if it may be the wrong one.” Advocacy efforts of the L.A. Vapers Club are endless. California always has something going on in terms of legislation, and even though the club has worked hard to “knock a few things down,” they seem to keep coming back on the docket. “They just advanced a bill to the state assembly. Our bigger thing is almost every city in our county in California has jumped on this bandwagon. Cities are falling left and right. Some are really strict, but that’s a small number,” Gold said. “Some are doing the easiest thing, adding e-cigs to the smoking ordinances, and they are covered. The towns will say, ‘Now we’re not the only ones, we’re just in the mainstream and doing what everybody else is doing.’” BlowingSmoke.org and the L.A. Vapers Club work together, holding fundraisers at about four to five meets a year to raise money for CASAA and SFATA. Gold said that the state of California has spent more than $7 million for television commercials that are blatant lies about the vaping industry. The L.A. Vapers Club also works with its sister clubs in Orange County and San Diego, and the newest club in Antelope Valley.

“We try to coordinate via social media. One thing that’s tricky for us in SoCal is that it’s not easy to get hundreds of people to Northern California, where all the legislation is going on. It’s to their benefit— they’ll [legislation] schedule a meeting, everyone will travel there and then they’ll cancel it,” Gold said. Even though legislation may feel like a losing battle, Gold truly has made a difference in not only his community’s lives, but in his own. A man who was more than 300 lbs. (due to his love of cookies, cakes and pies) now gets his sweets fix from liquids, resulting in a 70-lb. weight loss. Even though he’s created this huge legacy in SoCal, he said that he’s embarrassed by the vape scene he’s founded. “I’m thoroughly embarrassed. The reason why is I know I’ve done some incredible things to help the vaping community, but I’ve never done anything for the vaping community for notoriety or attention,” he said. “I do it because I want to help people get better. I do look back and see what it was like to be the only vaper that I knew. And that I brought 35 people together—to know that I facilitate that—it wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t show up too. All I did was provide a space for people to do what they can do on their own. When we do it together, we have a positive, which breeds positive when we do it together.” For more information, visit http://www.lavapersclub.com/. To see more of Mits Yamahata’s photography, visit http://www.rcmits.com or email hello@rcmits.com.

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By Alyssa Stahr Photos courtesy of Sarah Mason

Everyone has a Day One: the first day you entered the vape store, the first day you vaped, the first day you stopped smoking. Everyone has been a newbie. For some, the typical newbie questions go further than the brick-and-mortar. They filter to meets, online chat rooms–anywhere information can flow about how to get the right vape for you. For some, it even goes a step further than that. Sarah Mason, aka CountryVape, was a smoker since she was 14. Everyone who influenced her at this young age smoked: her mom, her dad, her sister. It was the cool thing to do at the time, and it evolved into a stress release. She wasn’t what most would define a heavy smoker, but nevertheless, she stuck with the habit after some failed attempts at quitting. “When I quit smoking the first time, I failed miserably. That was cold turkey, and that didn’t last long. I lasted about two months, and in that January I started smoking again,” Mason said. “My husband came home with this funny looking pen device with this tank on it. I was like, ‘What in the world are you doing?’” At the time, vaping wasn’t very big in Canada. In fact, the Masons live in such a small town that it’s a 45-minute drive to the local brick-and-mortar. Apple and cinnamon flavored e-liquid was the first thing that Mason tried, and she said that it smelled amazing. Her husband had smoked longer than she had, and after vaping, he never touched an analog again. Once recruiting Mason into the vaping world in April of 2014, she officially became a vaper. In the spring of 2015, a local vaping network said they were looking for female broadcasters. Mason had watched the male-dominated show since September of last year. “They asked for [females] to reach out and hook up with them. They talked about coils and juice, and not a lot of

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“ No

one says, ‘Congratulations, you’re smoking tobacco.’ Vaping can be expensive, too, but adding more of your lifetime—you can’t put a price on that.”

female broadcasters were doing it, or they were just a guest on someone’s show,” Mason said. “I had no experience. None in front of a camera. I was terrified.” Sitting in front of the computer with no one behind her, Mason began. More women started coming on and getting interesting in quitting smoking and living a healthier lifestyle. She contacted some sponsors, and her show has been a “huge hit” so far. Mason became the newest broadcaster on the BigTymeVapes network, making her the first Canadian and female to appear on the American show. After gaining a huge following, her first solo show, Vaping with Canadia, launched in May. While no longer with BigTymeVapes, Mason not only has a show to call her very own, but she has more energy and doesn’t have the smokers’ hack where you “die for an hour in the morning.” Vaping with Canadia, airing on Thursday nights, is geared toward people who are smoking because Mason wants to get all of her viewers vaping, which still isn’t as big in Canada as it is in the United States. “We’re [Canadians] the last ones to know with certain things. Especially with the media coverage on vaping, it has just bloomed incredibly. The brick-and-mortars are popping up,

and it comes from our vapers who are south of the border of us,” Mason said. Having the view of the best of both worlds on either side of the border, Mason sees similarities, especially within the community of women who have been quiet, closet vapers. “With smoking, you don’t have that vape community and that vape family, and I’m so proud and honored to be a part of the vape community,” she said. “No one says, ‘Congratulations, you’re smoking tobacco.’ Vaping can be expensive, too, but adding more of your lifetime—you can’t put a price on that.” Being the first Canadian broadcaster on an American network is huge in Mason’s eyes. Since she’s been on the network, she’s noticed that she’s also one of the youngest broadcasters. “I relate to a lot of women, and I respect them a lot in their choices and wanting to make a change in their life,” she said. “It’s being in front of them, being in front of the camera … and having my sponsors who give me juice, is huge. It’s not pushing vaping to them, it’s continuing what they like on both sides of the border. I can’t see them [her viewers] though, which is kind of nerve-wracking. You kind of have to go with your emotions.”

Main topics on Mason’s show include “just about anything.” If there is someone in a chat who has had a bad day and is considering going back to cigarettes, everyone supports each other and shares different stories about wanting a healthier lifestyle. Her last show, which was her seventh, peaked at 165 viewers. Sponsors are also invited to come on as special guests and talk about their products, sharing information on what’s behind making a liquid or a mod. There is also a feedback sponsor page on the site to help sponsors and viewers see what products are winners, and which ones aren’t up to standard. Even though Mason has the female market in mind, she agrees 100 percent that the vaping market in general is geared more toward men than women. However, she does see a shift of women starting to shine—more powerful female juice makers and business owners. “Mechanical mods are absolutely huge. I swear, they’ve used a man’s hands to determine the size. A woman can’t hold that and feel comfortable. If I can find something new geared toward women, I will totally broadcast that,” she said. A lot of her listening audience consists of homemakers, who smoked while taking care of the household. Back in the old days, even Camel commercials and magazines were geared more toward men. Now that women are getting more involved in the vaping revolution, the industry is shifting toward colors and flavors that are traditionally profiled for women, like custard and dessert lines. “A lot of stores are run by men, so a lot of women are shy and wondering if it’s going to be on their level. We want to talk about our kids, our bad days, and vape at the same time,” Mason said. Speaking of vaping, Mason has two devices that she currently uses. One is the iStick Mini 20 watt with an Aspire tank, a more convenient and easy-to-charge device. The other one, the IV 2, is bigger, and doesn’t fit in the palm of her hand. She vapes at a 3 nic level to help the process of quitting smoking. Mason’s parents converted to vaping in November 2014 due to her involvement in the community. She helped them realize that it’s a cheaper, better alternative to smoking with health benefits. A month ago, they visited the doctor, who was impressed with their results. “It’s based on influence. Now that I’m a broadcaster, I’m not shy at all,” Mason said. “I definitely think there needs to be a lot more women who are open about it, who are interested in it. If you’re not a smoker and you kiss your boyfriend who smells like an ashtray, you’re going to be turned off.” To tune into Vaping with Canadia, visit http://vapers. tv/50hmvaperz. Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Countryvape.

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TECH REFLECT ATX Cloud Technologies Stratus Glass Mod Tech Reflect is the newest review column brought to you by VAPE Magazine. However, technical reviews are not the overall opinions of VAPE Magazine. Tech Reflect is designed to give readers advice and know-how about gadgets, mods, devices, accessories and more. Want to have your tech reflected? Email tech@vapemz.com.

By Chris Mellides Photos courtesy of ATX Cloud Technologies, LLC ATX Cloud Technologies is based in Austin, Texas, and the Stratus Glass Mod appears to be the company’s first product offering. The Stratus Glass Mod is 25 mm in diameter, accommodates a single 18650 battery and is designed with a hybrid top cap. The hybrid top cap is a feature of mechanical mods that has grown increasingly common in recent history, and for very good reason. Since the 510 pin of your atomizer makes direct contact with the positive end of your battery, voltage drop is reduced substantially. Giving users of the Stratus and other mods like it that extra kick in the teeth. The exterior housing of the Stratus is constructed from a high-quality 145 Tellurium copper, and is available in a matte black cerakote and will soon be available in clear-coated silver and copper finishes. A painted quartz glass tube easily slides inside the caged housing and is held firmly in place by two sets of O-rings. The tubes are available in a myriad of colors including: Cherry Red, Lime Green, Snow White and Jet Black. The glass adds to the overall aesthetic and is clearly visible through the cutouts of the body of the mod.

Chris Mellides began vaping in 2012 and witnessed the rise and fall of the cartomizer tank firsthand. A multimedia journalist with five years of newsroom experience, he has contributed to various local and national publications and has worked for WSHU Public Radio and as a public relations professional for Tattoo Lou’s. Mellides is sponsored by Limitless Mod Co., works weekends at one of the first vape shops to launch on Long Island and lives in a fortified compound near Queens, N.Y.

The device is lightweight, yet durable with an overall solid feel to it. Included with the kit is a set of strong beefy magnets as well as a spring. When the mod is fitted with the spring, a firm press is needed to fire the atomizer, but you needn’t press too hard. When used in this configuration I did not experience any misfires whatsoever. I’m also happy to report that there’s no crunchiness associated with the switch, and under heavy use this mod is also free from any hot button issues. Giving the switch a magnetic upgrade seemed to shorten the throw for me. Of course, by adjusting the delrin insulator you can easily customize the throw of the switch and make any necessary battery adjustments.

Additionally, the delrin sits atop a very large copper contact, which insures maximum conductivity. Overall, when compared to the spring, the magnets do not show a noticeable difference in user experience and the magnetic switch is free from any discernible issues. The Stratus is undoubtedly unique. I haven’t seen a single mech mod that has a similar aesthetic. So, ATX definitely gets points there. However, there will be people who will find the look of the mod off-putting. Admittedly, I found myself in that camp. That is until I started using the device extensively, and before long I was smitten by just how neat it really looks.

onto the glass that houses your 18650. Since the glass tube doesn’t create a perfect seal around your battery to allow for venting, I fear that there may be a chance for that spill to reach your battery. If you’re mindful of not overdripping and deal with leaking immediately, you shouldn’t have an issue, but know that cleaning a juiced Stratus takes a little more effort because the glass will likely need to be removed to give it a good wiping down.

Make no mistake, the Stratus Glass Mod is a heavyhitter. The machining on the unit is top notch, and the threads on the device are nice and chunky to minimize the possibility of cross threading the top cap and switch when screwing them into the body. Despite the cutouts on the body of the mod, it feels very comfortable in the hand, and there are positively no sharp edges to be felt. Because of the materials used here, this device packs a wallop. It’s copper, after all, but because it comes in a cerakote finish there’s no need to worry about polishing the mod or having it leave your hands with the unwanted scent of a fresh roll of pennies. I’ve also found that because a good chunk of the mod is made up of glass, the Stratus never gets hot. In other words, that glass does an amazing job at displacing heat, which is great if you like to sub-Ohm. I’ve personally wrapped as low as 0.12 Ohms and after excessive use the mod got slightly warm, but never too hot to the point where it was uncomfortable to hold. It’s important to note that because a large part of the body is comprised of glass, I can’t be certain as to how well it will hold up if you accidently dropped it on a hard surface. Another potential issue that I’ve noticed with the Stratus is very much inherent in its design. Atomizers leak. And because there are cutouts in the body of the Stratus, juice does have a tendency to drip over the cutouts and

I do like the fact that the Stratus is manufactured entirely here in the States and that ATX Cloud Tech offers a lifetime warrantee on the coating of their devices. If the cerakote on your mod ever chips (and mine hasn’t) then you can presumably send them your device and have it returned to your door factory-fresh. I really do like that you’ve got a company here that stands behind its product. ATX Cloud Tech has a website, but at the time of writing this review it is under construction. If you’d like to purchase the Stratus, it is available online at Dallas Vapor Supplies. The Stratus retails for $254.99. And that’s a lot of wampum. However, if you’re in the market for an excellent performer that’s built to last, Americanmade and that’s different from the heap of seemingly identical mechs currently on the market today, then the Stratus Glass Mod might be the right buy for you.

FDA Regulation of E-Cigarettes Are You Prepared? By Azim Chowdhury

The U.S. e-cigarette industry, in particular open-system refillable e-liquid industry, has grown tremendously over the past several years, with some estimating total sales in the range of $3 to $4 billion in 2015. That rapid growth has largely taken place in the absence of regulation. That will soon change, however, as more states enact laws restricting how and where these products can be used, and as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prepares to finalize its long-awaited “deeming regulation” that will capture many of these products as regulated “tobacco” products. Background The first cigalike e-cigarette models began entering the United States from China around 2007-2008. As these products started to become more popular, FDA initially sought to regulate them as drug-delivery devices, arguing that they were intended to deliver nicotine, a drug, into the body and were not traditional tobacco products determined to be outside of the Agency’s authority in the Supreme Court decision Food and Drug Administration v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, 529 U.S. 120 (2000). Since drugs can only be marketed after receiving FDA approval, the agency’s position at that time was that all e-cigarettes that contain nicotine were unapproved drug products that could not be marketed without explicit FDA approval. Based on this, FDA and customs had several e-cigarette shipments from China seized at the border. Those e-cigarette companies filed a lawsuit against FDA arguing that their products were actually not unapproved drugs at all, but tobacco products under the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), which had just become law. The Tobacco Control amended the existing Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) to give FDA authority, for the first time, to regulate the manufacture, distribution, marketing of “tobacco products” in the United States. Importantly, the term “tobacco product” is defined broadly in the new law to include anything made or derived for tobacco intended for human consumption, including the components, parts and accessories of the product. The argument that the court ultimately agreed to in Sottera, Inc. v. Food & Drug Administration, 627 F.3d 891 (D.C. Cir. 2010) is that if an e-cigarette contains nicotine derived from tobacco and is “customarily marketed” for recreational use and not for any intended therapeutic benefit (such as to treat nicotine addiction or for smoking cessation), then such e-cigarette is a tobacco product under the new law and subject to FDA’s tobacco authority.

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The Tobacco Control Act While the Tobacco Control Act defined tobacco products broadly to capture any products made or derived from tobacco, it did not give FDA the immediate ability to regulate all such products. Rather, the law only gave FDA the immediate authority to regulate four specific types of tobacco products, e.g., cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco. But, the law also gave FDA the ability to use its rulemaking procedures to create a regulation that would “deem” other, currently unregulated tobacco products under its tobacco authority. On April 25, 2011, the FDA published a letter to e-cigarette stakeholders on its website stating that it would not appeal the Sottera decision, and that e-cigarettes made with tobacco-derived nicotine would be deemed to be under FDA’s tobacco authority by the “deeming regulation.” Exactly three years later on April 25, 2014, the FDA finally published the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Deeming Regulation. The Deeming Regulation During the 105-day comment period following publication of the proposed rule, more than 135,000 comments were submitted by consumers, advocates, industry and academics. FDA is legally obligated to review each comment and provide analysis in the final rule. In terms of next steps, once FDA finalizes the rule (hopefully taking into consideration many of the helpful comments) it will submit that final rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the White House, who will consider the potential economic impact of the rule. Although FDA initially indicated that it expected the final rule to be published in June 2015, as of the time of this writing the rule has not yet been submitted to OMB. OMB typically takes at least three to six months to review new regulations. If the final rule gets to OMB this summer, some expect it will be published and become effective before the end of 2015. What Requirements Will Apply to E-Cigarettes? If the deeming regulation becomes effective as drafted, the newly covered tobacco products, including e-cigarettes (and e-liquids) that contain nicotine derived from tobacco, will be subject to the same regulatory requirements that currently only apply to regulated tobacco products: a one-size-fits-all approach (with the possible exception that “premium cigars” may be exempted, but that is another story). These requirements include: • Manufacturing facility registration under Section 905(b) • Product and ingredient listing under Section 904 • Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents (HPHC) Testing and Reporting under Section 904(a)(3) • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) under Section 906 • Premarket authorization under Section 910

In addition, all products that contain nicotine will be required to include the following warning on their labels, “WARNING: This product contains nicotine derived from tobacco. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.” Sales to minors (under 18) would be banned, as well as distribution of free samples (which could greatly impact how vape shops do business) and vending machine sales except in adult-only facilities. Claims of “modified risk” (i.e., that your product is less risky than other tobacco products or contains fewer harmful substances) would be prohibited as well. Premarket Authorization The biggest hurdle for e-cigarettes will be getting through the premarket authorization process. This means that new products will first have to be authorized by FDA before they can be sold. There are two main premarket pathways set forth in the Tobacco Control Act—the Substantial Equivalence (SE) Report and the Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA). The less onerous of the two is the SE Report, which requires demonstrating that a new product is “substantially equivalent” to a product that was on the market as of the “Grandfather Date” set forth in the statute: Feb. 15, 2007. The substantial equivalence standard requires showing that any characteristics of the new product that are not identical to the grandfathered predicate product do not raise “different questions of public health.” Unless the FDA uses a new Grandfather Date for e-cigarettes, the SE Report process will not be available for these products, since it does not appear that there were any e-cigarettes on the market on Feb. 15, 2007. The PMTA process, on the other hand, does not require comparison to a predicate product. Where a new tobacco product is not substantially equivalent to a tobacco product commercially marketed in the United States as of Feb. 15, 2007, and is not exempt from the requirement to obtain a substantial equivalence determination pursuant to regulation, the manufacturer must submit a PMTA under section 910(b) of the Act and receive a marketing authorization order prior to marketing the product. A PMTA must include quite a bit of supporting data, such as: full reports of all investigations of health risks; a full statement of the components, ingredients, additives and properties, and principles of operation of the tobacco product; a full description of methods of manufacturing and processing; an explanation of how the product complies with any applicable tobacco product standards; samples of the product and its components; specimens of proposed labeling; and other information that the FDA may require. The FDA has issued a PMTA Guidance document that further details the types of non-clinical, clinical (human), consumer perception studies, mathematical modeling, etc. that will likely be needed to meet the very high standard for PMTAs. That standard requires that applicants be able to demonstrate

that their new product is “appropriate for the protection of the public health.” To date, no tobacco products have received a marketing authorization via the PMTA process. Recognizing that e-cigarette and e-liquid manufacturers would not be able to rely on the Grandfather Date and would have to submit PMTAs to stay on the market, the FDA proposed in the Deeming Regulation a “compliance policy” that would delay enforcement of the premarket authorization requirements. Under this policy, the FDA would allow any deemed product marketed after Feb. 15, 2007 through two years after the effective date of the deeming regulation to remain on the market provided: 1) a PMTA for the product is submitted by the two-year anniversary of the effective date of the regulation, and 2) until such time as the FDA denies the premarket submission. For products not on the market at the end of the two-year compliance period, manufacturers will need to first obtain premarket authorization from the agency before introducing such products into commerce. What Will the Final Regulation Look Like? It remains to be seen whether the final version of the deeming regulation will incorporate any of the ideas submitted in the public comments, or stick with its “one-size-fits-all” approach. Many industry advocates submitted comments urging the FDA to consider e-cigarettes separate from traditional tobacco products and to develop regulations that better fit the product category. For example, many comments were submitted suggesting that the FDA use a new Grandfather Date for e-cigarettes to capture the existing market. Other comments were submitted arguing that based on the growing body of available scientific evidence, the FDA could determine that, as a product category, e-cigarettes are “appropriate for the protection of the public health” because they provide a less harmful alternative to combustible cigarettes for smokers and have contributed to the declining smoking rate (while there does not appear to be any evidence of the “gateway” phenomenon). Still other comments were submitted providing alternative frameworks for regulation based on the “Continuum of Risk” of tobacco products. Those comments argued that regulations should be tailored to the tobacco product type based on how harmful the product is. In other words, the regulatory burden for a product should be commensurate with its level of harm (i.e., cigarettes should be subject to a higher degree of scrutiny compared to smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes). In the next issue of VAPE Magazine, I will explore these alternative regulatory frameworks and provide some background on how the FDA legally has the ability to treat e-cigarettes differently than other tobacco products. Azim Chowdhury is partner at Keller and Heckman LLP founded in 1962. Since 1971, the firm has had an in-house scientific staff that works closely with the firm’s attorneys on matters of technical complexity as related to the pharmaceutical, food, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, consumer products and high-tech industries.

Compiled by Erin Hedrick and Alyssa Stahr The world of vaping is vast and grows bigger every day! It’s an industrious community full of innovative people looking to create what they hope will be the perfect e-liquid flavor. VAPE Magazine is here to (hopefully) help shed some light on some of these new liquids. Sadly, there’s no way we could cover them all in every issue, but our goal is to showcase a variety of the newest e-liquids on the market to you, our valued readers. So sit back, relax, and enjoy Round One of Just in Juices!

