Vapelyfe Magazine Issue 08

ISSUE 8 | JULY 2018

PHE 2018 PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND REPORT EXPLAINED HEAT NOT BURN AND THE ECIG INDUSTRY

BY VIC MULLIN THE LONDON VAPE SHOW WHAT’S ON VAPESTORE SPOTLIGHT EMPIRE VAPE CO. STARTER KITS AND JUICES WHERE TO START!

BY THE VAPING POGNOPHILE

CONTENTS 6

PHE 2018 PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND REPORT EXPLAINED

10 THE LONDON VAPE SHOW WHAT’S ON” 16 HEAT NOT BURN AND THE E CIG INDUSTRY

BY VIC MULLIN 20 STOP SMOKING! THE GOVERNMENT WANT US TO STOP SMOKING, SO WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO HELP US?” 23 STARTER KITS AND JUICES – WHERE TO START!

BY THE VAPING POGONOPHILE 27 CHINA’S LARGEST VAPING TRADE SHOW THE IECIE EXPO IN SHENZHEN APRIL 2018 “DYIN TO LIVE’S TOM PRENDERGAST GIVE US THE LOW DOWN ON THIS AWESOME SHOW” 33 MY VAPING JOURNEY DINNER LADY HELPS LOCAL LADY ON HER VAPING JOURNEY 40 ODB WRAPS -VAPELYFE CHAT TO CHRIS STREETER AT ODB WRAPS ABOUT WHERE IT ALL BEGAN AND WHERE THEY’RE HEADING 44 VAPESTORE SPOTLIGHT EMPIRE VAPE CO. 54 MIKE’S MECHS REVIEWS 58 VAPING ETIQUETTE THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF VAPING 62 LIQUID REVIEWS THIS MONTH WE REVIEW LIQUIDS BY JACK RABBIT VAPES AND BARE HEAD E LIQUIDS. 68 NEWS WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF VAPING

3

FROM THE EDITOR ISSUE 8 | July 2018

Hey VapeFam So, issue 8 is out, summer is well and truly underway and we’re pretty excited about all that the next few months hold! Firstly, we’d like to thank all that contributed to this issue for their expert advice, guidance and insights in to this ever-evolving world of vaping. A big high five to Tom Prendergast from Dyin to Live, the Vaping Pogonophile, Mike Collins, Vic Mullin and as always, our star reviewer Open_Airflow. We couldn’t do it without you #vapefam!

In this issue we throw some light on to stopping smoking by vaping, the fountain of vaping knowledge that is The Vaping Pogonophile, gives us his picks of the best starter kits and juice advice for those who can feel a little overwhelmed when starting out on their vaping journey. YouTube vape review sensation Vic Mullin aka ‘vaping with Vic’ outlines his argument in the big ‘Heat not burn’ debate occupying the industry now. If you’re wondering what it’s all about, Vic has it covered!

Public Health England produced an update this year to their 2015 report in to vaping and we break it down for anyone a little unsure about the safety and health implications of vaping.

Misinformation and ‘fake news’ stories are possibly one of the biggest reasons an up take in vaping has plateaued in recent years. We also take a cheeky look at ‘vaping etiquette’, the do’s and don’t us vapers try to stick to. If you’re new to vaping and wondering what’s what when it comes to vaping in public and unfamiliar places give this article a read.

We’re also covering our usual features such as the ‘vapestore spotlight’ where we chat to Chris Bell from the Empire Vape Co. You might know Chris from his wildly popular YouTube channel ‘Empire Vape Co.’, with over 10k subscribers Chris delivers reviews and topics of interest to his devoted followers in his unique style that keeps you glued to your screen and wanting more.

4

Dinner Lady features in this issue’s ‘vaping journey’, we talk to the recipient of their very generous gift, about her vaping journey and some of the campaigns she’s been involved with along the way. We welcome Mike’s Mechs reviews to the VapeLyfe fam with his take on what’s hot right now and we chat with ODB wraps’ Chris Streeter about his truly unique brand. As always Open_Airflow reviews his pick of the best e liquids featuring Banoffee Pie and Succulent Strawberry by Jack Rabbit Vapes and Chocolate Chip Cookie Smores by Bare Head Liquids.

Lastly but by no means least we give you the low down on the eagerly anticipated London Vape Show. The dudes from Vapefindr are returning to the Olympia London for a second year to bring us some of the biggest names in the vaping industry, trickster competitions, awards and free giveaways. If you’re considering quitting smoking via vaping or know someone who is the London Vape Show is the show for you. Check out the article to find out more about how they can help you ditch the fags forever!

See you all at the London Vape Show guys!

Team VapeLyfe

vapelyfemag.co.uk @vapelyfemag vapelyfemagazine @vapelyfemag1

Report Explained

In England, smoking remains the top preventable cause of both premature death and illness. In 2016, more than one in seven adults were smokers, a figure which has dropped significantly over the past decades but still remains relatively high.

E

-cigarettes and vaping devices have risen in prevalence as a means of quitting smoking and many smokers have been able to make the transition successfully.

However, a lot of misinformation and misunderstandings have arisen around the use of e-cigarettes. Public Health England (PHE) have released their latest report on the subject which provides the facts that every smoker should know.

Here we’ll take an in-depth look at what the report has to say across different areas concerning vaping, from public perceptions to health risks and future research. As vaping has boomed in only a short space of time, this report was commissioned by the government to sure up previous smaller studies which were conducted into the dangers of vaping when it first gained in popularity. So read on and you’ll find out everything you need to know about the new findings:

PERCEPTIONS OF VAPING The PHE report found that there remains a substantial level of misunderstandings among smokers of the effects of vaping. In particular: Only half of all smokers believe that the use of e-cigarettes and vaping are less harmful than smoking Among smokers who have never used e-cigarettes, only a third believe vaping is less harmful Very few smokers or ex-smokers believe that quitting tobacco and using e-cigarettes instead offer real health benefits.

Researchers believe that many of the

misunderstandings about the use of e-cigarettes and vaping are based on a lack of knowledge about the effects of nicotine.

Nicotine is unrelated to the majority of health concerns connected with smoking, including cancer, but less than one in 10 smokers and ex-smokers surveyed knew this.

These misconceptions about the relative health risks of smoking were found to be largely the same among youngsters and older adults.

THE IMPACT OF VAPING ON HEALTH The outcome of research into vaping makes startling reading, showing huge health benefits for those who make the switch.

Cancer is one of the biggest concerns for every smoker, but the lifetime cancer risk for vaping has been shown to be under 0.5% of the comparative risk of smoking. This means that by switching to e-cigarettes a smoker can dramatically slash the likelihood of developing a smoking-related cancer. The link between regular cigarettes and cancer is already wellestablished, but the addictive nature of the tobacco means that people are simply unable to drop their habit at the drop of a hat – even when they are aware of the health risks. Vaping offers smokers the chance to do something that looks and feels real, but is much less harmful to their health; this is something which chewing gums, counselling sessions, hypnotherapy and patches just cannot provide as they all aim to shun the act of smoking entirely instead of simply replacing it with something ‘healthier’.

Lung and cardiovascular disease are the other two main health concerns for smokers. The risks of these are not yet as well defined as those of cancer but experts believe that yet again, there is likely to be a very significant drop compared to smoking. Although the full data is not yet available, certain respiratory markers have been checked for vaping and these were found to be on a par with a non-smoker. This is a strong indicator that the respiratory and cardiovascular risks of vaping are likely to be also very low.

The only risk of interest identified was due to substantial overheating of e-liquids. However, this overheating would produce such an unpleasant taste, users would be immediately alerted and wouldn’t continue with the vape.

The study did not identify any risks associated with passive vaping.

USING VAPING TO QUIT SMOKING Recent statistics have seen the number of smokers successfully quitting climb to record levels, and this is believed to be partly due to the use of e-cigarettes.

“ The exact number of smokers who have switched to vaping to quit is not yet known but based on the information available, it’s believed to be tens of thousands.”

E-cigarette used either alone, or in tandem with other support from the Stop Smoking Service have shown to be a successful method.

The study revealed that the majority of people who vape begin because they want to give up smoking. Current smokers who also vape have higher levels of motivation to give up smoking completely compared to other smokers.

All of this information supports the use of e-cigarettes as a useful tool to move away from smoking and subsequently reduce the harmful effects on the body.

VAPING AND TEENS One concern often cited about vaping is the creation of a so-called “cool culture” which could induce non-smokers into the use of

e-cigarettes, and then onto smoking.

In the UK, e-cigarettes cannot legally be sold to anyone aged under 18 years of age. Occasional experimentation is seen amongst a few teens who have never smoked but the overwhelming majority of use is from those who are smokers.

switching from smoking to vaping, even with the continued use of nicotine.

There is also no evidence to show that any young people who vape move on to become smokers.

The Director for Health Improvement at Public Health England, Professor John Newton, said that compared to smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes are “at least 95% less harmful”.

He went on to describe it as “tragic” that many smokers are currently unaware that vaping could help them to quit the use of tobacco and provide them with health benefits.

Overall rates of smoking in young people continues to decline, and e-cigarettes do not appear to be affecting this trend.

These views were echoed by leading experts in top organisations such as Cancer Research UK and King’s College London.

WHAT THIS REPORT MEANS This PHE report has reached the same conclusions as many other studies into the subject of vaping and associated health concerns.

The PHE is now leading calls for action to be taken following this report to help smokers make the switch to vaping.

Misunderstandings and misconceptions about the use of e-cigarettes and the role of nicotine need to be addressed to provide smokers with accurate information to make an informed choice. The facts show that there are significant benefits to health simply by

There are currently around three million vapers in the UK and it’s a market which is constantly expanding.

A recent report from Public Health England revealed that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and has called for more support for smokers to switch to e-cigarettes.

T

he upcoming London Vape Show is a great opportunity for smokers who have never vaped, or perhaps those who have only tried it once, to come along and find out for themselves how to make the switch.

But it’s not just for those who are new to vaping; a whole host of exhibitors, features and special offers to enjoy. There are freebies galore, so even if you’re a veteran vaper, you can still pick up some unique and special liquid flavours, mod parts and other accessories.

Taking place on 25-26th August 2018, here’s a flavour of what you could enjoy during the show.

