Issue 3

The UK and Ireland’s Leading Vape Lifestyle Magazine

EDITOR: Paul Caplin

IT MANAGER: Steve Tarpey Sales Manager: Colin Mansell SALES EXECUTIVES: Katie Loomes Becky Reeves

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS:

Matthew King Hayley Parker Tom Kibble Martin Priest

JOURNALISTS: Patrick Griffin Ria Amber-Tesia Anthony J. Ottomanelli II

FINANCE: Joanne Palfreyman GUEST REVIEWERS: Alex Shenker Peach Atkinson Vape Guys UK Ellie K

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to our third issue of Vapouround Magazine and our first issue of 2016.

It is amazing to think that it is February already…time seems to go faster and faster every year.

We have now partnered up with Vapefest Ireland and had a great time in Dublin when we launched Issue Two at Vapefest Ireland 2015 which was held at the Aviva Stadium. You can read more about that elsewhere in this magazine.

We are also absolutely delighted to announce that the Global Vaping Association has made Vapouround Magazine the official vaping magazine for the UK so we are naturally thrilled about that.

In December we went to Parliament for a meeting with Chris Dodge (Secretary General at the Global Vaping Association) and Mark Pawsey (MP for Rugby & Bulkington) who also started the All Party Group for E-cigarettes. It was a constructive, informative meet and we have a great opportunity to educate people about the health benefits of e-cigarettes and why this highly valuable smoking cessation tool should not be demonised.

In other exciting news which you can also read about elsewhere in the issue, we are very proud to announce that we will be launching the first Vapouround Magazine Award Ceremony in May.

This will be a glittering night out and a massive industry event which will celebrate some of the very best that the vaping industry has to offer so you won’t want to miss out on that.

We are also the official media partners with Vaper Expo UK which is taking place in Birmingham in May and we are very much looking forward to attending this event, meeting up with old friends and making new friends.

In what has been an amazingly busy first few months we have also formed a number of media partnership deals overseas in Poland, Germany, France, Italy and the USA where we will be the official media partner at the World Vapor Expo in June.

So enjoy this latest edition of Vapouround Magazine and if you see any of the team out and about at events during the coming year then be sure to say hi as we always love to hear from you.

It is clear that we have come a long way in a very short time and we plan to scale even greater heights throughout 2016.

Caplin | paul@vapouround.co.uk Editor

vapouround

Paul

EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH Stop Smoking Champion LOUISE ROSS

Want to quit tobacco but don’t know where to start? Intrigued how Stop Smoking services work?

Louise Ross is Service Manager at the Stop Smoking Centre in Leicester. She encourages others to quit traditional tobacco cigarettes whilst spreading the message that there are other ways to stop smoking. The service provides invaluable support to smokers wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle. Vapouround caught up with Louise; here is what she had to say about vaping, smoking cessation methods, and everything else in between.

Vapouround Magazine: Hi Louise, tell us a little about yourself and Stop Smoking Leicester.

Louise Ross: I’ve managed the service for 11 years, and we’ve always tried to stay at the leading edge of what services can do to help people stop smoking, on many fronts; young people, pregnant women, people who are ill with both physical and mental ill health, workforces and so on.

VM: How did you get involved with Stop Smoking Leicester?

LR: I used to manage a large care home

for people with learning disabilities. I saw this job (I had only just stopped smoking myself) and I thought, wow, I could do that now!

VM: You’re an ex-smoker; why and how did you quit smoking?

LR: I quit smoking because of the money I was spendingI wanted to do my kick-boxing instructor’s training but couldn’t afford it - that kept me motivated! I kept myself VERY busy and used a breathing technique I’ve used with other people who have wanted to stop smoking.

VM: Describe a typical day if you can, at Stop Smoking Leicester.

LR: Every day is different, which is why we enjoy our work so much. Some of us cover the phone lines, dealing with enquiries from people who want to stop smoking, people who want information

only, frontline workers who want to know what to say to their patients or service users. Others will be out at clinics, or doing training, or making home visits to people who are too poorly to get out. I do a lot of talking to other groups, especially about e-cigs, but I also have to do all the work that goes with a manager’s job, such as report-writing, finance, HR and so on.

VM: What do you think of Public Health England’s report that asserted e-cigs are around 95% less harmful than tobacco?

LR: It was a huge boost for us, as it gave proper authority to what we had been saying for a long time. I was very disappointed that the authors were criticised for the 95% assertion, by factions who should, in my opinion, be supporting this unique opportunity to reduce the harm from smoked tobacco.

VM: How does vaping as a smoking cessation method compare to your usual treatments of gums, patches, inhalators et al?

Service Manager at Stop Smoking Leicester, Louise Ross tells all...

Service

I fantasise about the UK being exempted as a ‘control’ to see whether a liberal approach to vaping could have a bigger impact on smoking prevalence compared with EU countries where Article 20 is implemented.

VM: Stop Smoking Leicester is a trailblazer in adapting to the new e-cig landscape – you were the first e-cigfriendly Stop Smoking service in the UK. There are now a growing number of services that are adopting a more open minded approach by offering e-cig friendly services. What is Stop Smoking Leicester doing to stay ahead of the ever-evolving game?

LR: We often hear people say that it was a revelation for them. They may have tried other products before, and may have done really well with them at the time. Some will say other products didn’t work for them. Whatever their story though, vaping seems to give a much higher success rate AND satisfaction

rate, and that’s really important to us, when we are wanting the outcome to be a long term quit. Some people do really well with a combination of vaping and NRT, and that’s a success story in itself.

VM: What would you say is the best treatment (combination or otherwise) to quit smoking?

LR: Motivation, support, and a product that works for that individual in terms of taking away the discomfort and distress of stopping smoking. Vaping doesn’t suit everyone, but for those who try it and move quickly on to a device, flavour and strength that suits them, it’s a winner.

VM: How does it make you feel when you know you’ve helped someone in their journey to become tobaccofree, and that you’ve made a positive impact on someone’s life?

LR: It reminds us why we do this job. You would be amazed to see the difference. Someone comes for their first appointment looking grey and breathless, and in weeks, their colour returns, and they have a spring in their step. Their pride in doing something remarkable for themselves is really something to celebrate.

VM: What do you think of the TPD?

LR: I think Article 20 is a looming disaster, and I wish we could turn back the clock and reverse the decision to class electronic cigarettes as a tobacco product, when they clearly are not.

LR: I think the most important thing is to make and maintain connections with people who can influence others, to learn as much as we can, especially from experienced vapers, and to never feel defeated, even when faced with ignorance and prejudice. I’m an associate of the New Nicotine Alliance http://nnalliance.org/ and I try to spread awareness, to support other NNA members who do this in their own time and for no pay.

VM: How do you think the e-cig industry will evolve over the next five years?

LR: I think we will hold our breath to see what happens with the TPD.

VM: Are there any good news stories that you’d like to share with Vapouround readers?

LR: We recently did an informal survey of in-patients with poor mental health. Almost every one of them wanted to stop smoking. They knew it was leaving them breathless, and they had little money to spare, because they had spent it all on tobacco. Almost all said they wanted to use an e-cig to stop smoking, and we’ve managed to get everything in place to make this a reality.

To keep in touch with Louise, please follow her on Twitter (@grannylouisa)

For more information about Stop Smoking Leicester, go to website WWW.STOPSMOKINGLEIC.CO.UK

Louise Ross is

Manager at the Stop Smoking Centre in Leicester. She encourages others to quit traditional tobacco cigarettes whilst spreading the message that there are other ways to stop smoking. The service provides invaluable support to smokers wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle

The way forward for vapers in Ireland and beyond H

ealthier Smoker takes pride in delivering only the best products to their quickly growing customer base. All their own brand liquids are made and bottled in Ireland using the minimum ingredients required to produce top quality flavours and a great vaping experience for the user. They currently have over 50 flavours, along with all the big brands including Cosmic Fog, Element, Eco Vape and Suicide Bunny.

Lee Whyte, Scotland Manager, joined Healthier Smoker two years ago and has seen the company grow from strength to strength, expanding at a steady rate. Lee believes the success of the company is down to their well experienced and knowledgeable staff, not forgetting their loyal customers.

Lee said: “Vaping for me was not just an aid to give up smoking. It has become a lifestyle. It’s my hobby, passion and work. Although it doesn’t feel like work when you get so much enjoyment helping people switch from cigarettes to vaping.”

There are currently three stores in Scotland (Parkhead Forge, Ayr, Clydebank) and over 10 stores in Newcastle and spread throughout the city. The Parkhead store was undergoing refurbishment to expand the size of the unit, to stock more hardware and e-liquids to meet customer demand.

Lee said: “It was an exciting time for me and my colleagues at Parkhead. With this big improvement, we hope to catch the attention of more smokers and help them make the switch to vaping.”

The average life expectancy in Glasgow is 75 years but in Parkhead it is only 59 years, with smoking being a big factor in these deaths. Healthier Smoker hopes to get as many people as possible in the local community, to see the benefits of vaping. They will be there to help you through the transition from smoking to vaping, because at Healthier Smoker they don’t just gain customers, they gain friends.

For more information about Healthier Smoker, or to see how they can help you make the healthier switch to vaping, visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/healthiersmokeruk now.

Vaping – a new paradigm in nicotine use?

E-cigarette consumption, or vaping as it is now more commonly called, has rapidly gained ground to replace other nicotine replacement therapies on the global marketplace. The entrenched popularity of nicotine use combined with the known carcinogenic properties of tobacco had previously created a Mexican standoff. On the one hand, medical councils and governments decry a product that costs millions in health care and lives, on the other, the relentless consumption of tobacco continues unabated.

Health campaigns, education and rising costs of tobacco have done little in real terms of culling smokers – only illness and or death appears to do that. The nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) industry, patches, sprays and chewing gum, has also remained spectacularly unsuccessful in migrating smokers permanently from smoking and by default, serious and life threatening illness and cancer.

However, vaping appears to provide a solution to both sides of the coin. Vaping offers a nicotine delivery system that

transitions smokers seamlessly from tobacco and that also promises not to provide any of the carcinogenic side effects normally associated with traditional smoking. In addition, those noxious second hand issues of tobacco smoke are also notably absent.

The speed of uptake of vaping has confounded experts and stakeholders including Big Tobacco companies, governments and medical healthcare organisations. The former wants to maintain its vice like grip on sales of nicotine via its own products.

Governments are walking a tight rope between taxation and duty of care to its citizens. And finally Medical healthcare organisations are pointing out the obvious correlation between tobacco use and rising health costs in all countries where tobacco is legal, i.e. the world. In reality, there is no way to square the

By Jillian Godsil

amount of tax earned, over the cost of tobacco in financial and human terms.

In essence, NRT does not replace nicotine and is not a therapy, but another way to deliver a product. Its growing irrelevance is only inversely matched by the growth of its lobbying power.

While vaping has been quietly growing in popularity under the radar, the stakeholders are reacting in knee jerk fashion. According to what you read, vaping is either a clean alternative to sampling nicotine or worse than ingesting 4000 different chemicals, at least 70 of them carcinogenic.

Oh, actually, the latter is what is in cigarettes and already approved by government regulations.

Contrary to the flimflam surrounding the supposed ills of vaping there are many studies validating the safely of vape juice. Studies conducted since 2012 when the product went mainstream, have consistently shown that vaping is not dangerous.

“Vaping offers a nicotine delivery system that transitions smokers seamlessly from tobacco and that also promises not to provide any of the carcinogenic side effects normally associated with traditional smoking.”

In simple terms, the lack of longevity in terms of research means that most bodies restrict themselves to a 95% surety in their being entirely safe to use. As recently as August 2015, an evidence based report commissioned by Public Health England * issued a lengthy report on e-cigarettes which definitely said vaping was 95% safer than smoking, that it was very effective in the transition of smokers to vaping, and had the potential to save 80,000 people in the UK alone. In this turf war, reputable juice producers, typically the vanguard boutique vape distilling houses, are coming up trumps. Formed by master artisans, the products contain four ingredients, none of which are carcinogenic. The same studies are also showing that many of the e-cigarettes produced by Big Tobacco contain more of those unhelpful additions, currently still legal, as regulations are only slowly coming into being. As for the unlicensed products from outside Europe, your guess as to contents is as good as any. The fledging industry is however already self-regulating. Those smaller boutiques are testing

and labelling to standards as yet to be invented. Clean rooms are becoming the norm and interestingly, most of the products feature a zero grade of nicotine which is still selling – if zero nicotine products were just a PR exercise no one would make them, much less sell them. Boutique vape designers, building along the same model as craft whiskey distillers, argue that less nicotine delivers more flavour and happier customers. Finally there is argument that vaping is attracting minors, that fruit flavoured products are the alcopops of our modern teen consumers. There are two arguments which counter this. Firstly, while uptake of vaping has increased exponentially, it is in direct proportion to the decrease in tobacco rates. The uptake is consistent with a migration of use, rather than new users. Secondly, the gateway drug argument is called upon. However, why would anyone, let alone teenagers, migrate from flavoured nicotine to tar-flavoured nicotine? Most smokers recall the trouble of initially overcoming the taste to achieve the effect. Why go backwards into a carcinogenic drug that tastes awful? What is needed is regulation to ensure that the core vape product is exactly what it says on the label – whether from Big Tobacco or a

dodgy supplier in China. Then we need to take a long, hard look at who is pedalling what misinformation. If the NHS states that changing to vaping will save 80,000 British lives, then surely that is a good thing. What price is a person’s life?

*E-cigarettes: an evidence update. A report commissioned by Public Health England. Authors McNeill A, Brose LS, Calder R, Hitchman SC from the UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies. UKTAS is a network of 13 universities funded by UK Clinical Research Collaboration. Delivers independent research on tobacco and alcohol use. It is not funded by Big Tobacco or The Drinks Industry. Visit www.UKCTAS.net for more information.

Jillian Godsil is a journalist based in Southern Ireland. She used to smoke and gave up more than a decade ago, but wishes vaping had been around to make her choice easier.

She blogs at www.JillianGodsil.com or can be found tweeting at @JillianGodsil.

“If the NHS states that changing to vaping will save 80,000 British lives, then surely that is a good thing. What price is a person’s life?”

Great Reasons to be TPD Compliant

Notifying your products with the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in order to comply with the TPD brings a whole heap of paperwork, processes and negative pound signs. For the positives to emerge, the legislation will undoubtedly need to be widely adopted and properly enforced. If it is, Melissa Morris at VaperCrew E-liquids remains optimistic that there are at least 10 great reasons why compliance will help your business. Here they are:

1.

It will help you to understand your products, their usage and their effects; insight that will deepen your wider industry knowledge and, by working with scientific experts and industry peers, further improve your product offering as a result.

2.

It will reduce the complexity of combined liability insurance, as the industry will be better understood and regulated, enabling insurers to more accurately calculate risk, draw up more relevant policies and hopefully reduce premiums accordingly.

3.

It will encourage you to streamline and tighten your processes by adopting pharmainspired production management; improving employee and consumer safety, product quality and production/retail efficiencies. Admittedly, it can be painful to bring into play, but logical and well worth it in the long-run.

4.

It will enable you to react far more swiftly and effectively should any problems arise with products in the future - through better batch control and supply/distribution chain management. This is vital for consumer safety but equally important in terms of your potential liability as a business or an individual.

5.

It will force you to slim down your product range to a more manageable selection, which can be developed in response to wider industry trends, with tested ingredients, rather than in reaction to potentially hazardous flavour fads; facilitating more reliable planning, budgeting and forecasting – for both manufacturers and retailers.

6.

It will generate an industry standard by which retailers can more easily identify genuinely high-quality products and reputable manufacturers, and visa versa, without necessarily needing to inspect premises themselves. Consequently, consumers can be reassured with confidence.

7.

It will reduce unfair competition from less reputable manufacturers, retailers, and importers of cheap, opaque goods – leaving a balanced and more transparent market for legitimate businesses seeking to supply the best quality products with consumer safety as a priority.

8.

It will encourage the industry to work together, for the future of everyone’s business, through the formation of alliances, industry events, publications and campaigns. Safety, efficiency, buying power and political/business influence can all be improved by working together.

9.

It will assist consumers in making informed choices – the very foundation of an honest business transaction. Compliance will give you the confidence to actively and legitimately support consumers in their buying decisions, through the gathering and provision of accurate information.

10.

It will contribute to a greater understanding of the effects of vaping, thanks to all of the information you supply to the relevant authorities in your notification.

As a business owner, and a human being, this above all else should give you reason to be TPD compliant, and to sleep soundly at night.

E-cigarette Ban Scrapped in Wales

The Welsh government now wants to introduce new legislation which would only prohibit vaping from specific places where there could be a risk to children - such as schools, public transport and places where food is served.

Under the original plans the government wanted to ban e-cigarettes from all public spaces in Wales over concerns that vaping could normalise smoking and act as a “gateway to tobacco”.

Welsh health minister, Mark Drakeford, said: “Basically, we have changed our proposals so that a ban on e-cigarettes would be put in place in areas where there is a potential risk to children.”

There was widespread anger at the original plans which were set out in the Public Health (Wales) Bill from the vaping community, civil liberties groups, health campaigners and the wider public. Many protestors said that the ban failed to take into account the fact that vaping had actually been shown to be particularly effective in helping people quit smoking traditional cigarettes. Amongst those who opposed the ban was a group of 12 experts from

universities and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training who wrote to Welsh Assembly saying that there was no evidence to justify the legislation.

“The truth is that as it’s currently drafted, this bill won’t improve public health.

If anything, it will have exactly the opposite effect thanks to Labour’s illthought out vaping ban. Welsh Liberal Democrats will not support any bill that includes this ban.”

The Welsh Conservative spokesman on health, Darren Millar, said: “Introducing this ban would be a huge step backwards for smoking cessation and efforts to improve public health.

“Labour ministers are misguided in their war on e-cigarettes. There is no evidence supporting their plans and they should be ditched. We should be giving people a helping hand to quit smoking –not placing obstacles in their way.”

The leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales, Kirsty Williams said:

“For a bill that claims to address public health, some of Wales’s biggest health concerns – obesity, diabetes, air quality, heart disease – don’t even get a mention. Labour’s poverty of ambition for the health of our nation is shocking.

Welsh Health Minister Mark Drakeford had planned to bring restrictions on vaping into line with the current smoking ban by the end of 2016.

He said he would now introduce amendments to the bill at a later date which would “define more precisely” the places where vaping would be prohibited.

Controversial plans to introduce a total ban on e-cigarettes from all enclosed public spaces and workplaces in Wales have been scrapped

The Welsh government now wants to introduce new legislation which would only prohibit vaping from specific places where there could be a risk to children - such as schools, public transport and places where food is served.

VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE PREVIEW OF NATIONAL NO SMOKING DAY

ednesday March 9 is National No Smoking Day and this year’s campaign focuses on the slogan: “Be Proud To Be A Quitter.”

The annual event is now in its 33rd year and it aims to inspire and help smokers who want to quit with the support of a number of UK health bodies and charities.

Studies show that two-thirds of smokers want to quit and yet nearly one in five UK adults continue to smoke so there are an awful lot of people out there trying to kick the habit. We know, either from personal experience or from talking to friends, family or work colleagues, that vaping can be a successful way of giving up smoking, even when every other attempt to do so has failed.

So March 9 would be a great time to help encourage smokers we know to kick the habit by informing them about vaping and how it might be able to transform their lives for ever just like it has done for so many others in the past.

How good would it make you feel if you could help someone you know give up smoking?

Well if there is an ideal opportunity for spreading the word about how vaping can help, there can be no better time than National No Smoking Day. With support, smokers are more likely to

succeed in their quit attempt, and we all know how passionate the vaping community is when it comes to helping people quit smoking and life healthier lives.

National No Smoking Day is run by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and encourages hundreds of thousands of smokers to give up every year.

Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, said: “Giving up smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health, and that’s why the British Heart Foundation runs No Smoking Day.

“We’re encouraging smokers to mark Wednesday 9 March in their calendars, and take the first step towards a smoke-free life.”

Maybe vaping has already helped you to enjoy a smoke-free life. You can use your experience to help encourage others to do the same. This might be something you can do on your own or you might want to get together with the local vaping community to help encourage others in your locality to give up smoking. Your actions could really help to save lives and you can’t really get much cooler than that.

For more information about the No Smoking Day campaign, visit www.nosmokingday.org.uk

We are proud to announce that Vapouround Magazine is hosting a massive awards ceremony at Birmingham’s NEC in May to celebrate the very best in this amazing industry.

The Vapouround Awards 2016 will take place at a glittering gala dinner on May 4 which is just two days before this year’s Vaper Expo UK opens at the same venue. We will have special readers’ awards for the Best Overall Juice and the Vaper of the Year, which will be voted by our readers through our magazine, app and website. There will also be eight separate juice awards and awards for the best mod, best tank, best trade show and best branding.

In addition there will be an award to recognise the best innovation within the industry, The Vape Findr Shop of the Year Award and a special award to be presented by The Global Vaping Association. This is shaping up to be a very prestigious event indeed and it will be a massive networking opportunity for members of the vaping industry to get together and chat with many of the recognised leaders of the worldwide vaping community.

Many people who will be attending Vaper Expo 2016 have already signed up for the Vaperound Awards and tickets are selling really quickly. If you are a member of the UK vaping community then this is one event that you will not want to miss. We still have tickets on sale and they will be allocated strictly on a firstcome first-served basis so act now to secure yours today.

Tickets, at £250-a-head, will include a drinks reception, three course

Vapouround Magazine Announces Vaping Awards 2016

meal, entertainment and a charity auction. In addition we have tables on sale for £2,000 each which can seat a maximum of 10 people.

We also have special sponsorship packages available at £3,500 - one for each award - and these will include website advertising, social media advertising, magazine advertising in Vapouround Magazine, advertising wherever we market the awards, radio

Proceeds from the night will be donated equally between the two charities and the event will also include a a huge charity auction to raise money for both causes.

We have lots of prizes on offer for the auction but there is still time for people to donate charity auction prizes and help with these amazingly good causes.

For information on how to donate a prize or if there is anything at all you want to know about the Vapouround Awards then contact awards@vapouround.co.uk and we will get back to you.

We are proud to be part of the international vaping community and it is important to celebrate the great strides which have been made in vaping both in terms of hardware and the juices now available.

advertising and newspaper advertising. Our sponsors will also be able to present their award at the ceremony which will give them even more exposure. Finally we have special combined sponsorship and table packages available at £5,000 which represents exceptional value for sponsors who want to bring a large group of colleagues or guests with them.

To buy any of the ticket, table or sponsorship packages simply email dave@vapouround.co.uk or telephone 01332 650239 and we will take care of things for you.

The event will take place at the NEC’s plush Concourse Suite 1 & 2 which is situated on the ground floor of the NEC atrium side.

As well as recognising the best of the vaping community, the award ceremony is being held to raise money for two great charities - Nora’s Dream and Help

For Heroes and details about these two charities can be found on Pages 26 & 30 in this magazine.

Events like this also help highlight what can happen when a community comes together to do good things for great causes and we know everyone will do their best to make the charity auction a huge success.

In deciding to hold the Vapouround Awards we also wanted to put on an event where members of the vaping community could come together in a relaxed environment to have fun and enjoy themselves as well as paying tribute to those whose hard work and dedication has led to them being recognised with an award.

Although we are organising the awards we are not judging them and that task has been left to an independent task of industry experts who will decide the winners in each category.

We are really looking forward to this event - it should really be a huge night to remember - and we would love to see you there.

If you are a member of the UK vaping community then this is one event that you will not want to miss.

“

“

First on deck, the coveted bowl of milk at the end of eating Fruit Loops. Keith knew this would be a huge hit, it was exactly what the Vapor Industry was demanding, something outside the preverbal box. Simultaneously, Keith and Sarah’s long-time friend Catie gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Nora. Within weeks of her birth, Nora was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, not one form, but two forms. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition in which the lungs and digestive system become clogged with thick sticky mucus. Symptoms usually start in early childhood and include: persistent cough. Recurring chest and lung infections. Poor weight gain. Keith and Sarah had just welcomed their daughter Faith, into the world in March of 2014.