Happy Juice Love from Happy Juice

fruits, ice creams and other hidden notes that will keep you guessing. You will not be disappointed with this one-of-akind flavor from the No Name Craft E-Juice line from Brew City: Blue Moon, the original ice cream. http://brewcityjuice.com/

Maiden Voyage from Sail Away Vapor

Maiden Voyage is a celebratory wine, perfect for any joyous occasion. This vapor is best served with good friends and good times. https://arcane-industries.net/

Love is a delightful and enchanting combination of flavor bursting cinnamon with a hint of warm pie crust. http://happyvapejuice.com/

Blue Moon from Brew City Juice Brew City Juice has spent countless months to perfect what some would call the best ice cream vape today— a combination of seven

Yorkville from Moshi Premium E-Liquid

Like a warm snickerdoodle cookie, a vape of Yorkville starts with a creamy, full-bodied intake and is complemented with strong cinnamon on the exhale. Subtle notes of vanilla and roasted almond wait to be discovered on the next inhale, allowing for a complex and engrossing vape. http://vapemoshi.com

Diamond Head from Volcano Signature E-Liquid

Diamond Head is a tropical mix of tangy passion fruit, sugared orange and sweet guava nectar. This signature Hawaiian citrus blend yields a powerful mouthwatering profile. Inspired by the tropical fruits that call our islands home, this e-liquid flavor begins with the sweet mellow taste of sun-ripened guava, the flavor intensifies with citrus notes of juicy orange balanced off by a lingering aroma of ripened passion fruit. Packaged in the signature LAVA LINE gift box. http://www.volcanoecigs.com/

Red Light District from Wet Dream Supply

RLD replicates the Red Vines licorice flavor down to a point. The flavor is that of the first bite into a fresh bucket of Red Vines, and the feeling of tart strawberry and cherry. http://www.WetDreamSupply.com

Froot Fighters from Motley Brew

Froot Fighters is a delectably sweet and juicy candied melon medley including chilled watermelon, vine-ripened cantaloupe and honeydew plus a few undisclosed sweet treats! Delectable and mouthwatering, this melon felon will leave you breathless in its wake. motleybrew.com

Emerald from Gemstones E-Juice

The stone of successful love—made from nature’s finest fruit circles and berry mix crunch, sweet creamy lemon meringue topped with fresh whipped cream and a touch of citrus. gemstonesjuice.com

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Don’t Tread on Vaping from Boiler E-Cigs

Don’t Tread on Vaping is a delicious strawberry milkshake flavor that tastes like its fresh off of the mixer! Not only is it an amazing flavor, but $2 from every wholesale bottle and $10 from every online order will be donated to SFATA. www.boilerecigs.com

Mangabeys from Twelve Monkeys

This bright and fresh blend of pineapple, guava and mango is accented by a myriad of Caribbean fruits and is the perfect companion for a day basking in the warm tropical sun. Let Mangabeys’ Caribbean-specific fruits give you a taste of the island lifestyle (80VG). www.12monkeysvapor.com

Whisky Tango Foxtrot from Skrachmos Wax E-Juice

As they describe it, it is a “deep fried cinnamon roll with whisky cream drizzle.” It has a soft cinnamon pastry flavor with a light creamy woodsy whiskey undertone. http://www.skrachmoswax.com/

Quartz from Praxis Potions Treat your bad self to a prism of dense fruit flavors. Their take on rainbow sherbert, this liquid provides an 80 VG/20 PG cloud formula with citrus and raspberry notes. All-day vape status— engaged. praxisvapors.com

The Beach Bum from Captain Obvious E-Juice

Your taste buds will be pleasantly surprised. Beach Bum is a complex and refreshing mix of strawberries, pineapple, coconut and other fruits. The best feature of this juice is that you can literally get a different taste on the inhale and on the exhale. It takes you on an island escape. http://captainobviousejuice. com/

Lucky 13 from Craft E-Liquid

Lucky 13 is a complex blend of creamy vanilla, toasted almond and caramel topped off with just the right amount of smooth tobacco finish. Lucky 13 breaks the mold with an adventure in flavor featuring vanilla and caramel notes upfront, the toasted almond adding rich complexity in the mid notes and our unique the smooth tobacco finish. There are 13 total ingredients that make up this artfully crafted blend. Lucky 13 is a great all-day vape and also pairs well with craft beers such as IPAs, ales and Belgian blondes. www.caferacervape.com

Kiberry Yogurt from Kilo E-Liquids

Kiberry Yogurt is a delicious yogurt cream that is infused with a blend of fresh strawberries and a dash of kiwi, forging a perfect harmony between sweet tartness and our signature cream flavor. This complex blend produces a fruit mixture on the inhale that leaves a creamy yogurt aftertaste. http://www.kiloeliquids.com/

Survival of the Sickest Watermelon from Saliva E-Liquid

People who vape it say that it tastes exactly like a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Saliva Vape Juice is a new and exciting venture for the Grammy nominated band Saliva. They handpicked the flavors and named them all after some of their hit songs. www.salivavapejuice.com

Unbirthday Cake from Caterpillar Ejuice

Everyone deserves a celebration, even when it’s not his or her birthday. When you try Caterpillar Ejuice’s newest flavor, Unbirthday Cake, you are in for a special treat. Just like a creamy, lemon cheesecake, this all-day vape will leave you wanting more. Imagine a rich graham cracker crust with a creamy cheesecake center, enhanced with a drizzle of tangy lemon sauce—tasting bakery fresh. http://caterpillarejuice.com/

advocacy from BRV Liquids

A delicious, yet not too sweet, chocolaty blend with a hint of caramel. Proceeds go toward their Vape a Vet advocacy program. https://vapeavet.org

Liquid Swords from Off the Record Liquids

This vape is the Shogun sword of all e-liquid. Made from a custom yogurt recipe, Off the Record blended blueberries, raspberries, bananas and pomegranates to entice tastebuds with this delicious berry smoothie yogurt vape. http://www.offtherecordliquids.com/

Skyline from Intrinsic ELiquid Inc.

Intrinsic has taken a ripe lemon, mixed in a note of dragon fruit and topped it off with a burst of raspberry. This cheek puckering and mouth watering flavor is almost impossible to resist! www.intrinsiceliquid.com

Drama Queen from PsychoX

Strawberry and cream custard with a hidden delight! http://vapedemand.com/product/psychox-drama-queen/?age-verified=47ef47e53a

Port Royal from High Seas E-Liquid Trading Co.

A new take on the most sought after flavor. This vanilla custard was crafted to be a gift to the rough seas for troubled passings. The crew smuggled it from Port Royal City, located in southern Jamaica and brought it all the way home for the entire High Seas crew to enjoy. http://www.highseaseliquid.com/

Ramrod from Strix Elixirs

Cereal vapes are all the rage right now in the industry. They’re everywhere, but there’s a lack of one thing: cereal without the milk. This e-liquid is perfectly balanced. That means there’s not too much of one thing, like lemon that can be overpowering in some cereal liquids. They also use aged nicotine to create depth. Their flavors use the highest quality ingredients to produce clean, crisp flavor. So, if you like munching on fruity cereal right out of the box this liquid is the perfect choice. All liquids are all pre-steeped so they’re ready when you are. http://www.strixelixirs.com/home.asp

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SS Guppy from Lock & Harbor E-Liquid

SS Guppy is a blend of sweet and fruity breakfast cereals, complete with a crunch and a hint of milk. http://www.lockandharbor.com/

‘Merica from Slug Juice Premium E-Liquid

‘Merica is a refreshing summertime frozen treat that is sure to leave an explosion of flavor in every puff. http://villagevape.com/

Trill from Infamous Juice

In the world of Southern hip hop, Trill is a name that means something that is real and true. Infamous’ Trill is just that. A perfect match of blackberry, strawberry and custard that’s real, pure, hard-hitting flavor. http://www.infamousjuice.com/ juices/

Blackberry from The Vapor Room

The delicious blend between sweet and tart, Blackberry is a true ripe blackberry flavor that offers a savory vaping experience. http://thevaporroom.net/

Merengue from The Vapor Hut Raspberry Lemonade from The Simple Vapor Co. Lemonade with raspberries. What more do you need? http://thesimplevaporco.com

Dance with me the dance of the deluxe lemon meringue pie. Merengue is made from freshly squeezed lemons, golden flaky crust and then topped off with a dab of hand whipped cream. www.thevaporhut.com

Strawberry Labotomade from Walking Vaped

Walking Vaped’s Strawberry Labotomade is the company’s hottest seller. At first inhale the strawberry flavor tickles the back of your mouth, giving you the feeling of running through a strawberry patch on a warm summer day. The exhale surprisingly releases a citrus burst of lemony flavors that lingers on your tongue for a while, reminiscent of an old school lemonade stand. Whether you like strawberries or lemonade, vapers are sure to tip their cap to this flavor as it’s a rare combo that is tough to pull off! http://www.topvaporshop.com/walkingvaped/

A Regulatory Look Stateside and Across the Pond By Barnaby Page

Regulation is transforming the e-cigarette business, but it’s not always bad news, as the ECigIntelligence team reports. The eyes of the e-cigarette world remain firmly trained on national (and sometimes lower-level) legislatures. For while individual territories and individual companies are meeting with varying fortunes, the one thing that seemingly unites them all is that if they aren’t having to cope with e-cig-specific legislation already, they soon will be. And if coping with existing rules is one thing, planning how to handle new laws before their precise shape is known is another challenge altogether. In the United States, of course, the biggest question mark hangs over the deeming regulations due to be issued in June (as of press time) by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—although the agency has recently been hinting rather strongly that it may not, in fact, meet that deadline, and as the days pass that seems more and more likely.

Products that were already on the market at that date do not have to comply with many of the act’s requirements, whereas those introduced afterward do. And the Tobacco Control Act also allows products that are “substantially equivalent” to the “predicate” products marketed before that date to avoid being treated as entirely new products, although this substantial equivalence must be proven. Currently, the FDA maintains that the Feb. 15, 2007 date cannot legally be changed—and that therefore when its deeming regulations declaring e-cigarettes to be tobacco products come into force, only e-cigs that were available on or before that date will escape them. Of course, virtually no e-cigarettes were commercially marketed in the United States at that time, so effectively the grandfathering date does not allow any exemptions for the e-cigarette industry. Unless this is changed, according to Cole, costly and significant barriers will hinder the bringing to market of new, innovative products. His bill, however, would make the grandfathering date for e-cigarettes—and any other new tobacco products which the FDA decides to bring into its regulatory framework—the same as the date on which the deeming regulations come into effect.

The FDA has conducted such detailed enquiries into e-cigarettes since it issued the first draft of the deeming regulations around a year ago and admitted at the time the great depth of its ignorance, that it’s anyone’s guess what form the finished rules will take.

Without such a change, said Cole, newly-deemed products such as e-cigarettes will be subject to regulation that reaches back eight years—compared to the two-year period that applied to cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own products when the Tobacco Control Act was introduced.

It’s also open to question how political factors will affect them: a newly Republican-controlled Congress, the absence of a permanent commissioner at the head of the FDA since the recent departure of Margaret Hamburg, and of course the imminence before long of a new president in the White House.

“The end result will be that newly-deemed tobacco products would be treated much more harshly,” he said.

Just possibly the most important development on this front in recent weeks, however, has come from outside the doors of the FDA itself: indeed, from within Congress. This is the introduction of a bill (as yet unpassed, it must be stressed, and quite possibly never to be passed), which would bring forward the grandfathering date for e-cig products. The potential significance of Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole’s bill is enormous. While the FDA envisages a grandfathering date of Feb. 15, 2007 effectively excluding all e-cigarettes actually on the market today, the much more recent date proposed by Cole would mean that many established products would not be subject to all of the new rules, and the burden of compliance on e-cigarette makers would be vastly eased. Is it legal? Cole, a close ally of the House Republican leadership, dismisses claims by the FDA that it lacks legal authority to alter the Feb. 15, 2007 date given in the Tobacco Control Act of 2009.

Moreover, he suggests, the Feb. 15, 2007 cut-off was a rather random choice in the first place: simply the date the act was introduced in the 110th Congress. An influential law-maker who is quoted often in the press as a surrogate for House Speaker John Boehner, Cole serves on the House Rules Committee, which is viewed as a leadership panel, as well as the budget and cloutheavy appropriations committees. Can we tax it? As long as the FDA sits on the deeming regulations—with or without Cole’s modification—there is no federal control of e-cigs in the United States. That hasn’t stopped the individual states, as well as counties and municipalities, moving to regulate the products. Minimum purchase ages now are commonplace, for example, and an increasing number of states are looking to tax e-cigs: a recent report we compiled at ECigIntelligence enumerated nearly 30 tax bills in 23 separate states, following three different models of taxation (percentage of price, dollars per millilitre of e-liquid, or dollars per milligram of nicotine). And that was just the recent ones. Many already have been rejected by legislatures, of course; in fact only two, in Minnesota and North Carolina, have passed into law;

but it is a vivid sign of the way that the states are not sitting back and waiting for D.C. to act. Is it tobacco? Tax has been high on the agenda in Europe, too. Perhaps the most important recent development was in Italy, where the Constitutional Court has ruled that e-cigarette products cannot be taxed as if they were tobacco products, because tobacco’s harmful effects are not obvious in them. The decision by the court, which was ruling after e-cigarette trade and consumer groups challenged a government decree on tax, will doubtless be seen as a victory by the e-cig industry—and may be followed by a further Constitutional Court review of a more recent tax measure. The threat of the tax had stifled investment in innovation and marketing, as well as leading to closures of vape stores, according to Massimiliano Mancini, president of the Italian e-cig trade group ANAFE, which was among those mounting the challenge. Nevertheless, the practical implications for the Italian market are not yet entirely clear. Another levy, based on taxing e-cigarettes at 50 percent of the level that is applied to an “equivalent” quantity of combustible tobacco—established through a complex formula—was not under consideration in the court case, and remains in force, although it too may very likely be reviewed by the Constitutional Court in time. What is significant beyond the borders of Italy is that the Constitutional Court revoked the original 58.5 percent regulation partly on the grounds that while taxes on tobacco products are justified by their “seriously harmful effect on health. This assumption is not apparent in e-cigarettes products, even less when it comes to hardware and liquid that does not contain nicotine,” and therefore they “cannot be considered as tobacco substitutes.” Of course this decision is not binding on courts in other countries, but nevertheless it raises the possibility that judges elsewhere might be quite capable of seeing the essential differences between e-cigs and tobacco products—something worth bearing in mind amid the doom-and-gloom discussions that sometimes arise when e-cig regulation is discussed.

New York City’s ban on using e-cigarettes in public places was denied by a Manhattan supreme court judge.It had been based on an article in the state of New York’s constitution that prohibits a single law from dealing with two subject: a local smokers’ rights group called NYC C.L.A.S.H. argued that as e-cigarettes are distinct from conventional cigarettes, amending existing tobacco legislation to include e-cigarettes in the ban on smoking in public places—which covers bars, restaurants, government buildings and other locations such as parks—created a dual-subject law. But, judge Frank Nervo disagreed. “At best, this argument raises a distinction without a difference,” Nervo wrote, according to the New York Law Journal. “Local Law 152 [the law governing smoking and now vaping in public places] does not become invalid merely because a cigarette is ignited by fire and an e-cigarette is ignited electronically.” The idea behind the constitutional article was to prevent “logrolling,” concealing one legislative act within another. Yet that was not the case here, Nervo decided; cigarettes and e-cigs are similar enough in the eyes of the law and the amendment does not conceal unrelated matters. Should we ban it? Meanwhile, the European e-cigarette market is—like its U.S. counterpart—also waiting on legislation that we know is coming without the details being entirely clear. The difference is that the broad framework of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) is familiar, and the deadline for member states to implement it is set in stone, now less than a year away. The question is whether countries introducing domestic legislation to comply with the TPD will do the bare minimum, or go further. It’s early days, but so far the trend seems to be toward taking the opportunity of TPD transposition to introduce more extensive measures than the European directive requires. We’ve seen a strong example of this in Denmark, the first EU member state to comprehensively transpose the TPD, which has at the same time imposed restrictions on vaping in public places and a minimum age for e-cigarette purchase, neither of which is mandated by the EU. It also goes beyond the overt requirements of the TPD in almost completely banning the advertising of e-cigs.

Indeed, de-linking e-cigarettes from conventional tobacco products, in public perception as well as in judicial and regulatory terms, is a major challenge for the e-cig industry, because that linkage informs everything from public health attitudes to, indeed, taxation. The Italian case, while a rather abstract victory in one sense (because the tax that was chucked out had already been replaced by another), is an important sign that jurists can be persuaded of e-cigarettes’ distinctiveness.

Having said that, it may be that those countries most eager to control e-cigarettes tightly are also those most likely to introduce their legislation early, and that there will be a rush of laxer latecomers as the deadline approaches. Whichever way it plays, it seems that e-cigarette companies around the world are going to be dealing with more and more regulation over the coming year, whether it is motivated by a public health agenda or the needs of the exchequer.

Even so, the decision on the e-cigarette/tobacco relationship went the other way in a recent New York case. There, a challenge to

Barnaby Page is editorial director of ECigIntelligence. Learn more at www.ECigIntelligence.com.

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Avail Vapor Vaultz Keeps Vape Supplies Under Lock By Alyssa Stahr Photo courtesy of Avail Vapor We’ve all been through the post-9/11 security check at various airports throughout the United States. Pull out your laptops, take off your shoes, remove your hoodies and, by all means, no liquids until you pass through to the gates. Even though vapers are prohibited from vaping on planes due to FAA regulations, they now have a way to pass e-liquids through the gates in a TSA-compliant way—the Avail Vapor Vaultz solution. Donovan Phillips, co-founder and partner of Avail, started off in the business by doing research and development for companies that took him to China quite a bit. In his down time in the Far East, he would bounce over to e-cigarette factories, and he started something on the side of his day job. He started researching making liquid and engineering better devices, in fact he found an e-cig in a kiosk and thought it was going to be great. “It didn’t taste really good, and it didn’t perform great,” he said. “By the time I got home, I tore the thing apart and I put bigger batteries in there. That was almost six years ago, and that’s kind of where the hardware came.” Phillips found great partners in Cole Smith and James Xu, and started the Avail brand. The hardware caught up six months later, a fantastic jump up, according to Phillips. Having an engineering background, he dove right in, also coming up with about 100 flavors in a recipe book. Once finding out that people really enjoyed the e-liquid, it caught on like wildfire. Avail doesn’t market in the traditional advertising sense of the word. “It’s rare if we do a radio spot through traditional media channels. We find that word of mouth is always the best and education of the consumer through our retail stores,” he said. “It comes down to the standard of liquids that we’ve always produced. We’ve always used childproof caps. We don’t use sweetener; it’s always extremely pure.” Avail’s lab is encased in glass, and clients can tour it seven days a week. It’s that “Krispy Kreme, hot-off-the-line moment” that Phillips said makes the difference. “The environment where you can see it made—we’re really proud of that. The liquid really helped catapult us to where we are,” he said. Expanding at a rapid rate, Avail’s strategic plan includes opening its 50th store as of press time. Phillips hopes to have 100 retail outlets by the end of 2015, something that Phillips said he didn’t imagine would grow to this size so quickly. However, the core value of being able to help people rings true.

“We didn’t go through the traditional outlets. Our online retail business is a small piece of what we do; we built an infrastructure. It’s the low-hanging fruit. We invested heavily in the retail concept, the lab, the distribution center. This year, we just started wholesale to the domestic market; before that, we only provided wholesale outside the United States,” he said. One of the items that also is new to Avail Vapor’s arsenal this year is Vaultz. A handheld case that makes traveling easier, it stores and organizes e-liquids and hardware. Keeping valuables truly under lock and key, the combination lock securely protects your items. Vaultz also provides solutions in the pencil box, drug case and office supply space, so Avail sought to partner up and come up with a line of vapor Vaultz. “We talked about doing a branded piece to our spec. With great messaging and awareness (in the drug case space), that’s something we should learn from in the vape industry,” Phillips said. “Batteries and liquids are dangerous in their own right.” Vaultz retails at $15 (MSRP $25) and can be personalized with a lock that keeps family members away from product, and nice gear protected. Features include a TSA-compliant combination lock and stretchable elastic loops that hold 15 or 30 ml bottles, most mods and batteries. Buyers can mix and match and hold most items that the average vaper would carry. And the zipper pouch on the side is a great place to store building tools for tinkerers. So far, military and first responders have been a hot purchase demographic, and Avail has received a nice response from them. “I’ve carried it for about a month now as a stress test, and it’s much easier to get through TSA and go. It’s a really functional product, and it’s at an affordable price point,” Phillips said. Avail was in development of a case very similar for about a month previous before talking with Vaultz. However, when Phillips realized that morals aligned with both companies, he and his team decided to utilize the manufacturing capability from Vaultz. “They have a ton of experience in the lockable category. We put our design and vision to to the market to partner with them,” Phillips said. Once the two companies saw eye-to-eye on the bigger picture items, the product quickly came to light within 40 days. The inception of the design and prototypes were tested throughout the 40-day span, with engineers working hard to come up with an ideal product. “If you look at Avail’s growth, we love to really work on a bunch of things in the background. It’s kind of our style and our company culture,” Phillips said. Phillips, Smith and Xu love to employ a lot of vapers, garnering inspiration for new ideas. With a great team of engineers in place, the company can take something from concept to prototype very quickly. Vaultz, as a result, is the first product that the company has partnered with outside of its own walls. However, it’s certainly not going to be the last innovation and change for 2015. “I’m very excited about what the future holds. It’s a product of lots of late nights,” Phillips said. “There are two atomizers in the works, which will be ready in about 30 days. That’s really exciting. And, of course, we always have fun flavors coming out. We have a handful we’ve been holding back on, and they are so good that I can’t wait to release them to the community; we just have to find the right moment and the right time.” For more information, visit http://availvapor.com/.

Words and photos by Leigh Oates Clouds, craftsmen and advocacyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the inaugural PA Vape Expo had a little bit for every vaper. The premier PA Vape Expo surpassed expectations for attendees with prizes, entertainment and exposure to many varieties of juice. Held May 9 and 10 in Hamburg, Penn., the event was attended by more than 800 people, according to Rich Umberger, Expo organizer. The two day, relaxed, buy-sell-trade event was a huge success for vendors and vapers alike. The event boasted hourly cloud competitions, a vape lounge and musical entertainment, and brought together vape shops throughout the Northeast, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. The event showcased veterans in the field, as well as a few new gadgets on the market, catering to vapers both young and old. Advocacy groups

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informed the vape community about pending legislation and offered a helping hand to other vapers in need. In fact, advocacy was a buzzing undercurrent at the vape expo. Vendors shared stories about attending the recent SFATA conference in Chicago, and some spoke of being on their way to Washington, D.C., to continue the press for fair e-cig regulation. Dylan of Foundation Vapor presented Pennsylvania vapers with information about Governor Tom Wolfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposed budget, which calls for a 40 percent wholesale tax on electronic cigarettes and other smokeless products. The Vapers Helping Vapers group informed attendees about their two charity programs: the Needs Program and the Juice For Troops program. Both causes directly support vapers by setting them up with the e-cig supplies they need, but may not be able to access on their own.