A RELAXED AND SPACIOUS SETTING The London Vape Show will take place in Olympia, one of the premiere exhibition areas within the capital. A short 40-minute trip from Heathrow, Olympia lies within the centre of London but retains the beauty of Victorian architecture with its magnificent roof which arcs 170ft across the sky. Inside there’s plenty of room for up to 100 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors.

The show will be held within the West Hall Upper, the same as last year, as it offers a great amount of space while still retaining a friendly and intimate atmosphere.

As with many venues in London, public transport is the best way to travel but London Olympia is the only place in the capital which has its own dedicated station, Kensington. Located right outside the venue, there are also a number of other train stations within walking distance.

There are also coach and bus services which run directly to Olympia.

Anyone travelling by car will find onsite parking but it’s advisable to book a space in advance. The postcode you’ll need for the sat nav is W14 8UX. FREE STARTER KITS With the recent research demonstrating the huge health benefits of switching to vaping and binning the cigs, once again the London Vape Show is giving away free starter kits.

Last year this was sponsored generously by London Vape Mob, and resulted in more than 170 starter kits given out free of charge over the weekend with 170 packs of cigarettes surrendered and thrown away at the same time!

The London Vape Show will yet again be offering free starter kits to those who come along, offering an easy introduction to vaping for those who want to quit smoking.

The show is also a great place to get advice about making the switch and asking all those questions which you might have on your mind. Lighting up a cigarette may be obvious but how do you “start” a vape? What happens if you run out of e-liquid?

There’s no such thing as a silly question.

The London Vape Show has brought in a team of Vape Product Reviewers who are there to answer any questions from both beginners and more advanced vapers who want to trade up. This is a great opportunity to find out more about vaping in a supportive environment where experts are on hand.

A PACKED DAY OF ACTIVITIES Behind the scenes a lot of work has gone into the features being offered over the weekend and there’s a packed schedule for both days.

The exhibitors who are attending have been invited to submit their products for judging and if you stick around until Sunday afternoon you’ll be able to watch the awards.

Vaping tricks are spectacular to watch and if you’ve never seen some of these performed, the show is your chance to watch them first-hand. A tricks booth will be up and running, so head over and check out some of the jaw-dropping vape feats for free.

Across both days, there’s a relaxed yet buzzing atmosphere with quieter areas where you can get to grips with such as coil tutorials.

There’s also a main stage DJ, networking area and music throughout the day so there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained, other than just the vaping stands. You’ll find the usual eateries and catering stands to keep your tummy happy throughout the day. If you really want to make the most of your time at the show, there are also going to be tattooists and barbers onsite this year!

B2B The VapeFindr London Vape Show is a great place for the public to find out more about e-cigarettes and vaping and try out new products, but there’s also a dedicated B2B service too.

Any vape traders or vape show employees can attend the show free of charge, using a special entrance. There are also dedicated trade hours

too between the hours of 10am and midday, before the general public arrive.

This provides the opportunity for traders to meet and conduct business more efficiently in a quieter environment without the crowds.

FIND YOUR VAPE There are lots of reasons why you might want to head down to the London Vape Show with a great range of entertainment that’s been organised for the weekend. However, the most important of all is the chance to get to try out different brands and find flavours that you might not have tried before.

The Vape Show is designed to be more than just a fact-finding exercise and if last year’s show is any indication, it will be a great way to spend the day.

However, the organisers haven’t forgotten the reason why most people will want to attend.

Visitors will be able to browse through an array of top vaping suppliers, and enjoy a range of discount and special deals which are being offered exclusively for the show. There are also demos, competitions and giveaways too so you could end up with some top class vaping supplies for next to nothing!

Every visitor will leave with a free VapeFindr goodie bag, making it a must-attend event for anyone who’s interested in e-cigarettes and vaping.

londonvapeshow.com

15

Heat not burn & the E Cig industry Hi folks! My name is Vic Mullin, better know on YouTube as “Vaping With Vic” and I have been an ecig reviewer on YouTube for more than 4 years.

O

ver the past 4 years the industry as a whole has shifted in many different directions. From mouth to lung based vaping which was popular when I started, to the dawn of the subohm tanks (Aspire Atlantis in 2015) to the release of affordable mech mods and affordable high wattage devices.

In the UK however, especially over the past few months, one subject has been a hot topic when it comes to reviewers like myself, vapers, advocates and the vape shops.

Heat Not Burn.

Heat Not Burn (HnB) devices essentially take a small tobacco filled paper tube that has a filter, this tube is then inserted in various devices (the well known one is the IQOS) and the tobacco is toasted rather than fully burned. The result is very similar to smoking, just without the action combustion of the tobacco. In 2015 leading into 2016, Phillip

Morris who is the tobacco company that is behind the IQOS tried to get a foothold into the vape shop scene by visiting individual vape shops up and down the country in order to showcase this new HnB device to be sold within vape shops. Needless to say…it didn’t work out for them.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2018 and things are different. There are now a lot more vape shops out there in the UK compared to the amount of shops there was in the beginning of 2016. A reported (via some wholesalers) 450+ vape shops up and down the country are now stocking, and selling the IQOS. The effect this will have for the future of the industry in the UK, and the possibility of the dangerous cul-de-sac it might lead us down is something which some people, including myself, have been talking about since the IQOS first started making headway into local independent and chain vape shops.

So, why is it a bad idea for a vape shop to stock these HnB devices? In essence, vaping is a method of giving up smoking. A way for smokers to ditch combustible tobacco and move on to a safer alternative. At the same time, Phillip Morris claim of the IQOS being “95% safer” (their words, not mine) than combustible tobacco sounds good. The FDA over in the US called into question the 95% safer health claim, and Dr Farsalinos, who has been heavily into the research of vaping for a number of years has done some tests on the IQOS device and found it to be 10 times worse than vaping…yet the Royal College of Phycisians here in the UK has stated that vaping… is 95% safer than smoking.

Putting the IQOS dubious 95% claims aside, at its heart the HnB devices are tobacco

products. The devices themselves take small tubes of paper, with a filter, that is filled with tobacco, remind you of anything? They are essentially miniature cigarettes which have been treated with VG. They are a tobacco product.

So, now the stage is set, and the players have taken their spots…lets raise the curtain on the whole affair.

The anti e-cig lobbyists in the US, UK and Eu for years have established an anti ecig and anti tobacco line, that line was comparing vaping, which is what we all do with the usual nicotine based (or for some people 0 nic) liquids, to tobacco. Since as far back as I can remember the line of “vaping is just another tobacco product”, or the classic “big

tobacco is using vaping as a back door” or the older classic of “big tobacco owns more than 90% of the vaping market” was trotted out over and over again on twitter, Facebook and any other social media outlet that the anti ecig lobbyist could get a foothold into. Now, from 2009(ish) to 2017, we, as vapers, knew without doubt that the statements that the lobbyists was making was false. Sure, Blu and MyVon Erl may have been taken over by a big tobacco company, but they are still vaping devices.

Up until the beginning of this year, a UK vaper could walk into any vape shop…ANY vape shop in this country, and not find one single item, whether it be a liquid, a coil, a tank, or a device which had tobacco in it.

Now…that is no longer the case.

Now a growing number of vape shops up and down the country are stocking actual tobacco products, the refills for the HnB devices, and now the anti ecig lobby have started to take up on that.

Already on twitter pictures of “big tobaccos take over!” of the vape scene in the UK have circulated as more and more shops have given in to the flat-out bribe of £200 to £500 that Phllip Morris is offering these struggling vape shops per month to stock these derives, and as that number grows, the chances the UK has of getting Ecigs removed from the EU based Tobacco Products Directive diminishes…and that’s what this is leading up to.

In a couple of years, the UK will leave the EU. A large growing number of advocacy groups and trade groups have been lobbying the UK “business parliament to strip or tone down the wording of

The mistake made 5 years ago of lumping ecigs into a directive which was based around cigarettes has hobbled the industry since May 2017” ecigs in the TPD and TRPR. The mistake made 5 years ago of lumping ecigs into a directive which was based around cigarettes has hobbled the industry since May of 2017, and more and more people and vape shop owners want vaping

removed from tobacco rules.

That is not going to be as easy as it could have been now. Because now, we have vape shops actually selling a product which is in the same tax bracket as tobacco, which actually contains tobacco, and is actually made by a big tobacco company. As more and more vape shops stock these HNB devices, then the chances of advocacy working in the UK slowly diminishes, and the slow creeping take over of vape shops advertising AND selling an actual tobacco product starts to take hold.

Now, I have no issues with people using HnB devices as a means to give up smoking. It has its place like vaping does, like patches and gum do and like other NRT methods do. That place however is NOT in a vape shop, which, for more than half a decade or more, has not and has never sold an actual tobacco product… until now.

Think about that for a minute. Vape shops, selling, and advertising a tobacco product which contains tobacco.

That cul-de-sac we are heading down? It will be difficult for the industry in the UK to get back out of it once vape shops are legitimately seen to beelling tobacco and big tobacco products.

We are currently at the entrance to that cul-de-sac…

Youtube.com/VapingVic VapingWithVic VapingWithVic

19

The Government want us to stop smoking, so what are they doing to help us?

M

ost people are well aware of the many problems associated with smoking. While smoking may have been considered classy and elegant in decades gone by, these days it has become extremely antisocial. In addition to this, and more importantly, we are now fully aware of the many serious and even fatal conditions that smoking can cause- cancer and poverty being just two of the main culprits.

It is not just the antisocial and health aspects of smoking that make it so important to try and kick the habit. The cost of cigarettes these days is crippling and people that struggle to give up end up spending an absolute fortune on cigarettes each month. This alone should be enough to make you want to kick smoking to the kerb but as most smokers know giving up is far easier said than done.

Here we’ll take a look at what the government has been doing in the past few months and years to tackle the smoking epidemic which is filling hospital beds and filling the streets with dirty cigarette butts at the same time. We’ll also give some helpful tips if you’re trying to get that tobacco monkey off your back too!

TAKING STEPS TO GET HELP The addictive nature of smoking means that is can be notoriously difficult to give up on your own. Even when you manage to go without for

a few days, cigarettes are always on your mind and the temptation is always there. By getting help with giving up, you are far more likely to achieve success on a long-term basis. Fortunately, the UK government now provides a range of assistance for smokers in a bid to encourage and help them to give up.