The news of Nora’s diagnosis hit home and left Keith and Sarah feeling like they needed to find a way to help this beautiful child. They knew Nora’s mom would do everything possible to provide the highest level of care possible for her, they also knew she was doing this on her own as a single mother. Then it happened, that moment of pure clarity where it all came together. Keith would use his first liquid off the Aisle 7 E-Liquid line to help Nora. He would name the liquid Nora’s Dream. There is more to this liquid than just a name. A portion of every bottle sold, goes directly into a fund to pay for Nora’s continued care.

Diamond Vapor manufactures and sells approximately 20K bottles of Nora’s Dream each month.

Nora is now 15 months old. She is walking, playing and mimicking everything around her. She loves going to the park, playing with her ball and swinging on the swings.

In September 2014 Keith started working on his next creation, Aisle 7 E-Liquid. This liquid would be inspired by the cereal aisle at the local supermarket.

AWARDS

Keith would use his first liquid off the Aisle 7 E-Liquid line to help Nora. He would name the liquid Nora’s Dream. There is more to this liquid than just a name. A portion of every bottle sold, goes directly into a fund to pay for Nora’s continued care.

Nora absolutely loves animals, her eyes light up when she sees a dog or cat. Fortunately, Nora has remained pretty healthy. She sees her CF doctor every 3 months for routine checkups, each time she goes they swab her throat for harmful bacteria.

Nora in her vest

Vapouround to Support Help for Heroes at Awards Cermony

Vapouround is thrilled to support Help for Heroes by donating 50% of proceeds from the charity auction at the first ever Vapouround Awards, NEC Birmingham on 4 May 2016.

The awards came about as Vapouround recognised there was no official awards ceremony recognising the stellar effort of standout members from the vaping community.

Vapouround will be donating 100% of proceeds from the charity auction, with the remaining 50% going to the Nora’s Dream charitable trust.

You may have heard about Help for Heroes, who offer comprehensive support to those who have suffered life-changing injuries and illnesses in the line of duty.

This is provided through grants to individuals, other charities and organisations, capital build projects and four Recovery Centres across the UK which offer support for life. The money raised by the hugely generous public has been used to

support the wounded, but there is still so much more to do. Soldiers, sailors and airmen who are injured today will still need our support tomorrow and in the days that follow, for the rest of their lives. They are still battling and Help for

deserves the very best support. All the funds raised by Help for Heroes have been either allocated or spent on delivering direct, practical support to the wounded, injured and sick.

Help for Heroes has funded a variety of projects including a new £3.5m treatment centre for Combat Stress, adaptive adventure training through the Battle Back programme and the creation of a £6m Quick Reaction Fund to support individuals in need.

Help for Heroes is also leading on the delivery of four Recovery Centres, in Catterick, Colchester, Plymouth and Tidworth to provide on-going training and support for the wounded after rehabilitation.

Heroes will not let them battle alone. Help for Heroes believes any Serviceman or woman who suffers life-changing injury in the line of duty

Help for Heroes is working in partnership with the MOD and The Royal British Legion, to deliver the Defence Recovery Capability (DRC) – a comprehensive pathway to help wounded, injured and sick personnel launch back into the next phase of their lives.

Help for Heroes believes any Serviceman or woman who suffers life-changing injury in the line of duty deserves the very best support.

“ “

Josh positively floods his business with his passion, his creativity, and his desire to ensure his customers get the very best experience from their vaping products each and every time.

He actually takes it as a personal failure if a customer is unhappy with their order, so it is not uncommon for him to call the customer himself and do whatever it takes to make things right.

CRAFT VAPERY is the industry’s first curated and personalized vaping subscription service, where only the highest quality products are tailored to the individual needs and requirements of the customer.

It is the vaping equivalent to getting a master tailor to hand-make a suit for you. Not only do you know that the quality will be perfect, but you also know that everything will be designed around you

and you alone. Josh launched CRAFT VAPERY with his business partner after becoming sick and tired of buying and using bad vape products. “We wished there was somewhere out there where we could go and know that we were getting the best of the best,” Josh recounted.

“Sadly there wasn't, so we set about providing that service ourselves. The first thing we did was decide what was really good and what was really premium, and knew we would offer only those products to our customers.”

Right from the outset there was a rigorous selection process imposed before a juice could be selected for sale. It is those high standards that ensure only the very best products are sent out. In any given month there may be 80 or more brands who want to be stocked by

CRAFT VAPERY, but only about one or two will be chosen.

“We absolutely don’t compromise on standards,” said Josh. “If there is a month when none of the juices meet our standards, then we don’t select any new juices for that month.”

As well as quality consideration, the other over-riding requirement is that customers get e-juice flavors they enjoy the first time and every time.

When new members join CRAFT VAPERY they can ‘yum’ or ‘yuck’ 16 individual flavor categories and from this, and other information in the customer’s profile, the flavors are hand-curated for them.

“Every box we send out is individualized,” Josh said. “Its contents are picked by humans, not computers.” Josh went on to describe just how

THE FIRST THING THAT STRIKES YOU ABOUT JOSH KRANE FROM CRAFT VAPERY IS THE HUGE AMOUNT OF PASSION, AND WE MEAN REAL, GENUINE PASSION, HE HAS FOR HIS BUSINESS.

CRAFT VAPERY Certifiably Vapable Liquids™ emerged from our need to create flavors we’d always dreamed of but could never find, and our desire to share these flavors with the world. We combined our years of experience and real-world data to ensure that these liquids would not only be exciting and rare, but also balanced and well-rounded. Each and every CRAFT VAPERY Liquid is Certifiably Vapable™, mean ing that all possible steps have been taken to ensure that it is produced in leading-edge clean room environments and scrutinously lab tested for quality and constituent parts.

www.CRAFTVAPERY.com | www.CRAFTVAPERY.com/wholesale

important it is that every CRAFT VAPERY customer receives exactly what they are looking for.

“We are able to select the best flavors for our customers based on their profile information, and we do so with more than 90% accuracy. We want to send a box full of liquids that our customers are going to like, and we want to ensure that they like every single liquid in that box.”

To that aim, customers can rate each of the liquids they receive, which helps ensure they will only ever get what they like. One step further, each box comes with a personalized hand-written note from the curator who hand-picked their liquids.

There is also a toll-free number customers can use to call about anything. In fact, any vaper can call the customer care team even if they are not a customer, and the staff will try to help them as best they can.

The attention to detail and the focus on the customer has paid off for Josh and his team as they now ship around 30,000 bottles to customers in 41 countries.

CRAFT VAPERY boasts that it provides “a revolutionary new way to discover, learn about, and shop only the very best that vaping has to offer,” and you can only achieve that with real, strongly-felt passion.

Thankfully Josh has got that in spades. There is far more to CRAFT VAPERY than just a subscription service. You can find out more at www.craftvapery.com.

“We are able to select the best flavors for our customers based on their profile information, and we do so with more than 90% accuracy.”

Assessing the reduced-risk possibilities of e-cigarettes and other novel tobacco and nicotine products

by Dr

The ‘billion-people’ issue this century, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is undoubtedly the public health impact of smoking1.

The WHO says that around one billion people will die from smoking-related disease, but many others believe that e-cigarettes, as well as other products, are substantially reduced risk compared to cigarettes and have the potential to have a significant positive public health impact.

But how can you be sure? How do you ‘measure’ that? This requires a framework of tests that seek to first understand the products and the aerosols they produce and then assess the biological impact of the aerosols compared with cigarette smoke and finally the likely impact on the consumer. Several companies are actively involved in e-cigarettes and next generation products. The key to demonstrating the reduced-risk potential of these products will therefore be agreeing on testing approaches. This means that there is now a great opportunity for the industry, regulators and academia to come together and agree on standards and testing protocols.

The Public Health Impact of Smoking

The WHO has said that in this century, about one billion people will die from smoking-related disease, compared to one hundred million in the last century1 This is because although the percentage of the population that smokes every day has decreased, the number of cigarette smokers worldwide has increased due to population growth.

A 2014 study2 by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, at the University of Washington examined smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption in 187 countries between 1980 and 2012. The results, published in JAMA, showed that although overall smoking prevalence decreased by 42% for women and 25% for men between 1980 and 2012, substantial population growth contributed to a 41% increase in the number of male daily smokers and a 7% increase for females. But the WHO has failed to support e-cigarettes and some regulators have responded by banning them. Many others, however, believe that the popularity of e-cigarettes and the fact that they are substantially reduced risk compared to cigarettes could be the answer to this public health crisis.

Public Health England3, an executive body of the UK Department of Health, recently published a report saying that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than cigarettes.

Professor Julian Kinderlerer, President of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE), told a delegation at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in February 2015 that: “In the case of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, history will judge us harshly as to how we answer this billionperson question. It may also look back in anger at policy-making amounting to institutionalized manslaughter.” (http://www.science20.com/news_ articles/ban_them_or_embrace_them_ ecigarettes_face_a_fork_in_the_road153217)

The use of products like e-cigarettes, therefore, holds great potential for reducing the harm associated with tobacco use. But this reduction in harm needs to be scientifically proven. To this end, we and others in the industry are developing frameworks of tests to help us understand our products and their biological impact.

Testing, testing…

The renaissance in product innovation away from traditional combustible cigarettes has certainly seen the emergence of some very high-tech gadgetry and technology. These require fresh eyes and new tests to help ensure that products based on these new technologies are as safe as they can be. We at British American Tobacco have proposed a new scientific framework4 that could be used to assess the reduced-risk promise of the myriad of innovative nicotine and tobacco products currently being developed.

This framework employs a four-stage process that uses lab-based and clinical tests along with real-world observations of individual and population perception and use (Fig 1).

The first step is understanding how consumers use the products and using this information to then understand the products. This is followed by clinical testing to determine that these products produce and deliver less toxicants than conventional cigarettes. Then the testing moves into the real-world use to determine what impact, if any, this reduction in toxicants will have on a person’s individual risk and also on the

Marina Murphy, Head of Scientific Media Relations, Research & Development at British American Tobacco

population using the products.

This framework has evolved from a prototype framework developed in the course of work to develop a reduced-risk combustible cigarette. Scientists have spent several years researching the nature of tobacco smoke, identifying key toxicants and developing technologies to reduce toxicant levels in smoke.

Laboratory tests showed that these technologies could successfully reduce levels of some toxicants in smoke, and clinical testing revealed that smokers’ exposure to these toxicants was also reduced. But in the case of cigarettes, the reduction in toxicants did not prove significant enough, at least in the shorter term, to be meaningful in terms of health risks5

Innovative new tobacco and nicotine products, by contrast to modified cigarettes, have significantly reduced toxicant levels. We have observed reductions of 90% and more in the levels of certain toxicants present in these new tobacco and nicotine products. These reductions are reflected when the aerosols are applied to cell-based tests in the lab − tests that can mimic some key disease processes and endpoints. These early stage results demonstrate that in comparison to modified cigarettes, these new products have greater potential to demonstrate a reduction in disease relevant changes in humans.

Understanding Consumer Behaviour

Understanding how consumers use their products is an essential first step to understanding what consumers are exposed to when they use their products. We have developed a test to help us understand how consumers use e-cigarettes. We can then use the information gathered to ensure machine testing of e-cigarettes in the laboratory mimics real-life consumer use. The test is based on a technology called a Smoking Analyser (SA7), which was developed initially to measure smokers’ puffing behaviour. This is a portable device capable of measuring pressure and flow when a subject uses their device while it is hooked up to the analyser. This provides information such as:

• the volume of aerosol drawn into the mouth — the puff volume;

• the time taken to draw the aerosol into the mouth — the puff duration; and

• the length of time between puffing — the puff interval

Using this device, we have seen that there are many different types of vaping behaviours (Fig 2). By using an average of the behaviours observed, it is possible to programme lab-based ‘vaping robots’ so that they mimic human behaviour, making measurements in the laboratory more accurate and true to life.

Characterising Vaping Products

E-cigarettes and other vaping products usually contain a nicotine-based liquid that is vaporised and inhaled. There is no combustion so the user inhales aerosol, not smoke.

We use ‘vaping robots’ to produce vapour in a similar manner to a consumer and then use a series of chemical tests to identify and measure the constituents in e-cigarette emissions. We use a number of different technologies to analyse the aerosol.

For example, a GC_GC_MS technology combines gas chromatography, which is used to separate out the component parts of the aerosol, and mass spectroscopy, which then identifies each component part.

The gas chromatograph uses a very long, very narrow column through which the aerosol passes. Different molecules in the aerosol have different properties and so travel through the column at a different rate. As each component ‘elutes’ from the column, a mass spectrometer can be used to identify it. This involves breaking the molecules into smaller fragments and then identifying each fragment according to its mass-to-charge ratio. The results of this and other tests demonstrate that the e-cigarette aerosol is much less complex than cigarette smoke, see Fig 36

3:

Reference cigarette: PEAKS 100% E-cigarette: PEAKS 5%

Figure 1: Framework for the scientific assessment of potential reduced risk products collective risk of the

Figure

GC-GC-MS Scans – Number of peaks as a percentage versus a reference cigarette

Fig 2: Illustration of puffing behaviour

E-cig Aerosol Versus Smoke

Chemical analyses clearly show that e-cigarette vapour is much simpler than cigarette smoke, but what does this mean in terms of biological impact? This can be tested in the laboratory using cellbased tests. For example: an irritancy test that uses a 3-D model of human lung tissue (Fig 4) can be used to examine the impact of aerosol versus smoke; and

‘wound-healing assay’. The basic steps involve creating a ‘scratch’ in a single layer of cells and capturing the images at the beginning and at regular intervals as cells move to close the scratch. The impact of different substances on the rate of wound closure can be measured and compared, for example between e-cigarette aerosol and cigarette smoke. The scratch mimics natural wear and tear in the cardiovascular system. The test is designed to examine the impact of smoke or vapour on the cells ability to repair. In the human body, a reduced ability to repair could lead to blood vessel damage and eventually cardiovascular disease.

there is a ‘scratch test’ that examines a tissue’s ability to repair itself (when scratched) after exposure to e-cigarette aerosol and cigarette smoke (Fig 5). The irritancy test uses a unique combination of systems to mimic vaping and smoking. A smoking robot is used to ‘smoke’ or ‘vape’ to produce an aerosol and a commercially available 3-D human airway tissue model (EpiAirwayTM) is exposed to the aerosol. A dye is used to observe the impact of aerosol exposure on the cells. Viable cells have an enzyme that breaks down the dye so that it changes from purple to yellow. Healthy cells will therefore appear more yellow in colour than non-viable cells. This test has been used to test the irritant potential of cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapour from two commercially available e-cigarettes on human airway tissue. The results show that exposure to cigarette smoke for 6 hours causes near complete death of human airway cells in this test. In contrast, despite hours of aggressive and continuous exposure, the impact of the e-cigarette vapour on the airway tissue was found to be similar to that of air7

Another test is the ‘scratch test’ or

References

This test was used to compare the effect of e-cigarette vapour on wound healing compared to cigarette smoke. When the cells were exposed to smoke, they appeared to lose their sense of direction and position relevant to other cells, with the result that they appeared ‘confused’ and could not find their way across the gap – the wound did not close. By contrast, when the cells were exposed to e-cigarette vapour, the cells quickly closed the gap in much the same way as they do when exposed only to air8

Real World Testing

Lab tests can be used to study the products to determine whether the aerosol from e-cigarettes contain fewer toxicants than cigarette smoke and

to compare the biological impact of e-cigarette aerosol on human tissue models. Clinical testing with real consumers is needed to determine whether reductions in toxicants seen in the lab translate into reductions in human exposure, and whether these reductions will make any difference to a person’s individual risk when using new products like e-cigarettes over a sustained period of time. And finally real-world testing is required to determine the impact of e-cigarette use on population risk. In the clinic, chemicals called biomarkers of exposure, which can be found in blood, saliva, and urine, can be measured to determine a person’s exposure to certain toxicants. A biomarker of exposure can be the toxicant itself or its metabolic breakdown product – the higher the level of biomarkers, the higher the exposure. A person’s individual risk may be indicated by the presence of certain other compounds or physiological signs directly related to smoking-related diseases. For example, cholesterol levels can be monitored to give an indication of an individual’s likely cardi¬ovascular health.

Finally, the testing moves into ‘realworld’ use, to determine what impact using a new product like e-cigarettes has on population risk, in comparison to cigarette smoking. The lab-based tests and clinical assessment enable us to understand the potential of e-cigarettes to reduce risk. But, the impact of e-cigarette usage and uptake by consumers must be calculated in order to assess their potential to reduce risk at a population level. This assessment framework will help build the required evidence base needed to demonstrate that novel tobacco and nicotine products can deliver a net population health gain in comparison to cigarette smoking.

1. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008. mPower report [http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/mpower_report_full_2008.pdf]

2. JAMA. Vol 311(2), 2014. Smoking Prevalence and Cigarette Consumption in 187 Countries, 1980-2012. Marie Ng et al. p183-192doi:10.1001/jama.2013.284692. 3. E-cigarettes: an evidence update. A report commissioned by Public Health England, 2015; [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/457102/Ecigarettes_an_evidence_update_A_report_commissioned_by_Public_Health_England_FINAL.pdf, accessed 22nd October 2015] 4. Recent Advances in Tobacco Science: The scientific basis of harm reduction and the risk continuum Vol 41, 2015. A framework for the biological assessment of reduced risk tobacco and nicotine products. F Lowe, IM Fearon, OM Camarcho, E Minet and J Murphy, p 51-8 5. BMC Public Health. Vol 13, 2013. A single-blinded, single-centre, controlled study in healthy adult smokers to identify the effects of a reduced toxicant prototype cigarette on biomarkers of exposure and of biological effect versus commercial cigarettes Shepperd, C. et al. p690

6. A framework for the assessment of reduced risk tobacco and nicotine products, 69th Tobacco Science Research Conference, 2015 Keynote Lecture #2 C. Proctor, et al.

7. Toxicol in vitro., Development of an in-vitro cytotoxicity model for aerosol exposure using 3D reconstructed human airway tissue; application for assessment of e-cigarette aerosol. Vol 29, 2015 L Neilson et al., p856-863

Despite hours of aggressive and continuous exposure, the impact of the e-cigarette vapour on the airway tissue was found to be similar to that of air7.

Picture Credit: MatTek Corporation , Cilia (α-tubulin, red), Tight Junctions (e-cadherin, green), Nuclei (DAPI, blue)

Fig 5: A: Complete inhibition of wound healing after exposure to cigarette smoke B: Uninhibited wound closure after exposure to e-cigarette aerosol

Top Ten Flavours To Tickle Your Taste - buds

Don’t you just hate difficult decisions? When you’re close to running out of your beloved e-liquid, do you go for your usual vape, or are you in the mood for something

a little more adventurous? Wouldn’t it be great to see all the crème de la crème of vapes in one place?

When you have a million and one decisions to make, it’s just easier to

consult a checklist, and that’s where Vapouround come in. Here are our Top Ten Flavours compiled from an online survey. You’re welcome.

Mrs Bee’s True Dairy Custard by Yogg (www.yogg.co.uk)

Not your traditional vanilla custard, this is reminiscent of the glorious goo you might find simmering in your bowl after your Sunday dinner.

2Milk & Honey by Cosmic Fog (www.cosmicfogvapors.com)

Close your eyes and imagine a vape lighter than air. You see fields of puffy marshmallows and a sky raining sweet milk. Open your eyes in time for the perfect note of rich honey to cap it all off.

3Pink Lemonade by One Dream Vape UK (www.onedreamvapeuk.com)

Sugary and refreshing with a zingy twist. Ideal for those who have a sweet tooth, craving that afternoon sugar-fix, but minus the calories.

Boss Reserve by Cuttwood (www.cuttwood.com)

This hand-crafted e-liquid is perfect for cereal lovers. Gorgeous golden honey graham cereal with roasted nut clusters, drenched in creamy milk is a dream to vape. The delectable aftertaste of sliced bananas is the beautiful bonus on this smooth vape.

5Firebird Heisen Blue by Wicked E-Juice (www.wickedejuice.com)

This refreshing vape has a wonderfully warm sensation on the swallow, complemented perfectly with after-notes of a deep fruity flavour.

Top Secret by Inspector 11 Vapes (www.rsvapour.com)

This is that rare and delicious blend of cherries and berries with a refreshing menthol kick, perfect for those craving a fruity ADV with a minty aftertaste.

Custard Doughnut by Cloud Island (www.cloudisland.co.uk)

A fried savoury doughnut filled with thick creamy custard then sprinkled with white sugar to give the perfect custard doughnut flavour.

8Shaz Bomb by Inspector 11 Vapes (www.rsvapour.com)

This beautiful blend of peach and pineapple ensures a sweet and juicy vape. Perfect if you’re craving a hit of tropical summer in the cooler months.

Danish Crunch by Cloud Island (www.cloudisland.co.uk)

A daringly spiced, cinnamon treat, with a surprising undertone of crunch. Its whisper of spice makes it moreish and delicious to vape.

Flaming Hot Tamale by Vista Vapors (www.vistavapors.com)

With the right balance of heat and smokiness, it provides an experience that’s different than the average e-liquid, which feels more of a spicy trip south of the border.

Weird and Wonderful! TOP 10

It is always interesting to see the ever-expanding range of juices out there and finding new flavours to try. While we may have some flavours that we come back to time and time again it is always great to try something different every now and again.

Thankfully there is never really any shortage of flavours to try and finding new ones can bring about unexpected surprises such as discovering something you thought you may hate has actually become a firm favourite.

Here are some juice flavours which caught our eye since the last issue...

Spew by Mount Baker Vapor

It sounds absolutely revolting. It is green, which I guess is only to be expected, but what does spew actually taste like? Well melon mainly but with hints of mixed fruits and berries. Who would have thought that spew could sound so pleasant and refreshing?

Dragon’s Crown by EC Blend

Dragons are creatures which seem to feature quite heavily when it comes to e-liquid and while you may not be exhaling clouds of fire, it is easy to see why. For this creation think strawberry and coconut and this creamy combination is proving to be a very popular flavour indeed.

Holy Cow! Condensed Milk by VaporFi

Sweet, very sweet is what you should be thinking here. This is milky, creamy and rather indulgent. It has hints of caramel about it also and while some people use it on its own others like to mix it with other juice flavours.

Zombie Juice by Crazy Vapors

Zombies may be a bit sluggish and they will kill you given half a chance but they are really sweet on the inside it seems. Zombie Juice is described as the sweetest of all the zombie flavours produced by Crazy Vapors and sweet strawberry candy is what the juice of these zombies tastes like.

Swamp Frog by Crazy Vapors

While one might not immediately associate the swamp frog with amazing flavour well that is where you are wrong, at least in the world of vaping. This is the signature and most popular flavour from Crazy Vapors and its mix of ten of the freshest fruit flavours aims to give you a new taste with every hit.

Dark Passenger by Vampire Vape

This features a selection of sweet and fruit flavours which have been blended together to create a vape with a hell of a kick. The aniseed background is punctuated by notes of liquorice, while layers of blackcurrant and zesty lemon weave in and out of each other, sometimes appearing on the inhale, sometimes on the exhale.

Vamp Toes by Vampire Vape

This is a refreshing combination of grape, raspberry and blackcurrant and I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but we are reassured that no actual vampire toes were used in the manufacturing process. I guess we will have to make do with grape, raspberry and blackcurrant then.

German Chocolate Beefcake by Mount Baker Vapor

This sounds as though it should be a rich, intense and strong flavour for those who like their juices to taste like they have just come off the nearest dessert trolley. Combinations of chocolate, coconut, and caramel can be found in this liquid.

Wonderous WakeUp by EC Blend

Just one look at the flavour combinations here and you can see why this would wake up even the most heavy sleepers. We are talking espresso, Kahlua, vanilla and caramel and it sounds delicious. This is most certainly worth a try if you have not done so already.

Catch You Latte by VaporFi

If you like coffee and bad puns then this is most certainly for you. Imagine fresh brewed espresso poured over the finest crushed hazelnuts, finished with a rich swirl of brown-butter caramel, creating an authentically sophisticated, lush, velvety latte, says the company website. Sounds good to me. This is part of the VaporFi Grand Reserve range and was an award winning blend at Vape Summit 2015.