Foundation Vapers doing their part to inform consumers about pending legislation

In addition to selling “I Vape, I Vote” T-shirts, the proceeds of which went toward PA advocacy, Foundation Vapor handed out cards to PA vapers to send along to their elected representatives opposing the tax. The important work of advocacy continues in an effort to save vaping in the state of Pennsylvania. Innovation also was present for curious attendees. The Ngen Smoke team showed off their new Remix electronic hookah, which is still in its developmental stages, and are currently running an Indiegogo to get the project off the ground. The sleek and sexy electronic hookah currently runs from 510 cartridges and can be loaded with several flavors—vapers can switch flavors with the simple press of a button. Ngen reps expect even better technological advancements once the e hookah gets to the production stages, including an upgrade to sub-Ohm tanks for e-liquid delivery system. Other innovators included the Eslyde e-cigarette cases produced in Hancock, Md., and Valley Tool & Plastics Machine Shop’s customized tester displays for vape shops. The goal for many vendors was to showcase what made them stand out from the rest. The complex flavor blends of Evil Good Vapes were the result of many hours and many trials. Each blend is a combination of seven or eight components, Robert “Smog” Lisk, sales and promotions, and Randall Lisk, flavor development specialist, said. Some vendors stood out with by their elaborate displays, like the showpiece of K2 Vapor, whose giant, replica box mod emitted “vapor” from the mouthpiece of the tank. Adirondack Vapors showcased an interesting testing station with many hookah tubes connected to subtanks, and Nicoticket was one of the pack leaders in labeling and safety compliance. Each bottle was sealed with a plastic overwrap, childresistant cap and was clearly marked with batch number, born on date and California Prop 65 warning. Other vendors went for the splash and the name recognition that only a big sponsorship can provide. Kingdom Vapors, the largest sponsor of the event, gave out a goodie bag to every participant at the door, and hooked up attendees with raffle tickets for generous giveaways. They showed off a wide variety of products in three huge display cases and were a huge hit for expo goers. The crowds lined up early for day one; many rushed in the doors as they were opened, seeking some of the best early-bird prizes. High VG, low nicotine juices ruled the expo, with few vendors offering more than a 6 or 12mg nicotine level. High Voltage vapors offered its unusual energy infused, caffeinated juices, and also offered a skateboard deck as a grand-prize giveaway. Day one concluded with the rockin’ sounds of Guilty by Design as juice samples were distributed to the crowds. Overall, the PA Vape Expo drew hundreds of vapers out to commune, support one another and enjoy themselves. Rumor has it, plans for next year’s expo include an even bigger venue capable of holding twice as many people.

Vapers Helping Vapers giveaway and raffle table

Adirondack Vapors’ hookah bar tasting station

53 IN THE FUTURE NOBODY SMOKES

5 03 503eliquid.com

Mobile Vape Store Rolls Through American Northwest By Alyssa Stahr, Photos by Ron C. Can’t get to the vape? Now the vape may be coming to an area near you. Ron C. (aka Reverend Dark) is not only the owner of a brick-and-mortar establishment (Vapor St8 in Bonney Lake, Wash.), he also is an ordained minister. Like any Good Samaritan wanting to spread the word, Reverend Dark is on a mission. He is determined to help those who don’t have vape shops in their area have one come to them. The result is Vapor St8—the mobile version—a traveling vape shop that’s heading to various locations throughout the Northwest. Reverend Dark’s crew had participated indoors as representatives of brick-and-mortar at the Western Washington Fair for two years. The fair changed its rules and wanted vendors to be outside only. Reverend Dark searched online for rolling vape shops and found none. Upon finding some concession trailers for sale, he told himself, “I can do this.” With carnivals not allowing more than a 20 ft. trailer, Reverend Dark found a cargo trailer that was 16 ft.

He, along with his crew—Isaac, Tim J., Boots and Joe— took the sides off and made hydraulic windows. “We have two display cabinets, so when you walk up to the trailer, you’re inside of the shop. I wanted something that you can tear down fast and put up fast,” Reverend Dark said. The top 10 products in his brick-and-mortar store are incorporated in the mobile version, from starter kits to items made for seasoned vapers. “I had to incorporate for everyone who walks through— from everyone who hasn’t vaped to those who have vaped for years. We rate the top 10 that are sold in our shop and I carry that to the festival,” he said. “We’ve got mechanicals and RDAs on board. We had to make a room inside a room to put a display in. We lit up the back wall and put pegs in.” Reverend Dark said that he’s pretty shocked at the outcome, and with changes happening to the mobile shop to make it better, he’s asked around on social media and gotten a number of high fives. But, even though it was his idea, he couldn’t have implemented it all by himself.

“It was a team thing. It was all my guys from the shop, and then I sought out a guy who welds really well. I came up with the idea, and everyone kinda stuck with me. At first, they thought I was nuts,” he said. Reverend Dark found out about the new fair rules 28 days before the mobile store opened. The crew worked for 23, 10-hour days, paid the money to be at the fair and hoped that it worked. Wanting to mask the carnival-type atmosphere, Reverend Dark said that he tried to create something that no one else had, but he didn’t want it to look like it didn’t belong. “We had to go through all the protocols of what the fair needed. A carnival is a carnival, and in their head, it’s about the same. I crossed my Ts with the state of Washington and what they wanted, and we went from there,” he said. Vapor St8 mobile debuted at the Western Washington Fair in April, and since then, it’s been a whirlwind. The team just returned from a local flea market. The next stop is about 15 miles from the brick-and-mortar shop. Then, it’s on to a tri-county fair on the other side of the state, and numerous other fairs in the area, including the Oregon State Fair. Three people always travel with the mobile shop: usually Reverend Dark, his wife and a shop employee, depending on how close the event is to the brick-and-mortar location. “I’m ecstatic. We’re getting invitations now already for next year for Idaho, Colorado, Montana. People are understanding how it’s a different kind of lifestyle for us. And our trailer looks really good, and they just want us to be a part of the festival,” he said. “I didn’t build this for anything except to go out to communities that don’t have shops; I go to festivals that don’t have shops. I try to be rolling publicity for the vaping community.”

mobile store—in fact, more questions than have ever been asked at their brick-and-mortar location. “It’s more for information to get out there. A lot of people come up who have never heard of vaping. I call it my information trailer. They’re drawn to this. We want everybody to realize this is why I planned it,” Reverend Dark said. “In one fair, we took 100 packs of cigarettes from people in 72 hours. It’s the hardest thing I ever could’ve done; you’ve gotta get permits and licensing in every city you go to. It’s very trying, but it’s worth it.” For more information, visit http://www.yelp.com/biz/vapor-st8-bonney-lake.

With that, Reverend Dark has decided that he is on the lookout for another rolling vape store. He wants to put it in a different location with another full team to run it. “Up here we have these stupid laws, and that’s another deciding factor. It’s on the line - which way is this thing going to go. We’ve already decided if Washington became another state that is taxed too much, we would take this thing on the road. We’re glad the government has laid off this year, but we’re already planning for the future,” he said. However, the shop isn’t just about taxation and sales. It’s about spreading the word about vaping. The shop crew has received thousands of questions from people who have stopped by the

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Vapor

Expo By Alyssa Stahr Photos by Alyssa Stahr and Mike Schramel

All the world’s a stage, and the ultimate vaping platform returned to South Beach, Miami, for the second year, marking a huge return from 2014. The World Vapor Expo was bigger and better that last year’s show, not only in size of vendors and attendees, but also in overall show floor response. The “grassroots efforts” of show founders Mark Evans Sr., Gordon Gerstein and Mark Evans Jr. grew purely from hard work, local support and promotion from shops and international travel over the last year, which solidified connections throughout the industry.

Provides

Hot Atmosphere

on International Stage Vendor support was a huge theme throughout the discussion of what makes World Vapor Expo unique, with an expanded B2B session offered on Friday, something that was addressed as a necessary change from last year. “We support our vendors and are not going for a cash grab like some other shows. We made sure that the people who came out got what they wanted and were ready to buy,” Evans Sr. said. “We waited until Saturday afternoon before we turned it up into a party. Feedback we got in the past was it was too loud and a party atmosphere, so people couldn’t do business. We made that adjustment.”

More than 18,000 people “Relationships over the walked through the Miami years have cultivated, and Convention Center doors this show was a product of during the three-day that,” Evans Jr. said. Evans event, and more than 450 Sr. agreed. “As far as brands were represented. (left to right) Gordon Gerstein, Mark Evans Jr. and international travel, we’ve Innovation and new Mark Evans Sr. World Vapor Expo founders been everywhere. VapeBash, product launches were VapeBlast, NATO, TPC, Sumhighlights of the expo, mit. We have the support of the industry based off relationwith more than 30 new product vendors choosing South ships, and we have a personal relationship with each and Beach as the ideal place to launch. Innovape launched its every one of our vendors.” “Vape Tricks” vapor fuel; Diamond Vapor, along with many

other companies, like Cuttwood (the show’s sponsor) and Ruthless, launched new e-liquid flavors and lines. Sensory Solutions brought not only a huge display that served as a focal point of the expo, but they brought clean vape technology to the forefront of consumers’ minds. More than 20 manufacturers from China were present, reflecting true international flair. “We pride ourselves on the fact that this is an actual trade show, a professionally done expo. We spend the money on the carpet, everything involved—we made this a world-class trade show. That’s the main difference in what we do. It’s an international exhibition,” Evans Sr. said. “We want to make sure this is a global trade show and we bring our A game. We don’t dilute our product and bring it to any city. I could go anywhere tomorrow and people would come, but if I’m not comfortable with what people need for the industry, I’m not doing it. If we do decide to do it, we’ll bring it 100 percent or we will not do it.” Vendors agreed that this year’s show was an improvement. Malinda Ridenour, co-founder of High Voltage Vapor, said that she thought the show was a good turnout with a nice mix of business and consumers. The crew from Vapor Shark said that the expo was “way better” than last year, with more people and companies, and an overall better vibe. Bea Sy with ISM Premium E-Liquid said that Miami is such an expensive town for vapers to come to, and with this

(left to right) Jacob Shames, Ashton Lankton and Freddy Martinez came to the Expo from West Palm Beach. Shames said that he thinks the show was bad ass. “It’s got a lot of newer 2018-type stuff.” year being a better turnout, show officials did a great job of making this show worthwhile for vendors and consumers alike. “We realize the joint effort in the industry, and we bargained with the hotel operators in the area and got a great spectrum of pricing available. We chose vape-friendly hotels, and restaurants threw phenomenal rooftop after parties in No. 1 locations in South Beach. We wanted to welcome everybody instead of the vaping community showing up and being told what to do,” Evans Sr. said. Once day one’s B2B session was complete, Hall A came to life on Saturday as the clouds rolled in and the music was turned up. Vapers were treated to innovation and an array of speakers, including the Florida Smoke Free Association. Speakers included the guys from the Florida Smoke Free Association, a non-profit organization aimed to fight for vapors’ rights. Their presentation dealt with getting involved and how to be a respectful vaper. “If you have a personal connection with a legislator, by all means, get in touch. Education is key,” T.D. Bowen, president, said. “Be courteous; don’t blow a big vape cloud. I have a rule: Don’t vape where you wouldn’t smoke. The perception is so bad and people don’t know what’s coming out of your mouth.” Chris Glandon, ambassador for the organization, said that he got involved in in FSFA because we all have a responsibility to educate each other. “Doing it as a hobby is great, but I think some people are losing sight as to what this is for,” he said. Bowen urged the crowd to be wise where they spend their money. “Support the shops that support you.”

Another difference of the World Vapor Expo, according to the Evanses, was Sarah Evans, the show’s social media coordinator. Evans and her Vape Girls team visited each booth, asking each vendor if they want to participate in giveaways on the main stage in between speakers. “No matter if you were big or small, you could go to the stage and participate. It gives a vibe to the show that no one is left out,” Evans Sr. said. “That’s a very big difference. The little guy doesn’t have to scream at the booth for people to pay attention. We realize that this year’s little guy is next year’s big guy; we give everyone equal respect regardless of commitment.” A quarter million dollars worth of merchandise was given away in 2014, and, as of press time, the Evanses are sure vendors exceeded that amount for 2015’s expo.

WVE Vape Girls (left to right) Bre, Tori, Sarah Evans and Sam

In addition, once an attendee won a prize, he or she got a card asking to visit the company’s booth to claim the prize. That way, the exhibitor had an active audience to show off their products instead of the giveaway just being shoved into a bag. Another important aspect of the show was the possibility of free admission for attendees. Sponsors bought a certain number of tickets ahead of time, and if you were paying attention, those tickets were given out for free. This saved money on the front end, allowing for more time spent inside the show’s doors. Lastly, World Vapor Expo served as the launch of Shop Global Vapor (shopglobalvapor.com), which extends B2B off the trade show floor and into the cloud. Members of the free service also gained free admission into the B2B section of the event. Shop Global is open to vapor industry professionals, shop owners and exhibitors, allowing users who couldn’t access something at the trade show to purchase products directly. More than 120 worldwide brands are available, along with a social media marketplace where users can get to know vendors and directly speak to owners and product operators.

Shop Global is just another improvement that the show founders took from last year’s feedback, something they plan on doing for 2016. Evans Sr. said that data and feedback is already being evaluated. “We do a sit down about a month after the show. This is an ever-changing event, and we give our exhibitors what they want. We are very open to that,” he said. “There were a couple things that were brought up last year, and we immediately addressed them, and it was fantastic. That’s what we’re proud of, and that’s what we’ll continue to bring. Even if it’s bad, if you have feedback, let me know. Without that, what kind of World Vapor Expo is there?” For information on next year’s event, visit http://worldvaporexpo.com/. To speak at World Vapor Expo 2016, email info@worldvaporexpo.com with your topic and contact information. Kurt Sonderegger’s Cafe Racer e-liquids, Lucky 13 and Peach Guzzi, launched at World Vapor Expo. “I wanted to launch two really good juices instead of six OK ones,” he said.

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Where Business Gets Done By Norm Bour Photos by Alyssa Stahr It’s where business gets done. It’s a less smoky, less noisy, less busy version of your typical vape party-fest. If that appeals to you, then make it a point to attend the next Vapor Expo International when it returns to Chicago next year. This second-time event does what many others claim to, and is the only true business- to-business vape event in the industry. Most others offer B2B days, but they are thrown in as an afterthought or prior to a consumer show. Sorry, vaping public, but you are not invited here. Day one started at 8:30 a.m. and included two well-known and respected speakers: Bonnie Herzog, managing director with Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, and Bryan Haynes, partner with Troutman Sanders Law Firm. Herzog is a frequent conference speaker and always delivers on her assessment of the current vapor, tank and mod (VTM) market. Some key takeaways include: ●

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Wells Fargo remains bullish and predicts the e-cigarette market could possibly surpass the combustible tobacco market over the next 10 years. The proportion of e-cigarette sales to VTM sales has shifted, and of the $3.5 billion market, $2.0 B is VTM revenue and $1.5 B e-cigarette products. This is the re verse of last year as e-cigarette sales have grown, but the VTM has surpassed them. A surprising statistic showed that tobacco sales declined 3.2 percent in 2014 yet increased 0.05 percent in Q1, 2015. Public perception of the digital market is bad and getting worse, as 13 percent of those polled think that “e-cigarettes are just as harmful as combustible cigarettes.” This is up from just two percent that agreed with that statement in 2013.

Her opinion as to the “winners” in this brave new world: “Many will win, including Big Tobacco, independent and private companies and many niche industries.” Haynes from Troutman Sanders spoke of the deeming regulations and echoed that many believe we will have updated guidelines this year. One of the challenges in the vape space involve taxation. “States are unsure how to make money off of us,” he shared and spoke about the various states that tax on wholesale prices, nicotine percentages or some novel and creative way to get into the vaping community’s pockets. There are many influences at work here as he spoke of the “unlikely alliances” that are being formed with Big Tobacco, major health organizations and the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.

Why Come to Vapor Expo? When asked that question the overall response was the same: attendees are hard core business people that want to connect with each other. A Chicago cigar store owner named Eric closed one of his two shops and is converting his other to vape only. When asked why he came to this event he said, “I attended last year and bought $2,000 of vape products. To my surprise it sold quickly. This year I came prepared to spend about $10,000 in new products and hope to do the same.” Jason Stricevich, executive vice president with VāpPuro ELiquids, exhibited an innovative product that allows the Do It Yourself crowd to be creative with safety and flexibility. He came because this was a strictly business event and not for the general public. “Consumer events help with branding,” he shared, “but at an event like this you get more done in a shorter period of time.” Grabbing him for just a quick interview was difficult, which confirmed his opinion. This event is not just about connecting, but offers educational and thought leaders in one room that share their ideas. Day two offered a panel of experts including Tom Kiklas, director of operations, Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association (TVECA); Farrell Delman, president of the Tobacco Merchants Association, Cynthia Cabrera, executive

director of SFATA and AEMSA co-founder Lou Ritter. Delman shared that “Most vapors and e-cigarette users get 80 percent of their satisfaction from behavioral comfort and not from nicotine intake.” Based on a show of hands as to how many in the audience noticed a decline in users’ nicotine preferences, many validated that claim. The panel universally agreed that vaping professionals should “be as responsible as you can.” Vapor Expo International is owned by TMG International, Inc., who also produce the Tobacco Plus Convenience Expo (TPC), another industry leading event. TMG President Edward O’Connor volunteered his thoughts about this second-time event: “I give the credit to Susan Reuter with Reuter Exposition Service for all this. It was her idea and came with the program when we bought it several years ago. I know enough to listen to great ideas and look forward to our third event in 2016.” The third Vapor Expo International will be held in Chicago in June, 2016 once again. If you want to go where business gets done, make your plans early. Norm Bour is the founder of VapeMentors, which offers online educational programs, services and resources for anyone in the vape space, including vape shops, online stores and e-liquid brands. He’s also host of Vape Radio, a podcast series that interviews the masters of vape and thought leaders in the vape space. Contact him at norm@ VapeMentors.com.

Jody Sandino and Spencer Boatman (photo by Norm Bour)

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Supp a vet Vapi orts M ng E i l ffor itary ts By Je nnife

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Advocacy E-Liquid by BRV

Jennifer Hubby and Will Cohen

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I’ll never forget the moment at the Vaping Convention Circuit event in Pittsburgh, Penn., where everything we have worked toward over the past two years seemed to come to fruition. I reached down to grab a quick sip of water, and a young man (seemingly out of nowhere) flung his hand out to me, shook it with incredible intention and thanked us for helping him to quit smoking and for changing his life. It was quick, but quite profound. He explained that he was a young Army ranger who had spent four years of his life serving his country stationed in Iraq. As a pack-a-day smoker, he had tried unsuccessfully to kick the habit for many years. During his time overseas, in a last, desperate attempt to quit his tobacco habit, he applied online at vapeavet.org to receive a free vaping starter kit—a service that he had found online looking for smoking cessation programs for veterans. This changed his life, he told us, and he is grateful every day for the opportunity we were able to provide. Our lives have changed as well, and stories like this are more and more common here at the Vape A Vet project—we owe it all to those who served our country and to those who support our veterans. We know we can do more, though, and we are excited to see what the future holds for our veterans and our industry. Since its modest inception in July 2013, Vape A Vet project’s mission is simple yet profound. Helping veterans conquer tobacco habits by providing a healthier alternative to service members at no cost to them has become our passion. Through education, market evaluation, private donations and funding from BRV liquids, we offer the equipment and knowledge necessary to help our recipients effectively switch from tobacco to vaping. In 2015 Alone, The Vape A Vet Project: • Sent more than 550 starter kits to active and former military personnel worldwide • Delivered more than 75 care packages per month to support sustained vaping for those who received the initial starter kit • Demonstrated an effective tobacco cessation rate greater than 80 percent among respondents when asked if the starter kit was an effective tool in transitioning • Received more than 5,000 requests for support • Coordinated more than 1,500 hours of volunteer maintenance and support of our mission • And received support from private donations and Bottle Ready to Vape (BRV) liquids, which donates 100 percent of the wholesale profits to the Vape A Vet mission. We are proud of the work we have done, but we know we can do more. We continue to grow each and every day and strive to meet our goal so that every service member that applies for our services receives what he or she deserves. In addition to doing more for our service members, we are striving to do more for our community—for our vapers. We understand the vaping industry’s climate is changing on a daily basis. With any rapidly growing industry, it becomes absolutely essential—both legally and morally—to regulate behaviors and business practices of those involved. If we do not take a stand now, and we fail as an industry, we will have failed our service members. That simply is not an option for us. BRV liquids has been an instrumental player in the Vape A Vet cause. The primary continuous funding source to the Vape A Vet project comes from BRV Liquids. BRV is able to do this by giving 100 percent of the wholesale profits to the Vape A

Vet Project on a continuous basis. As BRV and the Vape A Vet project grow, we see an ever increasing need to be active in our communities and support the vaping community. In a multi-dimensional approach to ethical business practices and supporting our industry and the Vape A Vet Project, BRV Liquids launched our Advocacy line in mid-June 2015. A portion of the proceeds of each bottle sold will benefit a vaping advocacy group; the rest of the profit will benefit the Vape A Vet project. Our goal in supporting these organizations is to create community cohesiveness while combating major industry issues that are negatively affecting our community (including blatant use of trademark infringement and/or the use of marketing strategies that could be considered appealing to children or minorities). BRV Liquids and the Vape A Vet project feel so strongly about these issues that we launched the line with the sole intention to raise awareness and funding so that we solve the problems ethically, responsibly and rapidly. Our goal, both as consumers and as a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization supporting our veterans, is to keep the vaping community alive, healthy and active for many years to come. As a direct result of our efforts, we have seen an outpouring of support from our military community looking to give back in any way possible. Probably one of the most powerful and effective strategies that we utilize at the Vape A Vet project is the veterans themselves. Countless service members have supported our mission through direct communication with political figures, including state, county and federal legislators, to discuss the benefits of vaping—particularly for the smoking community. Policy makers are able to see first-hand that our veterans want and deserve the opportunity to receive our services and continue to use these life changing products when they return home from active duty. Our framework— and our livelihood at BRV and the Vape A Vet projectis built solely on serving others as much we we can, as they served us so selflessly. Let’s give back to them. Let’s give back to our communities. Let’s keep our community alive. There is nothing more powerful than seeing those that we serve return the favor again and again and again. Thank you for your service. Jennifer Hubby is assistant director of operations at Vape A Vet. She received her master’s degree in public administration from Arizona State University in 2014, in her home state in which she helps to run the Vape A Vet and BRV mission. This essential role with the director, Will Cohen, puts the organization in a unique position—completely separate from any other vaping organization in the industry—to support our veterans while supporting our community through active communication with our policy makers and industry leaders.