The Stop Smoking Service that is offered by the National Health Service has been put together by experts and those that have managed to kick the habit themselves. According to statistics, those that get help with their smoking are four times more likely to succeed so this is definitely a service that is worth looking into. As part of the service, you can gain access to valuable advice, high levels of support, and one-on-one sessions with a professional to help and encourage you. There are also group sessions that you can attend, and you can start attending these in the run-up to quitting.

When you attend the Stop Smoking Service, you will be able to get advice and information about nicotine replacements, which could effectively help you to achieve your goal. There are also medicines that could help you. Experts can provide you with recommendations so you are on the most suitable replacement product based on your individual needs.

If you want to find out more about your local Stop Smoking Service, you can visit the website

here. All you need to do is enter your postcode in the section provided to gain access to the various services that are in your local area. You can then select the one that is most convenient for you and make contact with them directly.

ACCESS A VARIETY OF OPTIONS When it comes to getting support to help you quit smoking, you can access a variety of options based on your needs and preferences.

This includes face to face interaction with expert advisors, telephone advice and information, and online support provided via live chat services. This makes it far easier for you to access the support you need wherever and whenever you need to.

You can also find out more about products such as medicines designed to help you give up. This includes Champix tablets and Zyban tablets, which have proven successful for many people. Of course, you will also be able to get more information about products such as nicotine replacement patches, inhalers, sprays, gum, and other products that have all been designed to help you stop smoking.

Through this service, you can access more information about e-cigarettes, which many people have turned to in a bid to try and give up the real thing. According to data, close to three million people in Britain use these electronic cigarettes and around half of these have actually been successful in giving up smoking as a result.

WHY YOU NEED TO GIVE UP With the huge range of issues that smoking can cause, there are many reasons to take action in a bid to give up once and for all. Some of the key reasons for giving up smoking include: • The antisocial aspect: Smoking has become extremely antisocial over recent years and this

is one of the reasons to give up. These days, you can no longer smoke inside public places so if you want to have a cigarette while out with friend or family you have to head outdoors no matter what the weather is like.

The smell from smoking can also put people off from sitting close to you, as nobody wants to breathe in second-hand smoke or smell stale smoke on your breath, clothes, and hair.

• The financial aspect: Many people end up with very little money or no money to pay essential living costs because all their cash goes on buying cigarettes. The cost of cigarettes these days is crippling and people end up spending literally thousands of pounds a year on them.

When you imagine how much money you could save by giving up smoking, this should help to spur you on in your quest to kick the habit.

• The health aspect: The most important reason for giving up smoking it to reduce the risk of serious and fatal disease and improve your overall health. Smoking can have a huge negative impact on your health and every year, many people die from smoking related illnesses including cancer. By giving up now, you can start lowering your risk of serious health conditions.

START THE JOURNEY TODAY If you are serious about giving up smoking, it is important not to delay because this will give you time to change your mind. Many people that smoke claim that the reason they don’t give up is because they enjoy it. In actual fact, the reason why many of them don’t give up is because they are addicted to it and don’t have the willpower to do it alone. By contacting these support service providers right away, you can start your journey toward a healthier, smoke-free life without delay.

Logic ad

22

Starter kits and juices

WHERE TO START

by The Vaping Pogonophile

H

ave you got the right kit for you?

Are you just starting out? Trying to give up those horrid cigarettes?

You’ve tried everything and even tried vaping but finding that it just doesn’t feel right or something missing. You will probably find that you haven’t picked up the right kit for you.

To be honest with the growth of the vaping industry there is a wealth of choice of equipment to choose from. When you are starting out it can seem like a minefield with the amount to choose from.

As a smoker wanting to quit you will have a lot of questions and if you see someone vaping you might find yourself asking them.

As a vape shop owner I am seeing people who have either been misinformed or just given the wrong advice. I don’t think people intend to this, it is more a case of telling someone what works for them. I’m afraid I think this happens in vape shops too or their knowledge is as much as they have been told – “this device will work for everyone”.

Following Facebook groups and seeing a simple question “I’m wanting to give up smoking what would you recommend?”

As I scroll through the answers I’m shaking my head at some of them, large Sub ohm kits, re-buildable and even mechanical MODs! Unbelievable, no wonder people are left confused. There are some sensible answers there too.

Something I do in my shop is have starter kits available to try, so that someone can go away feeling happy that they have something that performs well for them.

So, obviously all of you reading this may not be able to pop down my shop, look up a local shop to you and go down and see for yourself. A good shop should at least let you have a look at the devices and be able to give you good advice.

I would advise to try and go to an independent as they are not tied to a brand and their advice will usually be impartial.

There are lots of new devices arriving on to the market weekly and in my opinion some of the best devices on the market are ones that have been around for a while and are truly tested.

Kits to look out for and in no particular order: Aspire Their K series have been around for a while and are some of the most popular starter kits. The PockeX and the Breeze are something slightly different with their larger coils, they both allow for thicker juice and give a restricted direct to lung hit. I have to mention the Nautilus tank, this mouth to lung tank has probably helped the most people in quitting smoking.

Innokin Their Endura series has also been around a while too, but they do perform very well and they have also helped a lot of people to quit smoking.

JAC Vapour with their S17 and S22 kits they have two great mouth to lung starter kits. Though the S22 kit has only been around for a short time, the S22 Tank has been around a good while and personally I think that it is on par with the Aspire Nautilus.

I can’t go any further without talking about Pod System devices.

A Pod System device being a small battery with a detachable pod that either comes prefilled or refillable.

Now if I had been asked

about these a year ago I would have said to leave well alone. But a year on and the advances in technology has seen a huge jump in quality and performance of these small devices. To the point that I would recommend beginners to have a look at them. After going to Vaper Expo in Birmingham this year there are a lot of them coming on to the market and to be fair the majority of them perform very well.

Here are some to look out for – I’ve already mentioned the Breeze by Aspire, The Drop and Air by Sourin, the Minifit by Lost Fog, the C-Flat by Vaptio and the Mi-Pod and Mi-One

by Smoking Vapor.

making the juice thin enough for any coil to perform well. However some of the devices mentioned will quite happily take up to 70VG/30PG you will just need to either check the user manual of the device or ask the vape shop assistant.

When choosing a flavour you need to like it enough to vape it a lot. Hopefully the shop that you go into will have a tasting station for you test out the flavours. You may find that you like them all, but it comes back to thinking “can I vape this flavour a lot?” I tend to advise people to start with something simple and not too over powering and then look to other flavours as they progress.

When it comes to which juice company to use, well there are so many good ones that I can’t even start to do a list. With an independent shop you will find that they will have several companies on offer and there should be an element of trust in the shop assistant guiding you through the flavours.

I think that you will be surprised when a tobacco flavour isn’t what you walk out of the door with.

This year is definitely going to be the year of the Pod System.

Are you properly juiced?

Do you know your e-juice/e-liquid?

Once you’ve decided on a kit, you need to know what juice is suitable for your device and you.

E-liquid is usually made up of four things; VG (Vegetable Glycerol), PG (Propylene Glycol), Flavourings and Nicotine.

The important thing to know is that e-liquids are made up of differing levels of PG (thinner) and VG (thicker). VG and PG being the larger of the quantities to make up e-liquid. You will find high PG e-liquids, but the most common are 50VG/50PG, 60VG/40PG, 70VG/30PG and 80VG/20PG. With the majority of the devices mentioned I would advise you to use a 50VG/50PG mix,

Though we all like to look after the wallet, I am a firm believer in “you get what you pay for”.

Meaning sometimes you pay that little bit extra and you get a much better product.

You will find that most vape shops and the people that work in them are there to help you. No question is silly, it is about gaining knowledge to help yourself get off the cigarettes.

Go out and find what is best for you, vape shops are there to help as well as sell and if you are not getting your questions answered then please contact me, my email address is below.

I would love to help you.

Have a dapper day cloud chasers!

EMAIL: Hello@VapingPogonophile.com WEBSITE: www.VapingPogonophile.com INSTAGRAM: @VapingPogonophile TWITTER: @V_Pogonophile FACEBOOK: /VapingPogonophile

26

hina’s

LARGEST vaping trade show Dyin to Live’s Tom Prendergast give us the low down on this awesome show

W

ell, China is a beast! This was the first time that the Dyin to Live team has headed out east to explore the atmosphere in the land considered the home of the ecig. The reason for our trip - the infamous IECIE event in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. For those that don’t know, Shenzhen is an industry town in south western China and is responsible for the majority of the vape hardware you see in vape shops across the world. For this reason, we knew we would be seeing some amazing products over the course of the weekend that wouldn’t just be cutting edge but might in fact be the next trends we haven’t seen yet in Europe and the West!

Our trip would depart from sunny Birmingham and take us on a 7-hour flight to Dubai, and then another 7-hour journey to Hong Kong. Backs stiff, and heads spinning between time zones, we wiped the broken sleep from our eyes and prepared ourselves for the hustle and bustle for our positioning at the imminently approaching border patrol upon touching down in Hong Kong. Needless to say, we had no idea what we were in for!

Shenzhen is about an hour’s drive from Hong Kong airport, with border patrol and customs officers at the airport, at the border crossing in the taxi, and again on the other side of the border in China, there were so many security checks, and bag scans that I lost count. As you can imagine this would take a toll on an average passenger, but when you’re trying to travel with a laptop, 2 cameras, 2 mech mods, one regulated mod, 3 different pod systems, juice, and 14 batteries for the weekend it can get a bit tricky.

I’d like to think we got into a rhythm of unpacking our laptops and doing the “old swithceroo” to spread our mods and batteries into multiple trays at the bag scan checks. In reality, with the mentally draining trip clouding our decision making we just hoped for the best. To our relief we managed to get through into China with all of the vape gear we’d brought with no confiscated items and breathed a big breath of questionably fresh, more likely musty humid air of China!

Like the true travel warriors that we are, we decided to skip checking in at the hotel for now and head straight to the expo. We were dropped off at the back of the exhibition Center with our

suitcases (practically on the side of a main road) after a taxi ride from what I can only assume was the Chinese Lewis Hamilton and headed into the event. It took some time to find out where exactly we were going as there was a lot of broken English instructions and a lot of halls at the massive expo centre.