VAPOUROUND AT PARLIAMENT TO CHAMPION VAPING

Vapouround was pleased to be invited to a meeting at Parliament to champion vaping and provide a voice for vapers in the UK, Ireland and beyond.

The meeting was chaired by Chris Dodge, Secretary General at the Global Vaping Association (GVA) and attended by Mark Pawsey MP for Rugby & Bulkington, Colin Mansell and Ria Amber Tesia from Team Vapouround.

We’re thrilled to report that the GVA bestowed ‘Leader of the Year’ award to Mark, who has been a strong voice in raising the awareness of vaping through his work as Chair on the All Party Parliamentary Group for E-Cigarettes. It was a constructive, informative meet, and a fantastic opportunity to speak with industry experts passionate about the vaping industry. Chris is a loud and proud advocate for vapers worldwide, having had work featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Huffington Post amongst others, bringing extensive experience in international trade to the table. Mark too, spoke of the need to raise awareness of the benefits of vaping through exploration of regulating e-cigarettes in the most practical manner. Areas of discussion included the future of vaping in the UK post-TPD and the classification of the e-cigarettes which is something of a misnomer. Why, for example, are e-cigarettes universally called so, when they’re technically not cigarettes? This only heavily implies that by being in the same category as tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes carry similar risks. It is all about public perception and by lumping e-cigarettes

with tobacco products, the latter which actually don’t contain any tobacco, is misleading and disingenuous. This is something Vapouround is currently looking into and we’ll update you accordingly.

We’re thrilled to report that the GVA bestowed ‘Leader of the Year’ award to Mark, who has been a strong voice in raising the awareness of vaping through his work as Chair on the All Party Parliamentary Group for E-Cigarettes.

We, as esteemed members of the vaping industry need to raise public awareness of the health benefits of e-cigarettes; which is why the Public Health England report published earlier this year made for excellent reading. This landmark review was a game-changer and one of the messages at the forefront of the report’s findings, is that e-cigarettes consist of a nicotine delivery system with the potential to make a significant

contribution to the endgame for tobacco. We need to focus on the report’s statement that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than traditional tobacco cigarettes. Mark put the following question to Prime Minister David Cameron. Here is the pivotal question and answer in its entirety:

Mark Pawsey: “By the time the House next meets for questions, many people will have started their new year’s resolutions. For many, one resolution will be to give up smoking. Given that Public Health England recently stated that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than tobacco and half the population is unaware of that fact, will the Prime Minister join me in

highlighting the role that e-cigarettes can play in helping people give up tobacco for good?”

The Prime Minister: “Certainly, speaking as someone who has been through this battle a number of times, eventually relatively successfully, lots of people find different ways of doing it, and clearly for some people e-cigarettes are successful. We need to be guided by the experts, and we should look at the report from Public Health England, but it is promising that over 1 million people are estimated to have used e-cigarettes to help them quit or have replaced smoking with e-cigarettes completely. We should be making it clear that this is

a very legitimate path for many people to improve their health and therefore health of the nation.”

The general consensus being, that we are all fighting the same battle. We all want the vaping industry, which has seen exponential growth, to continue to flourish, helping people lead healthier lifestyles whilst encouraging businesses to be responsible vendors. A post-TPD landscape could see regulations make small businesses untenable, which is why we must all put on a united front and champion the benefits of vaping at all levels and at every opportunity.

VAPOUROUND AT PARLIAMENT PHOTOS

U K E X P O

DIARY OF A VAPER

with Lee Whyte, Scotland Manager at Healthier Smoker

t the age of 16 I started my first job at a greyhound racing stadium. Everyone I worked with was much older and most of them smoked. One day a group of us (me being the only nonsmoker) happened to be on our break. Now, I don't know what gave me the urge, but probably down to curiosity, I asked for a cigarette and sparked up. The day after, I had a craving for another one. So I went and bought 10 cigarettes. Smoking soon had an over powering hold of me... and my habit began.

Over the first year of being a smoker, my intake increased from 10 a day, rising quickly to 20. By the end of the year, I was on 30 cigarettes a day. Fast forward 10 years and now I am an avid vaper and managing three vape stores in Scotland. How did this come to be? It all started two years ago. My health

faint. Smoking had that much of a tight grip on me, yet I continued regardless. At the time, I was working in a deadend job selling windows for an energy company. I had zero motivation, rubbish hours and the pay was poor. One afternoon I was on my lunch break in Glasgow city centre with my last £30 to my name, when I spotted a small electronic cigarette stall. The sign said: ‘Stop smoking for £20’. I made my way over and started speaking to the chap. At first I was very sceptical. He gave me all the basic information needed and I bought my first starter kit. Best decision ever!

After only one month of vaping, my health improved dramatically – no more coughing or breathlessness. I even helped my colleagues at the time to make the switch and got around 10 people in the office off the cigarettes. They were all over the moon and joked with me saying, “Lee you should sell these, you’re in the wrong job.”

A seed was planted in my mind. With a better outlook in life and feeling at my most healthiest in 10 years, I started searching for a job in a vape shop. After a lot of C.V. spreading I heard back from Healthier Smoker where I got a start in the Parkhead store.

With my newfound job, it was amazing to see customers’ faces when they returned. A common quote was:

run our 3 Scottish stores. As you can imagine, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

It’s great to travel to different places and meet vapers from all over. The joy of meeting new people with the same interests, and sharing our success stories is wonderful. It really does feel like we’re one big community.

I haven’t touched a cigarette for over two years now and would never look back. I also enjoy cloud-chasing and we can't do that with a 10 pack of cigarettes.

I urge all vapers to help any smokers they know, to give up the cigarettes.

for a 24 year old was becoming very worrying for my family and girlfriend. Every morning when I woke up, I’d have my first cigarette of the day and rush into the bathroom to cough up the most vile greenish black substance. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs or run for the bus without getting breathless and feeling

“I can't believe it works! I have not had a cigarette for a few weeks.” To help someone give up smoking and help them on their journey to be a healthier vaper is SO satisfying. It’s truly a great feeling. After about eight months in my store watching the customer base grow and grow, I was offered a promotion to

Let’s make this vaping family even bigger than what it is now. Let us all share the positives, the success stories and educate people to a new freedom. Most importantly... VAPE ON!!

To know more about Lee and his fabulous vapes, hop onto Facebook and search for Healthier Smoker.

“To help someone give up smoking and help them on their journey to be a healthier vaper is SO satisfying. It’s truly a great feeling.”

Advertising in a post-TPD market

By Tom Pruen, Chief Scientific Officer at ECITA

Tobacco Products Directive

The Directive states:

5. Member States shall ensure that:

(a) commercial communications in Information Society services, in the press and other printed publications, with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers are prohibited, except for publications that are intended exclusively for professionals in the trade of electronic cigarettes or refill containers and for publications which are printed and published in third countries, where those publications are not principally intended for the Union market;

(b) commercial communications on the radio, with the aim or direct or indirect

effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers, are prohibited;

(c) any form of public or private contribution to radio programmes with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers is prohibited;

(d) any form of public or private contribution to any event, activity or individual person with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers and involving or taking place in several Member States or otherwise having cross-border effects is prohibited;

(e) audiovisual commercial communications to which Directive

2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council ) applies, are prohibited for electronic cigarettes and refill containers

[The definition of audiovisual communication in Directive 2010/13/EU is, broadly, “the provision of programmes, in order to inform, entertain or educate, to the general public by electronic communications networks” and explicitly includes on demand services.

At the time of writing, the final UK implementations of these aspects are not fixed, but there is not much room for manoeuvre left by the Directive text.

At a recent conference, Alette Addison, the Department of Health’s Tobacco Control Team Leader (EU), presented the following interpretation:

The revised

dedicates a significant amount of text to the restriction, or more accurately, prohibition of advertising

ome of the aspects of this are clear – no paid for or sponsored adverts may be broadcast on radio or TV, or the equivalent internet versions thereof.

The Department of Health have put out a copy of the proposed text of the legislation for comments, and it is accompanied by some explanatory notes. These give some perspective to the items listed above, in particular a distinction between providing information and promotion. This allows, in the words of this document:

“This would mean that where information is provided that gives detail about a product, or how to operate that product, but is not ‘promotional’ in nature, the restrictions would not apply.”

On this basis, a website could list products for sale, and provide factual information about them, but could not have promotions such as ‘buy one get one free’.

Similarly, the Department of Health states: “The press and other printed publications have been interpreted

narrowly in line with case law as limited to publications such as ‘newspapers, magazines periodicals’, not leaflets and posters.”

The upshot of this is that point of sale materials such as posters and leaflets would be permitted, while publications, such as this one will be prohibited (except where “intended exclusively for professionals in the trade”).

It is hard to see what justification there can be for a prohibition on specialist ‘vape magazines’, since the people who buy them have, just by doing so, already indicated a strong interest in vaping products.

There are some aspects that (at the time of writing) are unknown. Email promotion is prohibited – but what about emails to existing customers about new products? They would seem to be permitted – but an email about a special offer would appear to be prohibited.

Sending special offers by physical mail to existing customers would seem to be permitted, unlike email – another area where the revisions to the TPD

don’t seem to fit well with environmental protection requirements.

It all seems a bit confused and arbitrary, and hopefully the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) will be able to provide some clear guidance on exactly where the lines are drawn. It may be the case that some of the boundaries between providing information about products and promoting them will only be defined as a result of court decisions – a very unhelpful position for vaping companies to be in.

What is clear is that the opportunities to promote any business, brand or indeed product relating to electronic cigarettes, are going to become extremely limited. What isn’t clear is why the promotion of a safer alternative to smokers should be explicitly prohibited. No one would argue with some restrictions and regulation of the advertising of vaping products, but as the Directive makes clear, this is not the regulation of advertising – it is a prohibition of almost all advertising.

Founded in 2014 – Kilo E-liquid, a world renowned premium e-liquids brand represents the greater freedom of expression through unique ideas and tastes while retaining its own iconic style and originality. The line has grown to a full complex collection of 4 distinct flavor profiles born under the Kilo legacy; each flavor coveted by a new breed of evolutionary influences. With quality always preceding quantity, the brand continues to grow methodically while exceeding expectations with craftsmanship to the last drop; garnering us the award for Best in Show 2015.

SNEAK PEAK IN CHARLIE’S CHALK DUST HQ: WHERE COOL VAPES RULE

Recently, the Vapouround Team visited the headquarters of Charlie’s Chalk Dust in Orange County, California.

This is what we learned.

Walking through the double-doors, we were greeted by a man on a hoverboard. “What’s up?” he smiled and asked us. Another young man was refining his golf swing gleefully in the corner. Trick Daddy’s Cuz I’m a Thug was playing somewhere on speakers in the sprawling facility. We quickly realized this was no ordinary office.

Charlie's Chalk Dust was started in Southern California by two brothers from Northeast Ohio. Like so many people in the vape community, they were determined to quit smoking. At the time, they felt there were a number of pretty solid flavors out on the market but they couldn't find a flavor they could vape all-day and kept coming back to cigarettes. Instead of waiting for someone else to come up with one, they decided to make it themselves.

What started as an experiment in a garage led to months of mixing and cycling through endless combinations. The results: five original flavors they could vape all-day. They quit smoking. Unsure if they were blinded by the months of creating the flavors, they shared it with friends, set up a booth at ECC and exploded into the international scene. The mystery of Charlie was born.

Charlie's Chalk Dust personifies the simple things: the finest e-liquids crafted to nothing short of perfection, the importance of family, and the integrity of both content and character. They offered their first five flavors in the original matte black bottles we have come to love. A few months later they released a second line in matching matte white. The brand they have created

reflects that simplicity. To the founders, the choice was Black and White.

In a crowded industry, Charlie's looks to set its brand apart from the rest. Trust, respect, and the drive to make every day better than the last are values that live at the core of the company. Determined to build relationships that reflect those values and the tight bonds within the company, they have woven a wide network across the world in thousands of storefronts where Charlie's is available. This California company has gone from a brash, backyard word-of-mouth upstart--to an award-winning ambassador of an international movement. How did they do it?

The brothers attribute their success to two key elements. The first is past work experience; they learned from working closely with CEO’s of small businesses, learning how to operate on a daily basis. The other is a knack for putting the right people in the right places. Now with over thirty full-time employees, Charlie’s Chalk Dust has held exactly ONE interview. Every single employee has been recruited, personally invited, to bring their particular set of skills to achieve their shared vision: to be the best brand in the world. The team is far less corporate than they are cooperative: a true band of brothers. As one of the founders says, “I truly believe that we have the best team in the industry, hands down. We want our consumers to feel like they’re part of our big, happy, chaotic family.”

Finally, the group at Charlie’s loves what they do. The joy of the journey to this point far outweighs the desire for a destination.

IN A CROWDED INDUSTRY,

Rough around the edges, smooth on the delivery — Charlie’s has emerged as the gold standard for brands within the vape industry. They wanted to be classy. They wanted to be different. They wanted to be the best. The evidence of their quest is splashed loudly across every wall of their sunny, SoCal headquarters. The family at Charlie's Chalk Dust is having the time of their lives. And they want to share that experience with you. It's simple, really. Simply Charlie's.

CHARLIE’S LOOKS TO SET ITS BRAND APART FROM THE REST. TRUST, RESPECT, AND THE DRIVE TO MAKE EVERY DAY BETTER THAN THE LAST ARE VALUES THAT LIVE AT THE CORE OF THE COMPANY.

PART I: Vaping Community Responds to AntiVaping Propaganda

By Anthony J. Ottomanelli II

As a sociologist, I am inclined to stimulate your current ways of observing our world and offer a chance to think of this world in a much different and also very new light. So, without hesitation, please prolong your patience, as I attempt to open a door which invites you inside the realm of sociological thinking through the academic discipline which is brightly-lit by a force of unyielding optimism and rational logic, the intellectual form of practical reasoning known as Sociology. Visualize as you read. Don’t doubt your own imagination.

Imagine you are floating above Earth, looking down on the planet and attempting to observe the distant fuzzy view of Civilized Society barely in sight. What else do you think you’d see besides infrastructure and other random sections of developed civilization that we built? As you are floating, you are also slowly descending back down lower into the Earth’s atmosphere. Imagine drawing closer toward the surface of the planet as you continue to float, yet still you remain high above the soil of Western Civilization. As you become near our socially constructed reality, you are able to hear everything being discussed and reported. With the ability to now imagine more clearly and actually visualize what could be transpiring from everything that you’re hearing.

Imagine your vision is now clear and you can fully observe and analyze how society functions from simply hovering up above it.

Hovering above the world, looking down on it, is surely capable of building a portrayal of a mindset considered to be an action taken for the ability to absorb a developmental imaginative perspective of Society. This imagination has given you the ability to view the world, specifically the Westernized World, as an outsider. On the outside looking in, you have an opportunity to develop a logical foresight for what society truly is and for what society could become in the

near future; westernized society, that is. Once developed, utilizing a Sociological Imagination gives us the chance to express an insightful discipline, measured by a moral compass which is courageously pointing to the absolute and utter importance of ethically-charged social responsibility.

The concept of the Sociological Imagination was theorized by C. Wright Mills, in which he defined this particular mind-set as awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society. It is based on

ability to view our own society as an outsider might, rather than from the perspective of our limited experiences and cultural biases ( Sociology in Modules by Richard T. Schaefer 9:2011). A professor of sociology at my Alma Mater of DePaul University writes, “The Sociological Imagination is an empowering tool. It allows us to look beyond a limited understanding of human behavior to see the world and its people in a new way and through a broader lens than we might otherwise use” (Schaefer 5:2011).

the

Imagine you are floating above Earth, looking down on the planet and attempting to observe the distant fuzzy view of Civilized Society barely in sight.What else do you think you’d see besides infrastructure and other random sections of developed civilization that we built?

ISOCIOLOGY

C. Wright Mills is one of the single most influential figures among Sociology’s short list of recognizable names connected to the most impactful theories mentioned regularly by countless sociologists around the world. Many will be reading this, thinking “thanks for the quick Intro to SOC 101, but what exactly does this have to do with vaping specifically?” All I can say is that patience is virtuous and and Dociology is ubiquitous and so is the Sociological Imagination, which can be an efficient tool to incorporate when reflecting on all the overblown recent “Vape-Hate.” The Sociological Imagination is an absolutely vital mentality to possess and facilitate into a discussion which illustrates the current overly-saturated anti-vape

To participate in smoking, one must heat a dry paperrolled concoction of tobacco leaves and carcinogens, by lighting it on fire in order to create smoke for inhalation and exhalation.

propaganda that has been dominating the great-vape-debate online, in which many are arguing points of who, what, where, why and how to regulate this particular industry. Specifically, this kind of deliberate and purely socially constructed behavior primarily consisting of spreading rumors and perpetuating unsubstantiated gossip, favoring a specific agenda that seemingly has become a never ending disgrace, flooding the Internet gates with deceitful, pety, unrealistic, short-sighted, repetitive claims that are untrue and poorly analyzed. As if those responsible for interpreting the scientific data collected from research studies are suddenly exhibiting behaviors usually associated with people who are simply following orders. Thus, their perceptions could be based on ideas others may hold, having their own personal decisions being decided for them before any scientific research study even begins introductory trials. All this biased propaganda lasts many miles of traveling through a foggy cloud of misinformation flooding the streets, more accurately flooding the computer monitors in the homes of our communities, whether small, tall, wide, or even the not so far communities. Along the borders of tiny towns, inside the heart of big cities, or even semi-anciently operated, old-fashioned counties and provinces. In Western culture, due to the MediaIndustrial Complex, more often than not, people tend to exaggerate and

make-up outrageous accusations and outlandish claims that lead to the creation of false distinctions. For example, whenever anything becomes popular within our cultural boundaries, whether it is proven to be an effective product or service or merely a trendy fad or fraud, it is met with cynicism, speculation, and mass amounts of doubt and ridicule usually always before it has a chance to prove its worthiness. We are literally on the brink of having double digit states inside the U.S. with recreational legalized marijuana and

To partake in vaping, one must heat a flavored liquid nicotine substance typically with a lithiumion battery and a coil measured by ohms in order to create a vapor for consumption via inhalation and exhalation.

Utilizing a Sociological Imagination can assist anyone in deciphering the strong contrast from what vaping truly represents compared to smoking Yet, there seems to be a refusal of the mainstream throughout our general public in Western Culture who fail to see those differences, developing opposing views against vaping some people have raised a fuss about this. However, not nearly as many people who are somehow against the entire entity of the harm reduction approach known particularly as, Vaping. This is extremely sociological in scope since Vaping nicotine is receiving far more judgment and hatred than the possibility of marijuana being a major industry on a

federal level.

Sure, I think the marijuana debate is still one of the most influential, confrontational, significant and fascinating social issues being debated out in the pool of American opinion as of current. Yet, there is a vast amount of backlash exceeding the marijuana debate and that backlash is against harmlessly vaporizing the nicotine substance that is in liquid form. Millions of former smokers have come forth to provide detailed accounts of real-life occurrences, in which they were able to switch from smoking to vaping after 20 or more odd years of continual tobacco abuse. The key terms to remember for later reflection on this matter are “vaping nicotine” and “smoking tobacco;” two vastly different activities using entirely different tools.

To partake in vaping, one must heat a flavored liquid nicotine substance typically with a lithium-ion battery and a coil measured by ohms in order to create a vapor for consumption via inhalation and exhalation. To participate in smoking, one must heat a dry paperrolled concoction of tobacco leaves and carcinogens, by lighting it on fire in order to create smoke for inhalation and exhalation. Utilizing a Sociological Imagination can assist anyone in deciphering the strong contrast from what vaping truly represents compared to smoking. Yet, there seems to be a refusal of the mainstream throughout our general public in Western Culture who fail to see those differences, developing opposing views against vaping. Through the eyes of the vaping community as well as many other non-vapers who

are in-favor of vaping, the differences in smoking and vaping appear entirely lucid, seen clear as day. So clearly in fact that many vapers, vaping enthusiasts, vapor hobbyists, vaping advocates, which are typically all one in the same, have decided to map out just how clear the benefits of vaping truly are. Calling out anyone who attacks vaping by insinuating that it creates unprecedented dangers.

As noted previously, the Internet is saturated with anti-vaping propaganda, yet the vaping community response has also been abundant, making it a goal to prove wrong many of the scientific studies which suggest that vaping is causing more harm than actual good. While anti-vaping propaganda is prevalent, this type of vaper-response to it is information that can be found on countless websites. For instance, according to Zamnesia Online Smartshop, in a short information piece, they posted, “Vapour does not contain any of the carbon-monoxide, tar or other harmful toxins found in smoke.

”To dive deeper into other credible references, it is vital to view the situation through a Sociological Paradigm, a lens providing perspective from a sociological standpoint. Many of which are expressing their views based on developing a Sociological Imagination . Facilitating the theory of C.Wright Mills, as the saying goes, imagination will set you free, so it is critical to consider the position of the Sociological Imagination when dissecting these matters.

Considering this, Medical Organizations supporting Vaping and Electronic

Cigarettes, also known as M.O.V.E., declare that, “ The characteristics of electronic cigarettes should always be compared to those of conventional cigarettes, and discussion about the absolute long-term safety of electronic cigarettes must be contrasted ethically and scientifically with the absolute certainty of the harmfulness of smoked tobacco (M.O.V.E. Organization).” All in all, I completely agree with this excerpt from the M.O.V.E. homepage, we must continue the dialogue further as well as compare and contrast the similarities and differences, but it all has a cost now that the Internet debate surrounding vaping is so night and day, or black and white, there is no middle ground and the Internet is so full of such information, that it is literally becoming slightly overflowing with great bias.

If the vaping community wants to convince the “unsure” crowd or the people whose minds are yet to be made up on why vaping is harmless, we must ease up on the preaching, including myself, maintaining the discourse primarily centering the argument around the opposition. Those who are “undecided” about vaping will eventually become numb from all the constant information being shoveled in their direction that it will only produce apathetic attitudes. Regardless, M.O.V.E. goes on to clearly mark their medical position based on assessing the validity of research studies and their personal experiences as health professionals, by sharing, “People smoke for the nicotine but die from the chemicals produced when tobacco is burned. It is the combustion of tobacco and the 4000 chemical substances that are produced when smoking cigarettes that are harmful to health of smokers, not the nicotine (M.O.V.E. Organization).”

Many suggest this anti-Vaping propaganda attempts to inform, but only tarnishes citizens by misleading the public opinion into a state of mind that

can only be described as misguided and indecisive. For example, applying a watered-down version of research by consulting the world wide web simply by typing keywords in the little box provided by the Google Search Engine, you can easily come across information on these particular issues. Such as, VaporVanity co-founder J.R. Reynoldson writing, “It seems like a no-brainer that these Big Tobacco companies are behind a lot of the latest anti-vaping propaganda and efforts to regulate vapes into oblivion. It would be amazing if our government could let the free market continue to innovate and help millions to quit smoking, but I’m not holding my breath. The trend seems to be towards kneejerk banning of vapes and excessive

taxes that would drive small shops out of business. It would be a shame if Big Tobacco is successful in using their lobbying power to destroy the health of former smokers by banning the only thing that has actually helped them to quit.” Without much researching effort, this info was easily found on VaporVanity.com in an article titled “Big Tobacco Wants to Shut Down Smaller Competitors.” Therefore, conduct a few basic searches on these issues and bare witness to how much the antiVaping movement as well as the Vaping community love to convey their opinions on Vaping related topics through communicating on the Internet. For example, most of my colleagues

Through the eyes of the vaping community as well as many other non-vapers who are in-favor of vaping, the differences in smoking and vaping appear entirely lucid, seen clear as day. So clearly in fact that many vapers, vaping enthusiasts, vapor hobbyists, vaping advocates, which are typically all one in the same, have decided to map out just how clear the benefits of vaping truly are.

and friends in the Vaping community have primarily been a result of positive relationships built via the World Wide Web, thus the Vape community is a virtual community in a sense.