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2015 SFATA Conference Calls for Advocacy, Education While recent trends in the vaping movement were discussed, the conference heavily focused on advocacy—a very important and hot topic in our community at the moment. “You [vapers] have a great thing here,” Cynthia Cabrera, SFATA’s executive director, said during our interview, “Don’t screw it up.”

Words and photos by Erin Hedrick May was a very busy month for us here at VAPE Magazine. Our executive and editorial staff traveled across the country—the globe, even—covering various events. This worked out quite well for yours truly, as I was thusly assigned to cover an event that was equal parts interesting and important—the 2015 SFATA Conference, which was hosted in Chicago, Ill. (OK, technically Evanston) at the Hilton Orrington. It was an amazing two-day conference that I feel honored to have been present for. The consensus is that it was a successful event, as not a single person I spoke with had anything negative to say. “I feel like it went very well,” said George Medici, SFATA’s PR representative. “There was a great turnout, and we had some amazing speakers.” SFATA’s choice in venue also was praised. “It’s very classy and elegant, which I think definitely adds to the serious and business-like nature of this conference,” said one female attendee who prefered to remain anonymous. “It was great. Very informative,” said a trio of young men—Aaron and Sean Biebert (brothers) and Jimi Shaw. Prior to speaking with them I did not know this, but they are working on a vaping documentary called A Billion Lives, which they hope to have out in the beginning of 2016. “We got tons of information for our documentary,” said Aaron Biebert. The theme of the Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association’s conference was “Revolution to Evolution: Next Steps in the Vapor Industry.” With legislation being a hot topic at the time of the conference, many of the speakers had a great deal to say on how we, as the vaping community, can stand up for ourselves. “Only you can save you,” Pam Gorman, NJOY’s director of government relations, said. “Please don’t leave your livelihood in the hands of your competitors.”

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The conference’s speakers voiced a call to action, a dire need for vapers to band together—united we stand, as the saying goes. Accountability, awareness and education were key themes over the course of the two-day conference. Day one of the conference started with a bang. Following breakfast, which was so generously provided to those of us in attendance (as well as lunch, snacks, Red Bull and other beverages throughout the course of the two days), and a welcome speech, the keynote was delivered by Mitch Zeller, who is the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. It was noted by all in attendance that he left immediately after his speech. He maintained a professional air and chose his words very carefully. He was noted as saying that, “E-cigs should be the poster child for nicotine research,” and that while he, personally, had no experience with vaping, he had heard plenty of “until e-cigs came along” stories from close friends and family, where these individuals had had no luck in kicking the habit until they picked up an e-cigarette. He insisted that rulemaking is not a popularity contest; that it is about the data. It’s truly a shame that he was unable to stick around for even a few of the speakers, as plenty of data was provided.

...the keynote was delivered by Mitch Zeller, who is the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. It was noted by all in attendance that he left immediately after his speech.

Professor Riccardo Polosa, who is the most published author on the topic of e-cigs in the last five years (having published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters) then spoke on relative risk and harm reversal in e-cigarette use. He began his speech with a slide that expressed the risk estimates of various products containing nicotine. The risks mentioned included product specific and related mortality, dependence, ecosystem, as well as loss of relationships; so, needless to say, the risks taken into account were varied. While analogs topped the chart, followed by small cigars and pipes,

e-cigs were almost dead last, coming only before nasal spray and patches. Rounds of “if only Zeller had stayed an hour longer,” echoed across the meeting room. “Cancer cures smoking,” Michael Hufford, Ph.D., co-founder and chief medical officer of e-Nicotine Technology, said. E-Nicotine is a company that is committed to reducing the harms associated with traditional tobacco products. Hufford presented the Truths of Nicotine, which he argues are different from the facts. A fact of nicotine is that its half life is roughly two hours; however a truth is that it is a conditioned stimuli. Facts refer to the more scientific aspects, whereas truths refer to other things we know, such as that smoking was an accidental innovation. Following them, Gal Cohen, head of scientific and regulatory affairs for PAX Labs, a California-based vape tech company, spoke about opportunities for vape shops and convenience stores. “Vapor is really going mainstream,” he said. “It’s the iPhone-ization of the industry.”

the past few years to move towards organic everything. Vaping, being the intuitive industry that it is, seeks to get in on this too. Is it wise? Fuisz said that there are no real statistics to support one answer or another yet. The process of becoming certified through the USDA (which is separate from FDA regulations) can take roughly four to five months, and unapproved organic labeling has consequences, including a federal fine of up to 11k. Unapproved labeling can also implicate state law as well. Ninety-five percent of the ingredients included in the e-liquid must be organic, with any non-organic ingredients coming from the National List. Nicotine is not included on this list, therefore, by default, all organic e-liquids must be 0 mg. Fuisz also said that, “Organic does not mean safer.” There is no need to feel compelled to go this route. After an hour-long break a panel was hosted that discussed the changing vapor space. It was a very lively discussion. Oliver Kershaw (founder of E-Cigarette Forum) said that e-cigs are “just not good enough to be mainstream yet.” Daniel Walsh, an industry veteran of 12 years, followed

He predicts a 10x expansion within a decade with the move from hobbyist interest to a more mainstream level. He spoke of the need for a language for this journey, commenting that we “can’t use the word quit, and we can’t talk about withdrawal,” as those are medical terms associated with drug abuse. The vaping industry has the opportunity to create a language of its own, one that is not reminiscent of substance addition, but instead capitalizes on this new movement and the health benefits it can bring about. He also spoke about the idea of vapor-themed convenience stores that offer more to vapers than typical convenience stores. “C-stores have an advantage with the general market,” he said, and with it the chance to bring in tons of new vapers. It’s a great opportunity to spread the word and help others finally break the habit of smoking analogs. “Overall I think the future is bright,” he said. Joe Fuisz, a partner in Vapor Tobacco Manufacturing LLC, presented on organic e-liquid and the ins and outs of getting certified. Why go organic? To put it simply: customer choice. There has been a trend across the country

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that by saying, “On a monthly level these innovations are happening. We just haven’t seen the blu-ray player yet.” The panelists pushed for companies to start talking so that we can all work together to achieve goals. “Combustible tobacco is not considered cool anymore,” Walsh said, “And we’re moving from the cigalike form.” In the same breath he also said that cloud-chasing is “an impractical fad that is declining,” which was a sentiment many of the business people in attendance and speaking shared. Day one ended with Cabrera’s first selfie, which included the entirety of the conference attendees (well, most of them), and then a cocktail reception for networking. Day two occurred in two parts—a general session that lasted roughly three and a half hours, followed by breakout sessions and, lastly, a SFATA chapter meeting. Breakfast and another welcome speech began the morning, and then listeners were greeted from the other side of the pond by Peter Beckett, acting head of public policy for the UK-based E-Cig Industry Trade Association, and Tim Phillips, founder of ECigIntelligence, which is based in the U.K. These two men gave an update on what is going on in the European e-cig market. “We spend a lot of time saying what we aren’t. I think we need to focus on what we are,” Beckett said. “Politics get in the way of objectivity,” Phillips said. The United States does not stand alone in our fight for our cause. Tanks and cigalikes are pretty evenly numbered in the U.K. In France roughly 90 percent of e-cig users implement tanks as opposed to cigalikes. The theory is that this is because every little town and village has at least one vape shop. The vaping movement has taken France by storm. The German market sees tanks employed majorly too, at 85 percent. According to Phillips’ data, the U.S. market differs in that we have slightly more cigalike users, although growth is slow. Perhaps this is due, at least in part, to our drive for convenience. The majority of the population is more likely to stop at Walgreen and pick up a Blu cigalike than visit a specialty store, which was a driving point in Cohen’s vapor-themed c-store idea. Kershaw then presented research on vapor trends in the United States. Tanks with replaceable coils are plowing over rebuildables. The newest tanks on the market implement technologies that exceed even top-of-the-line RDAs, and convenience surely plays a part in this as well. Box APVs dominate the device landscape at roughly 37 percent, with mech mods behind by about half, at 17 percent. This gives evidence to the

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growing trend of tanks over RDAs. He also presented a pie chart detailing flavor preferences. Desert flavors, fruit tobacco and tobacco flavors were the top three choices, with complex premium flavors being a close fourth. The general session of day two was brought to a close with a panel that discussed state advocacy lessons and strategies, and it really pulled together the entire conference. “It’s education at the core,” Tony Abbound, lawyer and lobbyist, said. He lobbies on behalf of companies and trade associations in Illinois. It’s up to us to get out there, engage and educate. Legislators don’t understand the e-cigarette movement. They need to be educated; write letters and make appointments to speak with them. “How will we encourage them to pass rational laws when they view us as smokers?” said Jeff Stier, who heads the Risk Analysis Division for the National Center for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C. The FDA has the power to implement reasonable regulation, but it is up to us—the movers and shakers of the industry—to see that it happens. We need to stay educated, ourselves, on bills that are up for vote. Businesses can band together to hire lobbyists to be a voice for them—an “in” in the political world. Big Tobacco does it; we can too. Cabrera, too, calls for the vaping community to get up and do something. Inactivity will be the downfall.

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Scenic Vapers #CloudCheck Promotes Vaping in Nature Aimee Poppert @natty_vapes at Jail Trail, Old Town Cottonwood, Ariz. Photo by Ian Silver @yogi_wan_kenobi_sov

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Social media sometimes brings people together in ways that we least expect. Friends, followers and likes originate from all over the world, and many people become acquaintances and even close friends without meeting face-to-face. In July 2014, Ian Silver (@Yogi_Wan_Kenobi_Sov) and Tyler Price (@Drippin_Balls) first met on Instagram when running into each others’ similar photography styles and love for nature. These passions are what led them to create Scenic Vapers, and almost a year later, the pair’s original goals are staying true to form. From the beginning the main goal was to inspire other to get outside and enjoy the beauty that this world has to offer and the exercise that comes with it. They knew that they loved what they were doing and there had to be others out there who shared the same loves. Ian Silver, or Yogi, lives in Sedona, Arizona. A self-proclaimed nerd and Star Wars junkie, he also is an avid hiker, yoga practitioner and healthy lifestyle promoter. He started his journey in the vape game about a year and a half ago when he and his girlfriend Aimee (@natty_vapes) wanted to find a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes. They went to a local shop and picked up the Smok Magneto and IGO-W. Since then, it’s been a whole new world. He started building immediately and fell in love with all aspects of vaping, including the community. He found himself promoting online and doing reviews for companies, and he now works at a local shop called Magic Mist as a sales rep and promoter for Fogg Society (@FoggSociety) and is captain of Team Royal Wires Arizona (@teamroyalwires_az). He and @natty_vapes have a juice line called Chakra Joose (@chakra_joose) and he is proud to be a part of the Society of Vape competition team (@TeamSOV). Tyler Price has been cigarette free for almost two years. He started off with a Volcano e-cig and a cartomizer, and from there with the help of forums and friends and a lot of curiosity and practice he gradually made it into mechanical mods and atomizers. This whole journey has been more than he could have ever hoped for, and he feels blessed to have gotten to meet and get to know so many members of the vaping community. Both Silver and Price have consciously chosen a healthier lifestyle, and they feel that Scenic Vapers gives people the motivation to want to get out and explore all of the beautiful places around them while being active and enjoying life. They aim to promote a healthier lifestyle and living life to the fullest. What they really enjoy the most is being able to get a glimpse at what others from so many different parts of the world get to see on a daily basis. While they feel they are on the right track due to community response so far, neither will quit setting goals for the Scenic Vapers movement. The biggest unexpected challenge, after all, is the wind.

Justin Dawson (@just.in.clouds) in Royla Dunes Park, Winterhaven, Calif. Wearing the “Vaping Skull Tee” from Loyal to the Coil (@_loyaltothecoil_) Photo by Zachary Gloria (@nategloria)

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James Yarusinsky (@jamesfrancnyc) at Olympic National Park, Wash. Shirt by Henley Vape (@thehenley) Photo by James Yarusinsky

To submit your photo to Scenic Vapers #CloudCheck for VAPE submission consideration, follow @VapeMagazine @ScenicVapers @Drippin_Balls and @Yogi_Wan_Kenobi_Sov and #VapeMagazine #CloudCheck and #ScenicVapers on Instagram. For the VAPE pictorial column, photos must be in high resolution, but for the IG page everyone has the chance for a feature.

Frank Guido (@media.kraken) on Staten Island at sunset Photo by Frank Guido

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Florida Smoke Free Association Lobbies for Sunshine State By Alyssa Stahr Photos courtesy of Chris Glandon

Just like many states in our fair country, Florida is fighting for vapers’ rights from within while individual counties, cities and jurisdictions self-regulate. The Florida Smoke Free Association is fairly new group that isn’t only working on several issues within the state of Florida, but its executive director, Chris Glandon, is branching out to help other states form similar organizations. Glandon, a smoker-turned-vaper, spoke with VAPE about how he was recruited to the cause and several issues that are on the table.

trying to change his thought process. TD saw that I was advocating for the industry, so he approached me. He said that they needed an ambassador role for FSFA, and I slowly started connecting with different people in higher roles. I got in touch with the Tennessee Vaping Association, and I realized that FSFA was new, and the president and vice president are busy. I picked up all of the balls and started doing everything. I took responsibility, developed the website and social media and relationships, and educated myself at the same time.

Can we go back to that time that you were a smoker and when you started to vape? Glandon: It was around 2009 when I saw first hand somebody vaping, and of course it was the little cigalike pen. My friend started it, and he said these things helped him quit smoking. I always do a 90-day test. I said if you don’t smoke for 90 days I’ll buy a kit. Through my travels through China and the U.K., being in different countries I had electrical problems, but it helped me cut back on my smoking. Then I got sick because I didn’t know how to vape properly. I was like, ‘This vaping thing is not working for me,’ and I went back to smoking cigarettes. About two years ago when the technology took a turn for the better, my friend Steve had talked to another friend of ours who was using the eGo style pens. I bought one and said thought it was a decent product. It tasted good, and I could put different flavors in it. That’s kind of where it started. Friends of mine had got into dripping, and I still had been transitioning myself off of cigarettes. Last October I bought my first dripper, and that’s when I smoked my last cigarette.

Was it difficult to sort of grow something from nothing and educate? Glandon: You start flyers because you don’t know how to talk to people about it. I rebuilt and rekindled relationships, and they made me the executive director. It all started because I quit smoking cigarettes, and this industry was going to start facing issues. I didn’t really know how much until I learned about the political side of things. Everyone’s doing bad things and they don’t realize that they’re doing bad things. It’s kind of up to us to self regulate it. I’m trying to get the word out to set some principles for everybody. As far as behavior, doing things in public, apologize if you offend somebody. I didn’t realize when I was vaping that I was pissing people off because it’s not smoking. But, you really have to educate the people that are coming into this that you still have to be respectful and meet the rules that you had when you were a smoker. Some people are OK with it, but others are not. You’ve got the business aspect, juice manufacturers, hardware manufacturers, website guys, everybody has to meet a certain guideline to realize what part they’re playing and meet a certain standard.

And then you started researching, which turned into advocacy. Glandon: I have a background with electronics and product development, and I worked in a highly regulated industry. That’s when I realized that the vaping industry was unregulated, and that’s when I started searching. For standards, companies that were creating some sort of standard for juice or electronics—I didn’t see anything. I started looking into the advocacy stuff and people talking about the politics, high taxation and regulations. TD [Bowen], the president of FSFA, saw me in a Facebook group having a conversation with a local guy doing something out of character for the vaping industry, and I was talking to him

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TD Bowen and the Moon Mountain team, a Platinum FSFA member

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Let’s talk about the association itself a little bit. It was just established in 2014. Can you talk about the fee structure and where the costs for vendors go to? Glandon: The majority 85 to 90 percent goes toward the advocacy portion, the rest goes paying for us to go to trade shows and the marketing. None of us get paid. We’re trying to be transparent so the people who come on know that the majority of the money goes toward the state of Florida’s lobbying efforts. (There are about 30 FSFA members as of press time.)

Photo by Alyssa Stahr (left to right) Chris Glandon, Jordan D’Alessio and TD Bowen speak at World Vapor Expo in Miami.

(left to right) Lynzi Van Houten, a FSFA ambassador, Laura Kaman, owner of Vape King, and Chris Glandon

What are some important topics that you’re working on? Glandon: One of the most important topics that we are working on an industry is here: http://vapefreeyouth.com/. I have a feeling those (the notion that the industry markets to children) will be the first to be regulated—just knowing the way that regulation works and my understanding is that’s the first thing they’re going to come after. Everyone is taking advantage of it. Marketing with cartoons, too much color, certain words, certain things like that is something we’re going to have to worry about. The FDA doesn’t care that there’s no tobacco in it; they see that there’s nicotine in it. I talked to Dimitri (Agrafiotis) and he made a valid point: Regardless of how we feel, the higher powers are looking at it as a tobacco product regardless. It seems to me that they’re going to try to regulate it in the end as a tobacco product unless scientific evidence could prove otherwise. We don’t have millions of dollars with vaping like pharmaceutical companies with vaping, and we can’t do that yet—it’s too new and there’s too many products.

Glandon: My view on supporting shops that support you is to go to a shop that pays attention to all of the things that are going on in the industry. They do their research; it’s important to have an understanding. Shops that are out there doing the right things and supporting the industry, making sure people are well-educated and they are taking care of the people. You can go in and ask a few questions and know if they’re in it for the money or in it for the customers. There are so many people going into the industry who are doing just what they want.

It seems like there’s always a legislative battle. Glandon: We are trying to get the information out about HR 2058, which can be found here: https://www.congress.gov/ congressional-record/2015/04/28/extensions-of-remarkssection/article/E596-1. The way that I’m looking at it they (the FDA) didn’t come to us. The vaping industry went to them. We wanted to have a meeting to find out what their expectations are. The FDA doesn’t move fast at all, and the FDA streamlined them into a meeting; it didn’t take much time at all. I feel like the FDA is kind of testing the waters with the industry to see if it can self-regulate enough where we can meet a specific demand. They’re giving us a test it seems like to me. I think that if this industry can show these political people and the FDA that we can self- regulate and make the changes they’re requesting, maybe they won’t put the hammer down as much as the threats of the past. Everybody in this industry knows that we’re not directly marketing to children, it’s indirect and that’s not what the FDA wants. You guys mentioned during your talk at the World Vapor Expo to support the shops that support you.

Do you have any other personal goals with the association you’d like to see happen by the end of the year? Glandon: Ware trying to reach out to the shops to become members in the state of Florida; we are slowly trying to build our network to to other smoke free organizations. So far we have Georgia and Tennessee; I’m currently in the works to assist with the formation of Virginia Smoke Free Association as well. I’m going to be focusing with the guys in the next couple of weeks—we’re getting to the point where we need to recruit more volunteers to come in and help us. Internal structure is really important, finding more people to be ambassadors in more cities in Florida. It would be great by the end of the year to have an ambassador in every city. Ordinances are going on; so many things can happen, and having someone to talk to shops—you want to reel in the people who really care and become advocates to help us with the fight. That’s going to be really important for the state of Florida. It comes down to how important something is to you, if you’ve vaped and it’s changed your life and you want it to change other people’s lives. Smokers don’t’ care. We’ve been told for 30 years that smoking kills. I didn’t care; I smoked for 15 years. The tobacco industry has a proven track record of killing people and people still do it. The target is finding people that are just as passionate and motivated and driven as we are and building up the network, reaching out and finding those people. All you need is one. Hopefully this story will reach somebody like me. For more information, visit http://www.flsmokefree.org/.

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Mastering the Vape Space By Norm Bour

Speakeasy Vaporium (left to right) Bo Hiser, Teodoro Sean Reynosa and Jason Hambrecht)

Jason Hambrecht didn’t open his vape shop for the money. He already owned a successful construction company in northeast Florida and was named one of the fastest growing companies in the state. Business was good, and he didn’t need to be there full time to have it succeed. That afforded him time to look around for other opportunities. Hambrecht was never a smoker, but was looking for a change, and decided to open a vape shop. “I genuinely wanted to start a company that helped people in profound ways. I also wanted a company where everyone involved was happy all the time and negativity was at a minimum. A vape shop seemed to fit perfectly, and it has proven to be precisely what I was looking for.” Hambrecht had a grasp of reality and how different a vape shop would be from his current business. He had no disillusions of creating a successful shop by accident, and began working with VapeMentors in May, 2014. “I knew what I didn’t know, and knew that having a coach and guide would speed things up,” he said. Speakeasy Vaporium opened in August 2014. Fast forward to today, and Hambrecht regularly hits his revenue goals of $1,000 per day and has ideas for expansion. He opened a wholesale operation and plans to launch a second store, along with his own lines of e-liquids. Speakeasy Vaporium is crushing it as they celebrate their first full year of operation. They are setting a great example of what a vape shop can and should do, and was voted the first “Vape Shop of the Month” by VapeMentors.

But wait! There’s more, as they say on late night TV. Fernandina Beach survived the pirate invasion, but different criminals ran their town in the recent past: gangsters. For a town so small, Fernandina Beach has a unique history. Eight different nations flew their flags over this small town, and during Prohibition, many bootleggers smuggled liquor though their streets. As Hambrecht shared this information, the branding options multiplied. Given Fernandina Beach’s history during Prohibition, the name Speakeasy Vaporium was the top choice, and Hambrecht tapped into his construction experience and connections to create a fantastic vape shop. It is just 1,500 square feet, but it is cozy, comfortable and successful. Hambrecht has developed a reputation for offering some of the best service around. We visited his shop unannounced, and were welcomed like family. Any fear or intimidation that a newcomer might have would have been quickly put to rest, and I asked Hambrecht how he did it. “I have an amazing team here that treats customers—and each other—like family. That energy is obvious when a customer first walks in the door,” Hambrecht said. That allows him to do what is rare in any business: he is an absentee owner. Hambrecht spends a few days in the shop and works it into his schedule while he runs his construction company. He has faith that his business is in safe hands, and that is a rarity. I visited the shop on my Florida tour and spoke with two customers who were hanging out on a rainy Friday night. They stayed for several hours, and when I inquired why, they said, “The crew here make us feel so comfortable and welcome, we would rather be here than at home!” Words like that are priceless, and that is how you beat your competition. There are shops that are crushing it and doing it right. They should be shared and used as a lesson for this industry. Speakeasy Vaporium certainly qualifies. Congratulations on being Vape Shop of the Month! To listen to the Vape Radio interview with Speakeasy Vaporium, visit http://vapenewsradio.podbean.com/e/introducing-vapeshop-of-the-month-learn-how-to-become-one-and-commandyour-market/?token=6b10ab8a7cc823262c78b586c1a86c45.