Sure, enough though, after following our noses, and vape company logos on t-shirts we managed to make our way into what we thought was the Hall. Let me take this time to point out that this show was off the charts monstrous. We were told there were four halls to this event and the rumours didn’t even do it justice. There was what I’d call a ‘VapeJam sized’ Hall 9 along with 3 other slightly smaller but jam packed adjoining halls 6,7 and 8.

Now it’s always fun to travel abroad to these vape expos but one of the absolute best parts about doing these events is being half way across the world attending to your business and seeing a friendly face. Within fifteen minutes of arriving and searching for a Limey/Yankee connection for guidance, we had already bumped into Charles and CoilSpill’s Big Philly working with Chubby Gorilla, the VGOD team with Johnny and Zack on far east tricking duty, and then our boy Mo from Dr Vapes (who we had no idea would be there!) As usual there were stories of last minute complications, product stuck at customs, team members missing flights, you name it, everybody has a story for every show. Personally, after running a trade show myself, I find this a testament to how much hard work and dedication goes into these shows for exhibitors. No matter the amount of prep and organisation there always seems to be a few extra hurdles and hoops for every team to jump through, Yet the show must go on and thanks to people like Mo in this industry there is always maximum effort put in from these exhibitors to make sure everything is set for opening day keeping traveling visitors happy!

After doing our recon and eyed up a few of our must visit stands for the weekend we decided to grab a swift half at the plaza across the street from the show and plan our route to our hotel that was about 25 minutes away. Now this is where i must point out to anybody planning a trip to China, that the Chinese do not give a *insert expletive* about catering to their friends in the west. With no RNB (Chinese currency) changed up, and armed with our business credit card for the trip, we assumed we might have to skip a taxi but could hop on the metro two stops to our hotel. Well you know what they say about those who assume - they make and ‘Ass’ out of ‘U’ and ‘Me’. It was at this point we realised that Visa is not too big in China.

Correct in our assumption that taxis only accept cash, we headed down the winding trail to the metro trains only to find that no machine would accept any major credit cards and with broken English and constant mentions of “WeChat” we found ourselves screen shotting directions on to our phones, walking for an hour along the side of the busy streets with suitcases and clouds trailing behind us. As if this wasn’t bad enough, after not eating for 10 hours we also do declare that even the mighty McDonalds requires a WeChat app (linked to a Chinese bank account) in order to get your Big Mac. A mistake we will not make again let this be warning to anybody heading to China - Cash is king!

The next day, after changing up some cash we were ready to hit the big event. A short and interesting metro ride later we arrived outside the venue that looked even more impressive than the day before and couldn’t believe the number of visitors streaming into the IECIE. After more bag scanners and pat downs, we made our way into the venue and had our pick of the halls. We decided to start off in Halle 6 as this seemed to be one of the smaller halls that we’d earmarked for clearing up a few questions on the direction of the in-

dustry. As we’d walked round the day before we had our suspicions confirmed, noticing that there was an overwhelming amount of heat not burn technology going on in this hall. As previously mentioned, if there’s an emphasis of this in China, this is surely a sign of things to come in our industry. Supply meets demand, and after seeing the majority of companies having at least one heat not burn device at their stand it is slightly concerning that this doesn’t seem to be discouraged by the recent controversy around products like the IQOS.

sleek design and branding that the Western world always enjoys. Other products that we really enjoyed were the STIG disposable pods from VGOD, and the ZOOR from DAZE. The ZOOR device especially caught my eye as a very sleek, stylish, closed pod system that had an impressive selection of flavours that are the best I’ve tried so far. On top of this, I was told there would be an option for an open system for these. Definitely something to look out for when they launch a TPD’d version of this device in the next few months.

To our relief this emphasis on heat not burn was less widely seen in the following three halls, with the main stands being the likes of Youde, Aspire, Vaptio, GeekVape etc. It was great to see all of these guys on their home turf knowing what a presence they have on the rest of the vape world, but it was equally refreshing and exciting to see some newer and smaller companies that had products that will be bringing an even wider variety of choice for our industry. One of these companies was ONVS who had some fantastic pod-based products that held up in the ergonomic and functionality departments, but also met the criteria of

We could go on and on about the number of products we saw, vape pens that vaped…. and was a pen, Suorin shaped devices that could charge on wireless phone charging pads, the impressive 18650 battery banks from XTAR that really are a great little purchase, but at the end of the day we just enjoyed meeting new people and catching up with friends to share our love for this industry. Seeing James from RigMod (standing at 6’5) riding around the show on a long board and hooking us up with his brand new RigMod Descendant mech and Atty. Meeting David at iJoy who spoke to us at length about how Shenzhen operates and the crucial part this city plays in our industry. Goofing around with our friends Callie, Jackie, and Ty from Vape Wild, and sharing a 6 pack of beer with a very tired Johnny and Zack from VGOD at the end of the show, this is what vape events are all about - Our community.

At the end of the show we said our goodbyes and headed off for a couple of days R&R and shopping at the Ladies Market in Hong Kong. After a long weekend in Shenzhen i can say I’m all “China’d” out but it definitely is a place worth visiting if you ever get the chance. The trip home involved a 24-hour transit time and thank goodness we were all stocked up on pods for stealth vaping opportunities.!

”We could go on and on about the number of products we saw, vape pens that vaped…and was a pen”

HELPS LOCAL LADY ON HER VAPING JOURNEY

G

ill Holden was a smoker for the vast majority of her life. Like many of us she started at the early age of 13 and continued until a life-changing experience in 2016, thirty years later. Gill was the lucky winner of a year’s supply of e-liquid from Blackburn company Vape Dinner Lady.

As part of no-smoking day the company awarded the prize after seeing Gill in the local newspaper.

Delighted winner Gill describes her vaping journey and the use of e-cigarettes as “the best thing I have ever done.” At one point Gill was smoking up to 20 cigarettes a day, she had problems with her chest, was asthmatic and had a constant cough, meaning exercise was near impossible – without suffering from shortness of breath and extreme tiredness.

She had tried to quit smoking and had even managed to cut down to 10-20 cigarettes per week but struggled to quit completely, until she tried her first e-cig.

The transition to vaping e-liquid came when she was going away for the weekend with friends who smoked, so she knew it would be impossible for her to resist temptation – an e-cig was the answer to her problems. Once she found the right e-cigarette for her she never looked back! She found the move from tobacco

to vaping easier than she had imagined and it has been a great solution to her need to smoke socially. Social smoking is always a difficult hurdle to get over when quitting tobacco, the influence of our peers is no less persuasive as adults than when we were teenagers when alcohol is involved! Gillian likes the variety available to vapers and is experimental with flavours, she especially likes the fruity ones.

Her life has been transformed, not only is her teenage daughter thrilled to have a non-smoking mum but she isn’t having the chest problems she had and is able to exercise. So much so that she has even completed a 10k run! Something she had never considered possible only a year before. She has completely turned her life around. Only months after she quit smoking Gill started training for the Manchester 10k, which she finished in a little over an hour. Not content to stop there Gillian has aspirations to climb Snowden and wants to complete a Tough Mudder- things that can only be possible in her mind now that her body is in better health and she’s not struggling for breath as many a smoker will testify to.

Gillian would recommend switching from tobacco to vaping to anyone, she believes as long as people persevere and try to find the right e-cig for them it will be life-changing for

them too. She says ‘Do not give up. I had a few different e-cigs before I found one I liked.

Ask other people who vape for their advice, have a look on-line, in a magazine or go to a shop.’ The research is very clear that vaping is much less harmful than cigarettes and Gillian’s improved health only supports that. She also can be secure in the knowledge that she is no longer consuming the toxins in cigarettes that cause cancer.

Back when smoking first became popular all those decades ago in the era of Gillian’s parents, the health risks weren’t known like they are today. Hundreds of chemicals are present in the tobacco plant which become even more dangerous when exposed to the high temperatures found in a burning cigarettewhich are then sucked directly into the delicate alveoli of the lungs.

Gillian has even cut down her vaping now too and only uses her e-cigarette when socialising on evenings and weekends. Vape Dinner Lady founder maintains that e-cigarettes are an

amazing resource when it comes to giving up smoking “My own journey towards becoming an ex-smoker has been shaped using e-cigarettes, so I know first hand what a life changing, life enhancing experience vaping can be.” He emphasises that Dinner Lady Vape are fully focused on producing quality e-liquid which consumers will love: “Personally speaking, I struggled to find flavours which didn’t taste synthetic, which is why I focused on the quality and balance of ingredients when I launched my own range.” He was delighted to hear how vaping had changed Gillian’s life in such a positive way “We love hearing about success stories such as Gillian’s and look forward to sharing many others going forward!”

“My own journey towards becoming an ex-smoker has been shaped using e-cigarettes, so I know first hand what a life changing experience vaping can be.”

Gillian is now giving her support to a campaign to convince smokers of the massive benefits of vaping when trying to quit smoking. This campaign was brought about after a survey found that a massive one in five Bolton adults are smokers. There is also significant research suggesting that vaping isn’t harmful for others, in terms of passive smoking; this has an enormous significance to our health. The Director of Population Health at the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, Sarah Price believes the campaign is a great step towards reducing smoking rates: “It’s great to see Cancer Research UK highlight that research shows vaping is far less harmful than smoking.

Greater Manchester has higher smoking rates than most other areas of the UK, so we’re keen to help smokers understand their options.

Swapping to an e-cigarette almost certainly offers smokers a far less harmful alternative to smoking tobacco.”

The Cancer Research campaign is focused to help smokers transition from cigarettes to vaping as it has been proven to be much less of a risk than smoking. The campaign which is being promoted on social media and billboards throughout the UK, is convinced

that vaping is the solution to smoking related cancers. Cancer Research academic researcher Linda Bauld argues “Tobacco is the single biggest preventable cause of cancer, so the more we can do to reduce the number of people who smoke tobacco-containing cigarettes, the more cancers we can prevent. Evidence so far shows e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking, so they are a worthwhile option for smokers struggling to quit.”

Gillian’s vaping journey certainly goes to show that one little change in our lives, going from cigarettes to e-cigarette can have a huge beneficial impact on our lives and health. If she can smoke for over 30 years and go on to start running ten-kilometre races and climbing mountains then she is an inspiration to us all.