VaporVanity’s co-founder goes onto to share instances where other vaping advocates have highlighted similar circumstances, by sharing, “Gregory Conley from the American Vaping Association recently wrote an interesting article in ‘The Hill’ that details the steps that Big Tobacco companies are taking to stifle competition in the extremely popular vaporizer market (Reynoldson 2015:VaporVanity).” There are numerous, seemingly often endless amounts of sites with information suggesting similar claims all over the Internet. What’s more, however, is the opposite end of the spectrum, that is, the actual anti-vaping campaigns being launched out there. California launched a campaign featuring this image:

Following this, the Vaping community immediately responded in a number of ways, much like an article titled “California’s New Anti-Vaping Propaganda is More Dangerous than Truthful” written by Amber Whaley. Amber has a rebuttal to this campaign, she responds, “The fear campaign from the California Department of Public Health is only just one example of how misinformation could kill the benefits of e-cigarettes before they have a chance to do any good. Critics of e-cigarettes seem determined to get rid of these devices, and will make ridiculous claims to make vaping seem dangerous and harmful to people” (Whaley 2015).

Due to the fact that we are experiencing such a severe saturation of propagandized information, these concluding statements are essentially to be continued, as this is merely Part One of the story in its Sociological entirety and there will be a Part Two for you to follow in the next issue. Vaping may not be 100 percent healthy and risk-free, but it certainly is no equivalency to the act of smoking. As a part of the vaping

community you must question all the nonsensical information which needs correction and even more attention. Not to mention, be proud to boldly question the anti-vape affiliates who try to control our perception. Question these false ideas at their very inception, in order to halt any type of fictitious agenda progression. We’re the ones Vaping so we must always defend it. It is imperative to ask more than a single question, for it is only one weapon when we have many in our possession, that is, if the vape community chooses the preference to express a solid defense. Then the answer is that our citizens will finally learn valuable lessons, by simply ask more and more valid questions.

SHORT-BIO : Tony Ottomanelli graduated with a Master of Arts in Sociology from DePaul University in Chicago. Ottomanelli also taught Sociology at Owens Community College as well as coached Boy’s High School Basketball. Currently, Tony lives in Denver, Colorado, where he pursues opportunities in Sociology, writing and of course vaping, testing new vaping devices and e-liquids on a daily basis. Vaporleaf off of Colfax Ave. in Denver is his favorite go-to shop. since the staff focuses on customer care through educating with vaping facts.

The fear campaign from the California Department of Public Health is only just one example of how misinformation could kill the benefits of e-cigarettes before they have a chance to do any good. Critics of e-cigarettes seem determined to get rid of these devices, and will make ridiculous claims to make vaping seem dangerous and harmful to people

E-Liquids & E-Juice:

What is the difference?

and other carcinogens. This is not subject just to my opinion but was recently proven in the Public Health Report by the NHS. For my son Derek, he needs the nicotine and hopes to eventually transition down to non-nicotine but if he is like his grandmother Carol, he will always have a craving to put something in his mouth and feel that sensation of what we refer to as a “throat hit”. At some point, he may use a nonnicotine based product and satisfy that craving.

n the course of looking at each product, it is important to know the how and why of each product. It is important to understand the characteristics of how and why of each product.

Subjective Vs. Objective

Every type of flavor has two different properties, a subjective and an objective property.

The subjective property of a product is the perception of that product upon the senses of the consumer. It is the taste of the product as well as its strength of flavor, how it feels when it is inhaled as well as things not related to that such as ingredients that are used to promote a different style.

The objective property is the function of the product. This property is not up for perception, as it is the basic purpose of the product. It is what the product is,

at its most basic level and again, not based on any personal bias or perception. For vaping liquid and juices, there are two objectives; one for nicotine based products and one for non-nicotine based products. The objective is that function that is not up to any interpretation. It is the function of the product at its most basic level.

For nicotine based products, it is the nicotine as that is used to satisfy an addiction.

For non-nicotine products the function is to provide a satisfaction for an oral craving.

My son is using vaping to quit smoking. I have no idea how long it will take him and to be honest, I don’t care as of right now, vaping, even with nicotine, is still much better health wise than inhaling all that secondary stuff like tar

The industry right now has NO distinction between non-nicotine and nicotine based products. I am not for one minute suggesting that there needs to be a ban on anything, just a designation so that people and more importantly governments, can know which is which.

For example, I will be making a Brand legal in Dubai hopefully in the next 12 months. I need to overcome a great deal of hesitation from the various health ministries and by giving them a clearer picture of each product. Think of it this way; I can sell millions of dollars in grape juice in those markets but I would go to jail if I tried to sell wine.

It is important for people in that region of the world to have that option, because there is a great cultural heritage in hookah and giving them a chance to use a

To understand why there needs to be a designation for those products that carry nicotine and those that don’t, we need to understand the difference each does to the body.

product that is safer then tobacco, is one way I can get them to reverse their direction.

Make no mistake, I am not trying to ban nicotine, nor am I throwing them under the bus. I believe that once this industry matures, it can better articulate the benefits of nicotine products and educate the consumer of those benefits.

Tier was not needed anymore and will now any type of flavoring to be sold, even those with nicotine. This two step distinction can be further modified without changing the overall structure. There have been a few companies in the USA that have expressed some reservations about the labeling, because their products not only

Please feel free to contact Mr. Dodge at Chris@globalvapingassociation.org Nicotine molecular formula

A few of you might know that there are some countries that use a Two Tiered System based on nicotine. I am proposing that we help them by adapting these terms, so that they can better formulate the appropriate regulations for their people. Right now, nowhere in the world has any government changed their minds on a full ban, and without the designation difference, they won’t start.

Recently we have seen Belgium reverse from what is called a Two Tier System to an Open System. Until January 2016, products that had nicotine were not allowed to be sold, but now that they have seen that there was no correlation between using non-nicotine and smoking, they have realized the Two

do not have nicotine but they are making their products with herbs and with a therapeutic angle to it. One such company is called Namoa Vape and is a leader in providing products that satisfy the oral needs of the customer, at the same time providing known ingredients that can provide benefits to the customer. For this company, at first they were hesitant about the E-Juice designation, but when they were told that in the future, as the industry grows and matures, it will be an additional designation under E-Juice called E-Elixirs for those products in that category that purport to provide health benefits for the customer without medicines.

Yes, for those thinking, there will also be a

under E-Liquids

that will have such designations as e-medicines or even e-cannabis, once the community and the legal system find that there are ways to introduce some medicines via vaping (like inhalation).

I believe that using this first designation will help stop the unimpeded progress of Big Tobacco in closing the world to vaping products.

Chris Dodge is the Secretary General of the Global Vaping Association and chairman emeritus of International Commerce Development and the director of global business development for the Gulf Beauty Association and Ambassador to the Arab Business Club in Dubai.

category

“Here is what I am proposing to the industry. E-Liquid should be the designation of all products that have nicotine. All products without should be called E-Juice.”

Getting up close and personal with The App Design Co

The App Design Co builds mobile apps and websites for SMEs across many consumer focused businesses and specialize on apps for the e-cigarette industry.

They also manage targeted email marketing campaigns and social media marketing to maximize the impact of their clients’ apps.

Established in 2012, the company was set up to help businesses access the latest in mobile marketing technology at an affordable price.

So how did The App Design Co come to vape related apps?

In early 2015 The App Design Co were asked to create an app for the Vaper Expo UK exhibition. Since then they have built some cool apps for vape related businesses such as Le-Vap, Vape Findr, Totally Vapour, and Vapouround Magazine; and there are many more in development. By providing a one to one consultative approach and noteworthy results, The App Design Co have positioned themselves as the go-to guys for vape apps.

We met up with Tommy P (head of design at ADC) and asked him a few searching questions

Q, why did you decide to concentrate on building apps for the vape industry? After publishing the app for Vaper Expo we went to the show and helped promote the app. We ran some competitions and met lots of vapers. We got to know some of the companies and we liked the people involved in the business and decided there and then we’d like to work with these guys. It’s a cool business. It’s growing fast, and there are lots of innovative businesses that understand marketing and the technology.

Q: Why would a vape company need an app?

We’re often asked ‘my marketing isn’t clicking the way it used to, what can I do to up my marketing game?’ And invariably we say first and foremost, a mobile app should be their top priority and the flagship of their new marketing program. It should include important details, usability and convenience. They should use a responsive design that mirrors their brand “look” and website but is also simplistic and retains functionality. Use local marketing to hone in on users that meet your geographic demographic use geo-fenced push notes

and coupons. Boost your brand loyalty with instant notifications, incentives, coupons, special offers and share! Make sure your app is streamlined to receive mobile payments. Use old school email newsletters with calls to action and links to your app because nowadays most people check email from their smart phones. Keep customers loyal and those sales will be coming in.

Q: How long does it take to get an app built?

There’s a lot of work to be done. We meet and take a design brief from the client and then create a demo to test the apps functions and features. We work with the client to refine the design before publishing in Apple and Android. The whole process takes around a month, and although having designed, built and published apps within a mega tight two week time-frame, they would recommend a more thorough, comprehensive approach. Creating a piece of art and at the same time building a marketing tool that helps our businesses grow customer loyalty and sales revenues takes time!

Q: How do you get an app noticed?

During the build process we get to know the clients business. We meet them, research their website and competitors, check their social media and other marketing materials, analyse their marketing stats, and put it all together to create a marketing plan to launch the app and make it a success. There are some musts dos to get your app noticed. Make sure you have a great name and an impressive app icon design, use relevant keywords and a well written description, post cool images and get lots of reviews and ratings. Do these effectively and you will significantly elevate your brand in search rankings. You can also use AdWords and google trends too. Also include Indexing which enables rich search results to increase visibility dramatically. App Indexing API interface to enhance app ranking.

Q: Once I have lots of app users how do I keep them?

I’ll answer that by telling you what not to do. Don’t send too many messages, don’t send information that isn’t relevant to that user, don’t offer incentives or coupons that aren’t good enough, and don’t send messages at the wrong time. Apps are a fantastic tool for marketing your business and communicating one-on-one with your most loyal and

undoubtedly, best customers. Your secret weapon is good push notes. Send a customer what they want, when they want, and where they want it. There’s an art to consumer curated content and The App Design Co team help clients make the right choices.

Q: What if a business has a website and has made it responsive for use on smart phones, do they need an app?

We build websites and they are an essential starting point for most businesses. But with Google implementing a mobile friendly algorithm into their SEO nowadays a business must have a mobile website. However, mobile apps take you to the next level. They optimize and target your clients better than websites or even mobile websites. With an app you have the ability to use targeted marketing. You get instant results that allow you to adjust marketing strategies to focus on the customers that are actually interested in your products. We’ve all heard the quote that goes something like @I know 50% of my marketing is working brilliantly. The problem is I don’t know which 50% it is.’

With an app not only do you know what’s working, you know instantly and can act accordingly to maximise you ROI.

Q: Similarly, what if they use social media so I don’t need an app!

While social media and email marketing give you impressions, an app gives you figures, check outs, conversions, search data, etc. Data based decision making can easily increase ROI in any business. It’s really that simple. Compared to social media, an app can reach more people because there is no need to compete for space on news feeds. When you publish in your app you message directly to the users’ phones, so they will see what you have to say.

Q: So an app is the answer to everything?

No, it’s just the right beginning. An app is not a magic bullet.

An app works best as a part of an overall marketing strategy. Use social media integration, email marketing, promotional materials, and other tools in a unified approach. Use them to promote it, get it shared and reviewed. Use a microsite within your website to increase your apps visibility. Highlight the benefits. Don’t treat it as a mini-desktop- use it as an app. Make sure your app is adapted to each platform and tailored to the ASO of each platform. You must regularly assess your business and marketing strategies. An app allows you to analyse results fast. It allows you to launch a campaign, collect data, revise, redevelop, update and launch again in quick time based on real results. And don’t just aim for downloads; of course apps are for driving downloads; but retention is the key.

The App Design Co are very connected with the vape industry and will be attending the main UK vape events (Vapefest, Vapejam, Vaper Expo) including overseas events in Italy, France and the USA during 2016.

For beautifully designed apps that will take your business to the next level, get in touch today by hopping onto website www.theappdesignco.com. If social media is more your bag, stalk them on Twitter (@theappdesign_co) or on Facebook (fb.com/theappdesignco)

For a good old fashioned telephone conversation, call 07412 633 496 now.

There’s an art to consumer curated content and The App Design Co team help clients make the right choices.

“ “

Claim your free

For those of you who love to blow clouds this is the perfect gift for you. We have teamed up with the guys at The Cloud Company, part of Suicide Bunny to present this one of a kind gift for you in this issue of Vapouround Magazine. As the numbers are limited we wanted everyone to have an equal opportunity of owning this great gift.

To claim your free Suicide Bunny Vape Measure all you need to do is email measure@vapouround.co.uk Include your name and address and we will post it out to you free of charge. Remember numbers are limited so will only be issued on a first come first served basis. Happy Vaping!

ON

NOVEMBER 14, 2015

As a line of people built up outside the stadium ahead of the 10am start of the event the weather was the last thing on people’s minds.

Instead the talk was of what they hoped to find inside the exhibition hall and how they planned to spend their day.

As the rain poured down on the hundreds of people waiting outside they were also buffeted by the tail end of Hurricane Abigail but these were vapers and they were not going to be deterred by a little wind and rain.

Inside it was a lot warmer and much more pleasant but there was still a lot of last minute work to be done before the public were allowed through the doors.

While most of the stands were ready and fully stocked with vaping goodies there were the sounds of drills whirring and last minute hammering in the hour before the event opened.

It is amazing how much work goes on behind the scenes to ensure that Ireland’s annual vape event is as good an experience as it possibly could be for those who come to enjoy the show.

The first thing that struck a lot of people was that the venue had very low ceilings. “It’s going to get very foggy in here very quickly,” said one early visitor to his pals.

He wasn’t wrong but it is the haze of these events which really

Not even a rather wet and miserable start to Saturday could put vape fans from coming out to The Aviva Stadium to take part in the fun which was Vapefest Ireland 2015.

does add to the overall experience so nobody seemed to mind the white vapour clouds which remained for the entire day.

Vapefest Ireland may not be the biggest event in the world’s vaping calendar but that did not stop exhibitors from all over the world taking part.

The Irish vaping community is very passionate and many of the exhibitors who had come from different countries said this was one event they did not want to miss.

There were new juices to try, new hardware to discover, prizes, competitions and places where visitors could just sit down and work on building their mods.

Celebrity YouTube reviewer Grimm Green was at the event and was mobbed by fans wherever he went. It was his first time in Ireland and he loved every second of it.

The event was originally due to take place over two days but as the Republic of Ireland’s soccer team were due to play a key European match on the Monday evening they needed their stadium back the day before.

If anyone was disappointed then it didn’t show and already people are looking forward to next year’s event.

Vapefest Ireland organisers wrote on their official Facebook page afterwards: “We just don't know where to start saying thank you. Without the dedication and hard work of so many volunteers the entire event would not have been possible.

“We would like to thank all the vendors that attended, again without you coming from far and wide the event would not have been possible.

“Our VIP, Grimm Green, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for coming over to see us and we wish you a safe journey home.

“Vapefest seems to take forever to come around again but when it does it passes so quickly and we are back to wanting more.

“I hope you all enjoyed the day as much as we enjoyed creating it. Here's to 2016 and a massive shout out to team Vapefest Ireland.”

Visitor Lee O'Donnell summed up the feelings of many by writing: “What an amazing day. I was delighted to be able to enjoy it as a vaper/consumer, and not a vendor.

“It couldn't have gone any better... everything was perfectly laid out, it just looked amazing, looking forward to next year already!”

EVENTS VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE AT VAPEFEST IRELAND 2015

Vapouround Magazine has obviously been to many vaping events but Vapefest Ireland 2015 was the first time we actually had our own official stand at a show.

First of all it has given us a first hand appreciation of all the hard work and effort which goes in by so many to get an event like this off the ground.

Just arranging for everything to be at the venue on time and then set up all ready for the event can take near military planning. We also chose this event to have the official launch of Issue Two of the magazine and were thrilled at all the positive comments from everyone who came up to our stand and told us how much they loved the magazine.

Getting feedback like that means a lot to us and we wish to thank every one of you for being so positive and making it the success that it has become in such a short time.

Dublin was wet and windy when the show opened on Saturday morning but inside the Aviva Stadium it was warm and cloudy all day.

We had an eight-strong team of Vapouround staff at the event and we were all easy to spot as we all featured the new eyecatching Vapouround logo which everyone also seems to love. (Sometimes the simplest ideas are also the best ones.)

It great to put faces to a lot of people we had spoken to but not met and we also enjoyed making new friends at the event and we loved giving away some really cool prizes too.

Our Vapouround Hunt was a massive success and proved to be very popular indeed. Simply by interacting with 12 named exhibitors at the show and downloading our cool Vapouround Magazine app was all you needed to do to win a prize.

Throughout the day visitors to our stand were rewarded with juices, t-shirts, batteries, hats, mods and so much more. It was great fun.

We also gave out goodie bags to everyone who attended Vapefest Ireland and we even had time to enjoy a Guinness or two after the event to wind down once the show was over and everything was packed away.

If we saw you there then it was great to meet you and if we didn’t meet then there is always next year to look forward to.

My Visit to Vapefest Ireland 2015 by Patrick Griffin

To a man, the taxi drivers in Dublin were of the same opinion; we were to avoid Temple Bar at all costs. While the message was the same the reasons to stay away varied from driver to driver. We would be ripped off on prices for drink, it was too crowded, too full of tourists, too dangerous or there were much better drinking establishments in Dublin to enjoy a night out.

Having lived and worked in Dublin for some time I was aware that the taxi drivers had a valid point…there were certainly were much better (and less expensive) drinking venues in Dublin outside of this particular tourist trap. However I was outvoted, come to think of it I don’t think there ever was a vote, and the Vapouround Magazine party who were in Dublin for Vapefest Ireland 2015 went out to Temple Bar…twice. My colleagues all enjoyed themselves but there is only so much tourist fun I can take, so on the second night I made my excuses and left early in search of a

different drinking venue. Now if Temple Bar is a controversial choice of venue for a night out in Dublin then so, perhaps, can it be said that The Aviva Stadium is a controversial choice of venue for a vaping show.

Don’t get me wrong here. It is a great stadium in a great part of Dublin but, let’s face it, this venue was not built with vaping in mind.

The problem was twofold - the low ceilings and lack of ventilation both conspired to ensure that the vapour fog which generally accompanies indoor vaping shows was particularly intense at the Dublin event.

While some people felt that it added to the atmosphere, quite literally as it happened, others were a little put off by it. It certainly stopped people getting lost. Once inside the front doors they only had to follow the ever thickening haze to know exactly where in the stadium that Vapefest Ireland was taking place.

In a way it was quite apt. The day before the show I watched the Ireland soccer team play Bosnia in the away leg of the Euro 2015 playoffs from our hotel bar.

I say watched but that is not quite correct. The evening was so foggy that I could barely make out what was happening on the pitch, much less see

the ball, through the all-encompassing haze of whiteness.

The Irish team would be back at the Aviva Stadium just 72 hours later for the return leg but by then the vapour clouds generated by many hundreds of vape fans had long since dissipated.

The show itself was an interesting event. Vapers are generally a very friendly crowd and everyone I spoke to was very friendly and chatty.

I certainly enjoyed my time back in Dublin - even if it was just for an extended weekend. I also learned another new skill while over there…I now know how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness and I have even got a certificate to prove it.

I wonder if I would get a job in Temple Bar? Somehow I doubt it.

“The show itself was an interesting event. Vapers are generally a very friendly crowd and everyone I spoke to was very friendly and chatty.”

Grimm Green at Dublin Vapefest

For celebrity vaping blogger and YouTuber

e was in Dublin for Vapefest Ireland 2015 and although he has been at around 18 vaping events this year, the Dublin trip was his first time in Ireland.

Grimm, or Nick to give him his real first name, loves music, travel and good beer so it was no surprise at all to discover that he felt right at home in Ireland. His trip was long enough for him to get a taste of the country and sample its food, music, nightlife and beer as well as getting to know the local vaping community.

In fact Nick is such a well-loved member of the international vaping community that there were a number of people who attended Vapefest Ireland specifically to meet their YouTube and blogging hero. Within seconds of the doors opening Nick was spotted and soon a small crowd of people was buzzing around him, all eager to shake his hand, talk

about his videos and, of course, get a treasured selfie with the famous Grimm Green.

Like a lot of people who are big names in the vaping industry, Nick got into this almost by accident. He was actually a coffee taster and roaster at Starbucks where he had worked for around 12 years and it was his desire to quit smoking which lead to a massive change of career.

Nick fired up his computer, entered “fake cigarette” into his search engine and was soon watching a video about e-cigarettes and that was what began his fascination with the industry.

His next move was to buy an e-cig and he was fascinated by them. He wanted to know how they worked, how they were made, how many different types there were and as his knowledge grew then so did his desire to tell others.

Every time he bought something he would put up a video on his YouTube

channel because he simply wanted to share the experience with others. There was no talk of making a living from vaping or quitting his day job, it was just a man sharing his new passion with other like-minded individuals.

As a smoker Nick had a 20-a-day habit and he actually managed to stop for around two years before he knew about e-cigs but there was one huge problem… deep down he knew that the craving for a cigarette had never really gone away. Sure enough he did start smoking again but it was vaping that allowed him to quit for good.

He said: “When I discovered vaping my first thoughts were ‘that’s so cool’ and I was totally fascinated by all the equipment and the different juices.

“I thought this whole thing was so amazing that I just started making quick videos about e-cigarettes because I wanted to talk about what I was finding out with others.

Grimm Green, Dublin was just as he thought it would be…cold, rainy and green

“There was no information out there at all when I started and just learned as I went along. It started as nothing more than a hobby and from then on it just spiralled out of control. Soon I found that all my free time was either spent making videos about vaping or sitting at my computer answering vaping questions from people who had watched my videos and wanted to know more.”

The part about answering questions is not to be glossed over and it plays a big role in the amazing popularity that Nick enjoys today in the vaping community.

The thing about Nick is that he really genuinely likes to help people with their vaping problems or issues and wants to share his knowledge and passion with as many people as he can.

That spark which prompted him to quit his job at Starbucks and make a living as a blogger and YouTuber is still there and it is helping others that really drives him onwards.

It is also his style of videos that so many people feel so appealing. When he is explaining how something works or is done, such as how to build a coil, he goes into a lot of detail and does not leave anything out.

The idea is to set things out in a logical step-by-step manner so that people with no experience can learn what to do. The interaction with the vaping community is important to Nick because he is the kind of person who really loves to share his passion.

He could talk for hours about vaping and his work and I get the impression that if he was being interviewed about craft beers, travel or music then the same passion would be there too.

Nick said: “Obviously when I first found out about vaping I didn’t think I would end up doing this for a living but it got to a point when I was working 40 hours a week at Starbucks and I was spending the same amount of time on YouTube

and other vaping-related activities.

“Vaping had rapidly become my passion and so in December 2014 I quit my job and decided to do this full time. It was a scary decision for sure but it was one that I knew I would regret if I had not at least given it a go.

“I put my passion before my pay check and I am really glad that I did so.”

Nick is also an incredibly hard worker. He has produced around 700 vaping videos in just over six years, has 210,000 subscribers to his GrimmGreen YouTube channel and has clocked up in excess of 25 million video views.

That is not at all bad by any standards and Nick’s popularity can only continue to grow as more people find out about him every week.

Next time Nick will explain more about why he spends so much time helping members of the vaping community that he champions at every opportunity.

“When I discovered vaping my first thoughts were ‘that’s so cool’ and I was totally fascinated by all the equipment and the different juices.”

Vapitaly was the first electronic cigarette expo to be held in Italy, in the picturesque city of Verona, a truly beautiful backdrop to showcase this magnificent industry.

The event itself was held at the Veronafiere exhibition centre.

The event was perfectly organised and Mose and his team were on hand to help us upon our arrival. The footfall at the event was estimated to be somewhere in the region of 6000 with both days being extremely busy.

I always try to look for something a little bit special when I go to these events –what is it that sets them apart? I think it is genuinely one of the things which makes my job so enjoyable. I get to see the vaping industry alive and well in so many different places, it really is vaping around the world.

So what made Italy different? Vaping was accepted in almost every

restaurant or bar we went into.

As for the show, that was quite easy.