Why Speakeasy? One of the critical steps in any business is the process of developing the name and brand. Many ideas were discussed and, when asked about the area of Amelia Island, a small coastal town of just 12,000 people north of Jacksonville, Fla., Hambrecht shared their illustrious history. “This is an historic and notorious town,” he said. “We were run by pirates and criminals back in the 17th and 18th centuries, and our town, Fernandina Beach, was right in the middle. Famous names like Captain Kidd and Jean Lafitte are legendary, and the town loves their pirates!” They have clubs and events, and “Talk Like a Pirate Day” is very big here in September. This gave Hambrecht an idea: develop a theme business around pirates.

Norm Bour is the founder of VapeMentors, which offers online educational programs, services and resources for anyone in the vape space, including vape shops, online stores and e-liquid brands. He’s also host of Vape Radio, a podcast series that interviews the masters of vape and thought leaders in the vape space. Contact him at norm@VapeMentors.com.

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Call Now For Wholesale Information 858.333.1249 |

WWW.CALIVAPECO.COM

Save Our Wales By Dave Cross Britain woke up to the news that the ruling Labour party in Wales is set to ban vaping in all public places. Annoying to vapers living in the principality, troubling for those across the border in England, it’s the first time such draconian action has been taken and whipped up media interest, radio debate and shouting. Shirley, an angry caller from a small-minded town somewhere in England, phoned into the BBC 5Live debate: “It smelt so bad, Nicky,” she said. “I felt like hitting him with my handbag.” She was talking about the moron who thought it was acceptable to vape in a doctor’s waiting room. And this is our national conversation about vaping. On one hand we have the politicians and public health activists bent on an ideological mission against Big Tobacco (content in the knowledge that all nicotine is a bad thing and the public are so stupid they need protecting from themselves). Sitting next to them are the massed ranks of the stupid; it looks like smoking and their children are probably stupid enough to believe it is smoking. “I was looking about for the person wearing the awful aftershave,” Shirley added. “And I saw him smoking his electric cigarette thing with a smug look on his face.” Shirley began to crescendo to the point of apoplexy now. “Children were looking at him, Nicky,” the woman was aghast. “Children were looking at him,” repeated as if to add meaning to when she exclaimed it the first time. Of course, her words were meaningless; if we were banning offensive things (in case children looked at them and were possibly influenced) then I’d be campaigning for restrictions on The Kardashians, anything that’s Got Talent, everything in the pop charts and Piers Morgan. “It’s a very divisive issue this,” announced Nicky as he introduced Professor John Britton. Britton is a Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham—probably the U.K.’s foremost expert on all matter smoking and vaping. Britton interjected a brief period of common sense and calmness to the proceedings ... a very brief period. Maybe his car was parked on an expiring meter? Possibly he needed to hop off and do a bit of shopping? The chances are that DJ Nicky Campbell simply preferred to have more people getting angry at each other, not reaching a point and created nothing more than a wall of noise. “For the most part, as some of your contributors have said,” explained Professor John, “not using e-cigs near others is a matter of courtesy.” For a nation that prides itself on its politeness we don’t seem to be very good at it anymore. Whether intentionally or not, the professor’s point probably runs to the heart of our national vaping debate—people don’t care about the science, they only care about what they see as rude behavior. What is it that drives someone to think that it is socially acceptable to vape in a doctor’s reception? For sure, from research we know it has negligible effect on those nearby (and I hardly think

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such a person is a role model for anything) but this isn’t the point, is it? Vapers are so good at shooting themselves in the foot—maybe that is why he was there? Maybe it wasn’t a smug expression but a grimace of pain. “The evidence is just not there regarding hazards to others,” continued Britton as he explained why people should be given the opportunity to use an alternative to cigarettes. While supporting the idea that using them in a waiting room was poor form, he did advocate the use of e-cigs on hospital wards. His wards, he gave as an example, have people vaping under the bed sheets. The National Health Service has banned vaping from hospital grounds but the wise professor sees this as an act of nonsense. Britton expanded: “We’ve got to get real, the majority smoke to get nicotine and they’d rather do it without smoking. The patches don’t replace the hand to mouth motion and people are addicted to the rigmarole of smoking. Over the months and years of smoking you develop the enjoyment of the other aspects of smoking – the ritual.” But those who do not agree with those sentiments inspired this debate. “E-cigs face ban for ‘re-normalizing smoking,’” barked Murdoch’s Sky News. “Wales’ Health Minister Mark Drakeford said e-cigarettes were a ‘gateway’ to deadly tobacco.” “We have worked so hard in Wales to try and bear down on the harm that smoking does,” said Drakeford, ignoring all science and opinion to the contrary, “and allowing e-cigarettes to be used in the way they currently are risks undoing the progress that has been made.” On the radio show, Drakeford highlighted the main problem faced by people trying to implement the ban on smoking: they can’t tell what is a cigarette and what is a vaping device. The argument probably highlights Drakeford’s own limitations in subject awareness than anything else. Professor Britton retorted: “I disagreed with everything he [Drakeford] said. If you see the second and third generation devices it’s very obvious that they aren’t smoking. The only normalizing taking place is that of using nicotine in a way that doesn’t involve smoking.” It’s an opinion backed up by the latest findings from the annual U.K. research: “The Ash survey highlights that 2.6million have now used [vaping] as a way out—this is the only gateway,” concluded Britton. And with his departure to go find some tea bags or a decent toothbrush the airwaves returned to unobstructed argument. Attila Danko, at the recent Global Forum for Nicotine, called for vaping advocates to be kind to public health officials. Lorien, going by her title of ‘waitress from Cornwall’ instead of representative of the New Nicotine Alliance, missed this pointer as she launched into Julie from Public Health Wales: “Do you understand how nicotine is absorbed?” Backs put up, argument unresolved.

Dave Cross is a writer, biker, vaper, ever-more rotund punk and perpetual disappointment to his parents. According to his wife he is frequently wrong about most things. Follow Dave Cross on Twitter @MawsleyX.

Cat y Tidwell

VAPE Vixen

of DripGirls.com Photo by Mitzi Ames

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Being from a small town Southwest of the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, it isn’t out of the ordinary to have grown up camping in the woods and fishing from various spots along the Brazos River. I suppose that is where my love for this beautiful world and my hippie state of mind began. There is something so peaceful about being surrounded by nature. Aside from my admiration of Earth, I also am a lover of family, music, art, tattoos, vinyl records and of course … vape. As a mother of two, I started vaping due to the obvious health benefits it offers as compared to smoking. After watching my uncle die of lung cancer, it was difficult to look at my children and knowingly inhale thousands of toxic chemicals into my body. I dreaded the fact that every smoke break I took likely was to result in less time I would have with my children in the future. I knew something had to be done, but if any of you were smokers before you can attest to how hard of a task that can sometimes be. I wasn’t completely committed at first. Then there were clouds. I was enamored by these giant puffy white things that smelled of fruits and cake. But as much as I was in awe, I also was a bit intimidated. The thought of changing wicks and building coils seemed too challenging for a noob like myself. Luckily for me, there are various degrees of vaping, and so I began my second attempt at quitting smoking with a Paragon mod and Atlantis tank. I was pleasantly surprised with the results. In no time at all I went from smoking upwards of a pack a day to a pack a week. Progress was being made. Since I now was frequenting the local vape shops and becoming more accustomed to the ins and outs of the vaping industry, I learned that wicking wasn’t such a daunting task. It actually looked like fun. I also realized that you don’t necessarily have to build your own coils since many shops have pre-made products on hand or are even willing to build them for you. I’ve met so many awesome individuals within the community that are more than helpful when it comes to answering questions and sharing knowledge. So with that peace of mind, I was ready to try my hands on a rebuildable dripping atomizer or RDA as most of us know it. The Tugboat that I had gotten was fantastic in vapor production. Since I am a hands on kind of girl, it didn’t take me long to want to be the one building my own coils. My first build was a dual parallel with 24-gauge Kanthal wire, and boy did it chuck. These days, I enjoy expanding my ability with new builds, practicing tricks, visiting every shop I can and trying out all the juice. It’s truly a lifestyle in its own. And really, isn’t vape life fun?

Photo by David Shires

This industry is ever changing and growing. There is a certain appeal toward vaping for a lot of people, which acts as a helpful tool to influence others to lay down the stinkies. Now I try to use the knowledge I do have to persuade others to do the same. Being a model for DripGirls.com helps facilitate that as well. I have people coming to me for answers to their questions and I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more happy to help! As for myself, I had started out supplementing smoking and vaping, but I can proudly say that it has been more than seven months since I have bought a pack of cigarettes! Although that may not seem like a long time for most, coming from someone who has smoked every day for over half of her lifetime, this is really big news. Vaping has enriched my life and given me a better chance for a longer and healthier future and for that I am ever grateful. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work together to make this world a better place, one smoker at a time! Favorite shop: Artisan Vapor Favorite mods: The Dot Mod, Troll w/ Smpl and Doge w/ Sigelei Favorite juices: Southern Belle by Texas Haze, Grape Crush by MVD, Poseidon by Deep Blue and Apple Crack by Boss Sauce (how could I pick just one?!) Caty Tidwell ig: @catycouture David E. Shires Symbolic Dove Photography davidshires777@aol.com

Photo by Trip Ghetaway

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Delivering the highest quality Vapor E-Liquids & Vapor Supplies to the online vapor community at the lowest possible cost.

By Alyssa Stahr Photos courtesy of Suicide Bunny

Just like a painting on a canvas, the music notes on a page or a dancer floating across the stage, artists spend painstaking hours creating the art that they love. Once shared with the world, however, the creation is open to opinions that add pressure to the work at hand. 127

Pip Gresham, the owner and creator of Suicide Bunny, established the e-liquid company as a “labor of love” that keeps her going each day, yet also up at night. Her primary goal: to design flavors that would help her husband stop smoking. Now promoting a brand-new max VG line, The Cloud Company, Pip talked to VAPE about her inspirations, brand mission and being one of the top “bunnies” in the industry. VAPE: I watched your Vape Jam UK video. In it, you said that Suicide Bunny is a labor of love. Do you really feel like you didn’t only save your husband, but in a way you’re saving a ton of people’s lives with your company? I have to tell you: absolutely, and that is what keeps me going. I get people who come up to me and show me pictures of their kids, grandkids or girlfriend, and that’s wonderful. It started with Scott, my husband, and now it’s expanded.

Pip:

VAPE: Suicide Bunny is obviously one of the biggest, most respected and most popular liquid companies in our industry. To what do you attribute it? Is it great marketing? Is it the quality? A mix of something else? You know, Suicide Bunny was kind of a phenomenon, and I think it was birthed out of necessity. It wasn’t something to make a buck; it wasn’t truly made to even be a company. It was to have my husband stop smoking and for me to have a better quality liquid. I think people can taste the difference. It’s really a labor of love. It’s not about bottom lines or margins—those words don’t really exist in our camp. It’s going to make people quit smoking forever. What keeps me up at night is my greatest fear: It is disappointing someone. I’ve ordered a lot of liquid and I’m like, “Oh man, that was a waste of money.” My greatest fear is that someone would feel that way after purchasing a Suicide Bunny product. There’s a lot of care and concern that goes into the product—premium ingredients, premium nicotine, whatever I sample—and I know that it’s the best and that it’s the best quality.

Pip:

It’s also an art. Before I started mixing, I painted a lot, and flavors are kind of my new medium, and it’s kind of an artistic expression of myself. For a long time, I wouldn’t put out flavor profiles, and people asked, “What does this taste like?” and I was like, “What does this painting mean to a painter?” or asking a musician, “What does this song mean?” E-liquid isn’t just e-liquid; it’s magical. It’s something that I love, and it’s an artist’s expression. VAPE: The name Suicide Bunny is such a mix of two worlds: warm and fuzzy and dark and gloomy. I think people have so many interpretations of what it means and what it is. It’s kind of catchy, but I think it kind of embodies myself and what it is. I really liked the Suicide Girls, and that kinda took off, and “bunny” is just another name for a girl. It’s just expressing a strong side and just being a girl in what is still a male-dominated industry.

Pip:

VAPE: Let’s talk about the release of the new line: The Cloud Company. Why did you decide to come out with a new, higher VG line? Was it something customers were asking for?

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Pip: Cloud Company

released at Vape Summit, so people kind of started getting it there, and it got a great response at Vape Jam as well. It is a max VG high performance line. When I started Kings [Crown, Suicide Bunny’s second line], I wanted within myself to express something artistically, and I wanted to tell a different story. Cloud kind of came out of my experience with cloud competitions. I was so enthralled and intrigued with cloud blowers. That was their art—they blew these huge clouds, and it was amazing to me, and I wanted to tell their story. It was birthed wanting to share my story with all of these amazing individuals. It’s kind of inspiration strikes, wanting to build my own thing and working on that next thing. VAPE: How long did it take to develop? It’s probably been in production 9-11 months.

Pip:

VAPE:: Where do your creative juices (no pun intended) come from? I started mixing liquids to get my husband to quit smoking and for me to have a better liquid at the time. Then I got a call for my first order and I was like, “Oh man, I gotta start making stuff.” Kings Crown … I was in a different place, and I wanted to express something different artistically. Cloud is just something angelic. Every label in the line expresses something different emotionally as a liquid maker. I wasn’t always a liquid maker; I never set up to create a specific profile. For me, it’s a very organic, artistic experience. I sit at the table with all of my flavorings and I start playing, and it’s really like painting for me. It’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and a lot of trial and error. It’s laborious. I’ve been vaping a little bit less of other people’s stuff because I don’t want a cross contamination of my creation. I want it to be very pure and original to myself, and that’s something that’s changed over time. I would buy everything that came out and now it’s more reserved to just my line.

Pip:

VAPE: How has your mission evolved over time and what are some goals you have heading into the second half of 2015? It’s a funny thing. I would say that my goals from the beginning have not changed at all. I started to get one person to stop smoking, and my goal has changed to a multitude of people. I won’t stop until I get the whole world off of cigarettes. The goal with Suicide Bunny was because I knew that my husband would put this in his body and I would put this in my body, and I wanted something safe. Nothing’s changed; it’s just on a much bigger scale now. I’m now able to have the power to give back and help people quit, whether it’s financially giving them liquid when

they can’t get it, or giving them a choice of a premium-quality product in helping them quit. I never knew I’d have to contemplate representing the industry in a way that is great and in the face of unfair media representation. I want to remain an industry leader in helping people operate in fact and not fear. We research for ourselves and understand for ourselves. I take it very seriously. VAPE: Does that extend to being a role model for women in the industry? I get girls that message me and call me or email me and say thank you, you kind of made the way, and it’s very honoring. I wouldn’t say so much that I was treated any differently, but I think that the guys were intimidated when a woman was getting some traction. They were saying, “Oh, she doesn’t really make the liquid,” like, a girl couldn’t do that. I’ve heard rumors that, “She doesn’t really mix it” or, “She’s just the face of the company.” Truth be told, I mix every gallon that goes out of the warehouse. I touch every single gallon. That’s been interesting, and I like most of the people in the industry; I think they are great.

Pip:

VAPE: What’s your ideal hope for the vaping industry and regulations? This is touchy; it might ruffle some feathers. My original hope a year ago was that we could’ve been self regulated and wise. I think our voice is too strong for them to take vaping away, and I think regulations will come down, and I don’t see it as such a bad thing. I see it as a way to possibly make e-liquid production safer, mod production safer. Some people get e-liquid, and they don’t know how it’s produced.

Pip:

It’s such a crazy thing to predict; as far as taxation, I think that’s kind of ludicrous [the high taxation], treating vaping the same as smoking. Suicide Bunny is definitely ready, and we’ll continue to do what we do and produce great liquid. For more information, visit https://thesuicidebunny.net/.

Pip:

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N O C E VAP N O I T A R B E L – A CE

, G N I K C I BUTT- K YLE

ST N A C I R F SOUTH A

By Maggie Follett Photos by Dan Levy for Ecigssa I became a vaper last June while researching and writing a story for a prominent, venerable newspaper, the Cape Argus. I was surprised and delighted when the assistant editor gave my article a hearty “thumbs-up,” as many felt that this publication was progressively becoming “a government mouthpiece.” Not long afterward, the same guy—a stalwart, veteran reporter with impeccable cred—was fired, not for publishing my pro-vaping piece, but for generally refusing to “toe the party line.” When I first heard about South Africa’s inaugural vaping convention, VapeCon, to be held in Johannesburg on May 30, I felt it my duty as a journo (and a vaper) to spread the word. My first email was to a well-known Sunday paper with the largest national distribution. I had a good relationship with the lifestyle editor, and sent her a short pitch on VapeCon. To this, I received a peremptory one-liner: “I’m afraid we can’t publish anything positive on e-cigarettes [due to editorial policy] but thanks for the offer.” ‘TylerD’, one of the moderators on the Ecigssa forum, with his pipe from Limelight Mechanics I was too taken aback to reply. (The lifestyle editor of the biggest Johannesburg paper did not bother to respond.) Despite our collective best efforts, not an iota of mainstream coverage for VapeCon was to be had, bar one post-publicity radio interview—so the insidious, anti-vaping propagandists have clearly already done a head job on the powers that be in South Africa, where vaping is still in its relative infancy.

Early morning attendees arrived at the gates to get the day off to an awesome start.

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Northern Craft Vapes is a local juice manufacturer. Displayed here are their flavour profiles.

another local juice manufacturer, the E-liquid Project

Having scored an el-cheapo flight from Cape Town to “Josie/ Joeys” and celebrated my delight at seeing old buddies with considerable gusto, I was feeling a mite gritty when the day of VapeCon dawned.

that I submitted to a mini-pack of stinkies, sucking one right down to the filter (out of sight, of course), and then, flourishing my trusty iStick and Nautilus tank (which my non-vaping friends think is hugely sophisticated, but is in fact shamefully low-end in comparison to some of the monster gear I saw and tested), I sallied forth into VapeCon.

There’s one thing you have to understand about South Africa’s biggest city. The transport infrastructure sucks. For a hefty fee, you can be whisked away in stylish comfort via the super-fast Gautrain to a handful of destinations—but beyond the rarified atmosphere of those few scattered stations and the sprawling city limits, you’re on your own. Normal taxis are pricey; notorious “minibus taxis” are genuinely life threatening. Being carless, I had to wheedle a lift from the guy I was staying with, who “sort of knew the area.” Having checked directions on the VapeCon site, getting there seemed a doddle. In theory, the venue—Smuggler’s— is a mere 16 kms from trendy (nudge, nudge) Parkhurst … But, in congested Saturday morning traffic, along a seemingly interminable major artery, lined on both sides with dusty-brown Highveld grass, punctuated with mushrooming, identical-looking gated communities, malls, office complexes and industrial parks, etc., finding the precise location “on the corner of Witkoppen and Riverbend Rds.” was almost impossible. The aged GPS just said “no” —especially as the venue was not actually on the corner of anything, but tucked unobtrusively down a side road, behind a filling station! (In Cape Town, we have a mountain to navigate by, damnit!) There wasn’t even a sign outside, “the cops” having apparently removed it. Those two hours in a steaming vehicle, with waves of loathing emanating from the non-vaping driver’s seat, almost butchered a 30-year friendship. So frazzled was I on arrival winner of the coil building competition, building a Nano Clapton coil

Sweltering in winter woolies (Jo’burg evidently having not yet changed seasons), I swiftly bypassed the various stands surrounded by earnest small groups of diverse ages sampling juices and comparing gear while exchanging jargon and vape-esoterica, and lunged for a watering hole in search of a restorative. On entering the gloomy, dingy interior of the capacious, vapour-filled pub (for that was the venue; I guess the name should have been a dead giveaway), my initial feeling was one of dismay. Had I really come all the way here to literally just miss a group of macho-men cloud-chasing onstage in a bar? After an agonising wait for service, I settled down to a lukewarm beer over a chat with cool, congenial Luke Street, the event coordinator, who filled me in on the background of VapeCon. Initiated by the founders of the national Ecigssa forum, Warren Pleass and partner Sharri van Zyl (founders of VapeKing), South Africa’s first vaping convention was intended to showcase the local and imported wares of various vendors from around the country, and bring together vapers and newbies in a relaxed environment. Happily, as I was later to discover, VapeCon succeeded in all these things. Needless to say, no sponsors were prepared to link their names to the deviant practice of vaping, so the convention

Keith Milton checks his coils before submitting them for the competition.

more coil building and a look of absolute concentration as onlookers stand by

was heroically funded by the organisers themselves. After exchanging some pithy epithets about negative perceptions, Luke filled me in on the day’s programme, half of which I’d missed while trawling the outskirts of Josie: A morning newbies’ workshop was followed by a coil-building competition, and then the cloud-chasing braggadocio, the conclusion of which I’d seen. After prize-giving, there was to be a lucky draw of raffle tickets (part of the proceeds going to the Rocking for Rhinos Foundation), to win a seriously covetable hamper valued at R12,000, containing goodies donated by the 17 vendors present, including a year’s supply of juice and sexy gear. (The afternoon activities featured an interesting coilbuilding workshop, presented by Yianni Kotsiovos, which I regretfully also missed, though for a good cause—that of my own tastebuds!) “Obviously, it’s the first event of its kind, so we’re starting out small with the expectation of growing each year. I reckon we’ve had about 300-350 people through the gates today; mostly vaping die-hards with perhaps about 10 percent of curious newbies,” Luke said, adding, “It’s obviously not about the money, though it would be great if we just broke even.” He concluded, “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved—to all the vendors, especially those from out of town, as well as to Smugglers, who kindly loaned us their venue free of charge.” Luke bustled off to organise stuff, leaving me to my own devices. I strolled onto the pub’s large sunny grounds, where I spotted a blind-tasting competition featuring nine unmarked, unreleased juices from various vendors. A single match was to be dropped into a box corresponding with one’s personal “fave juice.” A standout, which tasted exactly like caramel-coated popcorn, grabbed my fancy.