It starts with simple puff, and could save you hundreds of pounds annually – not to mention adding months and years to your lifespan.

What’s more, you can choose from thousands of different tasty flavours and strength levels instead of that harsh tobacco taste that leaves an equally offensive smell behind. So take some inspiration from Gill and start a cloud-chasing adventure of your own today!

36

37

vapedex.com vapedex_official vapedex @vapedex

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL The VAPEDEX tasting bar has been awesome for us! We used it at the UK Vapour Expo and it helped to sell more liquids as it allowed people to be able to try all of our flavours without ever having to talk to us. They just came over to our stand and pressed the button.

Element E-Liquid have 50 or so flavours and a lot of the time people come up to us a little bit intimidated because they see so many flavours to choose from.

It’s hard for us to be grabbing loads of mods and putting them in people’s mouths! For that reason the VAPEDEX machine

38

has been amazing.

When we are really busy at expos if somebody comes up to us and we are all serving they can’t speak to someone straight away and that could mean we could lose the sale, with VAPEDEX they can just go in and do their own research on the flavours until someone becomes free, at a trade show especially that is amazing!

Vaping is not only taste it’s also smell based and something I’ve noticed and one of the first things that people do is press a button to get the aroma and then they go in for a hit. With a regular mod/ hygiene cap, you don’t see people

smelling the vapour and I think that smell and taste go together to help showcase our liquids.

Apart from the benefits at a trade show, for a vape store I think it’s amazing because of the amount of liquids that a shop is going to hold.

They can premiere new liquids, use it for the newest flavours or have their whole range available at the push of a button.

Compared with all of the tasting bars and vape stations out there, for me, VAPEDEX has to be the best one. The main reason again is the sanitary part. One problem with the others is that all they are really is a mod on a wire. I could just put a mod on the wire that people can steal and that would be the same thing.

People don’t want to put their mouth on something even with the hygiene cap, and so with VAPEDEX is much more sanitary.

39

The VAPEDEX may look similar to what’s already on the market but we’ve used many systems so we know that it’s not. It’s an all in one system, it doesn’t have a lot of that hard stuff like the compressors and you don’t have to build your own coils.

Now with this really upgraded unit - it doesn’t need a compressor - the flavour is better and anybody can set it up. It’s so much easier to use.

David Botton CEO Element E-Liquid

O

DB Wraps, based in Worthing UK, began its journey back in October 2016, after its founder Chris Streeter noticed a gap in the vape market.

After creating mock ups with some risqué artwork he asked friends and family for their thoughts. Laughing, Chris admits that all it took was an alcohol-fuelled night with his twin brother and friend Harvey to really gather the momentum, which now resounds behind the ODB brand.

Sitting down with his brother on THAT boozy night, Original Dirty Bastardz was born after dismissing different names including IamJav. Chris jokes that, Original Dirty Bastardz seemed synonymous with who he is, but he noticed quite fast that a lot of people felt uneasy with the profanity in the brand name. So,

the Original Dirty Bastard became Mr ODB, when the brand name was later abbreviated to suit the masses.

That night the ideas flowed as easily as the beer did, when the designs, direction and ethos of the brand developed. Having a background in web design and graphics it didn’t take long for Chris to create ODB Wraps. Within days the brand had a website, mock-ups and designs. After a small family loan, ODB Wraps hit the ground running and has continuously expanded ever since.

ODB has increased its rank with its UK based Team 20-06 and US based Team ODB. The teams aren’t based around numbers or influence. Chris describes them as a little family, created from the scene, with people who

VAPE

impressed him. Images, community attitude, or just plainly a fun meet was where he decided who he would get involved.

Discussing Team 20-06 UK, it is clear that personality is important and they have a laugh a lot of the time. With no real stigma attached and no big egos everyone gets along well -“Except Dan, Dan’s a C**T!” Chris bantered. He confessed that, sometimes they can sway on the sarcastic side, but it is all fun and games! In fact one of his rules to be on Team 20-06 is that you don’t need to do anything, just hang out and get to as many meets and events as possible.

When asked about the inspiration surrounding ODB, the answer for Chris was simple- his daughter. After marrying, Chris recognised

the need to look after his health, admitting, that he longed to be the kind of parent that could run around with his kids and not be out of breath- so it was an easy choice to quit smoking, and he became an avid vaper 5 years ago. Although marriage didn’t turn out the way he had hoped, his daughter Daisy-Ella, is in his own words, the motivation behind many of his ventures.

Having obviously inherited a creative flair from her designer-dad, Daisy-Ella gets involved in some of the artistic processes, helping with the designs and the colours. Chris admits- that he actually receives quite a bit of help from his daughter!

A lot of people are noticing small details in his work and products that illuminate

LYFE

Daisy-Ella’s influence. To some people Chris has pointed out these details but others notice these hints for themselves. A bit cryptic, but Chris believes that’s the fun of it- wanting the community to see if they can find these things for themselves. He even has his daughters name hidden away on a select batch of products. Asking for more information on this product, Chris stayed tight-lipped, laughing that this one is an inside joke with the great guys at Cloud Marshals!

ODB Wraps have developed high quality, strong and durable battery wraps for 18650/20700. Currently, there are seventeen

designs to choose from including the beautiful artwork on the Mermaid to the elusive Blue Secret which comes with a secret wrap hidden in one in every one hundredth pack. True to form, Chris has had a bit of fun with this product- by hiding something unexpected in the packs it made for a great game of chance. Vapers went crazy for the Parody of the Pickle wrap. Chris described it a bit like finding a rare Pokémon card, with his adult cliental even trading the wraps!

ODB Wraps has already had some amazing collaborations with brands such as, MOMO E-Liquid, Dr Frost E-Liquid, Strange Juice E-Liquid and Hustler Juice. They also collaborated with Ares Mod for the squonk mod and have some great tees, hoodies and accessories.

Another product they have developed is OBIES Brew Range of Eliquids, Including Coco

Granola- that has a taste of sweet vanilla-bean cheesecake, a hint of cinnamon and an aftertaste of coconut. Milk, which is french vanilla, with an almond twist and hints of butterscotch. Finally Fluff, reminiscent of childhood sweets, you can really taste the marshmallow and meringue encased in rice-crispies with just a subtle hint of vanilla.

Chris shows no sign of slowing down, declaring that there is still so much he wants to add to the brand and will keep taking risks seeing if it works out.

Having conquered America at ECC this year, ODB will be venturing to NVE in Connecticut USA, Hall of Vape in Stuttgart, and VapeExpo in Birmingham. ODB Wraps also has new lines of its wraps coming out later this year along with OBIES Froot and OBIES Pud line of E-liquids. They are also releasing full lines for its apparel and accessories, and looking at expanding into a few more industries.

When pressed for more of what the future can hold for ODB, Chris teased that he was unable to discuss these. There is a lot of avenues ODB want to venture down and there will be brand development in all different areas of the vaping industry, including new businesses.

However, currently, he couldn’t talk about them. One thing he made very clear was that 2018 is going to be big for ODB!

By Abby Holt

odbwraps.com

Vapestore spotlight

QUESTION 1 – WHAT CAME FIRST THE VLOG OR THE STORE AND HOW DID ONE LEAD TO THE OTHER? Good question! So I used to work for another store before Empire opened and that’s how I got into the industry. I started a channel under the old shops name. This was started at first to generate interest in products the old store stocked and it sort of started to spiral when I

reviewed the Smok TFV8. That review got 55,000 views in less than a week.

I had to give that channel back when I left for Empire. It was a shame as it was already building nicely at 1500 subscribers. I never would have ever expected to be on my way to 10,000 subscribers as I write this.

QUESTION 2 – HOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME TO KEEP ON TOP OF YOUR VLOG AND MANAGE AND RUN YOUR STORE, DOES IT EVER BECOME TOO MUCH? The simple answer is ‘I HAVE NO IDEA!’ I work 55-60 hours a week at Empire so the videos get done in what little spare time I actually get to myself. I have Thursdays and Sunday off to try and relax and catch up on some well needed sleep but then I also use that time to record and now on a Thursday I have The UK Vape Show hosted on Vic (VapingWithVic) YouTube channel with Mark (the Vaping Postman) and Deano (The Devil Vaper) The show is a good laugh and works so well I always have a good

laugh with the lads on there and it is starting to become something special.

I have recently just moved house so the YouTube side of things sort of took a back seat. Now I am all settled I am back at it and starting to work my way through the review queue once again.

I have took a few breaks from YouTube recently but that is more due to real life getting in the way of things. I have always said from day 1 that If I don’t feel up to making my best content then I don’t make any at all. Most other reviewers have jobs outside of the Vaping Industry so they are only around it when they

are sat in their studios. I live this industry. I am around it for nearly 12 hours a day at the shop and then I come home and its back to it again.

I love what I do and I have the best subscribers in the world The “Empire Family” are amazing.

Most of them are as crazy as me.

Then there is the Empire Patrons! Those guys are absolute legends I’ll never be able to thank them enough.

QUESTION 3 – IS THERE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF EMPIRE VAPE CUSTOMER AND DO THEY ALL END UP BECOMING SUBSCRIBERS TO YOUR VLOG? We have lots of different customers at Empire, the same with most vape shops. We have the starters, the intermediate and then the high end/hobbyist vapers. I do have a lot of subscribers that shop with me and I am always grateful when I see a web order come through and it’s a name I recognise. The Empire Patrons have a discount code they can use when ordering online which will save them some money for supporting the channel.

Subscribers also do physically visit the store and we do have a laugh together. It is nice to speak to them face to face because after all I am where I am because of them.

QUESTION 4 – BEING WELL IMMERSED IN THE VAPING INDUSTRY, HOW IMPORTANT TO YOU IS THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND HOW INVOLVED ARE YOU? I love this community. It does have a special feel to it and it is also a very close knit community.

If something happens it does not take long for the entire community to be aware of it. One thing I have always said too is that this community is so friendly. The amount of people I speak to at Expo’s that are total strangers but yet after a conversation its like you have know them all your life.

Another example that a few people have mentioned to me is when we all smoked we would never dream of asking another smoker “what brand are you smoking” “are they any good” In this industry people compliment each others mods or offer opinions on flavours its amazing to see.