It was the level of fine Italian craftsmanship and bespoke mods which were on sale at the show. Make no mistake, this was truly an event where MODS were King, the selection of one of a kind mods truly left me astounded. There was one small hiccup to overcome. This was communication, as a translator was required. Having said that, boy did we fall lucky.

At this point I’d like to give a massive shout out to the delightful Danielle Custodio, a talented translator who managed to get our message across to vendors and vapers alike.

We were so impressed with her we have invited her to be our translator at future events across Europe when needed. Vapitaly is due to take place on 28th-30th of May next year, make sure you’re there.

So what made Italy different? Vaping was accepted in almost every restaurant or bar we went into. As for the show, that was quite easy. It was the level of fine Italian craftsmanship and bespoke mods which were on sale at the show.

By Kurt Sonderegger,

Conceived by Mark Evans Jr, one of the founders of the super successful World Vapor Expo that takes place in Miami every June, the Orlando Vapor Show’s first edition on December 11 - 12, 2015 was something of a proof of concept test for Mark and the Orlando Vapor Show Team - and it passed with flying colors.

At first glance, Orlando’s central Florida location for a Vape Expo is a bit of a head scratcher. When you dig a little deeper - it actually makes a lot of sense. Orlando is the no.2 city in the USA for trade shows after Las Vegas. Florida’s entertainment capital, Orlando, lies just one hour from the Atlantic Coast and home to the famed theme parks of Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World plus a plethora of great bars and restaurants.

The Orlando Vapor Expo is a good example in the industry’s shift from mega shows like ECC to smaller regional shows where manufacturers, retailers and vape enthusiasts can come together

and create an amazing experience while maintaining level of professionalism that we have come to expect from a well run vape expo. For this first edition, the Orlando Vapor Show was held in a fairly small location - The International Palms Resort and Conference Center . The space for the show was actually pretty limited - held in what is better described as a ballroom than true exhibit hall and that only allowed approx 30 exhibitors space to display their wares. The event sold out the exhibit space months in advance as Mark and his team have deep roots in the industry and getting

brands and distributors on board was the easy part. Delivering a large audience of shop owners/managers and a good showing on the General Admissions times was the real challenge - but Mark and his team had a plan.

With vape expos popping up like weeds across the country, it’s increasingly important for these events to have a strong marketing plan to drive traffic to the show that will deliver what they promise to the exhibitors who pay thousands of dollars for booth space, travel, hotels, etc. The Orlando Vapor Expo Team knew that making their first

2015 was a milestone for the vape community in many ways - Sub-ohm tanks, temp control, and the rapid expansion of vape expos both large and small.

FLORIDA - 11-12 DECEMBER

Cafe Racer Vape

event a success would be a lot more than “if we build it, they will come” and executed a marketing plan that delivered over 2,500 general admission guests plus 800 B2B (vape shop owners, managers and staff) attendees. The Orlando Vapor Show marketing plan included months of outreach to B&M shops throughout central and south Florida and a pre-show magazine distributed to hundreds of vape shops throughout Florida. They also worked with the Florida chapter of SFADA (Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Associationhttp://sfata.org/) who organized a bus to bring around 80 people from several area shops to the show. These efforts paid off as the show was already packed by the opening bell at 10AM on Friday December 11th. The smaller exhibit hall combined with a great turn out meant that most exhibitors were busy from the opening to the closing bell. The Cafe Racer Tasting Bar was as rocking as we’ve ever been for almost all of the 2 days - sampling our award winning Lucky 13 Craft E-Liquid along with Peach Guzzi and Yogurt Bomb - delivering lots of great leads from FL shops and some nice onsite sales to consumers stoked to bring home some of our e-liquid flavor creations.

The exhibit space will be double the size and with the success of the 2015 show, we would expect double the turn-out by shops and vape fans from throughout the Southeast USA.

The social side of the event was impressive. Starting off with a pre-event happy hour on Thursday through two crazy nights with the crews form Vapouround Magazine, Vaping Militia and a host of other exhibitors and industry folks - we didn’t get a whole lot of sleep and drank a few too many sugary cocktails but it was well worth the time to hang with friends new and old.

Next up, Mark and his team will be hosting the 2nd Orlando Vapor Expo March 25 and 26, 2016 at the much larger Central Florida Fairgrounds.

The exhibit space will be double the size and with the success of the 2015 show, we would expect double the turn-out by shops and vape fans from throughout the Southeast USA. Other vape show promoters are also adding regional shows - especially ECC under the banner of VPX - The Vape Exhibit, with expos in Detroit and rumor has it, Brooklyn this Spring/Summer.

The list of vape shows in 2016 is growing by the day and it will be interesting to see how many the industry, vape shops and vape enthusiasts will support.

After the massive success of the ECC in California last August, myself and some of the Vapouround team were excited to be back in California for yet another Californian Vape Expo. We were not sure what to expect, as the exhibitor list was full of many new names that we hadn’t come across before, although this only added to our excitement as we had the opportunity to meet with nearly 100 new companies.

It was a slow start, with a queue of people forming outside the convention centre, but 45 minutes after the doors were supposed to open, there no sign of movement. Eventually when the show doors did open, the check-in process was slow and antiquated. We then started to worry about the calibre of the show.

We need not have worried, because when we finally did get into the expo itself, all our fears vanished. It looked fantastic, they had made a real effort to host some great brands from all over the world, and every company had outdone themselves with the effort that they put into their stands.

Featuring companies like AVAIL who made a stand that looked like a bar from the roaring 20s Prohibition era, to The Pancake Man serving up hot pancakes

to compliment his juice range were just two great names to mention. Other standout exhibitors included Off The Record, who took up a lot of exhibition space and as always, had a striking stand. There were other companies like Cyber Liquids who brought a wind-free box for vaping tricksters to be able go into, and then show off their skills with a mod.

Day one was focused on B2B with many shops and business turning up to see what the creators of these magnificent juice ranges had to offer. The expo filled up nicely as the day went on, and after speaking to many exhibitors, they all agreed that the day had been a complete success with some fantastic business being done by all.

Day 2 was half B2B and half B2C. Going into day 3 which was solely B2C,

By Paul Caplin

was when the atmosphere and party really seemed to start. With the use of promotional girls and dancers along with many guest DJs, the entertainment was in full swing. The organisers even arranged for a cloud chasing competition with a large cash prize for the winner. They didn’t stop there though, and photo opportunities were available with the girls against a vapecon backdrop as well as the usual manic giveaways on stage organised by the exhibitors themselves. There was something for everyone and nobody seemed disappointed, vendors, guests and media alike. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and we were so happy that Vapecon Riverside was a success. We highly recommend going to any further shows that they put on around the world. See you there!

There was something for everyone and nobody seemed disappointed, vendors, guests and media alike. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and we were so happy that Vapecon Riverside was a success.

oose Knuckle was established July 2014 and is based out of Anchorage, Alaska. Moose Knuckle specializes in premium e-liquids with a unique selection of creative flavors to enhance your vaping experience. Our creations are made with only the finest of ingredients. The quality of our liquid surpasses all others and our passion for helping people to convert from smoking cigarettes is what we believe sets us apart in the industry.

- mooseknucklellc

- @mooseknucklellc

- mooseknucklellc

Founded in Orange County, Liquid State is an eliquid line that takes its inspiration from the principles of pride: Pride in where you live, where you travel, and where you wish to explore. After years of vaping, the creators noticed a lack of creativity in the eliquid market, with many companies rehashing already overdone flavor profiles. With inspiration from local state-specific foods and beverages, they created Liquid State, a brand with both a unique look, and equally unique, multi-dimensional, delicious flavors, all balanced perfectly to be all-day-vape-able.

• Cali Colada: Taking a cue from the laid back California lifestyle, Cali Colada is a creamy, tropical pina colada with ripe juicy mango, sweet pineapple, and hints of guava. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the summer.

• Apple Butter: Sweet Washington apples slow cooked to caramelized perfection and blended with spiced cinnamon. The result? A taste that rivals your grandma's homemade apple pie.

• Sweet Leaf: Life below the Mason Dixon line is just so sweet. Inspired by the peach state, sweet leaf embodies the flavors of the south. Our Georgia peach twist on sweet tea lemonade is a true southern charm.

• Cowboy Cobbler: A traditional lone star dessert, fresh blueberry pomegranate cobbler with sweet cinnamon and buttery graham cracker crust. Not for your average cowboy.

“With inspiration from local statespecific foods and beverages, they created Liquid State, a brand with both a unique look, and equally unique, multi-dimensional, delicious flavors, all balanced perfectly to be all-day-vape-able.”

ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI 21 - 23 JANUARY

By Paul Caplin

Following the success of the VapeCon Expo, we flew from the warm California winter sun and landed on a snow covered runway in St. Louis.

The temperature was -7° and the cold hit us the moment we disembarked the plane. We arrived at the show, and unlike the VapeCon Expo, the check-in process was quick, efficient and hassle free. In fact, it was one of the easiest checkins for any show that we have been to so far. The people on the door were happy, friendly and polite, and genuinely seemed excited to see media from the UK attending their show. We then found out after speaking to the organiser that this was the first show of its kind to be held in St. Louis, and wow what a first show this was.

The turnout by vendors was fantastic, with the old faithful that we see at most shows including Captain Obvious, Diamond Vapors, Villain Vapes and so forth, and also a wonderful turnout from first time and smaller companies.

The show was executed with perfection, well organised, and for first time organisers, showed an absolute knack for running a professional well marketed and well balanced expo. The attendance was fantastic on all 3 days, with a great mix of B2B and B2C and plenty of guests sampling the juices and trying out the latest hardware.

Speakers were on the main stage educating vapers and business owners on the upcoming FDA regulations and how to deal with the changes. Again the usual free giveaways were on offer as vendors cleared their stands of the juice and hardware they wished to share with the visitors. All in all, this was a highly successful show for all involved and everyone seemed more than happy with the turnout. This is definitely one to watch, and a must for next year’s calendar.

Snow Wolf 200w Regulated Mod

Jack | Vape Guys UK

Another great feature that the SW200 offers is the system lock feature. This allows you to lock all buttons on the SW200, so that it will not go off in your pocket. With a quick click of the fire button and voltage up button, you are ready to go, or not.

Let’s just start by saying that this 200w beast is a bit of a setback financially. If you are buying it from a vape shop, you are looking around £100 including the two 18650s that it needs. In my opinion though it is definitely worth it, if you are looking to smog up the street!

During this article I will refer to the Snow Wolf as “SW200.” I primarily run the SW200 with the Aspire Triton at around 50w to around 100w, but I have dared putting it up to 200w with the Twisted Messes RDA – and let me tell you, I could have personally been the smoke machine for an ACDC tribute band. It gives off so much vapour that I have literally created my own ozone layer! A good thing that the SW200 does is pulse, very minutely but you can tell. As you burn at 200w it will burn for around 1 second then stop for half and then repeat. I find this feature very useful as you don’t fill yourself with vape too much. I am going to tell you a fact about the SW200 now that you won’t believe… this monster runs down to 0.05ohms! I want someone to send me a coil just so I can have a go! It also supports both nickel and kanthal coils, which is great if you’re into temperature control coils.

Now, I have found a couple of issues with the SW200. The first being Dave had to take his back because juice was able to leak into the wiring system and break the buttons. Obviously at the time this was a major setback for him, as it was his primary mod. It was replaced within the shop straight away but nevertheless you should expect better protection from a device with the price that it is.

Secondly, I run a 0.4ohm Triton coil within my SW200, it is not temperature controlled. Every once in a while the SW200 decides it wants to run in ‘Temp Control’ mode, allowing me to change the temperature and voltage! I’m not complaining, because it does give a smoother vape, but on the other hand this is a letdown for me.

I have a custom wrap on my SW200 which makes it personal to me. You can check this out on our Twitter account @vapeguysuk. I would rate this mod a 9/10, slightly behind the Sigelei 150w which I would rate 10/10. I hope you like my review of the Snow Wolf 200w. If you are looking for a cloud-chasing monster, this is the way forward. Just remember you need a suitable RDA to run!

This has been Jack from the Vape Guys UK, laters vapers! Stay foggy and remember, every cloud has a coil!

“Another great feature that the SW200 offers is the system lock feature. This allows you to lock all buttons on the SW200, so that it will not go off in your pocket.”

Aspire Cleito

By Debbie Hall

I’ve been vaping for about 15 months now, after 30 years of smoking. In that time, I’ve tried a lot of tanks, including Aspire Nautilus, Atlantis, Smok, Uwell, iSub and a whole lot more. But I’ve never got a nice ‘clean’ vape out of them. I also had a few issues with leakage with a few of them, which made me wary.

In the end, I decided to buy the new Aspire Cleito. It cost £19.99, which is a decent price. It arrived in a nicely presented box with an extra tank and coil. Also included was a ‘band’ which sits under the drip tip, to prevent you burning your mouth. There are also four other different coloured silicon bands, which you can use to jazz up your mod if you want. It’s great if you want to colour co-ordinate, or change the colour dependent upon your mood. I find the bands are great as a buffer, as they’re cool protection to save your precious

tank from breaking, if it’s ever dropped. It comes in either a classy black or swishy stainless steel finish. The tank itself holds 3.5ml and has a nice wide drip tip, variable airflow and a new design coil. I found that it is also really very easy to fill. You simply unscrew the top and put the juice in.

There’s no fiddling about with cumbersome, sometime dodgy threads either – win-win!

I primed the coil for around 40 minutes, just to be on the safe side using a nice heavy VG juice (80/20). I was using my 100w PLUS SIGELEI, took it up to 50W and vaped.

The flavour was perfect, crystal clear and delicious. You could almost taste the flavours in the layers. To be really honest, I have never got that from any other tank.

The clouds were massive. I don’t recommend using this tank whilst driving,

or operating heavy machinery, because you’ll never see the road!

Overall, I would say that it is the best tank out there for around £20.00.

I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with this little beauty and cannot recommend it highly enough. Vaping is the way forward!

To see what Debbie is up to, follow her on Twitter @debski2222.

“It comes in either a classy black or swishy stainless steel finish. The tank itself holds 3.5ml and has a nice wide drip tip, variable airflow and a new design coil.”

Kangertech NEBOX

Contents:

• 1 x NEBOX

• 1 x SSOCC 0.15 ohm installed (nickel with stainless steel coating for Temp Control)

• 1 x SSOCC 0.5 ohm

• 1 x removable drip tip

• RBA pre-built coil x 2

• RBA Mini

• Japanese cotton sheet

• Authenticity code user guide

• SSOCC caution card

• User manual

• Magic Blue Screwdriver

• USB Cable

• Battery stickers

I’ve been using the NEBOX on and off since November. At first glance, it seems that the Kangertech NEBOX offers everything to everyone. It comes exceedingly close to being the perfect piece of vaping equipment, but it is not without issues. The NEBOX comes with so many features it’s hard not to show it some appreciation. It was designed so it can be used by all vapers, from beginners to experienced vapers. The device features a hybrid tank which allows pre-built atomiser coils and also an RDA deck which allows you to build coils to your own preference.

The hybrid tank is substantial and allows for 10ml of liquid to be stored, as this is part of the device which makes it exceptionally practical when keeping the device in your pocket. As the NEBOX is made from aluminium alloy, it is lightweight and the shape of the box fits

easily into your hand making it easy to use. It comes in four distinct colours; red, white, blue and black, all of which are truly striking. All of the colours come with a black drip tip.

The buttons on the NEBOX are on the front and recessed. There is a main trigger button and two smaller buttons to allow the wattage on the device to be altered to suit your tastes. The wattage on the device goes from 7W to 60W, which can be monitored easily by the large OLED display.

The NEBOX runs off a single 18650 battery, which can be taken out and charged, but can also be charged though the USB cable.

The device can use a variety of coils, but it has specifically designed vertical SSOCC coils, coming with 0.3 & 0.5 ohm ratings.

The problems:

My NEBOX leaks on a regular basis which can be a big annoyance, especially when it is in your pocket. After looking this up on the internet there are a number of different theories suggesting the reasons for this leakage. They also give the guidance on keeping the NEBOX laying flat on its side, or upside down when not in use. It seems to me that the NEBOX came so close to making the perfect device, but this really is a big spoiler for a product which has so much promise.

Conclusion:

The Kangertech NEBOX has so many plus points, that it’s a shame that the leaking issue has overshadowed what could have been the perfect vaping device.

By Alex Shenker

To start this months Juice Reviews off I’m sampling a small selection from The Alchemist’s Cupboard’s vast array of flavours. Having tried quite a few of their juices before I know to expect great quality and a flavoursome vape. All three of the E-liquids I’m tasting today are from The Alchemist’s Cupboards new ‘Cloud’ range of juices. All of the juices in this range feature a 70/30 VG/PG ratio and are currently only available in 3mg nicotine strength. They claim that all of these E-liquids offer maximum clouds with an abundance of flavour.

Lemon Loaf

The first juice I’m tasting from the new Cloud range is Lemon Loaf, a zesty, tart Italian lemon flavour mixed with sponge cake with a hint of lemon syrup drizzled on top. The different sweet and sour lemon flavourings combine excellently with the sponge to create an accurate lemon drizzle cake that tastes just like the real thing. As promised this juice also delivers in terms of maximum clouds as well as a whole lot of flavour.

Cine-Apple-Twist

Cinnamon and apple are a classic combination that I always enjoy tasting in a vape, the twist here comes in the form of a sweet pastry flavouring that compliments the fruity, spicy blend perfectly. I can also taste a subtle hit of caramel in this juice that only helps embellish the flavour even more and elevates it to potential all-day vape status for me.

Oliver Twist

Next up is Oliver Twist, An eclectic mix of juicy blueberry with a strangely addicting aniseed and liquorice exhale. I thoroughly enjoyed this juice and for me it’s very close to being at all day vape status but I know a lot of people don’t like aniseed and liquorice flavours. However if like myself you enjoy a bit of aniseed it’s a great E-liquid with a fruity twist that I guarantee you’ll enjoy. After all you’ve got to vape a bottle or two….

After Dark

With fantastically designed packaging and some truly unique flavours Perino based in London look set to take the UK vape scene by storm.

East India

First off from the London based E-liquid maker Perino comes East India. There’s a bit of a chai tea vibe with this vape, several spices such as cardamom and cinnamon blend beautifully with a milky tea like flavour making this an excellent, chill-out vape. Both the quality of the flavourings and the vape itself are absolutely stellar with this juice and I can’t recommend it enough.

Based on the classic after dinner chocolates, After Dark is an indulgent cream and chocolatey vape with a cooling minty cream on the exhale. Absolute perfection for those evening vape sessions and an accurate representation of a classic.

Yo Yogi

Lastly from Perino is Yo Yogi, an extremely distinctive E-liquid full of sweet and fruity flavours with a few hints of dessert thrown in for good measure. Apple pie is the main flavour on the inhale whilst the exhale produces

Strawberry Shake

The third and final juice from The Alchemist’s Cupboards Cloud range is Strawberry Shake, an E-liquid that comes highly recommended by their skilled juice crafters and I can definitely see why. This is by far the tastiest and most accurate strawberry milkshake vape I’ve ever tried. The strawberry flavourings are complex and not at all artificial tasting whilst a layered mixture of fresh cream, ice cream and milk combine to create the perfect blend of fruit and creaminess. To sum up this juice delivers on all of The Alchemist’s Cupboards claims. It’s smooth, has heaps of flavour and produces fantastic clouds. They really hit it out of the park with Strawberry Shake.

nice dense clouds filled with melon and marshmallow flavours, which on paper shouldn’t go together but taste absolutely sublime. I really enjoyed all of the E-liquids from Perino but Yo Yogi definitely comes out on top for me.

Also Available

Rhubarb And Custard

A smooth blend of the classic rhubarb and custard flavour combination.

Cream Berry

A plethora of creams and custards tied together with strawberries.

Perino Gold

Perino’s signature blend of tobaccos, vanilla and caramel.

Sun Kiss

Peach and honeydew melon with lemon pie and hints of cream.

All E-liquids tested at 3mg nicotine

All E-liquids 50/50 PG/VG

I have a juice to sample from USA based Spitfire E-liquid. All of their juices feature a 100% VG base and are hand crafted using the highest grade flavourings and sweeteners. Their mission statement is to bring the most quality product to the most passionate vape connoisseurs.

Mayday Mary

Firstly all of Spitfire’s juices come packaged in glass bottles with an attractive pin-up girl theme running throughout the range. In this spirit Mayday Mary’s glass bottle features a 1940’s style picture of a model riding a bomb. The label also features all of the information about the juice such as nicotine content and VG/PG ratio (in this case it’s 100% VG based). I could tell

from the packaging alone that a lot of work and passion had gone in to creating this E-liquid so I was eager to get vaping. At heart Mayday Mary is a creamy strawberry shortcake juice, it’s not the most original flavour combination but it’s executed perfectly in this E-liquid. You can tell by the ripe, juicy strawberry flavour on the inhale that only the best flavourings and ingredients have been used here. The exhale introduces sweet creamy and cakey tastes that blend excellently with the strawberry. Thanks to the high VG content featured in this juice, huge clouds are a guarantee as well as extreme smoothness not usually seen in PG heavy vapes.

I heartily recommend this E-liquid to anyone who enjoys a nice fruit or dessert

tones as well. Definitely an impressive start from Purity.

Kringle’s Curse

A slight Christmassy with Kringle’s Curse. A peppermint candy cane E-liquid that’s definitely a refreshing start to the new year. Purity have nailed the flavour here, it’s exactly like a candy cane. The minty menthol flavour has a definite smack of sweetness to it. I could probably vape this all year round but it’s especially nice around Christmas.

Malibu

I’m tasting a few of the E-liquids from Purity’s large range of juices. I’ve heard a lot of good things about these USA made E-liquids and I can’t wait to get sampling.

Belgian Cocoa

The first juice I tried from Purity was Belgian Cocoa. As its name would suggest it’s a chocolatey vape. I’ve tried quite a few similar E-liquids before and I think it’s quite a hard flavour to get right, sometimes it can be too sweet or swamped with too many other flavours so I think it’s brave of Purity to attempt a pure chocolate E-liquid. Thankfully with this juice they’ve got it absolutely right, it tastes just like a warming mug of hot chocolate. It’s the perfect amount of sweet and there are some slightly bitter

A bit of a tropical vape here with a cool twist. Malibu is a Pina Colada flavour which means big hits of pineapple and coconut, probably my favourite fruit flavours at the moment. The twist here comes in the form of a subtle layer of menthol that works surprisingly well. The overall effect is something like a Pina Colada slushie. Definitely something new that I really enjoyed.

Torque56

Torque56 is definitely an E-liquid for you tobacco lovers out there. It’s a true unfiltered tobacco flavour with a serious throat hit, no messing around here. I have to say this one wasn’t for me as I tend to veer away from tobacco vapes, however I know there are people out there that will absolutely adore this juice.

vape, it’s truly premium in every sense of the word and I can’t see how anyone would be disappointed with it.

Turkish Tobacco

Turkish Tobacco is another tobacco E-liquid but it’s a bit more up my alley personally. It’s a more subtle and fragrant tobacco that has a bit of a sweetness to it. I find it more complex than Torque56 and it’s definitely milder. Throat hit is still quite strong here and vapour production is also decent.

Tribeca

Tribeca is Purity’s version of the classic RY4 juice flavour. If you’re unfamiliar with RY4 it’s hints of caramel and vanilla with a definitive undertone of strong tobacco. It’s sweet and nutty with the sweet flavours lending themselves very well to the classic tobacco tastes. It’s a classic E-liquid but it’s always a pleasure to vape.

All E-liquids tested at 3mg nicotine VG/PG ratio undisclosed.

Flying out of Washington DC with quite a buzz surrounding them comes Bumble Bee Vapor, a premium juice company owned by military veterans and promising a high quality and flavourful vape.

Banana Butter

Being the huge fan of peanut butter that I am; this was the first E-liquid from Bumblebee Vapor that called to me. However, it’s the gorgeous ripe banana flavour that’s the star of the show here, lending itself as the perfect companion for the sweet and savoury peanut butter aftertaste. I really enjoyed this juice and as always with high quality E-liquid the flavour and clouds were on point.