Although already established, Northern Craft Vapes (Johannesburg) had been selling directly for only one week. They blend all their own fascinating, innovative, funkilypackaged juices, with Mike Ford as mixologist. Juicy Joe’s are Capetonians who’ve been going for a year. They stock four international brands and two local juices: the superb Voodoo range, blended by Cape-based Londoner Zeki Hilmi, and their own recently released brand, Nostalgia. (The latter’s mixer prefers to remain anonymous.) Vape Decadence is in Jo’burg and Kwazulu-Natal. They have two ranges: an imported VG-only brand, and a fine local range, Just B, produced by one of the few female “mixmistresses,” Bettina Johnson. VapeClub is a Johannesburg-based shop, stocking the very reputable Skyblue, one of SA’s oldest juice manufacturers, as well as awesome DIY juice kits. The one-year-old Vapology produces their own juices and also rebrands under the Vapology label. VapeMaxx, the sole Freestate vendor, has been around since 2013. They import big-name liquids from the U.S. and Malaysia. Johannesburg-based Vapaholics operate out of a Johannesburg tattoo parlour and are distributors of Cape Town juice, Complex Chaos. Hazeworks is an exciting little Durban-based outfit that literally launched two weeks before VapeCon. Mix-maestro Mark Cramer started manufacturing his own delicious, topnotch blends a year ago, and uses no synthetic flavours.

Thereafter, I began a somewhat hasty sampling tour, as I still had to make my way back “home,” minus transport. I won’t bore readers by listing imported gear or juice brands, whether sold online and/or via retail outlets. Suffice it to say, we have access to the world’s best e-liquids via our estimable local suppliers. It’s impossible to do justice to everyone, but I’d like to introduce a few, with an emphasis on artisanal juice-crafters:

Joey’s-based Cloud Flavours distribute a famous international juice range, and will be launching their own brand soon.

Another team from Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa is eightmonth-old VapeXstacy—an impressive set-up with seven brands, among these a soon-to-be-released label, which is still steeping in oak. Juices are panel-tested and only those scoring 80 percent and higher are made, including some whimsical, uniquely South African flavours, blended by talented duo André van Biljon and Eugene du Plessis. (They even export to Spain, France and Dubai!)

World Wonders (also from Josie) has been around for a year. Conceptually brilliant, with attractive, creative branding, all seven e-liquids are layered, enigmatic, and lovingly made by owner/mixmaster Eric Huckschlag, boasting appropriate names of legendary landmarks.

Year-old Vape Cartel from Josie is headed up by Kieran Daly, who has a culinary background that shows in his succulent creations. His personally blended range, E-liquid Project, boasts the first delicately flavoured, naturally extracted juice in elegant glass bottles.

Two-year-old Vape King from Johannesburg are mega-retailers who stock 11 international and five locally produced juice brands, among these their own range, along with World Wonders, Vape Elixir and Northern Craft Vapes.

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Vapor Mountain did a complete rebrand before VapeCon and also introduced us to it’s oak-aged line of juices.

Vapeshop is a year-and-a-half old, with branches in Johannesburg and Durban. They stock leading international brands and three excellent local labels, including Liquilab. Vapour Mountain, owned by Benji and Chrystel Wright, made me feel really partisan. The pioneering Cape Townbased producers (in existence since 2012) were apparently the first craft e-juice blenders in the country, justifiably garnering the title of “Best SA Vape-manufacturers,” as well as winning all divisions, bar one. VM makes divine juices, including a wood-matured Special Reserve.

curious vapers at the Vape Cartel stand, from the left is Phillip Campos and his fiancée, Bronwyn ‘Smoke187’ (forum name), along with Rex Smit

Craft Vapour proved a fitting conclusion to my sampling tour. Run by Mauritz Grobler (another gifted chiefly type) and charming partner Charlene Bekker (a wordsmith of note), Craft Vapour shouts class, from the deep, rich, complex juices, to the menu design, witty brand names, ethical values and handsome, user-friendly glass bottles. And so, South Africa’s first fledgling vaping convention drew to a close. The final head count? “570 through the gates,” shouted an excited Sharri, as vendors stashed their goods. Not too shoddy for a first-off! (In South Africa, we have a universal term for “nice one/cool/great.” The word is: lekker!) Clutching a brace of delectable, locally made “vape-aways,” I left VapeCon with a warm glow, buoyed by the knowledge that, regardless of the increasing resistance we vapers face, our local industry is on the up and up.

(left to right) Mauritz Grobler, Charlene Bekker and their assistant

Above all, having tasted some of the finest juices on the planet, I was enormously proud to discover that SA’s own mixologists can hold their heads up high, and kick butt with the very best, worldwide! Cape Town, South Africa-based Maggie Follett is an awardwinning writer. Her freelance career has enabled her to constantly reinvent herself, broadening her horizons as a TV scriptwriter/producer, copywriter, journalist and editor/proofreader. Follow her Facebook group, Vape Escape Mzansi.

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The team that made VapeCon happen! (left to right) Warren Pleass, Luke Street, Brittany Coetzer and Sharri van Zyl

CROWD CHASERS No Shell Games for Schell Hammel

Dedication to Excellence and Complete Transparency are Hallmarks of Hammel’s Success By Maria Verven Photos by Wendii Roberts Schell Hammel believes her success isn’t just due to the fact that she was one of the first to open a vape shop. She’s certain her success is due to her unwavering dedication to being the best. Hammel and her husband opened The Vapor Bar in McKinney, Texas, in January 2011. Only the second shop to open in the entire Dallas-Ft. Worth area, it was so successful they’ve since opened six more stores in and around DallasFt. Worth, Houston and Huntington, West Virginia. This summer, they’re opening their eighth store in central Texas. Hammel was also one of the first to develop her own line of e-liquids for her shops. Sold under the Forever and Forbidden brands, she has maintained a steadfast and rigorous adherence to the quality of their e-liquids, spending tens of thousands on equipment and testing. A smoker for 22 years, Hammel watched three grandparents die of lung cancer. “From the day my grandfather got sick and was in the hospital, he begged me to stop smoking,” Hammel said. “I was still riding that elevator all the way down to the bottom to smoke until the day he died. When I tried my first e-cigarette in 2010, I immediately knew I had found the answer.”

“When you walk into one of our shops, we’re going to treat you like a family member, because that’s what you need to get you through this,” Hammel said. “Everyone behind that bar knows exactly what you’re going through, because every one of them has switched themselves.” Both Hammel and her and husband Jeff had a background in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and were experienced in complying with rigorous safety standards. They believe this helped them focus on health and safety. From the outset, they implemented several precautions to ensure they were providing customers with the very best products and quality e-liquids. “It’s very important to me what goes into your liquids. There’s no halfway. We are extremely transparent in everything we do. As a woman and a mom, I’m more focused on nurturing and protecting others,” she said. “I don’t ever take my job lightly. I can sleep fine at night knowing I’m doing the right thing by my customers.” Dedicated to Being Diacetyl Free Unlike most vape shops that either buy other e-liquid brands or make their own, all of the e-liquids sold by The Vapor Bar are created in their certified clean lab and are certified by the American E-Liquid Manufacturing Standards Association (AEMSA) for quality. They sterilize all lab equipment, use stainless steel mixing equipment and all workers wear masks and gloves.

“I Can Sleep Fine at Night” “I didn’t open up The Vapor Bar just because it was a hobby; I opened up The Vapor Bar because I’m a vaper, too,” Hammel said. “With each person who walks through our doors, I hope we can change their lives forever. It will be one step closer to heaven for him,” she said.

Schell Hammel passes the vape to a customer

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Hammel estimates they’ve spent tens of thousands on testing the raw flavoring and ingredients, as well as the final products. “If you could only imagine the financial strain this initially put us in,” she said. “On the flip side, we couldn’t afford not to [test] because it’s not just an ethical issue; it’s a liability issue.”

The conversation usually stops there. Until I get that testing, I can’t verify the content or the quality.

Hammel said 98 percent of The Vapor Bar’s e-liquids are completely free of diacetyl and acetyl propionyl, and the remaining 2 percent are “extremely low.” While these chemicals can give e-liquids a sweet and buttery flavor, they’ve been associated with a lung disease called popcorn lung.

“We Lecture to Our Loved Ones”

Hammel said they don’t test just the final e-liquids, but every ingredient that comes in the door. “The most important thing is safety. We put it above everything else. “It was shocking to find that some of the raw flavoring that was commercialized as diacetyl free tested positively for it,” she said. “You have to test everything, because you can find these chemicals in fruit flavors— flavors you didn’t know you could find them in.” Hammel said that it was horribly difficult to formulate all of their flavors without diacetyl and acetyl propionyl. “When our first test results came back, we pulled quite a few flavors off the shelf. Fortunately, they weren’t our highest sellers.” At the same time, they introduced 15 new flavors. “So, while we took a few flavors away, we turned it into a positive by adding new flavors.” “I Stand My Ground” For the time being, they’re going to stick with their current line of 120 flavors, while continuing to listen to customer feedback and make changes based on this feedback. Hammel said their most popular flavors include Hell Frozen Over, a blend of mint and cinnamon, Shaded, a “bold” tobacco flavor, Hummingbird, a blend of watermelon and berry, and Beach Bum, a blend of watermelon and mango.

“That makes me unique in the marketplace,” she said. “I stand my ground, and there’s no way I’ll carry something in my shop that I can’t stand behind.”

Hammel said as a woman, she’s not alone in concentrating on the safety aspect of vaping. “Women tend to be more inquisitive than men. I believe women pay more attention to the standards and safety of a product, just as they’ll lecture to their loved ones about eating properly,” she said. “Transparency, education and standards appeal to us.” While women enjoy flavor variety as much as men, she noticed they tend to go for different colored devices with more “bling.” “We try to have customizable things on hand so they can make it their own,” she said. “Hey, who doesn’t like to customize and specialize? It’s just like an accessory.” Hammel said she believes women tend to understand “you get what you pay for” more than men. They will also buy kits and products for the men in their lives, due to mothering instincts. “As women, we want to share the good news that we found something to help the smokers in our family. We’ll break the bank to try and save them. God love us, we can’t help it,” she said. Until the FDA finalizes and enforces its guidelines, e-liquid labs are operating without any standard operating procedures. Hammel and her team at The Vapor Bar are clearly ahead of the game; they took it upon themselves to create their own high standards and safety procedures to protect their business and customers. “I don’t know how to operate our business any other way,” Hammel said. “I believe your brand defines you. Our customers are loyal to us because we strive to be loyal to them.” The original Vaping VampTM, Maria Verven is partner and chief marketing mentor of VapeMentors.com.

“Fruits are rapidly gaining ground mainly because of the popularity of drippers,” Hammel said. “A huge populace has already switched and reached that precipice where tobacco doesn’t taste good. Fruit flavors are gaining ground as more people who are becoming constant vapers are graduating to different flavors.” Hammel said she gets a lot of sales calls from other e-liquid brands. “When they ask me if I will carry their line, I tell them I need your testing.

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Led Joiner, Rebecca Arena and Schell Hammel at The Vapor Bar

Photo by Steve Cruz

By Stefan Didak

Photo by Sallie Goetsch

Do you vape? Do you live in California? Are you registered to vote? If you are not, now is a good time to do so. As a vaper in California you are going to need to exercise your right to vote in the next election as a way of protecting your continued access to vapor products. The California Medical Association, American Lung Association and California State Council of Service Employees have requested that a tax measure, entitled the “California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016” be put on the ballot. This tax initiative seeks to impose an extra tax (in addition to sales tax) on vapor products, either as a specific product category or, depending on the outcome of several state bills that are in play right now, as tobacco products. What is important to note here is that, if passed, a dangerous precedent will be set in that the unelected board that would set the tax on vapor products does not allow for public input or comment. Any additional tax on vapor products is inappropriate, but allowing for a tax that is the equivalent to what is assessed on tobacco products could very well wipe out the entire industry in California because there would be no way to keep it from being excessively high and unmanageable. This move on vapor products is far more hostile than the average hostile state bill. If this measure passes there is absolutely no way to mount an opposition or lobby or engage and educate legislators on the subject. In addition to that, any extra tax on vapor products would translate into more funding for the very groups that oppose the promise of vapor since many of those efforts are funded through, among other things, the California’s tobacco tax revenues. The last time California had a tobacco tax measure on the ballot it failed by a very small margin of votes. California doesn’t just have a large percentage of non-smokers—it has a huge percentage of anti-smokers. And a lot of those, having been influenced by the misleading campaigns run by the California Department of Public Health, believe vaping is no different than smoking.

All vapers need to be aware that if they are asked to sign a petition to get this measure on the ballot, they should NOT sign. Current expectation is that the summary will not include mention of vapor products potentially misleading vapers into supporting a measure they believe only affects combustible tobacco products. I believe we can defeat this ballot initiative, but we’re going to need all of you to vote NO on the measure. And that means you need to be registered to vote. At the vapersvotingguide. com website you will find explaining where and how you can register to vote. The process is easy and quick, and you can even register to vote “absentee.” An absentee ballot means you won’t even have to take time out of your day to get to the polling location on Election Day. While plans for a comprehensive action plan continue, there is still plenty you can do to help! • Let your fellow vapers know about this and urge them to register to vote. If you’ve got a shop and have a computer or an iPad around, consider urging your customers to register to vote right there. • Have voter registration forms in your shop and encourage customers to fill them out and promise to mail them in for them (then do it). • If you regularly e-mail your California customers, consider putting in a link and some information about where they can register to vote. • If you are having any vape meets or events, consider doing all the above. • Use any social media channels you have at your disposal to encourage vapers to register. Consider using hashtags like #ivapeivote and #vapersvotingguide to carry the message and provide a means to probe the penetration of the message throughout the social media space. • Keep track of the number of vapers you’ve helped register to vote. It may become important for planning and expectation purposes to get a little bit of extra insight into the numbers of vapers registered to vote. Let’s protect our right to vape and make the slogan “I vape, I vote” mean something. You have a voice. You have a vote. Take control. Stefan Didak volunteers as the co-president of the Northern California Chapter of SFATA. Didak is a former software engineer who has for the past year dedicated all his time to deal with legislative matters for the vapor products industry as an advocate for the product category.

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Vaping Loud by Chasing Clouds: By Anthony J. Ottomanelli II

When the smoke clears, it certainly becomes obvious: vaping and the future are becoming one and the same. No matter how much anti-vaping propaganda is published and posted, and no matter how many vaping bans city councils enforce, there is no doubt these anti-vaping affiliates and their regulations will fade. As the anti-vaping movement pushes its agenda forward, I can only inform those affiliated with such groups by reminding all involved what it is, exactly, they’re dealing with. Cloud chasing is being recognized as a sport within the vaping culture, according to the Huffington Post article “Vaping has Apparently Become a Sport.” The article says that, with e-cigarettes gaining popularity and dedicated vape shops popping up in cities across the country, it shouldn’t come as a shock that there are so-called “professional vapers” who compete against one another to blow the biggest, baddest clouds of vapor, known as “cloud chasing.” Vapers competed in what’s known as a “cloud competition” at the Henley Vaporium in New York City. During the event, dubbed the “X-Games of vaping” by an attendee, contestants took turns exhaling enormous vapor clouds; to win the competition, a vaper had to create the biggest, densest cloud. The Huff Post article said, “According to Mashable, the professional vapers at the event weren’t smoking e-cigarettes, per se. Instead they used modified devices to burn vegetable glycerol and liquid nicotine. (In April, a manager of a vape shop in Arizona told the Arizona Republic that some cloud chasers don’t even use e-juices including nicotine).” The fact that many vapers cloud chase and many also vape juices that they prefer to have 0 percent nicotine available, teaches us that vaping is not solely about the nicotine intake and how its dangerous, addictive effects are a public health issue.

pointed out the danger of meddling with a vaping device to produce more vapor. Because Cloud Chasing is gaining speed among vapers, in every vape shop I visit, nearly every employee uses a giant mod to exhale thick clouds of vapor. I have no objections to this vaping preference; however, vapers must realize that the general public citizens might not relish witnessing a vaper emit gigantic, milky-colored, thick vapor clouds. I’ve discussed this topic with a number of non-vapers. After describing exactly what cloud chasing is, nearly every person responded with a tone of confusion, explaining how irritated they would be if the vapor clouds infringed on their personal space. Nearly everyone surveyed considered these cloud chasers disrespectful, inconsiderate, selfish youths who had no concept of empathy. As a vaper who occasionally enjoys cloud chasing, I still can empathize with those non-vaping citizens. After all, this particular demographic may very well be a part of the anti-vape movement now or in the future. Therefore, we need to educate the public on vaping practices that could be considered offensive or controversial. I’m the last person who wants to see any form of restriction in the vaping culture, yet I can’t help but understand how this could turn cloud chasing into an overblown scapegoat for severe regulations being passed. In order to win over the anti-vapers, we must comprehend their values and beliefs and be respectful. It is our duty to vape responsibly, learning not to chase a cloud if you believe there may be someone nearby who might be offended. It would behoove us to let these people know that we care for their overall well being, but also value our individual right to liberty within our native country.

Competitive vaping is not a new phenomenon. The “sport” started as a West Coast trend, but cloud competitions have popped up recently in New Jersey, Illinois and New Mexico. Earlier this year, an International Cloud Championship was held in California, and in March, vapers competed against one another at Vape Blast 2014, described as “the first Texas vape convention.” Some people have given the sport a thumbs-up. “It’s kind of impressive,” wrote Digg.com. But others have pointed out potential danger associated with the activity. The jury still is out on whether e-cigarettes are safe, and vaping enthusiasts on Reddit, vaping forums and blogs have

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Dekang Biotechnology Company Hosts Distributors Press Conference Words and photos by Alyssa Stahr Amsterdam was the place to be in April as the Dekang Biotechnology Company invited distributors, media and advocates of the vaping industry to its one-day press conference. Key industry experts on the speaking panel included ECig Intelligence Managing Director Tim Phillips; Roebling Research Founder Steve Hong; Managing Director of Policy Matters and ECITA’s Public Policy Head Peter Beckett; and Partner at Keller and Heckman law firm Azim Chowdhury. Hot topics discussed featured industry branding, future plans, benefits, legislation, FDA regulation and personal experiences, mixed in with Dekang’s new product announcements.

“We will never stop inventing and creating new products. It’s not just a passion, but a variable of our brand vision,” Kyle said. In addition, the conference focused on the set up of the subsidiary Dekang factory based in Bucharest, Romania, which started operations in 2014. This 5,000 square meter facility manufactures products developed directly for European Union consumers and clients. It is equipped with advanced production facilities that comply with EU manufacturing standards, with the breaking news at the conference being that new product lines Dekang Europe and Detab will be produced at the Romanian factory. The newest product line, A10, launched in May. Product models opened the conference on a lively note, strutting their stuff through the conference center while displaying Dekang’s newest offerings to the techno beat. Kyle, Dekang’s product manager, continued the upbeat theme, reminding us that a part of shisha vaping (Dekang’s speciality) is about going out with friends, socializing and having a good time. With an analog cigarette, you may be enjoying that all by yourself. But with shisha smoking (or hookah as we say in the United States) you can share the time with your friends—it’s more of an occasion.

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“Imagine that after a day of hard work, if you want to hang out with your friends maybe you can go to a bar or a cafe or someone’s house, and you can enjoy the shisha together. So, it’s more of a socializing event. That’s why it attracts smokers to try this product,” Kyle said. A traditional shisha is made with tobacco mixing with a fragrance. Most people, according to Kyle, think that the ingredients will filter out when they go through the water, but they’re wrong. “One section of shisha smoking is similar to 200 pieces of cigarettes,” Kyle said during his presentation. “Studies found that there were dangerous heavy metal levels in the water pipe of the shisha, and it came from the tobacco.” Due to this problem, people stopped seeking an herbal alternative product. So, that’s the reason why Dekang introduced DeCloud Shisha Fruits. Shisha Fruits are completely herbal; there is no tobacco, no tar, no preservatives and no nicotine; it’s is completely made of natural fruits and natural extract. The vapor consists of PG, VG and the fruit mix. So, when you smoke Shisha Fruits, it’s not burning, it’s vaping like the e-cigarette. “Finding the right base is the key because it needs to be smooth and able to absorb the fragrance. I would like to say thanks to tobacco— it got us to find the best solution,” Kyle said.

At the beginning of shisha smoking, users were used to smoking non-flavored tobacco. But, Dekang’s engineers added flavor, and the shisha business grew. After analyzing the market and the history of the industry, the company found that real fruits could be the best choice.

problems with customs, Dekang chose Romania as its logistics center. The new center opened in 2013. Justin, the marketing manager, said that he not only wants Dekang to be a noun, but he wants it to be more of a verb, and he hopes that the Romanian facility will help facilitate those relationships.

“We spent a lot of time studying and researching how we could cook this well. We even hired a group of engineers to solve this headache. But, finally we gave birth to it,” Kyle said.

“Bucharest is a centralized city, and it is more convenient for our customers to visit us,” Van, sales director said during his presentation. “In order for us to satisfy the niche for our customers and to provide better service, we spent more than two years on the construction of the factory and the certification of the products to make sure that everything met the European requirement.”

Launched in March 2013, DeCloud debuted at InterTabac Asia this year. In the beginning, DeCloud offered 12 flavors, however in 2013 the company sought a solution for the production line. Heading to a food industry facility in Germany, Dekang hired a group of engineers with 20 years of shisha production experience. DeCloud is the self-proclaimed first in the world to offer an alternative to hookah tobacco products. It is available in 50, 100, 250 and 1,000 gram jars. Each jar has a protective foil to help keep it fresh. This year, DeCloud is increasing its flavor offerings. Now, DeCloud will have 20 flavors with Dekang’s own formula. In addition, in the last year the company developed different packagings. For 50 and 100 gram there is a special packaging that can serve as a display. The other two packagings are in an individual box. “In this past year we’ve invested a lot in the promotion campaign and attended various exhibitions. This was totally designed by ourselves and is more useful for our patented product. Yes, it’s a baby boy, but I think it’s time for harvest,” Kyle said. In the beginning of DeCloud, the price was fixed. Later the company developed its own price strategy, along with OEM service. Also, some people may not enjoy a nicotine-free product, so DeCloud, which is sold in Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America and the United States, has introduced Vapor Plus. You can mix flavor and add nicotine, smoking any fragrance you want. “We will never stop inventing and creating new products. It’s not just a passion, but a variable of our brand vision,” Kyle said. “I do hope through this platform we can build a stronger relationship.”