Empire was broken into not long after we first opened the doors and through various friends and other contacts I have made they all came together and donated stock or allowed for us to pay for it at a later date and I believe that saved the business. We had only been open around 2 months and a lot was stolen.

QUESTION 5 – HAS OWNING EMPIRE VAPE CO CHANGED YOU AND ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC WAYS IN WHICH THE SHOP AND THE VLOG HAVE IMPACTED ON YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE. It has certainly took over my life that’s for sure! I work hard all the time and at the end of the day I can sit back and say well I worked my ass off for what I have. I never shy away from work. The amount of hours has all been worth it. Empire has been open nearly 2 years now and its only now the hard work is starting to pay off. It doesn’t happen overnight like some people think.

The YouTube channel hasn’t changed me as a person if anything, it has allowed me to express myself and my crazy sense of humour to my subscribers. My reviews are crazy and not the usual run of the mill reviews. There is always a comedy aspect thrown in and that’s what I like. I like to be different and I enjoy making people laugh. The two go so well together.

Expo’s for me have changed a lot. I can still remember going to my first expo and being able to walk around and check booths out but always with a budget. I am very lucky to be in the position I am in and I will never take it for granted. I work with some of the biggest and best companies in the industry now and it means so much to me.

Getting recognised and being asked for a selfie was strange at first and to be honest I don’t think I will ever get used to it but I love it. To see the faces of my subscribers when they see me at a show and come over is one of the best feelings you can ever experience.

It has moved on to now being asked for an autograph!

Or being asked to sign a mod or a tshirt I even got asked to sign a can of Monster at The Vaper Expo just gone for the guy to put on his shelf.

I had a few people just walk up and say I want

to shake your hand for the work you do on YouTube and then walk off. It is all amazing to hear and experience.

QUESTION 6 - BECAUSE OF YOUR VLOG, DO YOU FIND YOU HAVE PEOPLE TRAVELLING FROM ALL OVER TO VISIT YOUR STORE IN LIVERPOOL, WHAT IS THE FURTHEST SOMEONE HAS SAID THEY’VE TRAVELLED TO SEE YOU? I do yes! I have had subscribers from Ireland, Scotland, Newcastle, Leeds, Essex, London Canada, Malta, America just to name a few. It is always amazing to meet anybody who watches the channel regardless of where they are from.

QUESTION 7 – DO YOU THINK THE VAPING INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED MUCH SINCE OPENING YOUR STORE AND IF SO HOW? Oh 100%! We went right through the TPD when it first hit in May 2017! That was hard at first changing out all the old stock to the new 10ml TPD compliant bottles. Then came the shortfill ranges. We have seen everything since 2016 that’s hit the industry. We have gotten through it and we are still here today so we are doing something right.

I remember the night before the TPD became Law stripping the shelves down and standing back looking at shelves that were all practically empty. People come in and always expect a full selection of juices. The first few weeks after the TPD hit people thought we were closing down.

It just takes while to cross over and carry on.

We had to educate a lot of people on what had happened in the industry and why they couldn’t buy their favourite juices in a 100ml bottle anymore. Teaching people how to use nicotine shots was another experience. People used to say “well this already has nicotine in it” no it doesn’t you have to add your own now.

We are now experiencing the rise of “Heat Not Burn” technology. My opinions are pretty strong on this and are all online on the channel to see. I will not be stocking anything like that ever at Empire.

QUESTION 8 – WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES EMPIRE VAPE CO SO POPULAR AND HOW DO YOU RETAIN YOUR CUSTOMERS?

I managed to keep a lot of my old customers from the old store. They used to come in and ask for me personally to serve them. When they found out that Empire was only up the road they instantly followed me up. It was nice to have a customer base within the first few days. We have gained new customers via word of mouth, social media etc…

Customers have commented a few times on how welcoming the shop is. I have a lot of friends who all vape and its kind of like and Empire crew. There is usually a few of them at the shop when they finish work so when customers come in they see a lot of smiling faces and most of the time they join in on the jokes and leave smiling themselves!

Obviously the YouTube channel has helped massively! I never imagine it to take off like it has. This has clearly brought business in. I have a few subscribers that will only buy from me. They request things I don’t stock and I get it for them as they like to know its come directly from me.

A few customers will come in and buy something then mention they watch the videos and love them. It is always nice to hear.

They also trust my recommendations as I try so much hardware and juice.

I was able to launch my own juice line in 2017 to an already existing audience. It since went on to win an award at the London Vape Show 2017 for best juice at the show.

QUESTION 9 – CHRIS, HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO STOCK IN YOU STORE, DO YOU GET PITCHED TO OFTEN AND DO PEOPLE SEND SAMPLES, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY KIND OF THING? Every day! I get so many calls from companies as you can imagine. If its not calls its emails.

There is just too much to try in this industry and the postman must hate delivering to the shop as I get deliveries daily whether it be review samples (vapemail) or samples for the shop itself.

Companies who may not have seen the channel don’t understand when they call back to see if I have tried the juice yet when I say I have that much to work through. Some of them make comments like “you can’t have that much to go through” at the time of writing this I have around 3 litres of juice still to work through.

That is just for the shop I have easily 8 litres sat at home in a box and that’s not even my

personal juice I use on a daily basis!

I decide what we stock through again being in a very lucky position. I get to see a lot of hardware and juice usually before its released so I can test it and let other people see what is coming out soon. I said it earlier, I will never take my position for granted because it comes with so many benefits that not everyone gets to see.

QUESTION 10 – WE FINALLY GOT TO MEET YOU AT VAPEJAM AND NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WERE A LITTLE STAR STRUCK, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR FAVOURITE VAPING EVENT IS AND WHY? You are too kind! I was more shocked that you guys wanted to speak to me and get me to write for your magazine!

VapeJam was a fun show and I will always attend it even if its just for the social aspect. My favourite show is always going to be The Vaper Expo. You cannot beat that show. It is simply huge! Any vaper that attends vape shows probably will have attended The Vaper Expo.

The location is perfect for it. Yes it may be a bit pricey for drinks and food etc….but which show isn’t nowadays?

The Vaper Expo was also the first indoor show I attended back in 2016 with the old shop. I had attended VapeFest the year before with a friend but that is worlds apart from The Vaper Expo.

I always have so much fun at every show I attend and there are plans to visit America next year and attend ECC in California. I have a few American subscribers so to even meet one of them over there would be so cool!

I attended VapExpo Lille in France this year and that was an experience. I probably would

not attend it again but to say I have done it is another show ticked off the list.

QUESTION 11 – WHAT IS YOUR GO TO MOD AND WHAT ARE YOU VAPING RIGHT NOW? My go to mod is usually my SX Mini G Class in Kevlar Red with my trust Cleito 120. However lately I have picked up a few new pieces of hardware so at this moment in time I am vaping my new Vandy Vape Pulse 80 watt regulated squonker with a Wotofo Recurve RDA designed by Mike Vapes on top. Running a single Fused Claptopn by Shane Wiseman of “BigBoyCoils” in there. Vaping on some BLACKWIDOW by BLOW E-LIXIR created by my good friend Jack Walmsley.

QUESTION 12 – IN THIS STOP SMOKING SPECIAL ISSUE, WE’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SAY TO A SMOKER WHO WANTS TO QUIT BUT IS A LITTLE TIMID OF VAPING? I would recommend a few different things to them...

1. Do your research on vaping…maybe take a trip to your local vape shop. A good vape shop should allow you to have a look at the several devices for you could go for.

2. Visit a few different shops and find one that works for you (Friendly, knowledgeable staff ) There is nothing worse than a vape shop that just wants your money and isn’t interested in helping the customer out. People trust us to give them something they inhale into their bodies. There has to be a element of trust backed up with the knowledge they will be safe using the device.

It doesn’t just stop there…..find a store that will care for you even after you have started. At Empire I pride myself in always being there to answer any questions for new vapers of even change a coil for them the first time. Its basic customer service and every customer gets treated the same regardless of how experienced they may be.

3. GO FOR IT! Walk into your chosen store and don’t look back. Vaping works trust me! I am living proof.

QUESTION 13 – AS MEMBERS OF THE VAPING COMMUNITY, WE ALL DEAL WITH THIS FROM TIME TO TIME, HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH SOMEONE WHO IS IGNORANT ABOUT VAPING? You have to word things in a certain way and

try not and get into an argument with them. I know this all to well from being down the pub and having the usual debate about how they are gonna “kill me” or “Give me popcorn lung” I always try and explain it to people in a clear and easy to understand way. When it comes to smokers I usually say “Can you tell me every single chemical you are inhaling in that cigarette” or “Do you know what that is actually doing to your insides” They usually give you a strange look. I then follow up with “I can tell you everything that’s in here” I can tell people about the personal benefits of vaping that I have personally experienced from not having to experience the “Smokers cough” or not “Smelling like an ashtray” There is also the major one of “Do you know how much money you could save from not smoking” QUESTION 14 – WRAPPING THIS ALL UP, WHAT’S NEXT FOR EMPIRE VAPE CO, DO YOU HAVE ANY EXCITING NEWS YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? There is definitely lots on the horizon that’s for sure!! I am pushing for a second store soon.

I am blessed to be designing my own RTA which should be out very soon. I have a new range of juices that should be dropping soon too. They won’t be released until I am 100% happy with them.

A few reviewers I watch regularly will be receiving both the RTA and the juices to get their opinions on. Then there is the new lines of merch that are currently in design. I have finally found someone who can design snapbacks for me that won’t cost £40 before print!! I want my merch to be high quality but affordable for my subscribers to get their hands on.

EmpireVape.co.uk EmpireVapeCo EmpireVapeCo YT: EmpireVapeCo

53

54

W

hat’s up everyone, how we all doing? I’m Mike from Mike’s Mechs Reviews, I’m pretty new to the vape review scene and even newer to this writing thing so please bear with me.

So, I was asked to write about what’s new on the market or in the industry that has excited me. Now that’s a hard one to answer. As for the Mech market there has been two items out lately that grabbed my attention, 1st is the Armageddon MFG Grip mod. It’s a tube mech that has a side fire rather than the traditional bottom fire switch, where the switch is usually is a safety device. It’s a permanent battery contact type mech with a safety switch.

Excellent idea that I believe more companies should adopt.