Black Magic

If you’re the kind of person that enjoys

a rich, indulgent vape then Black Magic is definitely the juice for you. Fudge brownie is the main flavour during the inhale, whilst the exhale produces thick clouds full of dark coffee, caramel and cream. The coffee does a great job of cutting through some of the sweetness, stopping it from becoming too dessertlike. I really enjoyed this as a morning wake-‘n-vape.

Mt. Fuji

I love interesting flavour combinations. Something that can keep me coming back and tasting different elements each time. Bumblebee claim it took them months to develop this many layered savoury/dessert juice, and I think they’ve done a fine job of keeping everyone guessing about what flavourings have been used. The main tastes for me are Apple pie and coconut but there are so many other flavours in effect here it’s difficult to describe the overall taste. You’ll just have to try it for yourself!

Pistachio Cream

Another unique flavour here, I’ve never seen Pistachio used in an E-liquid before and I have to say, it’s something

wI definitely look forward to seeing more of. In this juice the delicate, nutty pistachio is blended with several different cream and pudding flavours, leaving you with a light and extremely moreish vape. Also available from Bumblebee Vapor Flagship

Hailing from Bournemouth on the sunny south coast comes Juice-E-Fruit, producing a wide variety of unique flavours and interesting combinations I’m always excited to taste. JuiceEFruit also create all of their juices using the best ingredients and to the highest standards.

Rhubarb Dripple

First up from JuiceEFruit comes Rhubarb Dripple. This E-liquid really takes me back to my childhood, it tastes just like the little rhubarb and custard boiled sweets you used to be able to get from sweet shops. Having not had one in so long this vape instantly filled me with nostalgia and I’m sure it will do the same for so many others out there so I definitely recommend this juice to anyone looking to relive their childhood a little bit. As for the flavour it’s sharp

but sweet rhubarb mixed with a creamy custard flavour and a hit of sugar that always features in old school pick’n’mix vapes.

Froot Zalad

Another pick n mix favourite here Froot Zalad is a perfect recreation of the classic penny sweets in vape form. The flavour is sweet and fruity and again it fills me with nostalgia. Few E-liquids are able to conjure up emotions so for that alone I highly recommend this juice but rest assured the flavour is fantastic.

My Dad’s Cucumber

After all of the sweet juices I definitely needed to cleanse my palate and thankfully My Dad’s Cucumber is extremely refreshing and an excellent cure for the dreaded vaper’s tongue. It’s a subtle juice with the main flavour of course being cucumber but there’s a definite light menthol in the background amongst other cooling flavours. It almost reminds me of ice water you sometimes get at restaurants with cucumber and lime in it. Overall a super cool and refreshing delight.

Doodlebug

Doodlebug is a really interesting juice, there are a lot of different complex layers that all blend together to create a super tasty and refreshing vape. First up there’s a mix of different sweet, tropical tasting fruits and subtle hints of herbs like eucalyptus and aniseed. After your taste buds comprehend all of that there’s a layer of sweetness that tastes to me like bubble gum and it’s all wrapped in a cool menthol parcel. The overall taste is a bit like cough sweets which I personally love and find very refreshing. I can’t guarantee everyone will love this E-liquid but I’m certain that if you give it a try you’ll be addicted to trying to decipher all of the different flavours on offer here.

“JuiceEFruit create all of their juices using the best ingredients and to the highest standards.”

Mad Mike’s E Liquid, based in Florida have created a fantastic line of premium juices all made in small batches and with a high VG content ensuring the best clouds and flavour possible. All of the liquids here are many layered and I always seem to find something new to like about them.

After Party

First up from Mad Mike’s comes After Party. A decent blend of sweet peach with tart citrus and nectarine to contrast. The high VG content helps to produce massive clouds and the flavour really pops out. I really enjoyed this fruity E-liquid, it’s simple but done extremely well.

Blind Date

Blind Date is another fruity concoction, with a long list of flavourings all combining beautifully in to a tropical fruit cocktail. Strawberries and cherries head up the inhale with the exhale introducing pineapple, orange and passion fruit among many others. The overall result is an intense fruity vape that I could definitely see becoming an all- day vape.

Eve’s Addiction

Apple and bubble gum are definitely a unique flavour mix that I would never have thought would work on paper but Mad Mike’s have managed to pull it off with Eve’s Addiction. The fresh, tart apple flavour is the initial taste but it’s soon joined by a sweet, classic bubble gum that really brings me back to my childhood.

Manic Meltdown

Manic Meltdown is another fruity vape with a refreshing blend of strawberry and watermelon with a surprise hit of cooling menthol on the exhale. I really enjoyed this juice and could definitely vape it all day long. It really is super refreshing and tasty.

Pucker Up

As the name would suggest Pucker Up is a sour, lemon affair but with a good smack of sugar to help it from becoming too face scrunchingly sour. This vape really reminds me of a good home made lemonade, making it another extremely refreshing juice.

Red Headed Girl

Red Headed Girl is an extremely simple E-liquid but it’s absolutely crammed with flavour. It’s essentially a strawberry vape but with layers of sweet sugar and different strawberry flavourings. Mad Mike’s have done a fantastic job of creating a complex juice from very simple elements.

The Last Cowboy

I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of tobacco flavours but The Last Cowboy may have begun to convert me. The tobacco here is nice and subtle with heavy notes of caramel, custard and cocoa. The end result is a smooth and decadent vape, excellent for the winter nights.

All E-liquids tested at 3mg nicotine

All E-liquids tested at 80/20 VG/PG

Café Racer are a craft E-liquid company from California that hand craft all of their juices to the highest industry standards and focus on creating flavours and tastes that they love.

They spent over six months developing their line of E-liquids and I’m now tasting Lucky 13, one of their original and most popular juices. Another thing to note about Café Racer is that all of their products are diacetyl free.

Lucky 13

Lucky 13 is packaged excellently in a glass bottle with Café Racer’s distinctive motorcycle design on the front and all the information you could ever want to know. All of the ingredients, warnings and

nicotine content are clearly displayed which is always reassuring.

On to the flavour. I have to start by saying I am not the biggest fan of tobacco vapes but I found this juice to have the perfect blend of tobacco and other sweet flavours. The base of this E-liquid is creamy vanilla, toasted almonds and caramel that create a sweet and nutty flavour. The tobacco in this juice is extremely subtle and smooth, perfect for people like me who are a bit hesitant, and it works extremely well with the other flavours, leaving you with a complex and refined taste sensation. I never thought I’d say this about a tobacco E-liquid but I could absolutely vape it all day long. It’s smooth and sweet with hints of savoury that never left me bored or wanting to swap out for another flavour.

“Lucky 13 is packaged excellently in a glass bottle with Café Racer’s distinctive motorcycle design on the front and all the information you could ever want to know”

I’ve heard a lot about Five Pawns Signature Vaping Liquid in my time as a vaper but unfortunately I’ve never had a chance to sample it until now. With an extraordinary amount of hype surrounding their juices and a huge amount of support from so many it would be rude not to see what all the fuss is about.

Bowden’s Mate

First up from Five Pawns is Bowden’s Mate, a luxurious vape with a lot of layers and complex flavours. The main taste here is an after dinner mint with an amazingly accurate chocolate flavour and notes of delicious, cooling mint. An addition of subtle French vanilla brings another layer to the juice and all of the different flavours mingle together fantastically. I really enjoyed Bowden’s Mate and I was excited to try more from Five Pawns.

Castle Long

Castle Long is the juice that Five Pawns are most famous for and I’ve heard great things so I was eager to get tasting, and it really is a treat. As far as I’m concerned this juice sets the benchmark for blending and layering flavours perfectly. There are no stand out tastes but there are subtle hints of bourbon, coconut and toasted almonds whilst the exhale introduces a well measured sweetness from brown sugar and vanilla. Every single component in this E-liquid is there for a reason and utilised for maximum effect in the overall taste. A master-class in flavour.

Gambit

Gambit is Five Pawns’ gift to dessert lovers out there. It’s a sweet and comforting vape with a lovingly recreated apple pie topped with lashings of caramel, unsweetened cream and vanilla ice cream. You may think from my description that this juice would be too sweet for you but there’s a slight savoury aspect that stops it from becoming too rich and sugary.

Queenside

Queenside is a fruity, citrus vape, with tangy blood orange leading the charge. On its own I think this juice would be a little too sour but thankfully creamy French

vanilla races to the rescue and contrasts nicely with the sharp citrus creating a nice taste sensation. Not my favourite from Five Pawns but definitely a juice I enjoyed.

Grandmaster

The final E-liquid I sampled was Grandmaster. It’s a classic mix of sweet and savoury with banana and rich caramel on the inhale and a smooth hit of peanut butter on the exhale. It’s an extremely well balanced vape that I personally could keep in my tank all day long. You can really taste that Five Pawns put a lot of work in to their signature liquids and their passion pays off with flavours like these.

All E-liquids tested at 6mg nicotine

All E-liquids Tested at 50/50 VG/PG

Decoded Eliquid from Canada have produced a new and unique line of premium juices with some interesting flavour combinations that I’m eager to try.

Area 51

Area 51 is simply one of the best tropical fruit E-liquids I’ve ever tasted. It’s a refreshing cocktail of juicy tasting mango with lychee and papaya and all of the flavours are perfectly represented here. It’s the kind of vape that transports you away and makes you feel like you’re on a tropical beach somewhere sipping a drink from a coconut. Absolute perfection for me.

Loch Ness

Loch Ness is another refreshing vape, and one I really enjoyed as a morning

vape. It’s an accurately created peaches and cream yoghurt and it tastes exactly like the real thing. I definitely recommend this juice for someone looking for something creamy and refreshing with a fruity twist.

Big Foot

This E-liquid is a real treat, it reminds me of the doughnut stalls seen in so many town centres, the kind that you can smell from far away and always seem to draw you in. It’s a mini doughnut vape and the perfect little hit of sweet, sugary goodness.

Rongorongo

Rongorongo is certainly an interesting juice that I think people will either love or hate. The main flavours are strawberry

and a sharp citrus hit that gives a lovely sweet and sour effect, however there is an addition of cucumber on the exhale that gives the juice a whole new dimension that I personally enjoyed a lot.

Atlantis

Another fantastic, fruity E-liquid here. Atlantis is a heady mix of pineapple, blueberry and guava. The contrast between the slightly acidic tropical fruits and the sweet blueberry leaves me with a refreshing vape that I’d like to come back to again.

Davinci Code

Last up from Decoded Eliquid is Davinci Code, a sweet, dessert vape combining pecan nuts with butter and creams to create a nutty crème brulee. I personally found this one to be a little bit too rich and sweet but I know some people will go absolutely mad for this juice.

Created by mixologists at Bad Drip’s lab in New York, this line of E-liquids has a lot of hype surrounding it and with such new and creative flavour combinations and unique packaging it’s easy to see why. All of Bad Drip’s juices arrive in glass bottles inside of a laboratory style beaker. All of the labels are colourful and well-designed on the pot as well as on the glass bottles inside. After reading through the flavour descriptions for these juices I can’t wait to get started.

Bad Blood

First up from Bad Drip comes Bad Blood. It’s a unique flavour that combines crystalized blueberries with vanilla and a hint of pomegranate, a fruit that I’ve never seen featured in an E-liquid before. The overall taste is wonderfully light and smooth with the perfect amount of sweetness. Berry and pomegranate are a genius combination and the vanilla only helps to emphasise that. This juice has definite all-day vape potential and makes me very hopeful for the rest of Bad Drip’s E-liquids.

Farley’s Gnarly Sauce

Claiming to be based off a recipe older than Bob Ross’s paintbrush, Farley’s Gnarly Sauce is a heady mix of fruity and sweet flavours that is extremely addictive. The main components of this juice are strawberry and the rarely represented kiwi. I really enjoy the two fruits combined together and the

whole thing is dipped in a subtly sweet bubblegum syrup. None of these flavours ever outshine one another and they all work together to create a perfectly sweet and moreish vape. It’s another genius blend of flavours by Bad Drip and another all-day vape as far as I’m concerned. Two out of two so far!

Ugly Butter

Ugly Butter is a dessert vape straight from the fairground. The flavour begins with a fried doughnut dusted with sugar and a serious smack of cinnamon that stops it from becoming too sickly. The doughnut is then joined by a creamy banana pudding. These flavours don’t sound like they belong together but this E-liquid has absolutely convinced me that they do. Some may find this juice a bit too sweet for them but it’s another unique blend of flavours that I urge everyone to try.

Cereal Trip

Last up from Bad Drip comes Cereal Trip, in my opinion their most eclectic and unique E-liquid. As well all know cereal vapes are nothing new these days so Bad Drip have attempted to turn the whole thing on its head. Imagine if you will a sticky frosted doughnut covered in sugary fruit flavoured cereal. Then imagine this cereal coated doughnut island floating in a sea of sweet milk. That is what this E-liquid tastes like and it’s absolutely delicious. I honestly expected it to be too sweet for me but somehow it isn’t. It’s an absurd combination that shouldn’t work but truly does . This is definitely one of the best cereal E-liquids I’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something new and unique.

All E-liquids tested at 3mg nicotine

All E-liquids tested at 75/25 VG/PG

“This juice has definite all-day vape potential and makes me very hopeful for the rest of Bad Drip’s E-liquids.”

Lovingly brewed in Minnesota, MN Moonshine’s E-liquids are a varied collection with some different and rarely used flavours. I’m sure there’s something for everyone in this range!

Costello’s Downfall

The first E-liquid I tried from Mn Moonshine was Costello’s Downfall. This sweet, dessert- like juice combines subtle white chocolate with classic New York cheesecake. Definitely for vapers out there with a sweet tooth. However I didn’t find it overly sugary so others may still find something to like here.

The Don

The Don is a simple but tasty juice

with the main flavour being peach and not a lot else. However it is a fantastic peach E-liquid with all the juiciness and sweetness of the ripe fruit coming through. There’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple sometimes.

Cloud B

Cloud B is a fantastically smooth vape, blending ripe bananas with sweet cream and a dollop of thick custard. The high VG content here ensures big, thick clouds of flavour and only adds to the already smooth and creamy tastes on display here.

Strawbrulee

A fruity dessert juice at heart, Strawbrulee offers a creamy, custard inhale with a fresh, ripe strawberry on the exhale. It’s a classic flavour combination that works extremely well and produces a smooth and moreish vape. Definitely a potential for all-day vape status.

Cereal Boss

Cereal E-liquids have become a standard now for a lot of juice makers and Cereal Boss is Mn Moonshine’s effort in that category. The flavours of a fruit loop type cereal and a crunch-berry combine well here with a creamy, milk joining them in the exhale. As cereal

in the background. The plant based PG featured in all of V8P’s juices seems to produce a smoother throat hit than traditional PG and the high VG content helps to make decent clouds every time.

vapes go this is an extremely pleasant and well- made offering.

Night Cap

Night Cap is probably my favourite juice from Mn Moonshine and a serious contender for one of the best E-liquids I’ve ever tasted. The initial taste is a blend of sweet and tart berries that are soon joined by a shot of brandy, adding a layer of warmth to the fruits. The overall vape is absolutely delicious and seriously addicting. Definite all-day vape for me.

Purple Dragon

Another brilliant blend of fruits on display here, Purple Dragon is essentially a grape E-liquid and it’s the main flavour but it’s joined by a combination of sweet and sour fruits that subtly mingle with the grape to create a bright and easy going vape. Yet another juice I could probably vape all day long.

All E-liquids tested at 0mg nicotine

All E-liquids tested at 80/20 VG/PG

The sweet and sour mix perfectly and I can almost taste a slight hint of cereal in the overall taste. Once again the throat hit is smooth and big clouds of thick vapour are a guarantee due to the high VG content featured in these E-liquids. I highly recommend V8P’s juices to anyone looking for a more organic line of juices but still want top quality flavour and vapour production.

All E-liquids tested at 3mg Nicotine

Hoping to bring something new to the table all of V8P Juice’s E-liquid is made organically using a plant based form of PG making this a more sustainable E-liquid than many others available. As admirable as that is I’m all about the flavour so let’s find out how they match up.

Caribbean Don

I am tasting two pre-release samples from V8P Juice. First up is Caribbean Don, and being the lover of tropical fruit vapes that I am, I’m definitely in for a treat. The main flavours included here are pineapple and mango but I can definitely taste some other exotic fruits like guava and passion fruit somewhere

Mami Merengue

Finally from V8P Juices comes Mami Merengue, blending a tart lemon flavour with sweet and fluffy meringue.

All E-liquids tested at 70/30 VG/PG

“The plant based PG featured in all of V8P’s juices seems to produce a smoother throat hit than traditional PG and the high VG content helps to make decent clouds every time.”

By Peach Atkinson

13th Floor Elavapors

by 13th Floor Elavapors (6mg, 70%VG)

The first time I tried Django, I was skeptical, as I am not a huge fan of tobacco flavoured juices –but this one defied all misconceptions. Essentially, Django is a slight twist on a typical RY4 liquid, It has hints of creamy vanilla, sweet caramel and, of course, flue-cured tobacco.

The great thing about this juice, is that the flavours are all in the right proportions, and none of them are too overpowering in taste. Whilst inhaling, the caramel encompasses ones senses, and upon exhaling, the warm, wholesome tobacco escapes your mouth in a very satisfying plume of vapour.

I really enjoyed trying this eLiquid, and, at £9.99 for 30ml , I would definitely buy it again.

I believe Django has potential to be an all day vape, especially for those sweet tooths out there, and even if you are not a sweet tooth, It deserves to be tried, as it is a force to be reckoned with!

I love this juice, not only does it come from my home county of Dorset, but it has a pleasing and yet not hugely overpowering taste. The first thing you pick up, on the inhale, is the vanilla custard- no doubt about that. It has also been described as milky, however I couldn’t pick out that tone.

On the exhale I can clearly note a nice, sweet, sugary taste, which lingers pleasantly on your tongue.

Being a high VG eLiquid, there is a definite vapour production, which, to me is very satisfying.

The only bad thing is the price - £4.99 for 10ml, which isn’t even that bad. But because of the small bottle size, it does tend to run out quite quickly- especially for sub-ohm vaping, so I suggest If you are a heavy vaper, go for 20 or 30ml bottles, instead of just a 10ml! Overall though, I will keep buying this one and a very nice vape!

“The great thing about this juice, is that the flavours are all in the right proportions, and none of them are too overpowering in taste.”

Digby’s DMC 10ml – 6mg – 80% VG£4.99

“The first thing you pick up, on the inhale, is the vanilla custard- no doubt about that. It has also been desrcibed as milky, however I couldn’t pick up that tone”

Django

By Ellie K

Southern Tradition Grannie’s Cookies

A warm and full bodied flavour, Southern Traditions Grannies Cookies will appeal to those who enjoy a good bakery type vape without the overwhelming sweetness that these sorts of juices can sometimes bring. The inhale is dominated with the taste of sweet warm butter, whilst the exhale brings the whole hit of fresh homemade cookies. Not your ordinary cookie themed juice, this has something special going onwarm, rich and tasty, close your eyes and you could believe you’re eating it. As far as Grannies home baking goes, this nails it. Packaged in a burlap bag, the presentation of the product is classy, simple and effective, bringing with it an old school classic vibe which compliments the flavours within very well.

Bomb Queen 3D Pop

Cinema lovers rejoice!

Bomb Queens 3D Pop delivers with a big punch of warm buttery popcorn, with some satisfyingly big clouds to go with it. Strong and sweet, warm and smooth, this desert juice certainly delivers to its maximum potential.

A little sickly in the morning for me, I found this to be a much more palatable vaping experience in the evening time due to its expansive sweetness. I wouldn't describe it as an all day vape, its a desert vape in every sense of the word. However it does have the potential to satisfy any sweet cravings one may have at any given time of day. It does actually make me want to settle down with a good movie or take a trip to the fairground, close your eyes and you could totally be there, which brings me to the conclusion that never has a name been more accurate.

The artwork from Bomb Queen serves to suit this quirky brand, bringing a really fun and vintage feel to it which compliments this flavour to perfection.

Strawberry Queen Premium E-Juice The Queen

First things first, I must address the packaging that Strawberry Queen e-juice comes in... amazing.

Packed like a punnet of strawberries, it is impossible not to be impressed with the effort that has gone into the super cute presentation from this brand.

10/10, I love it.

Now down to the important stuff - the juice itself. "The Queen" brings with her the sensation of summer with an instant blast of fresh hand picked strawberries. Light, ripe, and super juicy, this is probably the most accurate strawberry flavour I have had the pleasure of vaping to date. I actually find it thirst quenching, which can be a rare quality for an e-liquid to achieve. Strawberry flavours can sometimes taste a little too artificial, its very rare to find the taste of actual strawberries, but Strawberry Queen has hit the nail clean on the head here. Not only does it have realism, but it’s also the freshest of the field. All in all this is an absolute winner.

Apple Pie Moonshine

Presented in a cool, squared off, brown labelled glass bottle within a burlap gift bag, you’d be forgiven for thinking this really was a miniature bottle of spirits. If you like strong liquor you’re going to love this. Whilst a warm hint of apples and a gentle shot of cinnamon adds that little something extra flavour wise, the most prevalent element here is the sinfully exquisite bootleg Moonshine. Whilst there’s plenty of alcohol themed juices on the market today, Southern Tradition manages to pull off something unique here – it’s not everyday you find something like this. A very interesting mix, you will find yourself wondering how in the hell you’re still sober after a good session on this. Dependant on your taste buds this could be an all day vape, as whilst the alcohol taste is strong it is not sickly in any way, however this would go down best whilst on a session at the bar with a good real ale in the other hand.

Bomb Queen

Bomb Queen Ruby Red

Again nice big clouds accompany Bomb Queens Ruby Red variety, which is a combination of red grapefruit with fresh mint. Being a fan of mint flavours in general this is definitely right up my street.

Bomb Queen prove that grapefruit and mint work absolutely brilliantly together, the two flavours complimenting each other perfectly and bringing with them a great balance between sweet and tart, with the refreshing nature of grapefruit being exaggerated even further with the use of mint.

The inhale is fairly strong grapefruit, the hit at the back of the throat brings together both the grapefruit and fresh mint, and the exhale dominates with the full, fresh mint flavouring. Sweet but not OTT, this juice is beautifully refreshing, morning afternoon or night. This will fast become a favourite of many.

Strawberry Queen Premium E-Juice The Knight

From this quirky brand comes “The Knight”, this time bringing cream into the strawberry equation. First impressions, aside from the aforementioned gorgeous packaging, is the smell upon opening. Definitely one of the nicer e-juice scents, its reminiscent of strawberry and cream sweeties from distant childhood and you just cant wait to have a taste. Upon tasting the reminiscence continues as its just as good as you had hoped. There’s definitely more of a candy vibe going on here, the strawberry being dominated by a creamy, rich background - this stuff is literally mouth-watering. Not overpowering, the two elements compliment each other to the perfect balance of naughty and nice, this juice is a real treat for the senses. This brand as a whole is well worthy of its title.

Southern Tradition

BUILDING COILS

BY THE COIL MONKEY @ NUCLEAR VAPOURS

When you first begin to get into coil building it can be a little frustrating.

It’s a trial and error process and there’s a lot of conflicting information on the internet. It’s about finding the method that works for you.

Ibegan building coils when I realised I wasn’t getting the flavour or vape production I wanted out of stock coils. I started where most people start – with micro coils. Once I mastered those I quickly moved on to more advanced builds. Through doing all of this I quickly discovered that the only real help available out there was on the internet, whereas I would have preferred to go into a shop & actually see someone

building a coil. So when we started our shop I decided to make coil building one of the key services we would offer. All coils have different characteristics – certain ones are better for flavour, or vape production, and certain coils look great! I have also created my own type of coil, which I have called the Devil Coil. There are a lot of helpful video tutorials out there, it’s just a matter of searching for them. There are also some free apps

available (such as Steam Engine and many more) that are great tools to use when you are first starting. They can help you work out which gauge wire to use and how many wraps you need to achieve your desired ohm level.

It is worth investing in good quality wire as poor quality can have a negative impact on your build. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get good quality – Youde wire is great value for money and very user friendly.

If you do get serious about coil building there are several tools that will make your life much easier! Items such as ohm/volt readers, coil jigs, ceramic tweezers and good quality wire cutters are a great help. You can find all of these items in Coil Master DIY kits, they are a good investment.