Why Choose Dekang EU? • new and different product offering even different from the China location • materials are purchased from and manufactured in Europe • lead time will be faster and at better cost • customs clearance. Customers had customs issues from the export from China. If you are in the European Union and purchase from Dekang EU, you don’t have to worry about this issue. You also don’t have to pay for the tax for the import. • improved customer service within the European Union Beckett’s talk centered on how the Tobacco Products Directive will affect the vapor market in the U.K. (see expanded coverage on page 23). Phillips’ talk centered on the European market growth after TPD: a review and comparison of the major European market in terms of market size, structure, pricing and regulatory landscape, with a review of how TPD will be implemented and what impact it will have on growth in these regions (see expanded coverage on page 75. Steve Hong talked about key forces shaping the United States: vape industry growth, evolving consumer tastes and the independent, untracked retail channel (see expanded coverage on page 46). Azim Chowdhury, partner at Keller and Heckman law firm, presented about the current state of FDA regulations in the United States (see expanded coverage on page 66). For more information about Dekang, visit http://www.dekangbio.com/.

In the building of the Bucharest facility, which started in 2012, Dekang branched out of China into the European Union. In knowing that a lot of clients face

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The Philippines does not have any major laws governed against electronic cigarettes. The reason why the Philippine government does not impose strict laws is because it sees it as an art compared to the rest of the world, which is why there is no regulation on usage and manufacturing. Back in 2013, the government tried to ban the usage and manufacturing of electronic cigarettes. The only known law today is that the public must use electronic cigarettes in designated smoking area. The Philippine community, who is fond of the laws here, often puts together vape meets within their home towns. An annual event called Vapecon takes place in Manila, where vapers from all around the country gather for numerous festivities. Once inside of the designated building, vapers are free to use their personal vaporizers, shop at vendor booths and enjoy live bands and contests.

he Philippines has a very broad culture in the vaping world; however, there are barely any laws governing the use and manufacturing of electronic cigarettes. The community has a lot of organized events to allow people of the vaping world to meet up and socialize. There are also many custom electronic cigarette products that are manufactured in the Philippines.

A Brief Look Inside the Philippines Words and photos by Michael Callis

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During Vapecon, many modders from around the country come together to sell their custommade products to the general public, like ejuice, mods, atomizers and different accessories. Pictured below is an example of a few products sold, like The Nookie by Vape Breed, The Black Osmium copper edition by Paradigm Mods, and Ejuices from Cloud Chaser and Pastry Vapors. These products are usually premium priced. Although there are many electronic cigarettes sold in the Philippines, they are treated as artwork. Many cloned electronic cigarettes have surfaced, causing a lot of confusion. When it comes to analytics, 78 percent of the cloned electronic cigarette products on the world market come from the Philippines, which is why the use of clones is looked down upon. Though clones are still widely available for a fraction of the cost of authentic products, Philippine modders still are engaged in a tight battle to end the copying of their artwork. The Philippines has hundreds, if not thousands, of vape shops nationwide. Some of them are private shops stationed inside private residences, such as “JAF28,” and a vast majority are brickandmortar stores and vape lounges. Although the vaping culture is a lot different in the Philippines, this “Modder Nation” will always hold its top spot when it comes to specially handcrafted electronic cigarettes. Michael Callis is an American citizen living in the Philippines. He is an avid vaper who is making a name for himself in the Philippines as a vape reviewer.

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The Philippines has hundreds, If not thousands, of vape shops nationwide.

This “Modder Nation” will always hold its top spot when it comes to specially handcrafted electronic cigarettes. 151

talks

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A lot of smokers have no intention of quitting. A lot of vapers have no intention of morphing their newfound love into a fledgling business. Don Walthrop has done both. In fact he’s thrived in both aspects, successfully quitting smoking and preparing to open the second location of his brick and mortar vape shop—Cosmic Vapes. Walthrop started smoking when he was 17. A teenager in the late ‘80s, he was up to two packs a day. Oddly, he detested cigarettes, and his favorite brand doubled in price. After switching to Camels, he tried to quit multiple times. He quit once for three months, ended up with pneumonia and picked the habit back up. He tried to quit with the patch about six to seven years ago and became a self-proclaimed asshole. “The problem was that I quit smoking, but had become such an asshole, and I kind of liked being an asshole. My wife said either I was going to start smoking again or we were going to end up in divorce. She was going to bury me with a pack of cigarettes,” Walthrop said. During this difficult time in his life, he noticed friends who had started vaping. He had to drive long distances at his old job and couldn’t smoke in the vehicles, so he would have to stop frequently to smoke. He tried the Blu e-cigarette and didn’t put it down until he wore the battery out. Friends took Walthrop into the local vape store, but he had no intention of quitting. Even so, he bought a basic eGo starter kit, and a week later, he wasn’t smoking anymore. “I remember the last cigarette I had. I only smoked half of it. It tasted like crap, and I still have one cigarette left from that pack. I want to put it in glass that says ‘In case of emergency, break glass,’” he said. Walthrop began to introduce others to vaping, including his mother, who had been a smoker for about 40 years. She started smoking when she was 13 years old, and also had no intention of quitting. Two weeks after entering a vape shop in the Dallas area, she had quit. “That’s pretty much why I opened the store. Money was never the big issue of it ... With vaping it was so easy [to quit]; it was so effortless,” he said. “You are changing the delivery system, rather than quitting. It’s something that’s far more efficient, and without the horrible nastiness that’s in a cigarette.” Someone who had never intended to be a quitter was now considering helping others do the exact same thing. In addition to working in the oil and gas industry, Walthrop also taught photography workshops. He wanted to encourage other people to be creative, and built his shop to look a specific way with a specific theme. Cosmic Vapes’ decor includes a clip board art wall where people can pick out an item and draw it, along with art work displayed from local artists for sale. Walthrop built the interior of the first Cosmic Vapes location entirely on his own. Of course, the concept didn’t come about overnight. Walthrop and his wife brainstormed different names for the shop, and they visited a furniture store one day looking around at odds and ends. His wife noticed some bookends that looked like an old wind-up robot and a ‘50s spaceship. “It kind of hit me—Cosmic Vapes. I immediately got on my phone to see if someone owned the website,” Walthrop said. “It was owned but not used, and it was expiring in like four days so I put a backorder on it. I ran with it from there. I had this vision of what I wanted the shop to look like, and I pretty much

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nailed it. I’m pretty good at envisioning that kind of stuff; my wife and I decorate our homes and we have a knack for that.” Walthrop describes the interior of the store as “vintage/scifi,” featuring everything from a former Soviet space helmet to self-made ray guns adorning display cases. When it comes to displaying actual vaping products, Walthrop is very picky. He doesn’t necessarily price check other shops, but he said that his customers don’t complain about the prices. “I happen to have very reasonable prices because I base it on what is online. I’m at or very close to what somebody can buy online,” he said. “I don’t buy whatever bandwagon device that is out there, like the Atlantis tanks or the iStick 20 when it came out. They aren’t necessarily great devices just because they’re popular. There are better devices out there.” As with everything, not being Mr. Popular has its pros and cons. It hurts Walthrop in a sense that he’s not carrying bandwagon devices, but on the other hand, he feels he’s carrying quality devices and unique items that customers aren’t going to find in any other shop. Customers may be unfamiliar with the product, however, so it’s a Catch 22 for Walthrop.

“I was probably the first shop in Texas that had the eGo Ones when they came out. I sold over 300 of them. The eGo One has been a great device for people starting out,” he said. “I take a lot of care to encourage people that this can be easy if you stick with it.” Walthrop continued to say that the key is finding a flavor you can stick with instead of a cig-alike or tobacco flavor that you aren’t used to. If it has a bad aftertaste, he will not carry it in his shop, as he wants vapers to improve their palettes. He said that there are so many vapers that are used to vaping flavors that have been around for three years or more, and that there are better choices now. “The people who come in who are smoking are expecting to find a Marlboro Light flavored e juice. I’m not going to say it isn’t capable of it, but the juice isn’t always going to match what people are experiencing,” he said. “Quite frankly, who the hell would want it to taste like that? If you’ve quit smoking and you smoke, it’s like licking an ashtray. I never thought that I would be that person and I would smell someone smoking and say, ‘Wow that really stinks.’” As of press time, Walthrop is preparing to open a second Cosmic Vapes location, closer to Lackland Air Force base. He predicts that the second store will be even busier than the first, due to its geographic location. The second Cosmic Vapes will have the same out-of-this-world theme, except with a different color palette. The floor in the original shop has a lunar look to it, and the new shop floor will have a lava, ‘60s sci-fi, metallic epoxy, three-dimensional look.

“I’d rather people be happy with a quality product at a good price,” he said. When it comes to liquids, Walthrop also goes the picky route. He carries a few premium lines and he has a house juice made by a trusted company. He believes that the health department should be involved in the making of liquids across the country. “I know a lot of guys who make juice. There’s guys I trust and guys I don’t. The health department should be doing checks to make sure shops are clean,” he said. “Let’s face it: we’re selling a consumable good. There’s a reason you can’t make brownies at home and sell them in a pizza place. At the very least, we should be meeting minimum health standards.” Along with minimum health standards, helping new customers along is a definite goal of Walthrop’s. He believes that very strong encouragement and support is the key to maintaining repeat customers.

With an additional shop ready to open, Walthrop and his colleagues will have more space to raise money for lobbying efforts in the state of Texas. Not just because of his livelihood as a business owner, he said, but because he cares about this industry and helping people to live even a year longer.

“If they walk in from off the street and they are trying to quit smoking ... I’m not here just to sell them something and watch them walk out the door. If they were like me and they’ve been smoking for over 20 years, they are looking for an easier way to quit rather than feel like I’m just after their money,” he said. With noobs in mind, Cosmic Vapes sells a basic eGo style starter kit and charger for $10, primarily because Walthrop wants people to see that there is a very inexpensive alternative to help quit smoking. He feels that the hardware is what’s going to make noobs successful. He also jokes that he’s going to change the name of his shop to “Box Mod City” because he carries so many different box mods.

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“If I had one wish in the vaping world right now—I want people who vape to get more involved in the vape call to actions that we stand behind,” he said. “Right now, there’s a big section of the vaping community that cares more about big clouds rather than if they are going to be able to vape six months from now. I would say 40 percent of my customers use a 0 nicotine product. How can you classify a 0 nicotine product as a tobacco product? How do you legislate that the same way as you would a nicotine product? You’re ignoring the fact that tomatoes and eggplants have nicotine in them. We’ve tried a lot to get the word out to some of these senators and try to do something.”

Don and Tamara Walthrop

For more information, visit http://www.cosmicvapes.com/.

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The Vape Sum mit

Las Vegas Words and photos by Norm Bour

The team behind The Vape Summit has been generating and maintaining momentum within the vape event space since 2014. Established in Las Vegas, they recently held their third show in Sin City. Along with the Houston Vape Summit (scheduled for November 2015), they cover a lot of ground—100,000 square feet of space in this case. This recent event occupied the massive Las Vegas Convention Center, a far larger production than the first summit, held at Hard Rock Hotel in June 2014. This year, the team endured some confusion during exhibitor registration and initial massive crowds, which they seemed unprepared to handle. The first full day of the event was business-to-business, and though many booths were not fully assembled, it was a focused day of manufacturers connecting with wholesalers and distributors. Like most vape events, e-liquid companies were the most prevalent, covering about 80 percent of the floor. I was curious about what brought them there, and asked, “What’s the biggest challenge you have in your business?” The response was not a surprise: distribution. With an estimated 5,000-plus e-liquid manufacturers trying to get retail shelf space in a very competitive market, there are lots of suppliers—many potential consumers—but the distribution funnel is the weak link.

(left to right) Thomas Li, Norm Bour, Keith Nash

Who attends, and why? How does a distributor decide which lines to carry? How does a brick-and-mortar know what products will sell? I asked Edison Tan from Beyond Vape, a company that covers all the bases, including brick-and-mortar retail, online shops and distribution, what they look for when determining which lines to carry. He said, “It’s the flavoring, of course, plus the packaging. No manufacturer ever thinks they have an inferior product, but many of them have very bad or nonexistent branding.” He insisted I speak with a vendor in their area that had great flavors, but poor branding and packaging. He said that if those areas were corrected, they would carry that line. The brick-and-mortar owners that attend The Vape Summit have thousands of flavors to choose from. How do you choose? Do you carry name brands? Regional favorites? Your own line? There is no one right answer for everyone, which is what makes the space so exciting and challenging.

“Glas” Display case

Does it pay to be an exhibitor? Some of the largest name brands were noticeably absent. Cuttwood, Five Pawns and Space Jam were the most obvious, so the estimated 300 vendors had plenty of room. There were many new names, including a few that caught the crowd’s attention, like Glas, a custom mod manufacturer that was housed under dark shrouds of black canopy. Inside, the ambiance was upscale and dark and their display cases were lit more like a high-end jewelry store than a mod

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manufacturer. With prices that start at just under $1,000, they could easily have sold these products in a Rodeo Drive jewelry store. There were grumblings from some exhibitors based on a smaller than expected crowd. At vaping events, location is key—but you pay the price. Prime spots near the entrance or on corners command a premium price. Those in the rear quadrants may find themselves lonelier than they prefer. One exhibitor swore off The Vape Summit and shared their anger toward the high booth prices and light attendance. “I’ll never be back,” was a sentiment I heard from several, but like any business, not everyone will be satisfied. On the other hand, another exhibitor was excited to get a 5,000 bottle order from the show floor, and many took large purchase orders at the event. The Hot Import Nights car show returned for another visit, which brought extra energy to the distant end of the convention center, which was quiet the first two days. These high-end, highly customized, modified cars brought a level of glitz and Las Vegas glamour to an industry that is finding its own comfort level. For more information on next year’s Summit, visit http:// www.thevapesummit.com/.

(left to right) Aaron Cericola, Effren Lefever, Norm Bour and Adam Cericola

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A Guide To Newbie Vaping Words and photos by Erin Hedrick

Walking into a vape shop for the first time was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I didn’t know anything about vaping. What was I supposed to ask? What if the employees thought I was an idiot? Where did I even begin? All of us have been there, and I imagine that many of you had similar thoughts when you began vaping. It’s intimidating to walk into a specialty store and not have a clue about anything in it. What’s even more intimidating is the overwhelming amount of stuff: RDAs, coils, clearomizers, tips, mods ... What does all that even mean? To all vaping newbies who are reading this right now, I want to say this: I know what it’s like. Of course, we all do, since everyone was a beginner at some point (though a lot of people seem to forget that, I’ve noticed). But I especially know what it’s like because I, too, am a vape newb. Please, hold your gasps of shock. We here at VAPE Magazine decided that it would be a good idea to offer a column for us (well, me) to show our beginner readers the ins and outs of the vaping community, and create a guide of sorts, as we go along, to hopefully help people who want to or are just getting into vaping because, as I said, it can be scary. And who better to assume this role than someone who has only recently, herself, gotten involved with the industry?

vaping’s potential in the world, and they’re eager to draw in new customers. For an article in our last issue, I called shops all across the country, and most of the people I spoke with were very passionate about spreading the word about vaping. So, while I fully understand that it can be nervewracking to approach an expert on the subject, don’t be nervous. They’re there to help you, and any reputable shop will be more than happy to. I visited a shop (Kaleidosmok) in Rolla, Mo., not too long ago, and noted something different that they do for their new customers. Perhaps it’s something that other shops offer as well, but it’s something that I had not noticed until I visited them, and it’s something that I think is a really good idea. Kaleidosmok offers starter kits at a discounted price that include a battery, a tank and up to two bottles of e-liquid at a further discounted rate. The display was set up in the center of their counter so that it was in plain view. I think this is a great idea, because it offers first-time vapers options without having to ask a bunch of questions, because if any of you are like me,

20 with Leaf iStick with an Aspire Nautilus mini tank

So, what’s my story? I began working for VAPE Magazine in October of 2014. I stumbled across the job incidentally while searching for a potential career following my graduation from college the December before. I applied, not because I knew anything about vaping, but because it was a job with a magazine, and seeing as I graduated with a B.A. in English, it seemed like a pretty ideal job. I began working as the executive assistant, but soon took on additional responsibilities as well, including writing. Shortly after being hired, I thought it would be in my best interest to learn a bit about the industry. How foolish would I look when trying to converse with people at a show if I didn’t have a clue what I was talking about? So, one day, I popped in to a local shop, and the rest, as they say, is history (or in this case, the rest is yet to be revealed—this is going to be a recurring column, after all). I’m still learning, and I definitely have a long way to go, but that’ll be part of the fun of this column. So, come share in my vape-venture with me. It all starts by taking that first step into the vape shop. In my experience, this is the make-it-or-break-it moment— fight or flight. Reception is everything, especially for a new customer. Shop owners and their employees understand

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It all starts by taking that first step into the vape shop. In my experience, this is the make-it-or-break-it moment—fight or flight.

you hate asking a bunch of questions that you think sound silly. They offered simple eGo starter kits, as well as more hands-on mod kits, so they really went above and beyond to make a new customer feel a bit more informed without releasing a vocal tidal wave of information upon them.

You’ve taken the first step: You’re in the shop. Now what? Yes, the employees will be helpful and happy to make suggestions, but how do you know what is the right setup for you? What if you decide that you don’t even like vaping? As a newb myself, I recommend starting off with a eGo vape pen and tank. After everything is said and done, you will have probably invested roughly $40, so if you come to realize that vaping isn’t your thing, you don’t have to worry about having invested a large sum of money in a larger setup. An eGo pen also is small and easy to tote around— they even make lanyards for them! If you’re interested in something with a little more power for your first kit (maybe you’re a long-time smoker or don’t care for the look of the eGo pens), the employees at my local shop, along with a large amount of people on various e-cigarette forums, recommend the eLeaf iStick topped with a Nautilus mini clearomizer. The iStick is a smaller box APV that comes in four colors (pink, blue, silver and black) and three different wattage levels: 20 w, 30 w and 50 w. It is a self-enclosed system, so in order to charge it, all you have to do is plug it in with the accompanying charger, like you would your cell phone. The tank I mentioned is from a well-known company (Aspire) and fits the size of the iStick nicely, making for a pretty attractive device. It’s made of stainless steel and Pyrex glass, and hosts a bottom vertical coil. It’s design makes it easy to carry, install and refill. The sky’s the limit, though! In the vaping community, there is something for everyone. While being a brand new e-cig user can be intimidating, it’s also very exciting;

Lotus Jellyfish with an Aspire Atlantis sub-Ohm tank.

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MAGAZINE

there’s so many new things to experiment with. And don’t even get me started on flavors … That will be for next time. Until then! Erin is VAPE Magazine’s executive assistant. New to the vaping scene, she loves long walks on the beach, comic book conventions, cats and her Doge RDA.

Newbie A-Z Technical jargon can be a lot to take in, even for people who are in the know, and as you have probably noticed, there is plenty of it in the vaping world. Here’s a short vocabulary lesson to help get you started! Analog: (slang) An ordinary tobacco cigarette. The implication is that as the electronic version is the e-cig and that the analog version is the cigarette. Atomizer/RDA (Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer): Also known as an “atty,” it consists of the heating coil, bridge, threaded connection (where it attaches to the mod), air holes and an open end through which you inhale. Cigalike: These are the e-cigs that you can pick up from most convenience stores. Typically, they’re disposable and resemble a traditional cigarette. Clearomizer: Also called a “tank.” It’s arguably the most popular trend in vaping at the moment, with the improvements that have recently been made. It is a tube-like cartridge that holds e-liquid. A wick is generally used to deliver the juice to the coil. There are top-coil and bottom-coil setups. They commonly hold 1.7 ml to 3 ml of e-liquid at a time, which is great for vaping on the go, as you don’t have to worry about constantly dripping. On that note … Dripping: The act of adding e-liquid to the cotton of a rebuildable. Dripping requires a lot more effort, as you typically get a handful of hits before needing to drip again. It is never recommended that you drip and drive. Please, for your safety, pack a tank if you plan on being out and about. Mod/APV (Advanced Personal Vaporizer): APVs are available in two main formats: box mods, which resemble a cigarette pack with a mouthpiece attached, and tube mods, which remind me, personally, of small flashlights with a mouthpiece placed on top (the mouthpiece in both referring to either a RDA or tank). Vape Pen: A small, thin, pen-shaped battery that attaches to a small tank and operates by the press of a button.

VAPING 101 Newbies Old and New Give Advice Everyone was a newb at some point in the vaping journey. We asked our faithful readers what they wish they had known on day one.

an overseas, nic-supplying sympathiser! That’s what I would do if I was going to use nic. - Queensland, Australia

I would say do your research. I went into one vapor shop and they tripled the price on a $9 product. Be aware of pricing. - Maryland

Take your time and make sure you select a product that handles your needs. Purchase different nicotine strengths to find the one that cuts your craving for an analog. Try multiple flavors and buy multiple flavors; what may be good for a few puffs may not be good for all-day usage. Don’t buy a pen style to start. - Medford, Oregon

Dorothy Parker

You’re going to have to spend some money to get started. $50 eGos are great for the first week, but that’s about all they’re good for. Once you get used to inhaling vapor, they will leave you discouraged and unsatisfied. Spend the money; buy a good mod like IPV Mini, MVP or iStick. Get a good tank like a Nautilus or Subtank Mini. Buy plenty of extra coil heads. Have plenty of backup batteries and a good smart charger. Put together a travel case that holds all your gear, so you won’t be forced to buy a pack of smokes when your coil goes bad or your battery dies out on the road. Vaping works. I smoked for 22 years; the last cigarette I had was on the day before I started vaping, and I’ve never looked back. Spend the money and do it right; otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll get discouraged and turn back to analogs. - Champaign, Illinois

Nate Van Vleet

If you’re trying to quit smoking, don’t dance with the tobacco flavors because it makes it harder to quit smoking. Sample, sample and sample ’til you find your flavors. - Minnesota

Jerry Iozzo

You get what you pay for; take the time to educate yourself. - Kokomo, Indiana

Daniel Gallinetti

The best is to go cold turkey and throw away those horrid smokes. In two weeks you will have forgotten that you used to smoke. - Cape Town, South Africa

Kyle Venter

If you are new to vaping, I would suggest going ahead and investing in a nice quality tank and mod. The iStick with the Atlantis 2 tank is awesome! It really makes a difference in the flavor and the amount of smoke you vape. It is night and day compared to the eGo-t and Viva Nova tank I started with. Plus, you only need to use a max of 6 mg nicotine with this type of product. Once you vape and find the flavor you like, you will be in heaven, and the cigarette will be only a bad memory! I am a vape addict now and have only been vaping two months. Do some research and know what you are buying before you buy it. - Georgia

Kristy Cordell Wiggins

It’s illegal to use nic now in Queensland, Australia. Talk to people and find out about their trials; spend a reasonable amount on quality hardware and forge a good relationship with

Jody Clack

Jason Williams

Do your own research! The guy behind the counter may not always have your interests at heart. - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Bryon Raper

Definitely invest in good equipment. Also, go to more than one site or shop before you buy, because there are too many shops out there looking for that quick $50 rather than a long-term, recurring customer base. - White Plains, Maryland

Mike Anderson

It’s OK to spend a little more money for a product that will take you through the vaping experience. I started with cigalikes, quickly moved to vv with ce4 then Evod tanks then the air flow type atty. Now I have a couple high-end box mods and few sub-Ohm tanks, tried the rebuilding, naw but I’m OK with that, and e-liquid has no bounds. It’s what tastes good to you. Saying all that, I wished I would have started with something like the Eleaf 30 watt/Nauty Mini; would have saved me a lot of grief and money. Been vaping/cig free 19 months. Introduced my hubby and daughter to vaping and they profited from my journey. - St. Paul, Minnesota

Patricia Wms-McDonald

Just because you normally like a certain flavor, doesn’t mean you’ll like vaping it. Also the reverse, so don’t be afraid to try new flavors, because your taste buds will come back to life since you put down cigarettes, and you will be amazed what you will find you like and dislike. - Horn Lake, Mississippi

Amanda “Mandi” Cabrera

Take your time. Don’t rush in feet first. Look at reviews and try before you buy. Think safe, and don’t feel pressured to buy something you’re not comfortable with. - Hereford, England

Michel Standen

It would have been nice to know what shops around me were there to help people trying to quit smoking, not just making a buck. How about having a shop that would inform people with proper information, like best bang for the buck? Not just an iTaste with a Nautilus.