The mod can take 18650/20650 and 20700 batteries possibly 21700 as well although with the 21700 you would see quite a bit of the threads as the battery adjustment is akin to the able mod where you screw down the hybrid top cap. The battery contact is copper and the contact on the grip is also copper which results in quite a feisty punching mech. I thought it would take ages to get to grips with the firing style on this mod but no, not once have I tried to press the safety switch instead of the fire button. The only thing I can honestly say I don’t like is how quick it patinas.

It is what they call a fingerprint magnet. There are 3 versions out at the moment, copper brass and murdered out (black) I have the brass. All in all it’s a great mod.

2nd is a new company to come out of the UK. Apex Mod Co. this is a company based in Kent. They have bought out 2 mods so far. The Summit and the Vertex. Now these are only 18650 compatible and will take up to a 25mm rda with no overhang. I have the Vertex in stainless steel. All the mods are available in copper brass and stainless steel.

Again the mods are permanent battery contact and these have the traditional type of switch but for a company to come out with 2 mods in 3 materials for a first batch you’ve got to take your hats off to the man. And yes the company is a one man band. He has plans for a couple of rda’s for this year I believe and also I have heard about an 18350 mod. His website is also now live www.apexmodco.uk where you can get a whole lot of apex merch and building supplies. It’s nice to see a mans dreams become a reality.

And it’s nice to see more home grown companies getting into the mech scene. I wish you all the success you can get Leigh.

Well these are the two things that have grabbed my attention so far this year, thanks for reading. Now I’m going to through a fresh build in and fog out my office.

Laters for now.

Mike.

55

57

VAPING ETIQUETTE The Do’s & Dont’s of Vaping

R

eading, walking and eating are just a few things that are as natural as breathing. You do it without thinking, because it’s a natural process. If you’re an e-cigarette user, then vaping is no doubt on your top five list of things that you do every day. You probably don’t even think about picking up your trusty e-cigarette and taking a puff, because it’s a part of your daily routine.

But what if this natural, commonplace act carried out by over 2.8 million vapers worldwide, is frowned upon in public… what do you do?

This has to be a question that has whizzed through the minds of many vapers, especially if they find themselves in an unfamiliar space where boundaries may not be known.

WHY IS THE PUBLIC CAUTIOUS AT BEST, TERRIFIED AT WORST, BY VAPING? Much has to do with public perception, that underpins negative notions such as vaping is BAD, e-liquids contain anti-freeze and e-cigs can blow up in your face. To put it bluntly, the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) hasn’t helped. Nor has the media.

58

The TPD states: “An ‘electronic cigarette’ means a product that— (a) can be used for the consumption of nicotine-containing vapour via a mouth piece, or any component of that product, including a cartridge, a tank and the device without cartridge or tank (regardless of whether the product is disposable or refillable by means of a refill container and a tank, or rechargeable with single use cartridges); and (b) is not a medicinal product or medical device.”

There are three main problem with this (extra-long) sentence.

Firstly, not all e-cigarettes use nicotine based e-liquids. Former smokers who have quit tobacco and have migrated into vaping, may have weaned themselves off nicotine to become nicotine-free. What they vape could be to satisfy a habit of the physical act of hand-to-mouth action to mimic smoking.

Secondly, e-cigarettes should not be included with cigarettes under the TPD as they don’t contain any tobacco. Smoking is an activity that has a both a clinical and law definition, and e-cigarette use does not meet the

definition in either context. This gratuitous grouping together of e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco cigarettes is one of the key issues facing vapers and public health policy in the UK and beyond.

Thirdly, e-cigarettes are not classified as medicinal products or medical devices, despite the fact that vaping is listed as an effective tool to stop smoking on the NHS website. With an increasing number of doctors voicing pro-vaping opinion, it is not difficult to envisage e-cigarettes becoming available on the NHS via prescription in the not too distant future.

On the media front, just when it seems the tide is turning towards pro-vaping, negative news tips the balance in the other direction with stories of exploding e-cigarettes. These stories centre around e-cigarettes stored incorrectly (usually in a pocketful of change), or that have been left to charge overnight and have overheated to cause a malfunction.

The media does little to allay public fear choosing to stoke it instead. It is therefore rare that the true cause of human error in the cases of exploding e-cigarettes is ever publicly decried.

Thank god for scientific studies, which fly in the face of these scaremongering tales.

Public Health England’s report states that vaping is 95% safer than smoking. The Royal College of Physicians too have come out in favour of vaping, concluding that e-cigarettes are much safer than smoking, and are likely to be beneficial to UK public health.

What can you do to help? Spread the vaping word. Don’t be militant about vaping (no one likes being bashed over the head with an ideology or product they don’t understand).

Education is key. There are those of course who don’t want to listen, and that’s fine, because you can’t get everyone to understand.

WHERE IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO VAPE? Celebrities vape in public. Leo DiCaprio famously puffed on his vape at the Screen

59

Actors’ Guild Awards a few years’ ago. Yes he came in for some stick, but it put the ‘where is vaping acceptable’ debate firmly on the map. More recently Paul Doswell, football manager of Sutton United emerged as an unlikely vaping hero when he was photographed mid-match vaping from the side-lines as he cheered on his team.

So what do you do if you find yourself craving a vape in unfamiliar surroundings? It may appear disingenuous after lambasting the TPD for lumping smoking and vaping together, but if you’re stuck about whether to vape, think about where a smoker would smoke.

The UK is generally considered to be vape-friendly. Last year Public Health England empowered businesses by publishing new framework advice letting them take the lead on creating their own policies for the use of e-cigarettes on their premises. The idea was to support smokers wanting to quit, whilst managing risks specific to the environmental setting.

E-cigarettes are a fairly new technology and because they’re not covered by smoke-free laws, should not be included in the requirements of business smoke-free policy.

Whether this advice on the PHE website is taken up by organisations, is another matter.

As a general rule, avoid vaping where smoking is forbidden. Some bars and restaurants however do allow vaping, usually near the bar service area or in a sectioned off part to keep non-vapers separate. It is usually at the discretion of the owner whether vaping is allowed. It’s common courtesy and polite to establish boundaries so if in doubt, ask if there is a preferred area where you can vape.

Are there any vape-friendly places that you can recommend? Email us with #VapeFriendly in the subject header at info@vapelyfemag.co.uk and we’ll give the place a shout-out.

61

Banoffee pie E-Liquid Review When I opened the 50 / 10 ml shortfill bottle a nice gentle banana scent mixed with a sweet butterscotch base note sidled up my nose. To be honest I never had a banoffee pie so I went down to my local bakery and bought a piece. Long story short: The pie ended up in my stomach pretty fast and I do have a new favorite dessert. After that delightful experience I can say that the scent of Banoffee Pie by Jack Rabbit Vapes is pretty similar to the actual pie. After analyzing the scent it´s time to vape some ejuice.

THE SCENT

which I thought was a sweet cream cheese note. This flavour was pretty reserved and hid in the background. The tasty mix of the inhale made me curious for the exhale. The exhale was a big surprise to me as the banana flavor almost disappeared and gave way to the cheese cake sensation which hid in the background of the inhale. At the end of the exhale a rich caramel flavor joined the cheesecake sensation and completed this great exhale. I tried several set ups and wattages and the flavor mix is pretty stable which is great.

LET´S VAPE

CONCLUSION

Most of us vapers know that dessert ejuices often tend to be way too sweet. If there is a mix of flavors a lot of companies fail to find the proper blend of aromas. Let´s check out what Jack Rabbit´s Banoffee Pie can or can´t do.

The inhale gave me an authentic sensation of a ripe banana mixed with a rich butterscotch base note. Jack Rabbit Vapes managed to add just the right amount of sweetness to its ejuice.

But something else was detectable in the inhale

Banoffee Pie by Jack Rabbit Vapes is a great dessert vape not just for banana lovers. The versatile inhale and exhale is very delicious and makes you eager to take more and more hits.

The well balanced flavor mix and the premium ingredients make Banoffee Pie to a real keeper.

Vape safe, vape on.

STAR RATING: 9 / 10

Succulent strawberry THE SCENT

As soon as I opened the 60 ml short fill bottle a sweet and fruity strawberry scent attacked my olfactory organ. This scent was pretty dominant and strong that I had no chance but to think about a hot summer day on a strawberry field. I mean those days as little child when I used to go out to the strawberry farmer´s with mum and dad and get some pounds of handpicked strawberries. The scent is really sweet and authentic and makes you dream of a basket of fresh fresh strawberries. Let´s vape those Succulent Strawberry ejuice

LET´S VAPE

We all know that strawberry ejuices are very popular within the vape community. A lot of companies have at least one pure or mixed strawberry flavor in their range. Succulent Strawberry by Jack Rabbit Vapes gave me an authentic strawberry sensation from the first until the last hit. And I mean a real strawberry sensation. Ripe sun matured strawberries from inhale to exhale. I was able to detect some a slight sour aftertaste on the exhale which is

barely there but still detectable and I must say that I was pleased by that just because it added a little freshness to the flavor experience. Jack Rabbit Vapes Succulent Straberry gave me no notable throat hit which I absolutely appreciate. My wife just got home while I was writing this review and she came running ripping the mod and the juice out of my hand….. she took off. I found her in our relaxing on a sun lounger in the garden vaping her new favourite ejuice by Jack Rabbit Vapes.

CONCLUSION

Succulent Strawberry is a wonderland for all of you strawberry lovers out there. I will vape this ejuice away in no time that’s for sure. The high quality ingredients and the authentic strawberry taste will satisfy all of your needs. If you love sweet and ripe strawberries Succulent Strawberry is the ejuice to get.

Vape safe, vape on.

STAR RATING: 9 / 10

Chocolate chip cookie smores

Liquid reviews

As many of you guys know I was born and raised in Germany. For the last year I wrote reviews about British, American and Malaysian e-juices. Finally something from my home Country crossed my desk that definitely needs to be known outside of German borders. The guys over at Bare Head placed their first ejuice line on the market in 2016 out of their laboratories in Berlin.

The company puts its focus on both high quality standards and premium ingredients. Bare Head refuses to pump up their line up with 20, 30 or even 40 different flavors in order to maintain a premium quality management. The Bare Head ejuice range holds 6 different ejuices. Today I chose Cholcolate Chip Cookie Smores and as a bakery stile vape fanatic I´ll put it to the test. My RDA is freshly wicked and ready to go. Let´s vape some ejuice.