Something I would highly recommend doing before you begin to build coils is to learn about Ohm’s law. It’s essential information – you can read ‘A Beginners Guide to Ohm’s Law’ in Vapouround Magazine issue 2.

If you want to begin building your own coils, a micro coil is a great first place to start - it’s the easiest coil to make and is great for practising. It will help you learn the basics, such as keeping the wire tight as you wrap, and how to glow the coils in order to compress them. You will also get a good vape from it, and it is pretty simple to progress from a micro coil to a slightly more advanced twisted coil.

How to Build a Micro Coil

For this you will need – (picture 1 – tools needed)

• 26 gauge Kanthal wire – this is the wire I use for micro coils.

• Wire cutters – if you don’t have any available then nail clippers will do for now.

• A screwdriver to wrap the wire around – between 2.5mm –3mm would be the perfect start, but do I recommend investing in a coil jig which will have several different diameter rods and they make it easier to wrap the coil.

• A small screwdriver – for the post screws (most RDA’s and tanks have a small blue screwdriver in the box).

• Wicking material – organic Japanese cotton is great for beginners as it is very cheap and easy to get hold of. When you become more advanced you will want to explore different cottons – there are several different great brands out there, Native Wicks is the best I have come across by far.

• A pair of needle nose pliers.

• Also recommended would be ceramic tweezers.

• Scissors (for cutting cotton).

Starting with a good re buildable device will help. I would recommend a RDA with a good size deck, and in my opinion

the Velocity is one of the best drippers for this. It has a great sized deck with big post holes, so you can put all sorts of coils in there – so you will be able to progress from a micro coil to more advanced coils such as twisted coils, Claptons, and alien Clapton coils without having to change devices.

A micro coil will look small in the Velocity, but remember – you are practising. You will be able to fit bigger and more extreme coils in as you advance.

A single micro coil build will also work well in the RBA section of certain sub-ohm tanks such as the Kanger Subtank Mini.

So here’s how to get started –

• Cut a length of wire – roughly 100mm is ideal. This is a little longer than you will need, but it makes it slightly easier to work with. It’s better to have a bit too much, rather than not enough.

• Begin by wrapping the wire around your screwdriver. Keep it pulled tight as you are winding, and make sure each wrap lies right next to the previous one – as close as it can be without overlapping. (Picture 2 – beginning to wind coil)

• With 5 wraps, with an inner diameter of 2.5mm, will get you around a 0.4 to 0.5 ohm coil, which will be perfect as the majority of regulated mods will fire this – although I do

recommend finding out the lowest ohm your mod will handle!

• 6 wraps will get you a 0.6 to 0.8 ohm coil, so if you are making a dual coil build for a dripper you will end up with a 0.3 to 0.4 ohm build.

• Once you have your desired amount of wraps around the screwdriver both legs should be facing downward. You are aiming to have as few gaps as possible but if there are a few slight gaps, this is fine – this will be fixed later. (Picture 3 –Finished winding, legs pointing down)

• Next you should fit the coil into your atomizer. Ideally you want to position the coil evenly in the middle between the 2 posts. You can bend the legs to help with positioning (see photo 4 – coil with legs bent). Post one leg through each post hole in the deck, and screw the post screws down – just until it starts feeling tight, and then maybe half a turn more. Not too tight or you will end up clipping the wire.

Picture 2 – beginning to wind coil

• Now screw the atomizer onto your ohm reader to check the ohms. If you don’t have an ohm reader then you can screw it onto your mod to see what it reads. This step is important as you need to ensure your build has come out at roughly what you were expecting, and that your mod will actually fire the coil. (Picture 5 – Coils fitted & checking ohms)

• If the mod flashes ‘check atomiser’ or something similar then something has gone wrong. Either the coil has ended up at too low an ohm reading, and your mod won’t fire it or you may have clipped the legs when screwing the post screws in, and it’s not making a proper connection. Unfortunately you will have to begin again!

• Once you have checked the ohms, turn your mod down to a low wattage. I recommend between 10 – 15 watts. Now press the fire button until the coil glows orange. Then let go of the fire button & quickly compress the coils with the pliers. Make sure you let go of the fire button before you do this if you are using pliers!! Otherwise the coil will short. (Picture 6 & 7 –Glowing & compressing 1 & 2)

• If you are using ceramic tweezers for this stage, then you can compress the coils while the fire button is pressed. You only need to apply a small amount of pressure when doing this. You are aiming to make the coil as tightly and evenly wrapped as you can, with no gaps between the wraps, and no overlapping sections. You will need to repeat this 2 or 3 times to get the perfect coil. The perfect coil should start to glow from the inside to the outer wraps.

• Once you are happy with the coil, and it looks like the picture, you need to clip the legs so that they do not protrude from the other side of the post holes. Use the wire cutters or nail clippers and snip the legs as close to the post holes as you can get. (picture 8 – coils compressed & legs snipped)

Picture 7

Picture 5 – Coils fitted & checking ohms

Picture 6 & 7 – Glowing & compressing 1 & 2

Picture 8 – coils compressed & legs compressed

• If you are doing a dual coil build then repeat the previous steps, so that you end up with 2 completed coils.

• Next comes wicking your coil. The amount of cotton you need to use will vary according to which device you are using, but it shouldn’t be packed too tight or it will not be able to soak up the juice properly.

• Using your forefinger & thumb gently roll the cotton, which will make it easier to post through the coil. Wetting the end slightly can also help.

• Now gently post this through the coil, making sure not to bend it. As you slide it through the coil it should have some resistance, but not too much. If you struggle to pull it through the coil then you have used too much cotton. Then trim the ends off the cotton down, so you should just have enough poking out each side of the coil to tuck it into the deck, making a horseshoe shape. Don’t make the mistake of completely packing the deck with cotton – it needs just enough so that any excess juice can be soaked up from the deck. (picture 9 – wicked and complete)

• The next step is to prime the cotton, exactly the same as you would with a stock coil – make sure you get plenty of liquid soaked in there, nobody wants a dry hit!

• Install the deck back in your sub-ohm tank, or put the top on your dripper – and away you go! I would suggest starting fairly low at 20 watts, and building up from there until you find the sweet spot for the juice that you are using. In a sub-ohm tank this is usually between 20 – 30 watts. With a dual coil build in a dripper you can push this a bit further, but it’s all about personal preference. The higher the watts, the warmer the vape will be.

You have now completed your first micro coil build!

Enjoy the fruits of your labour.

If you want to move on from micro coils, there are plenty of options for you! A quick search for coils on Google will provide you with a huge amount of inspiration – however it can be a little daunting.

A great coil to move onto would be either a twisted coil or a Clapton coil. There is the option to buy pre-built twisted and Clapton wire, again the Youde stuff is great to work with. However if you wanted to build your own twisted wire it is a fairly simple process, as long as you have a drill handy. Simply place the shorter end of an Allen key in the drill chuck & tighten. Cut 1 length of wire (1 meter will give you enough for a few coils). Fold the wire in half, and grip the 2 cut ends in a pair of pliers. Hook the looped end of the wire around the Allen key and stretch your arm out so that the wire is taut. Then run the drill at a steady speed, keeping the wire tight (but not too tight, or it might end up snapping too early). You need to run the drill until the wire snaps at the Allen key end. The key to this is to get nice tight twists in the wire.

You would coil twisted and Clapton wire in a similar way to the steps above for the micro coil. Although I would recommend a 3mm diameter for a Clapton as it allows you to have more wicking, which means more juice getting into it, but a 2.5mm will also work if you have a smaller build deck although I would suggest running it at a lower wattage.

When it comes to glowing & compressing a twisted or Clapton coil, this will take a bit longer than for a micro coil. You have to gently wiggle the coil slightly, at the same time as compressing it, to work out any hot spots to ensure it glows efficiently from the middle to the outer wraps.

I hope this tutorial has helped! You can send pictures of your builds (either micro coils or more advanced builds) to me either through Facebook (nuclearvapours) or Twitter

@TheCoilMonkey. I’m always available to answer questions & I regularly post pictures of my own crazy builds – and I’m always intrigued to see what builds people come up with. Quite a few of my followers tweet me pictures of their advanced builds, which I retweet. And of course, chat about all things vape!

Remember – nobody is an expert when it comes to vaping. There is always something new to learn.

Picture 9 – wicked and complete

TPD IS COMING LE-VAP GETS PREPARED!!!!

LE-VAP specialises in premium quality e-liquids and hardware. Based in London, LE-VAP has three retail stores and a wholesale division, making them the perfect partner for wholesale distributors, manufacturers and consumers.

t is LE-VAP’s personal approach that has set them apart from the rest, resulting in LE-VAP being the official distributors of premium e-liquid brands from Five Pawns, Twelve Vapor, Mad Mikes, Iceliqs, Bumblebee Vapor and Decoded. The distribution/wholesale arm of LE-VAP is working towards the future and going forward leading the industry with high quality e-liquid ranges. As the TPD is now here, LE-VAP and their portfolio of brands are working towards implementing all the changes

required to meet the TPD deadlineMay 20th 2016. LE-VAP, together with the brand manufacturers, have been working hard to implement the required changes and ensure that all the e-liquids they distribute have the correct labelling, safety data and associated paperwork to meet all the regulatory requirements. This means that “Retailers” and “Consumers” will continue to enjoy their favourite brands without interruption. Established in 2013, LE-VAP’s main focus is to help others quit smoking.

Neil Vara, sales director of LE-VAP said: “We have always aimed to provide the best e-liquids and hardware for our customers. We have invested a lot of time and money, we have searched the ends of the earth to find the best premium products, because only the best will do for our customers. We’re always excited to show our customers the latest gems we’ve discovered.”

LE-VAP is a company who cares about vapers. By researching each and every single supplier, LE-VAP’s vape list only includes products that are ethically produced and sourced.

With an extensive e-liquid catalogue of over 200 of the finest e-liquids from around the world, LE-VAP supply both to the UK and EU retailers who also want to stock the best product ranges.

LE-VAP believes that customer service is key. When speaking to clients, the

wholesale team offer friendly advice and guidance, for new and existing retailers. Together with its newly launched website retailers are able to easily register for a trade account and once your details have been received, a member from the friendly sales team will give you a call to discuss your business needs.

The whole experience is smoothly efficient and once you’ve chosen products in your cart and paid, your order will be sent out within 48 hours.

If you are planning on opening a new store, marketing may be the last thing on your mind, when all you want to do is sell good e-liquids to vapers.

Don’t worry, because you’ll have access to exclusive training sessions, promotional literature and LE-VAP will make sure you’re well prepared for your big launch day by going the extra mile just for you.The whole team is passionate about its products, and

nothing pleases them more than building strong relationships with suppliers and customers, whilst spreading the word of vaping being a healthier lifestyle choice.

LE-VAP continue caring about you even after your products have been dispatched, listening to feedback and getting in touch with customers to see if they need any additional help.

LE-VAP is a one-stop shop for all your retail or wholesale needs. By providing bespoke packages to suit all budgets, there is something for everyone. You can

find out more about LE-VAP and their products by telephone or on the web –details below.

Retail customers can call 0203 092 2967 or visit the website: https://le-vap.com alternatively you can download the LE-VAP app from the Apple App Store and android users Google play.

Wholesale customers can call 0208 441 2777 or visit the website https://le-vapwholesale.com

It is LE-VAP’s personal approach that has set them apart from the rest, resulting in LE-VAP being the official distributors of premium e-liquid brands from Five Pawns, Twelve Vapor, Mad Mikes, Iceliqs, Bumblebee Vapor and Decoded.

Available in MAX VG, 0, 3, and 6mg of nicotine.

Pleasing consumers since 1927, we pay tribute to this tasty Philly snack. It’s always a sunny day when you are vaping on a sponge cake with just the right amount of butterscotch icing. Do yourself a favor and help yourself to some KRYMPXX!!!

Satisfying Americans and Internationals alike since 1930, we bring this delicious snack cake to a vapable

golden sponge cake that makes everyone reminisce. Not even bankruptcy nor nuclear holocaust can keep this off our shelves. Indulge on TWYNX today!!!

www.onestep a bo v e ll c.c o m

For wholesales contact- osa.wholesale@gmail.com

C omp titiv

Vaping

Taking Cloud Chasing To Th Next L v l

If you go to any vaping event it is pretty certain that one of the first things you may notice are the cloud chasers.

Cloud chasers are not the shy and retiring types who like to blend into the background. They do everything to all but scream “Look at me!” or, to be more precise, look at the huge clouds of vapour that I am able to produce.

Cloud chasing is certainly very impressive. One moment you could be talking to someone beside you and the next they have disappeared behind an enormous wall of white vapour. Stand too close and you are likely to be engulfed in the same cloudy shield yourself.

According to Wikipedia cloud chasing, or extreme vaping, is: “The activity of blowing large clouds of vapour using an electronic cigarette.”

Some cloud chasers are content with producing big clouds but others want

to take it to extremes and be better and more skilled than all around them. The rivalry that developed between vapers to see who could produce the largest clouds soon gave way to competitions where people would compete with each other to exhale the largest clouds possible.

Of course where there is a competition there is an audience and cloud chasers are watched by cloud gazers with both groups attending regular competitions held throughout vaping communities around the world.

The craze began in the west coast of the USA and these days the competitions can be huge with the International Cloud Championships in California, and the World Series of Vape, in Las Vegas attracting cloud chasers and cloud gazers from all over the world. This has also spawned a community of professional vapers who consider it to be

a sport in its own right and competitors can now win thousands of dollars in prize money.

Cloud chasing is also not without controversy within the vaping community. There are those within the overall vaping community who maintain that cloud chasing can give vapers a bad name, especially when it is done in public.

They say it can lead to negative media attention and that it can serve to alienate the wider non-vaping community.

Certainly there is a big difference between those who enjoy vaping to get a nicotine fix and those enjoy vaping in order to produce huge clouds of vapour. In fact while the majority of the noncloud chasing vaping community would have nicotine in their e-liquid, this is not necessarily the case with cloud chasers. Many cloud chasers do not use nicotine as it is the clouds which interest them and not the nicotine hit. Instead the sole

Competitive vaping is getting more popular all the time as more and more people try their hand at producing the largest and most dense vapour clouds possible

focus of their vaping activity is to use the optimum of equipment and e-liquid to produce the most intense vapour clouds possible. Serious cloud chasers will use custom mods and liquids with higher amounts of glycerin than those typically used by other vapers.

There are now fans, teams, sponsors, prizes, contests, techniques to learn, new equipment to give competitors the edge and endless training to take part in the biggest events. Just a quick look online will throw up many articles on the art of cloud chasing with tips on how to do it from the equipment to use, the types of coil to use and breathing techniques to adopt. Many cloud chasers have also put videos online of them in action and it is clear that while many people take up vaping in order to quit traditional cigarettes, many cloud chasers are attracted to vaping for the fun of producing huge vapour clouds. As an example of how cloud chasing continues to grow, The World Series of Cloud Chasing (WSOCC) is holding a huge contest in the UK in August where the total prize pool will be in excess of $100,000.

The tournament is open to anyone over the age of 18 and qualifying events are currently are underway. The WSOCC website says: “The World Series of Cloud Chasing is the largest, most prestigious, elite governed active vaping cloud competition in the world.

“The WSOCC is the original founding father of the most highly anticipated cloud-chasing event the vapor industry has ever seen. The coveted Gold and Diamond WSOCC medallion necklace is the forefront in recognition that is given to the champion of each division of the main event.”

It is true that some people can’t see the point in cloud chasing but that is not going to stop its fans from continuing with their hobby.

Cloud chasing is something where individuals can compete and use their skills and knowledge to do better than they did before.

Many certainly get great satisfaction from it whether it is from building equipment, demonstrating their skills to others, taking part in competitions or winning prizes.

It is something which does take skill and expertise and while it will never be for everyone, cloud chasing is not just some passing fad. In fact, just like the clouds produced by its top level competitors, it seems set to become an even bigger part of the overall vaping community as time goes on.

“It is something which does take skill and expertise and while it will never be for everyone, cloud chasing is not just some passing fad. In fact, just like the clouds produced by its top level competitors, it seems set to become an even bigger part of the overall vaping community as time goes on”

Vape Mods Turning Heads Around The World

Imagine waking up one day to find that you had only 60 seconds to leave the house. Here’s the million dollar question – what would you leave with? No doubt purse (or wallet), mobile, laptop, and maybe some sentimental item is on your radar. If you’re a keen vaper, we bet your beloved mod is on the top of your list. What’s so great about vape mods? Apart from the obvious, being that their usage is the healthier alternative to smoking, you don’t reek of sickly tobacco smoke,

mods produce dense vapour perfect for a spot of cloud chasing, are generally highly durable, can be customised to suit your taste and one other key factor... some mods are simply drop dead gorgeous. You know how some parents coo and fawn over their newborn kid? We wouldn’t be surprised if these mods had proud, protective parents, getting snap happy at every opportunity. These mods are beautiful to look at, why wouldn’t you

want to share photos of these beauties with the rest of the world? Here are a few magnificent mods guaranteed to have you doing your best goldfish impression as you take in their jaw dropping awesomeness. Why not pull out your mod, get comfy with your favourite vape and stare away at these gorgeous mods here, we can’t think of a better way to spend the next five minutes.

VHO Raijin Mod

A sleek and stylishly designed mod with matching atomiser and drip tip, from the powerhouse of VapeHead Origins. Inspired by the Japanese god, the specs of this high end mod include an eye-catching two tone material comprising of 304 stainless steel and tiger bronze, adjustable positive pins, 22mm body diameter and left thread locking mechanism. Retails for around £185, this heavy duty mod is worth its weight and a real beauty to gawk at.

The Manhattan Mod Fire Copper Ltd Edition

A sleek and stylishly designed mod with matching atomiser and drip tip, from the powerhouse of VapeHead Origins. Inspired by the Japanese god, the specs of this high end mod include an eye-catching two tone material comprising of 304 stainless steel and tiger bronze, adjustable positive pins, 22mm body diameter and left thread locking mechanism. Retails for around £185, this heavy duty mod is worth its weight and a real beauty to gawk at.

This titanium version is simply stunning; with its striking construction and fashion forward styling, this mod is an amazing piece of craftsmanship. Using different designs and metal combinations takes this mod to the next level. Features include a copper body wrapped with stainless steel, a three entry threading for one locking motion, adjustable magnetic switch, hybrid adaptor, drip tip and copper top cap, again wrapped with stainless steel with floating pin and vent holes. Retailing at around £185, its superb functionality and elegant good looks makes this a massive hit with both casual and avid vapers alike.

The Armada Hybrid is an exquisitely designed mechanical mod with many excellent features, including an in built atomiser, Cerakote coating brushed finish Tri pole with pretty silver copper pins. Its adjustable positive and negative connector means you’re in control all the time, whilst the locking mechanism feature has your safety in mind at all times. The sturdy dual glass consisting of acrylic and Pyrex glass makes sure this nifty mod is adequately protected and retails for around £165.

The AR mod has a lovely steel body that fits perfectly and comfortably in your palm. Contoured to prevent sliding around in your hands, you can nicely grip the mod whilst firing the octagon bottom button. The copper pins allow maximum connectivity, has a smooth steel body that fits 18650 batteries. The rails look like a traditional AR-15 but they smoothed out and chamfered to fit comfortably and nicely in your hand. This patent pending design also allows your hands not to slide down the body tube like most traditional mods. This gives you a smooth grip in your hands to fire the octagonal shaped bottom button. Its black powder coat gives it that macho, utilitarian feel, and this retails at around £125.

JD Tech Stingray TI Mod

Armada Hybrid by Grand Vapor

TacMods USA AR Mod

Perino

london

Meet Judit Bach Events Manager at Perino London

Hi, my name is Judit and I am the Events Manager at Perino London.

I started vaping at the beginning of 2013 when I moved to London, after completing my Masters Degree in Events Management in my hometown of Barcelona. It wasn’t until I joined Perino London I discovered my passion for vaping and new flavours. The opportunity to combine my knowledge and skills with the excitement and innovation of the vaping industry at Perino London was one I had to take. I have been part of the brand from creation, to our launch at VapeJam UK

2015, to where we are today. As a vaper it has been a privilege to be part of the team behind Perino London. As I’m sure is the case for many of you, I am always searching for the finest flavours in the liquids I vape. Perino is where I first discovered the potential of flavours, especially in an e-liquid, to really affect me. My all-day-vape, “Yo Yogi”, is all about the combination of flavours. With apple pie, marshmallow and a hint of melon, the emphasis is on the uniqueness of each flavours emergence in every inhalation – the experience is individual in every cloud

of vapour. This feeling is one of my favourite things about being part of Perino, discovering a flavour that I love; it really is like finding a new favourite food. Although the flavours became my passion, what I most enjoy about working for Perino are the people I meet. Meeting new people, catching up with old friends; I have been overwhelmed by the spirit of the vaping community!

Personally, I view vape shows as not only the perfect opportunity to share Perino with those who have never tried our range before, but also to thank those who support us. Often shows are where I am brought up to speed with the incredible innovations of our industry: new flavours, devices and where the vaping movement is heading; for that I thank you all as they really have become one of my favourite places.

If you see Perino London at a vape show or feel like dropping us a line – say hello and I will be happy to introduce myself and show you what the hype about our award-winning range of E-Liquids is really about!

Much Love & Vape on!

What does your

E-LIQUID says about you?

Do you judge a book by its cover... or a person by their vape? Apparently you only get seven seconds to make a first impression, and checking out someone’s e-liquid and making snap judgements, is as natural as breathing. With gazillions of different juices to choose from, what’s floating your vape boat, may form part of your image. What flavours do you vape? Here’s our fun guesstimate on what your e-liquid says about you. Read on, you may just be surprised and learn a little bit more about yourself.

Coffee Fruit Cake

Is your breakfast vape a coffee flavoured e-liquid? Vapers who dig coffee and like to layer up coffee flavours with a latte in one hand, coffee flavoured vape in the other, are known to be creative, fun and a little bit impulsive. You’re a natural leader, working efficiently to see results and you won’t rest until your hard work has paid off. You love responsibility and love smashing those goals. You’re not easily swayed, preferring to carve your own path to prove a point whilst relishing a challenge.

You’re fun and entertaining, seizing every opportunity in life, trying to live each moment as if it was your last. Whilst puffing away on say, a cherry flavoured vape, you can be spontaneous and ever so slightly hasty. Your love for adventure and discovering all things new keeps you up at night, ensuring your waking hours are as fun-filled as possible. You’re every brandlovers’ dream, because you like entrepreneurship and have a natural love for the latest on the food, technology and fashion scene.

You have a sweet tooth (for pastries and sponges) to match your delightful personality, which is why you’re always surrounded by friends and family who totally dig being with you. You appreciate the pretty things in life, whilst having the uncanny knack of keeping it real. Your caring, sharing persona is like a beacon, but a polite warning to others; you have zero tolerance for rudeness. You will however go out of your way to help people who you are as genuine as yourself.

You’re a not easy to please traditionalist, preferring all things old school and have zero time for things like selfies and other contemporary fads. What makes you tick? A desire to stand by your principles whilst steering clear of trends that you know won’t stand the test of time (you KNEW those hover-boards were a flipping menace). You love your no-nonsense, zero-frills mod and accompanying tobacco flavoured vape. You’re not afraid to say what’s on your mind and wish there were more straight-talking vapers like you around (we frankly couldn’t agree more)!

Tobacco Vanilla Chocolate

If you like a sweet, vanilla vape, you’re no doubt clever, imaginative and witty. Far from being ‘boring’ vanilla, your multi-layered personality means you can appreciate the company of a wide spectrum of people, from shy “won’t say boo to a goose” bods, to the Kardashian types who were born taking selfies and want the attention of the world. Your adaptable nature means you are pretty much prepared for anything, even a zombie apocalypse.

Menthol

If you love to be minty fresh all the time, you’re an independent soul who leads the way where others prefer a safer, tried and tested path. You will always look out for your friends, and have a fiercely protective streak, which may ignite your inner Hulk for a sudden outburst. You don’t like taking orders from others, yet underneath the strong, brooding exterior lies a sensitive side that you keep well hidden. You’re not afraid to speak your mind and can be used to getting your own way, with your magnetic personality.