Aaron Black - East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

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Rex Vapor Creators Put 3D Printing on Vape Display By Chris Mellides Photos courtesy of Rex Vapor John Agens reaches into his jacket pocket and fumbles for his pack of Marlboro Reds. With a loose one dangling from his bottom lip, he tilts his head to draw from the tiny flame of his lighter and begins taking long drags that make the lit cigarette paper with the tobacco tucked inside hiss and pop. For Agens and the rest of the nation’s smokers, this simple yet harmful act becomes a common ritual mired by repetition. Whenever the Wisconsin native found himself socializing with his classmates or spending his late night hours cramming for an upcoming economics exam, his cigarettes were kept within reach. Now 23 years old and a recent graduate of Florida State University, Agens recalls the difficulties he faced while attempting to quit using combustible tobacco products.

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Days after purchasing the iTaste from his local vape shop, Agens sat with his younger sister Meredith, 22, and the two discussed vaping as well as their other shared interest: 3D printing. As Agens continued to puff on his device, he and his sister began to contemplate how 3D printing might benefit modders who could possibly free themselves from the design limitations found in traditional manufacturing techniques.

“I tried to make the switch from smoking to vaping about two years ago during the summer of 2013,” Agens said. “I had a ProSmoke [cigalike] for maybe a year, but I didn’t really get away from smoking totally.”

“We were sitting around thinking about what you can make with a 3D printer, and we realized we could probably make a vaporizer,” Agens said.

Last summer, Agens was able to successfully make the switch from smoking to vaping and credits Innokin as the company whose iTaste device made it possible for him to end his tobacco use once and for all.

With this revelation and their combined enthusiasm, the two siblings co-founded Rex Vapor, an e-cig manufacturing company named affectionately after a pet Doberman they had as children.

Utilizing the latest in 3D printing technology, the two hope to establish a brand with Rex Vapor and introduce fresh products to today’s market that are as functional as they are unique. “I think we were attracted to 3D printing for roughly the same reasons why a lot of people are in general,” Agens said. “You can add a lot of intricacy, sort of layers of different things. We’re not stuck with square or geometric shapes; we can make things that look almost organic.” The process of 3D printing is used in multiple applications and continues to benefit several different fields. From medicine to the aerospace and automotive industries, this process has proven to be hugely beneficial and cost-effective, according to Forbes. Agens describes 3D printing, or ultraviolet stereo lithography, as a process that involves “the heating of liquid resin [that’s] solidified with a beam of ultraviolet light to make a design that’s hardened into a plastic that’s both tough and heat-resistant.” It wasn’t until recently that this new method of manufacturing extended to the vaping industry. While we’ve seen battery sleds and box mods being given the 3D printing treatment, Agens is hoping to take product design to new heights of creativity. “Obviously, like other 3D printing, you can make it into pretty much any design. So we’re hoping to get lots of different designs in the future,” Agens said. “I think we’re just trying to take the next step in the design phase and sort of return to trying to make [our products] look cool.” The Agenses plan to introduce three distinct devices to kick off their Rex Vapor product line: the Feng, the Victoria and the Quartz. The Feng is the company’s take on box mods. It’s touted as a more advanced mod capable of firing down to 0.2 Ohms with a range of 3-9 volts or 7-40 watts. The device features an OLED display and supports dual 18650 batteries. The mod itself looks like a miniature dragon sculpture with its tail coiled into a ball. The Victoria and the Quartz models are pen-style vaporizers that Agens claims to be perfect for beginners, and both models have identical specs. Each device is capable of operating between 3.2-5 volts or 3-15 watts and can fire down to 1.5 Ohms. They employ an 800 mAh internal battery, an LCD display and utilize locking functions and auto-shutoff modes.

“The most impressive thing when you look at this stuff is the intricacies and all of the little lines and details,” Agens said. “I think the scales on the dragon and the filigree on the Victoria model … are two good examples of ways to demonstrate that and show that there is something different out there.” The brother-sister team has designed these products with user safety in mind. As a result, all three devices feature short-circuit protection, button timeout, lowvoltage detection and reverse polarity protection. Rex Vapor launched a two-month-long Indiegogo campaign on June 1 with the goal of raising $15,000, which Agens said will go toward printers and raw materials. He hopes that, with these funds, his company will be able to produce its products in bulk to meet customer demand. Agens said that all three models will be priced at $59 and will be made available for purchase on the Rex Vapor website at the conclusion of the company’s Indiegogo campaign. “We haven’t seen a lot of 3D printed products,” Agens said. “It seems that people want vaporizers to be stylish and slick and have a personality, and 3D printing is just a way to really take that to its natural conclusion.” Chris Mellides is a graduate of New York’s Stony Brook University, where he majored in journalism. In addition to working in the media, he also works at a vape shop, the Long Island Vaporium, where he shares his passion for educating smokers on the benefits of tobacco harm reduction.

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So, wait a minute. Are you telling me my brand new, 150+ watt mod that can fire super low Ohms and rocks with this new cloud blowing, subOhm tank, is already outdated? Well, simply put, yes. It has happened again, and you should be happy. Temperature “control” is here to stay, and it’s a good thing. That’s not to say, though, that Joe eGoUser needs to jump up and grab the newest Vapor Shark, IPV or Snow Wolf device quite yet. These devices are still appropriate for the cutting edge group, but not for long. Joe eGo One user might be ready now. By the time this article prints, we should see a dozen solid devices either on the shelves or on preorder, and by the end of the year, we should see the first “beginner vaper” eGo One level mods introducing temperature rather than voltage control. With the quality of coils in the current crop of subOhm tanks, their transition to temperature controlled coils is a simple one. Several tanks already offer replacement heads fully compatible with these early mods, and more are on the way. Caring About Temp Control Controlling the temperature of vaporization is hardly a new idea. As far back as 2010, a little known German genius of vape design, called Raidy, had a working model that included “microprocessor controlled temperature stabilization” on his own personal device named DreamPipe. His “project genesis” tank designs were released to the open world and started the rebuildable tank atomizer revolution long before the Kayfun and other tanks came around. Yet this critical component was held under much closer guard. It took four years before Evolv, an American innovator, released a production chipset that could implement this ability. Chinese companies quickly deconstructed that Evolv DNA40 design and, with varying levels of success, began to recreate it. Now, less than a year later, multiple companies have designed alternative chipsets that reproduce a similar, temperature limiting effect. So, why should you care about temperature control? Actually, most of you already do, whether you know it or not. Until recently, nearly all setups have had some form of “heat control.” Whether it was implemented through variable voltage, wattage control or simply the ability to choose a “hotter” coil at a different resistance, is what we have already been doing albeit, very roughly. Heat control merely allows us to manage just how much power flows into that little coil, but we all know what happens when it goes wrong. Once the liquid runs out on a wick, temperatures soar, liquid components start to break down and the vape goes from a beautiful experience into a horrific, throat wrenching, dry hit. While the wick is wet, we vary our puff length, power setting and air flow restriction, all to get a better vape. The better vape was largely about managing the temperature during the vape to balance flavor, clouds and smoothness. Temp Control Devices So, if we have all of these ways to indirectly control temperature, why do we now need a device that does it for us? Two main reasons come to mind. The most obvious is the elimination of dry hits. I am vaping on an IPV4 with a kanthal and

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Words and photos by Arvid Sollom

Nickel twisted coil in a Doge X, and I just ran low on juice, but I didn’t stop vaping. If I was set to simple power regulation, my next vape would have been harsh, overheated and entirely unenjoyable. But instead, with temperature control, the next vape is cooler and slightly less dense, but still tasty and palatable. Another several vapes later, my clouds have become soft and very cool, yet still not a classical “dry hit.” A quick dousing of liquid later, plumes have returned and a warm, joyous vape is back. And my wick survived the beating with no scorching left behind. The second, more subtle, but possibly most important, reason for temperature control, comes down to safety. Countless inflammatory news articles have been published in 2015 regarding the poisons released by vaping. The key element, which virtually none of the media caught on to, was that in order to produce what they called formaldehyde or other related toxins, it was necessary to overheat the vape setups to the point of dry hits. Once a wet wick is outpaced by the heat provided, temperatures skyrocket into a range that can indeed break down otherwise innocuous components in our liquid to produce what may be potentially dangerous elements. Temperature control specifically addresses this issue by automatically reducing power to prevent overheating. What’s the Temp Control Key? So, how does it all work? The key to these new devices is their ability to monitor the resistance of a coil made of specific wire in a very precise manner and, as the coil heats up, increases in that resistance can be used to approximate the temperature reached. Once a user set temperature is reached, the power output is regulated up and down to maintain a relatively consistent output. When a wick starts to run dry or less air is pulled across the coil, temperature spikes are responded to by the chip reducing the power, managing to continue allowing the user to vape without scorching or overheating. There still is a long way to go before these devices work flawlessly. Currently, they require users to know approximate temperature values to assign and have the ability to judge any variance in those from device to device. Different, potentially better, wire metals require more guesswork as to what “temperature” value to set, since current devices are calibrated to a specific type and our standard kanthal and Nichrome wires are unable to be used by them and still maintain that control. More intelligence in the devices will solve these issues, and control will be able to be reduced to perhaps an aggressiveness setting, and a general band of temperature or simply a dial for temperature alone. For those of us already living the future of vaping, the future looks very bright! Arvid Sollom began vaping as the 510 Cig-alike rose to be king of the hill in 2009. As a consummate tinkerer, he quickly pushed the tech boundaries by building five volt boxes. Keeping at the front edges of ever evolving tech, he’s also helped found two local social groups and works for the oldest vape shop in Tucson, continuing his tinkering with repairs and custom refinishes.

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Steel City Hosts Vaping Convention Circuit Show

By Alyssa Stahr Photos by Mike Schramel No matter how many shows I attend on the 2015 vaping circuit, they never seem to run together. Each show has its own style, flair and significance. VCC 2015 in Pittsburgh was no exception. The David L. Lawrence Convention Center played host to the second VCC of the year, and with spectacular city views and heightened ceilings, this gave vendors a chance to break out the big guns in terms of display size. Upon entering the venue, one can’t help to notice the majestic ceilings. Not only was this a visually appealing sight, but for a jam packed vapor convention it’s almost a logistic necessity. Saturday morning played host to a three-hour B2B session, and while the music from Azure Vaping’s booth by the front door added a festive aspect, it wasn’t overwhelming. Shows seem to be giving the B2B session more respect in 2015, which selfishly

helps yours truly. I’m interviewing and speaking to people without screaming and losing my voice in the process, which I’m sure other vendors appreciate while conducting business during this all-important time. At noon the doors opened to the general public, who were offered free admission, but were encouraged to support advocacy groups like Vape A Vet and the Vaping Militia, who were in attendance. On Saturday, saw about 3,000 attendees walk through the doors, with about 2,000 on Sunday. Kevin Skipper, owner and convention coordinator, said that he was very happy with those numbers for a first event in a new locale. Liquids took center stage at VCC. It seems as if everyone has a liquid out on the market, as evidenced by the huge gathering of people close to the main stage for giveaways from Propaganda, Innovape, Deep Blue, Hold Fast Vapors, Cosmic Fog, Longhorn Vapor and more.

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Jordan Hufnagel, salesperson at Kingdom Vapor said that VCCPA was the company’s second show this year, due to the size and the proximity. Skipper chose Pittsburgh as a locale partly because of that reason.

Co-presenters took donations for tobacco harm reduction and advocacy, with mod raffles happening at the VCC booth. Approximately $5,000 was raised for tobacco harm reduction. As for the next event, Skipper said that the THR Fundraiser after party will have some tweaks to increase participation and therefore raise more money for THR. “Also, I think we will choose a different day/time (other than after vendor setup) for the Industry/Advocacy session to also increase attendance. It is tough to get vendors in to listen about advocacy after a long day of travel and setup, so I think I can do a better job planning the timing for that aspect of the event,” he said.

“I wanted a location in the Northeast that had not hosted a vaping convention before. It is my goal to expose new markets to vaping so we can keep vapers off of combustible tobacco and expose smokers to this awesome product and community,” Skipper said. “I had never been to Pittsburgh before VCCPA15, and I was blown away by the city. Everything about it was great—from the people to the architecture, to the food and convention facilities. What a great American city!”

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After the stage giveaways, both days featured a battery and rebuilding safety talk. Skipper said that VCC has had, and will have, free battery safety and rebuilding classes at every event. “It is imperative, as this industry continues to grow, that new vapers understand the basics of vaping if they choose to do their own builds to ensure they vape safe. Like anything else, a little knowledge goes a long way where safety is concerned,” he said.

Mike McManus of Mad Mike’s said that he thought VCCPA was different to him because there weren’t as many vendors, which he saw as a good thing. “When there’s a boatload of vendors, not everyone’s getting to every booth,” he said. First-time attendees were in abundance. Jon Prechtl, a Pittsburgh native, said that he had never been to a vaping event period. He loved the good deals, cheap juice and “dudes on crazy segway things.” Cecil Kimbrough, who came to the show with his mom, agreed. “It’s my first show and it’s freakin’ awesome. I quit on Sept. 3 and never smoked a cigarette since. My mom quit smoking two weeks after. I’m still hitting booths,” he said. “It’s unreal; I was not expecting this. The setup, the flow, the community, the atmosphere itself. Everyone is friendly. I love it. I just wish I would’ve started vaping sooner.” A B2C event isn’t complete without vaping celebrities in the house. GrimmGreen was seen chatting up attendees at the NamberJuice booth, while Phil Busardo, aka DJ Miami, spun tunes at the THR Fundraiser, held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The flow seemed steady, and for the fifth VCC event in a row, Skipper said there were no major issues and very few minor issues: “A testament to the amount of time and preparation that goes into a VCC event.” For more information on VCC, visit http://www.vapingcc.com/.

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MODS on MODS

With an active Instagram following of more than 62,000 and an active online forum with more than 18,200 members, CaliVapers has become a strong and recognizable brand within the vape community. Being located at the epicenter of the vaping industry, CaliVapers always has had its finger on the pulse of vaping. As the vape community continues to grow, more and more modders are entering the fray, and finding a source for reliable information on high-end and affordable

mods is becoming more difficult. We’re here to cover the MODS. From the rarest and hottest — to the most reliable and affordable, CaliVapers has your back. Visit us at calivapers.com and keep up with us on Instagram at @calivapers @bgateb @janhalili and @vapingroybot.

Champion GT

Country of origin: Malaysia Modders: Ahmad Faiz and the StickMan Team Battery: 26650 Chip: Evolv DNA30 Features: stabilized wood; impeccable, handmade construction.

August Buyer’s Guide by Jan Halili & Bryan Gateb of CaliVapers Photos by Roy Mananquil and Bryan Gateb

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ATTIES on DECK

Frost Mods Box (FMB)

Country of origin: Poland Modder: Marta Mróz Battery: 18650 or 26650 Chip: Evolv DNA40 (gold) Features: stabilized wood body with gorgeous wood options.

W-Box by Wapari Design

Country of origin: Finland Modder: Teppo Tuorila Battery: 18650 Chip: SX350 Features: stabilized wood body, adjustable 510, and a wealth of wood and frame material options.

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Pandora’s Box

Country of origin: Malaysia Modder: Bryan Mohamed Battery: 18650 Chip: Evolv DNA40 (gold) Features: stabilized wood body, mil spec wires, brushed SS plates, brass battery pin, spring-loaded 510. “Pandora’s Box is the idea and vision of Bryan Mohamed together with 5 talented lads that form the PB team. It’s designed for the comfort of daily vapes, where we envisioned it to be a high quality vape” –Bryan Mohamed

MAGAZINE

Praxis Mods

Country of origin: U.S.A. Modders: Ivan Lee and Brett Reed Battery: 18650 or 18350 Features: available in stainless steel, brass or copper; rhodium-plated hybrid adapter and button assembly; self-locking, recessed switch. “The concept of the switch was a culmination of us wanting a hard hitting safe mod. Coming from a retail background, I heard all of the stories of mods auto-firing, so we came up with a button design that would negate this and still perform.” –Ivan Lee

MEB Mods M-Atty

Country of origin: USA Modder: Matt Brown Features: type II gold over c360 brass 510 center pin, dual and single airflow capable, overbuilt deck with square PEEK insulator, reduced chamber (17.5mm ID by 8mm tall), handmade construction.

Vector RDA

NextGen Atomizer

Derringer by Praxis Mods

Country of origin: USA Modder: Vapour Lifestyle Features: full 303 stainless steel, vertical top-feed air intake, super wide-bore AFC drip cap, PEEK insulator, pure red copper contacts. Country of origin: Greece Modder: Costas Tsitoumis (VapeWare Mods) Features: genesis-style, No need to tilt Does not leak, vacuum pressure for mesh-wicking, 5ml capacity, 304L food grade stainless steel. Country of origin: USA Modders: Ivan Lee and Brett Reed “We wanted to create a high quality atomizer that can help minimize the profile of one’s device without giving up performance. The Derringer has created a space in the market for a slew of new small atomizers to be developed.” –Ivan Lee

Combines Vaping, Hookah in German Hub By Alyssa Stahr Photos by Matt Schramel

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VaporFair and HookahFair converged into one place, Frankfurt, Germany, for a long-awaited event. The expo for hookahs, shisha tobacco, charcoal, vapors, electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, mods and corresponding accessories hit Hall 1 of the Exhibition Center in Frankfurt, and show director Aytac B. Leyla said that the expo exceeded all expectations. This year’s event was moved into the 9,000 sq. meter hall, a change from last year’s separation of vaping and hookah products. This resulted in one central location, avoiding long walks for attendees. Leyla called the new show format a “constellation of both exhibitors and visitors.” The international show drove a record 11, 421 people through the doors from 72 different countries. One-hundred-fifty-four vendors exhibited.

Hϋseyin Gϋl (left) with Evapo was not expecting such a large retail crowd. ‘We just brought a little bit of product with us, and people just wanted to buy buy buy!”

“The international market and the demand of hookahs and accessories and e-products is consistent and is constantly rising,” Leyla said in a statement. “The 154 represented companies, which presented their innovations to a strongly attended fair, are looking forward to next year’s show.” Most of the vendors have already confirmed their participation for next April’s event. “We are overwhelmed by the number of visitors. We are so happy to have set a new visitor record this year. Now we know that the market is not just big—it is unbelievably huge. And, we will respond accordingly in 2016,” said the expo’s managing director, Engin B. Leyla. The planning team already is in the advanced planning stages for the 2016 event, with new ideas in the brainstorming stage. One of the changes will be an additional B2B exhibition day, stretching the expo into a three-day event. Even though hookah is a popular item in Germany, vapor was a much bigger force at this year’s expo. There was a very large end-user crowd and a high demand to buy products, something that most vendors were not expecting. American companies that traveled to the German hub city did very well at the show, and tiny vape booths surprisingly out-did the giant e-cig booths. “Frankfurt stands for financial strength and economic dynamism, which includes the vivacity of its markets and openness for products,” Aytac Leyla said. “Moreover, there is no other German city that is reached faster and more often by other important European cities. Even when it comes to reaching it from other continents, Frankfurt is always easy and fast to reach. Therefore, there is no doubt, that this sparkling and vibrant city is the ideal location for this event. ”

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Asif Siddiq with O.C. Liquids Inc., started his journey days before the show, and after reading up on Vapor Fair he didn’t think twice. “It was the best decision we made; Vegas was not even close to this show. The buyers are here; the market is here in Germany. There is a demand for made in America goods, and being one of the few American brands here everyone went crazy for our brand. The big booths have nothing on our booth here. We have a lot of deals that we are already working on to bring our product to the German market. We are considering going to other shows in Europe. The U.S. market is kind of stable now while the European marketing is exciting and growing.”

Giles Toledano, Pulp Liquids Founder, was in Frankfurt for the company’s first European show. “This show has given us the opportunity to meet people from other counties. This is more international than the shows in France. We have made a lot connections here.”

The Leyla’s said that they are convinced that Frankfurt, with all its advantages (infrastructure within the city, but also to reach it from all over the world) is unique. They said that they are really listening to the market, to what the visitors want, what trade organizations want and what exhibitors wish to gain for next year. “We think that our vendors should to what they think is best for their business, but we want them to feel free in their possibilities and offer them the whole range of opportunities to put their products on the market,” Aytac Leyla said. “We were very happy, because all of our visitors and exhibitors told us that they really enjoyed their stay there, not only because it was easy to reach, but also because this city offers so much more.” For information on next year’s VaporFair, visit http://www. vaporfair.eu/.

Founded in 2008, Ramiya Korea is a South Korean company that owns more than 70 percent of the Korean market with more than 300 stand alone vape shops. Its new products are designed and manufactured in South Korea and were introduced to the U.S. market at World Vapor Expo in Miami in May.

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mojovapor.com

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