THE SCENT

When I opened the 60 ml ejuice bottle of Bare Head Chocolate Chip Cookie Smores a sweet chocolate cookie dough scent crawled its way up my nostrils. I was able to detect a delicious doughy scent paired with a slight vanilla bouquet which wasn´t predominant but it made me very curious. The scent of this ejuice is well balanced and threw my mind back to my favorite bakery where I use to buys the best soft baked cookies I know. Memo to myself: “Buy cookies after writing this review”. But the perfume of an ejuice is not what a good vape is about, even though this ejuice´s scent is brilliant. So let´s drip it and find out about the flavors.

LET´S VAPE

I have tried a lot of Smores vapes in my Vapelyfe.

Most of were produced in the United States.

Let us check out if the guys from Berlin know how to create a Chocolate Chip Cookie Smore.

At this point I need to point out that Smores are not very popular or known in Germany.

Subsequently placing this ejuice on the German market is a tremendously huge challenge for Bare Head. Nevertheless the nicely balanced scent lead to a very good start. After priming my dripper I took the first drag and the inhale was a chocolate chip cookie wonderland. An authentic chocolate flavor paired with a nice doughy sidekick dominated the inhale. I loved the fact that a slight vanilla note was travelling towards my taste buds alongside the delicious

chocolate cookie flavor mix. Bare head managed to make the inhale taste like a real chocolate cookie without any burned aftertaste which is pretty common when using chocolate flavors. Two thumbs up for the inhale guys.

The exhale suddenly changed the characteristics of the inhale by releasing a sweet and detailed marshmallow tang. The chocolate chip cookie vanilla mix was still detectable but gave way to the predominantly marshmallowy exhale. After several hits this sensation did not change at all.

CONCLUSION

This was definitely one of the best Smores vapes I ever had. Bare Head promised premium quality ingredients and a high quality standard.

I must say that the guys from Berlin kept their promise and convinced me that they know how to create stunning ejuices. The authentic flavors and premium ingredients make this vape to a real keeper and a hard 10. I can´t wait to check out the other remaining 5 ejuices of their range Vape safe, vape on.

STAR RATING: 10 / 10

65

66

67

Fight The EU Vape Tax! Although vaping is widely believed to be one of the best ways to quit smoking and so to prevent the harm caused by tobacco cigarettes, there is a real danger that vaping could now be dealt a serious blow in the form of the EU Vape Tax.

1. This section prompts you to complete your background information so that your perspective can be better understood.

Legislators in Europe have begun to float the possibilities of applying what is, essentially, a “sin tax” to vaping products which could prevent smokers from taking the plunge and investing in e-cigarettes and vaping products that could help them to give up the habit.

3. This section covers modern heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

This latest threat comes hot on the heels of TPD Article 20, which was recently implemented across Europe and which appears to be protecting tobacco cigarettes to the detriment of those whose lives could potentially be saved by making the switch to vaping.

A Public Consultation The public are being given the opportunity to express their views on this new tax, and a survey has now been released which gives vapers (and non-vapers) the chance to give their opinions. This survey contains four separate sections:

68

2. This section discusses taxation of traditional tobacco products.

4. This section gives respondents the chance to upload their own position paper so that they can fully explain their position and the choices that they’ve made.

Respondents can answer the questionnaire in any official EU language and can choose which of the questions they answer. It’s hoped that, if enough vapers complete this questionnaire, the decision that the EU finally makes will be influenced by their opinions.

Signing The Petition Not only do vapers have the chance to complete the questionnaire, they also have the opportunity to sign the petition which has been launched by the Collective of EU Vapers. This petition gives vapers across Europe the opportunity to voice their opinions and to stand up and be counted.

The petition points out that over 7.5 million people in Europe have been able to quit smoking as a direct result of vaping, with 9 million more having been able to reduce the number of cigarettes they consume.

By imposing excise duties on non-tobacco consumer products, people who are most in need of these less harmful products will be deterred from using them.

The petition also makes it clear that vaping products contain no tobacco and since they don’t produce any tar, carbon monoxide or smoke, and are 95% less harmful to human health than regular tobacco cigarettes, they should certainly not be subject to this punitive taxation.

69

If enough people sign the petition and submit the questionnaire, it’s possible that this unjustified sin tax can be avoided, enabling people across Europe to benefit from the health advantages that e-cigarettes can provide.

Victoria Coren Mitchell Speaks Out Against PHE Recommendations For Prescription E-Cigs Victoria Coren Mitchell may not be a household name, but she’s certainly creating a stir in the vaping community with her recent article that appeared in the Guardian newspaper which spoke out against Public Health England’s advice that e-cigs should be made available on the NHS with a doctor’s prescription.

A Lack Of Evidence The inflammatory comments made by the journalist (wife of comedian David Mitchell) have caused many in the vaping community to be up in arms, especially with regard to her statements that there is a lack of evidence to show that vaping is effective in helping people to quit smoking.

Of course, it’s clear for anyone who knows anything about vaping to see that Mitchell is completely wrong when she says that the idea of vaping being safer than smoking is unproved

70

nonsense, especially when the Royal College of Physicians have reported that vaping is 95% safer than tobacco cigarettes. Even official advice from the NHS states that vaping is a better choice than smoking when it comes to protecting health, so it’s clear that Mitchell hasn’t done her research at al.

Lack Of Knowledge In her article, Mitchell not only shows a complete lack of understanding of science, but also of the UK’s vaping market. While she refers to the only e-cigarette to currently be medically licensed, the eVoke, and states, truthfully, that it isn’t available at the present time, the entire tone of the piece indicates that all e-cigs are made by the tobacco industry. Of course, as any vaper knows, this is certainly not the case - in fact the vaping market is led by independent, small manufacturers.

Should E-Cigs Be Available On Prescription?

Public Health England released a report in February 2018 which recommended that e-cigs should be made available to smokers wanting to quit in the UK via NHS prescription. As an update of their 2015 e-cigarette review, this report reveals the substantial health benefits which come from switching to vaping from tobacco cigarettes and points out that vaping has enabled as many as 57,000 smokers per year to quit. It also prompts smoking cessation practitioners to recommend e-cigarettes as a vital quitting aid.

Despite this, however, there are still many people, even from within the vaping community, who believe that

71

e-cigarettes shouldn’t be available on the NHS. Apart from the additional financial burden which would be placed on the struggling NHS, there are vapers who believe that prescribing vaping devices would actually remove one of the key elements of successful quitting – personal empowerment.

Of course, one of the arguments for making e-cigarettes available on prescription is to benefit those who are on low incomes and who cannot afford vaping devices. However, some people in the vaping community have pointed out that there have been a number of successful schemes which have paired up local vape shops with NHS services during which vouchers have been offered to low income smokers which can be exchanged at local vape stores for e-cigs without the need to roll out nationwide vaping prescriptions.

The Takeaway So, what can we take away from this?

It’s clear that there are both supporters and opposers of PHE’s propositions to make e-cigarettes available on prescription. However, whichever camp you’re in, there’s one thing that can’t be argued with – the evidence that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Perhaps Victoria Coren Mitchell should look more closely at the facts in future before expressing her opinions in so public a forum.

Thinking Of Giving Up Smoking? Latest Report Compares IQOS, E-Cigs And Tobacco Cigarettes To Help You Make Your Choice Open any newspaper these days and you’re sure to see conflicting news reports about e-cigs, vaping and tobacco cigarettes. While some articles point out the benefits of switching to vaping, others warn about hidden dangers, so it’s no wonder that so many people are confused.

Now, Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos has produced a new report with the aim of cutting through the fake news, presenting the facts about the emissions produced by traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes and IQOS so that the public can be better informed. Vapers and smokers alike can now see a direct

72

comparison between all three of these products to help them to make the right choices for them.

The Importance Of This Report The implications of this study were highlighted by Dr Farsalinos in an interview held as part of the Global Forum for Nicotine. Not only is this the first ever independent study into the subject, but it is also the first study which directly compares e-cigarettes, tobacco cigarettes and IQOS against each other with an aim of letting smokers and vapers know the relative risks associated with all the products available.

The results of this study has also been

backed up by Public Health England’s findings in their 2018 report, so smokers and vapers can have complete confidence that they are reading proven facts.

e-cigarettes are so low that the public are probably more at risk of exposure to aldehyde emissions by breathing in the air inside their homes than by vaping.

What Does The Study Show?

Dr Farsalinos’ study showed that, while IQOS emitted lower levels of harmful emissions than traditional tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes emit even lower levels. Also, the study reported that the amount of nicotine delivered by IQOS devices was lower than that delivered by e-cigs and combustible cigarettes.

From this data, the public can take away the information that e-cigarettes are the least harmful option, with IQOS in the middle and tobacco cigarettes the most harmful choice of all.

Words Of Warning About Sub-Ohming Although Dr Farsalinos’ report is reassuring about the safety of vaping, he does have a few words of warning for those who like to sub-ohm vape. How much exposure the vaper is exposed to depends on the amount of e-liquid consumed, and during sub-ohm vaping the amount of e-liquid consumed is quite high. This means that there is a greater exposure to potentially toxic chemicals.

Reassurance About Formaldehyde Emissions One of the recent concerns about e-cigarettes is that they can emit formaldehyde emissions which could be harmful to vapers. This study has shown that modern e-cigs hold no risk of any aldehyde emissions thanks to cotton wicks and bottom coil atomisers. Dr Farsalinos also pointed out that the aldehyde emission levels from modern

73

Nevertheless, the doctor points out that, although it is technically possible that vapers who sub-ohm vape at a high wattage could, in theory, be at risk of exposure to increased aldehyde emissions, it is unlikely that this increase could have any negative impact on the vaper’s health. His advice in this regard is therefore to increase the nicotine content of their e-juice and to vape minimal levels of e-juice in order to limit any possible risks.

74

REVIEWS

We have a review price list; if you’d like your products reviewed, please email us now at info@vapelyfemag.co.uk using hashtag #ReviewRequest in the subject heading. Each product is allocated to a member of our review team, who will dedicate time getting to know your product (2 days for an e-liquid, 7 days for a mod or atty). For this reason, we cannot do last-minute reviews, as we don’t think you can get a clear picture after just a few puffs. Please note we only give honest reviews.