If chocolate is your vape of choice (good call by the way), then you’re no doubt inventive, original and a smidgeon rebellious. You may give off a persona of being ‘cuddly and cute’ but you also have sharp claws, reserved for those who annoy you on a regular basis. To those who really know you, you couldn’t be a better friend, especially in times of crisis. Your unconventional thinking means being you, and being with you, is a tremendous journey.

What’s your favourite vape? Have we made a fair prediction? We’d love to know! Get in touch by Tweeting us your comments @Vapouround, using hashtag #EliqPersonalityPredict.

What’s in your e-liquid?

Considering the huge number of different e-liquids out there with almost limitless flavours to choose from, the actual ingredients which make up e-liquid are very few indeed.

In fact, many people who are new to vaping are often surprised to find that there is nothing complex or mysterious about e-liquid at all.

It is so simple that virtually anyone could do it but that does not mean that anyone could actually make an e-liquid which also tastes good too.

E-liquid, also known as juice or e-juice, is the fluid which is rapidly heated to provide the vapour that is inhaled from an e-cigarette.

The amount of vapour that is produced can depend on the device being used to atomise the liquid and also on the particular composition of the liquid itself.

E-liquids usually contain some or all of the following four ingredients:

• Propylene Glycol (often abbreviated to PG)

• Vegetable Glycerin (often abbreviated to VG)

• Flavouring (natural and/or artificial)

• Nicotine

The first two ingredients are both bases into which the nicotine and flavourings are dissolved and which produces a smoke-like vapour when heated. Note that it is vapour (and not smoke) which is produced because, unlike a traditional cigarette, nothing is burned in the e-cigarette to produce actual smoke.

Both liquid bases are commonly used food additives which are also used in a number of pharmaceutical formulations.

For example propylene glycol can be found in asthma inhalers and nebulisers and it is widely used for delivering atomised medication because of its water-retaining properties.

Propylene Glycol is non toxic and is on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) list.

Vegetable Glycerin is a clear, odourless liquid produced from

plant oils, typically palm oil, soy, or coconut oil. It is a sweet, thick, vegetable based liquid which is non toxic.

Many household products, including lotions, shampoo, and toothpaste, contain vegetable glycerin.

If an e-liquid was made from a 100 per cent VG base it would be very thick and hard to smoke effectively which is why most e-liquids use a combination of both PG and VG as the base ingredient.

Sometimes a small amount of de-ionised water is added to the VG to thin it out and in which case it is known as aqueous glycerin (AG).

There are many hundreds, if not thousands of different flavours to choose from when it comes to e-liquid.

There are many different tobacco or menthol flavours and also a large number of e-liquids where the flavour comes from adding traditional food flavourings.

This can be anything from the more traditional flavours such as vanilla or coffee to a whole host of weird, wonderful and exotic flavour combinations.

Different people will favour different flavours and flavour combinations; some people stick to the same flavour or flavours while others like to experiment with a wide range of different tastes.

E-liquids can come either with or without nicotine which is highly toxic and very addictive. For those liquids that contain nicotine then it is available in different strengths. The strength of the nicotine (usually shown in milligrams of nicotine per millilitre of liquid) is usually printed on the label of the container that the e-liquid comes in.

Generally the higher the nicotine content, the stronger the throat hit, which is the sensation the user experiences at the back of the throat upon inhalation from their e-cigarette device.

The questions in this quiz come from the TPD, a piece of EU legislation which has been much debated within the vaping community. Take this quiz to discover how well you know this rather controversial political document. While there is a part of the TPD which specifically deals with electronic cigarettes and e-liquids the questions may come from the whole of the document.

The questions in this quiz come from the TPD, a piece of EU legislation which has been much debated within the vaping community. Take this quiz to discover how well you know this rather controversial political document. While there is a part of the TPD which specifically deals with electronic cigarettes and e-liquids the questions may come from the whole of the document.

1. Directive 2014/40/EU of the European Parliament of 3 April 2014 is better known as the:

(a) Totally Pointless Directive (b) Tobacco Prohibition Directive (c) Tobacco and Perfumes Directive (d) Tobacco Products Directive

2. Article 10 (1) of the TPD states: “Each unit packet and any outside packaging of tobacco products for smoking shall carry combined health warnings.”

Which of the following statements are actual warnings as listed in the Directive:

i. “Quit smoking – stay alive for those close to you.”

ii. “Your smoke harms your children, family and friends.” iii. “Secondary smoke may cause your family pets to die early.”

iv. “Smoking is harmful, selfish and makes your teeth fall out.”

(a) All of them (b) None of them (c) (i) and (ii) only (d) (iii) and (iv) only

3. EU member states must comply with the TPD by which date?

(a) 02 May 2016

(b) 20 May 2016

(c) 22 May 2016 (d) 20 November 2016

4. Under the TPD, member states may allow some products which do not comply with the terms of the new legislation to be sold for one full year after the TPD comes into effect. Which of the

following products are covered by this exception to the rules?

i. tobacco products manufactured or released for free circulation and labelled in accordance with Directive 2001/37/EC before 20 May 2016.

ii. electronic cigarettes or refill containers manufactured or released for free circulation before 20 November 2016.

iii. herbal products for smoking manufactured or released for free circulation before 20 May 2016.

(a) (i) only.

(b) (i) and (ii) only. (c) all of them. (d) none of them.

5. If EU member states wish to impose tougher regulations and restrictions than those set out in the TPD they:

(a) will not be allowed to do so.

(b) will always be allowed to do so. (c) must leave the EU if they want to do so. (d) may be able to do so as long as the European Commission agrees.

6. The following text can be found in which Article of the TPD. “Member States shall ensure that electronic cigarettes and refill containers are only placed on the market if they comply with this Directive and with all other relevant Union legislation.”

(a) Article 16 (b) Article 18

(c) Article 20 (d) Article 22

7. Under the TPD the maximum size that e-liquid can be sold to consumers will be:

(a) 5 ml

(b) 10 ml (c) 15 ml

(d) 20 ml

8. The tanks used to store e-liquids in e-cigarettes will have a maximum capacity of:

(a) 0.2 ml (b) 2.0 ml (c) 2.2 ml (d) 22 ml

9. Maximum nicotine levels in e-liquids will be limited to:

(a) 20 mg/ml (b) 22 mg/ml (c) 24 mg/ml (d) 26 mg/ml

10. Under the TPD e-cigarettes and refill containers for products containing nicotine must display a specific health warning. Which of the following health warnings are considered acceptable:

i. ‘This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance. It is not recommended for use by non- smokers’ ii. ‘This product contains nicotine. It may kill you or seriously shorten your life expectancy.’

iii. ‘This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance. You may get arrested if you turn to crime to fund your nicotine addiction.

iv. ‘This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance.’

(a) (i) only (b) (i) and (ii) only (c) (i), (ii) and (iii) only (d) (i) and (iv) only

11. True or false. Under the TPD, tobacco products may contain vitamins or other additives that create the impression that a tobacco product has a health benefit or presents reduced health risks.

12. According to the TPD the ingredients used in e-liquids must be of:

(a) high purity (b) very high purity (c) exceptional purity (d) purity levels to be determined by each member state.

13. The TPD lists one exception to the requirement that ingredients used in e-cigarettes must not pose a risk to human health. What is that exception?

(a) VG (b) PG (c) flavouring (d) nicotine

14. According to Article 20(3)(g) of the TPD, electronic cigarettes and refill containers must be:

i. child and tamper proof ii. protected against breakage and leakage iii. have a mechanism that ensures refilling without leakage

Which of the above statements are true: (a) (i) and (iii) only (b) (i) and (ii) only (c) all of them (d) none of them

15. Which of the following is NOT required to be displayed on unit packets and any outside packaging of electronic cigarettes and refill containers:

(a) serial number (b) ingredients used (c) nicotine content (d) batch number

16. Which of the following statements is TRUE.

(a) All EU member states are required to comply with the provisions of the TPD

(b) The latest dates given for complying with the TPD are suggestions only, it us up to member states to set their own dates.

(c) The TPD applies to traditional cigarettes but not to e-cigarettes (d) The American version of the TPD is called the TPD (USA) and contains more or less the same requirements as its EU counterpart.

17. The TPD specifically contains a provision which requires member states to “monitor market developments concerning electronic cigarettes and refill containers, including any evidence that their use is a gateway to…”

(a) …nicotine addiction and traditional tobacco consumption among young people and non-smokers.

(b) Heaven and/or Hell (c) a wormhole leading to another dimension (d) the south of France

18. True of false. Individual EU member states can impose their own penalties upon those who sell tobacco products which do not comply with the provisions of the TPD.

19. True or false. EU member states can, at their ultimate discretion, “prohibit or restrict the placing on the market of tobacco or related products” which comply with the TPD.

20. One of the reasons given for the need for the TPD was the need for:

(a) stronger legislative action at national rather than Union level to achieve the smooth functioning of the internal market.

(b) stronger legislative action at Union rather than national level to achieve the smooth functioning of the internal market.

(c) stronger legislative action at national rather than Union level to achieve more revenue in fines and penalties.

(d) stronger legislative action at Union rather than national level to achieve more revenue in fines and penalties.

Scoring:

0 - 5 The TPD has pretty much passed you by so far. Probably far too busy vaping to pay much attention to laws and legislation.

6 - 10 You have certainly heard of the TPD and know some of the key aspects it contains.

11 - 15 You are certainly knowledgeable about the TPD and are clearly someone who likes to keep up with the latest developments in the world of vaping.

16 - 20 You know your vaping law and are almost certainly the person your friends turn to when they want to know exactly what the TPD means and how it will affect the vaping community.

19 - false, 20 - b

- d, 11 - false, 12 - a, 13 - d, 14 - c, 15 - a, 16 - a, 17 - a, 18 - true,

Answers: 1 - d, 2 - c, 3 - b, 4 - c, 5 - d, 6 - c, 7 - b, 8 - b, 9 - a, 10

PimpMod My

This time, it’s personal

Your mod is not just something you can pick up and vape. Sure, you can enjoy your latest batch of e-liquid whilst reading this cool, vaping magazine, but it’s more than just a means to an end of satisfying that nicotine fix.

Your mod – it’s personal. It’s seen you through the highs and lows. It’s the closest thing to you (sorry Mom). So it’s only fitting that you treat your mod with the respect it deserves... and get it a stylish, custom wrap.

There are a gazillion skins and wraps out there, so you’ll certainly be spoilt for choice. One of the most popular looks is a leather vaping sleeve. Skins or sleeves provide protection and allow you

to put your own stamp on your mod. With a leather sleeve, the longevity increases due to the durability of vegetable tanned leather, that is originally dyed using tannins and other ingredients including tree bark. It is supple and a gorgeous reddish brown in colour, with the exact shade depending on the mix of chemicals and the colour of the skin. It is the only form of leather suitable for use in leather carving or stamping, making it the perfect material to protect your precious mod.

The Western Sheridan Custom Leather Vape Sleeve (see next page) is a traditionally tooled, beautiful leather sleeve for your personal vaporiser. Handmade with trendy and resilient waxed nylon thread, this stunning piece has a

PimpMod My

high end finish that will guarantee to turn heads everywhere.

Available from SillyNilly who have all their striking designs on Etsy, the design styles will vary from model to model (which is the beauty of having a unique, handmade piece) but be completed in the same spirit and style too.

The need to look after your mod, whilst showing it some TLC is a key factor in vapers treating their devices with leather sleeves. If you always have your mod on show, or placed on a table say whilst having dinner or a coffee, you’ll need to ensure that the style of sleeve chosen has a bottom part to it, and that it’s more than just a wraparound casing.

The leather sleeves are designed to fit tight and look better the more you use them. Each sleeve starts its life as a large hide of genuine leather and is completely handmade from start to finish by the family run business.

Each sleeve is individually fit to your style of vapouriser so that you can still access all the buttons and displays, while offering you a greater level of protection and style.

If you have any items of leather accessories (handbags, shoes, jackets), then you’ll know that your sleeve is naturally unique and will most likely

have flaws and blemishes. This is what makes your sleeve one of a kind. The thing to remember, is that your amazing handcrafted leather sleeve won’t be a flawless piece of leather, due to the nature of the material, but an exceptional piece of workmanship that none of your mates down the pub will have.

You know that awkward scenario where you pull out your mod and find three other people at your table with the same mod skin as yours? That won’t happen

with a sleeve from SillyNilly, because your mod sleeve is exclusive to you.

Garnering rave reviews from Etsy users, SillyNilly is acclaimed for it service, wonderful products boasting high attention to detail and after sales advice.

To find out more about this innovative company, go to the Etsy website and search “SillyNilly”.

“The need to look after your mod, whilst showing it some TLC is a key factor in vapers treating their devices with leather sleeves.”

JONATHAN TYCER

The business started out in 2012 when Jonathan first spotted e-cigarettes. He bought one for himself, saw that it worked after he successfully cut out tobacco cigarettes, then did extensive research on the market. With hundreds of different flavour combinations and varying nicotine strengths, he ordered his first batch of regulated vape products worth £500 from China.

That was the turning point and the start of a beautiful vaping journey, as Jonathan found the products sold quickly. The next time, he ordered £1000 worth of goods, then double that amount to £2000, selling to people he knew including family and friends. Realising this was a good business idea, Jonathan moved quickly to get the foundations of the business in place, to help others quit smoking. From consulting with a web designer to launch a stunning website, to branding and marketing, UltraVapour. com was born.

The first store opened its doors in Halesowen 2012, with another store opening the following year in West Bromwich. Since then, UltraVapour.com have welcomed thousands of people into their stores to give sound advice on every aspect of vaping. Jonathan said: “Speaking to our customers and connecting with them is a very important part of the business, because we’re more than just a vape store selling products. We give advice and find that it is welcomed by all, in particular, the older members of the public.”

Given the tremendous amount of misinformation in the public domain, UltraVapour.com see it their duty to educate people. In no small part, dispensing free, friendly advice has led UltraVapour.com to grow their customer base as people come back for the excellent service, whilst enjoying customer perks like the wildly popular loyalty card.

UltraVapour.com is something of a family

affair. Jonathan’s sister quit her lucrative area manager role for a fast food chain, and is now learning the foundations of the UltraVapour.com business. Her astute knowledge about franchising and area management means she is best placed to help Jonathan take UltraVapour.com to the next level. Jonathan’s mother is a finance whizz and is the official book-keeper of the company.

At the heart of the business is the compassionate need to help others; as a former smoker, Jonathan knows what it’s like to want to quit smoking. He is now a full-time vaper, saying he crushed his habit of 10 tobacco cigarettes a day and now, he wants to help others do the same. Jonathan said: “I still have that box of cigarettes somewhere at home, gathering dust. When I chat to customers and tell them I know what it’s like to be in their position of wanting to quit cigarettes, it puts them at ease. It’s always different when sellers

behind

UltraVapour.com is a trail-blazing vape store making a difference by placing the vaping community at the heart of their business. Based in Birmingham, the two-store operation in Halesowen and West Bromwich is headed up by dynamic entrepreneur and passionate vaper Jonathan Tycer, a former smoker keen to show others the way to a healthier vaping lifestyle.

the counter can say with certainty, that they are using e-cigarettes, and more importantly, they actually work.”

It is more than just putting customers at ease. At the time of interview, Jonathan had himself interviewed another potential employee to start working for him under the UltraVapour.com umbrella. Not only does Jonathan help people lead a healthier lifestyle by informing them about vaping, but he also supports the local economy by employing local people. Of his nine staff, all are former customers who initially popped into the store just to check out vape products. This word of mouth has boosted sales and footfall in UltraVapour.com, which is why Jonathan is keen to build on the popularity and get more vaping products to market, to people who need it the most. With two stores in operation at the moment and two more in the pipe-line before the first quarter of this year, it’s a flourishing business model that flies in the face of the impending TPD.

Jonathan attributes the success of UltraVapour.com to giving solid information when selling a product. It’s the accountability, transparency and the after-service that keeps vapers coming back for more. By giving information freely, Jonathan champions ethical selling on all levels.

So what can a customer expect (apart from plumes of delicious clouds) when they first walk through the doors of an UltraVapour.com store?

Jonathan said: “It can be a little daunting for the customer, so we try to put them at ease. The first thing I ascertain is whether the customer is a current smoker. There are two particular types of vaping, firstly, the regular vaping (1.8 coil). Secondly there is sub-ohm vaping, which uses trace amounts of nicotine, is more recreational based and is popular for cloud-chasing. The sub-ohm vaping is more stage two and I’d never recommend sub-ohm vaping to a newbie

vaper, as this is something like jumping into the deep end. I’d recommend 18mg nicotine and something small and light to carry. Within a matter of weeks, after some vapers get the hang of regular vaping, and if they see their friends blowing clouds, they’ll want to do the same, which is when I introduce them to sub-ohm vaping.”

Jon also asks a new customer if they are vaping for health reasons, or to save money. Vaping can be cheaper than smoking, but the bigger draw is that vaping is healthier. He would then recommend a Starter Kit.

From the very beginning, UltraVapour. com had Ego kits manufactured specifically for them, with an official CE certification. New customers are

recommended to try a Starter Kit to start saving money and after one month, if they get along with vaping, they are encouraged to look at a more durable piece of vaping kit.

So who is the typical UltraVapour.com customer? There is a vast variation, in the type of customer that frequent Jonathan’s friendly, down to earth, yet state of the art stores. From eighteen year olds to pensioners, who are tired of smoking, it is never too late to lead a healthier vape lifestyle.

With over 20 ranges of e-liquids including 17 ranges from the USA and a massive array of tanks, coils and coil building accessories, UltraVapour. com is your one-stop shop for all your vaping needs. They even have a cool and nifty app which handily lists their diverse e-liquid menu. They are in middle of incorporating a rating system, which means customers will be able to check out a Top 10 list to see best-sellers whilst on the go. The customer, is always at the forefront of Jonathan’s mind.

Why not check out the website for yourself www.ultravapour.com or download the app (search ‘UltraVapour.com’ in the iTunes store)? If you prefer, you can even chat to Jonathan and his friendly team passionate about vaping on either 0121 293 5786 or 0121 448 4910

At the heart of the business is the compassionate need to help others; as a former smoker, Jonathan knows what it’s like to want to quit smoking.

Stateside Liquid EFX smashes its way into the European Market

One of the hottest brands in the vaping industry has debuted its acclaimed range of premium e-liquids for the European market. Liquid EFX is the pioneering company that has seen phenomenal growth and continues to expand its client base in the US, Europe and beyond. Manufacturing premium e-liquids in an ISO 7 certified facility reflects Liquid EFX’s commitment to quality. The need to produce only the crème de la crème of e-liquids for the vaping community that deserves only the best, is one of the key drivers of this forward thinking company. By producing e-liquids that are free from Diacetyl, and placing health and safety at the heart of its operation, Liquid EFX champions a healthy, responsible vaping experience.

With a diverse range of flavours to choose from, Liquid EFX have a stunning pick and mix selection that will have you salivating from the outset. From the bestselling Lucky Charm to the Cloud Chaser, there is something for everyone at Liquid EFX. Their Coastal Butter e-liquid blended with delicious whiskey almond butter, Kentucky bourbon, almond amaretto and a cheeky splash of coconut has garnered 100% five star reviews and remains one of their most raved about lines. Liquid EFX cherish customer feedback and keep their finger firmly on the pulse of what customers are saying. By keeping stock on hand ready to ship at a moment’s notice, the company strive to satisfy every customer, every time. Are you a distributor looking to expand your e-liquid range? Would you like to offer your vaping customers a taste of sweet stateside premium e-liquids?

For competitive wholesale quotes, or to find out more about Liquid EFX, go to website www.liquidefxvape.com now.

A-Z OF VAPING

Part Two

Like every niche group, the vaping community has its own set of terms and slang which may be confusing to those new to vaping and totally unintelligible to those outside the community. Here we continue our look at some of the more popular, and not so popular, terms related to vaping and e-cigarettes. So let’s continue where we left off with our next batch of vaping-related words and phrases.

ECF – This stands for E-Cigarette-Forum which is the largest and most active forum on the internet for the entire vaping community. It was launched in 2007, has many thousands of active members around the world who, between them, have sent millions of messages on a whole range of vaping-related issues.

ECITA - This is the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association. Founded in March 2010, ECITA is the longestrunning trade association for the electronic cigarette industry. It is also one of only two ECig Trade Associations in the world (the Irish Association being the other) which is not managed/operated by those engaged in the sale of vaping products, directly or indirectly.

E Cigarette Accessories – These are all those ‘extras’ and ‘add-ons’ that you can get to add to your vaping experience. This covers everything from chargers, extra batteries, cases and lanyards. As vaping gets more popular so too does the range of accessories out there for fans to buy.

EE Juice/E Liquid – These terms are interchangeable and mean exactly the same thing. This refers to the liquid solution which is vaporised within the atomiser tank and drawn in as vapor form via the mouthpiece. It is usually a mixture of both vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol to which nicotine and/or flavouring is added. E Liquid can come in different nicotine strengths and, as any vaper knows, there is a huge range of different flavours

Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) – An industry group formed in early 2009. It is made up of suppliers and manufacturers who combined resources to help keep the e-cigarette as a legal option for smokers in the USA.

Electronic Cigarette (e-cig) – This is the device which contains the e-liquid and which transforms the liquid into a vapour which can be inhaled. Unlike a traditional cigarette it does not contain tobacco and does not produce the harmful chemicals which are produced when tobacco is burned in a traditional cigarette.

generally very helpful and only too happy to share their stories and their knowledge with others which is one reason that vaping forums can be so very popular and well attended.

Fuse – A specially designed fuse for use in mechanical mods to prevent some types of battery failure.

Fused Clapton – A Clapton coil that has two or more wires in the core of it as opposed to one in a regular clapton coil.

e-smoking - This is a term that was used more in the past, to describe vaping and tended to be used by those who still considered themselves to be smokers even if they were exclusive vapers.

EV - electronic (or electric) vapouriser. Probably the most accurate term for an e-cigarette, but not widely used maybe because it is not nearly as catchy or so easily understood as e-cigarette.

GGlassomizer – A clearomizer that uses glass rather than plastic for the tank. Examples would be the Kanger Protank.

GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) – This acronym was created by the FDA so that people can know that the product that they are using is considered safe.

Grub Screw – A type of screw used in atomizer posts where the tip is pointed to better secure wires.

Gurgling - A sign too much refill has been added or it has obstructed the central air channel in the device being used.

Filler Material (often simply abbreviated as ‘filler’) – This is absorbant material which is placed inside of a cartridge in order to keep the liquid inside of the cartridge and regulate the flow of the liquid to the atomiser while also ensuring that no flooding occurs.

Flavour Cartridge – Another term for a cartridge, containing nicotine and flavours.

Flooding – Flooding is something which can occur when too much e-liquid is placed into the atomizer. The main indicator of flooding is a gurgling sound and when flooding occurs the performance of the atomizer can also be negatively affected.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – An administrative branch of the United States government that oversees rules and regulations pertaining to the safety of food and drug products sold in the USA.

Formaldehyde – Formaldehyde can be produced much like acrolein; when e-liquid is heated to incredibly high temperatures. Also a known human carcinogen.

Forums – There are a growing number of forums dedicated to vaping, from small to large. The most popular one for the vaping community is the ECF, or Electronic Cigarette Forum. Vapers are

HFHeatsink – Heatsinks are fins or protrusions on a mod, atomizer or drip tip designed to dissipate heat by allowing more airflow over more surface area.

Heat steeping – Heat steeping is the process of speeding up steeping by placing one’s e-liquid container in a hot water bath or in a hot environment for any length of time.

High Resistance (HR) – An atomizer or cartomizer with a higher ohm rating than the standard equipment. This allows you to apply higher voltage to the coil.

Hit – The inhalation of vapour.

Hot Spot – Areas of excess heat on the atomizer coil. Hot Spots are a known cause of dry hits and vapers take great care to avoid hot spots when building their coils.

HV – High Voltage/device that operates above the standard 3.7 volts.

High Voltage Vaping or High Powered Vaping – An advanced vaping technique which produces hotter vapour and requires less draw to produce the same amount of vapour.

HV Mod – A dual battery or boosted supply mod (modification) to allow higher power vaping.