Issue 19

WHAT THE TREASURY HAS TO SAY ON ‘SIN TAX’ AMID NATIONAL PRESS REPORTS

MANAGING

DIRECTOR

FRONT COVER IMAGE SUPPLIED BY OUR AWARDS

Hi there! I’m the new editor of Vapouround and I’m incredibly excited for the first issue edited by yours truly.

For the last six months, I’ve been assistant editor to the wonderful, the brilliant, the one and only Paul Caplin, and what a mentor he has been and will continue to be.

Don’t worry, Paul’s not going anywhere. He is now focusing his time more on leading the company in his role as managing director.

As I’m writing this, we’re in the lead up to the Vaper Expo UK: The Return. Once again, we’re exclusive media partners to Europe’s biggest vape event and we’ll be producing the showguide again. Mark your floorplan for The Vapouround Bus while you’re there, and don’t miss The Vapouround Club stand at booth D230!

We recently sent the debut issue of Vapouround Spain to print with our Spanish partners, check out VapouroundSpain.es for a peek.

Between now and then, make sure you sign up to your free membership of The Vapouround Club. The new social network element is up and running and we will shortly be unveiling details of the amazing club exclusives you won’t find anywhere else. Seriously!

As for the magazine? Prepare to see more industry news, more on the latest research and more from the online vape community. I’ll leave you with this photo of the magnificent cake we shared to celebrate our third anniversary at the end of August.

stop you smoking.

Products

Delaney - Editor roisin@vapouround.co.uk

The Cloud

Stoptober 2018: One million people have attempted to quit so far MPs urged to lift vape restrictions Any plans for a UK vape tax? JUUL launches in the UK Nip it in the bud - The CPD University of Nottingham study Vape science: Salt-based nicotine

FEATURES

Diary of a Vaper - UK Vapour Shaper Vaping Entrepreneur with Alex Thienel of PJ Empire USONICIG - The cover story New study shows more than 3 million people vape in the UK in 2018 Stoptober: Readers’ stories Growing pains and political change MPs debate Tobacco Control Plan US flavour ban a possibility? Bahrain’s 100 percent vape tax - will MEVS go ahead? Preview: Next Generation Nicotine Conference, November 2018 Smoking, vaping and social identity Recruitment 101 - Vape Recruit Vapouround Awards 2019 categories Vapouround Awards 2019: Interview with official sponsor Vape Dinner Lady What the winners have to say ADACT Medical on current trends

The Vape Debate on letest study Thoughts from the shopfloor with The Puffin Hut Vaping with Vic’s column Vape Scandinavia - what’s next? Trump’s import tariffs on Chinese The vaping not dead, a short film Ask the Scientist - CBD VOOPOO Tech

EVENTS REVIEWS

137 138 142 146 150 151 158

Vapouround on Tour Preview: The Vaper Expo UK Vape Scandinavia ECC California Vapexpro Athens Vape Expo Korea Vapouround Bus on Tour

FYI

174 175 176 177 178 180 182 183 184 187 188 191 196

Reviews

TESLACIGS XT 220W blu ACE FreeMax MESH PRO SMOK NOVO KIT Geekvape NOVA KIT Renova ZERO Jenson QT Capella Flavors Vape Safe Distro Thor Juice IVG E-liquids Daddy’s Vapor INeliquids PJ Empire Drip Potion BordO2

197 200 202 203

YouTube Corner Reviewers’ Picks It’s a Wrap - Battery safety 101 Q&A with Millie Moon

By Róisín Delaney

The Cloud The Cloud

No to vapes, yes to tax

Vaping is still prohibited in Australia, but the cost of cigarettes is on the rise once more. While the government down under maintains its reluctance to legalise nicotine e-liquids, the tax on cigarettes went up again by 12.5 percent in September and it’s set to increase again in September 2019. Prior to this tax hike, Australia already held the title for being the most expensive place in the world to buy cigarettes. While the country says it is aiming to reduce the adult smoking rate among Aussies, it has yet to acknowledge vaping as a less harmful alternative. E-liquids containing nicotine are banned in the nation, as liquid nicotine is classed as a poison there.

Closer to home

Vaping is Personal in Devonport was the subject of a recent police raid. According to the Plymouth Herald newspaper, CBD ‘buds’ or hemp flowers were among the products seized from the shop under the Misuse of Drugs Act. While CBD e-liquids can be sold freely, the legal status of flowers and buds remain a contentious issue. A supplier to the shop, Trevor Dodd of thcfreewedd.com said, “CBD-related products are totally, 100 percent legal in the UK.” However, the Cannabis Trades Association (CTA) believes that suppliers of CBD flowers are misinterpreting the laws, saying: “Full flower or bud is illegal unless processed legally by a licensed company.” The owner of the raided shop, Ashley Cole, said he felt “victimised” and told Vapouround, “there have been some clear unlawful actions, we still sell are [sic] products at www.cbdlabsuk.com They even allowed us to refill our store just hours later and haven’t returned.” Devon and Cornwall Police said, “enquiries continue into the matter.” No arrests have been made.

More raids stateside

Authorities in the US have discovered fentanyl in a ‘CBD’ e-liquid on sale in a vape shop. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics has warned the public to be wary when buying e-liquids after a bottle sold as CBD was tested and found to contain the deadly drug. The liquid was seized as part of an investigation into the illicit sale of synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as ‘spice’ which can mimic the effects of cannabis but can also be far more dangerous. A total of nine businesses were investigated, seven individuals have been arrested and $350,000 has been seized in bank deposits following the raid.

Street wise

Can vape shops save the great British high street? Perhaps if recent research by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) is any indication. According to a new report by the economic forecaster, the vape economy is having a positive effect on the wider economy as 40 percent of vape shops were found to be trading on premises that previously lay vacant. Almost 6,000 people are employed by vape shops in the UK and the number of shops has grown by more than 100 percent at the same time as retailers that have traditionally been a staple of the high street such as grocers, down 15 percent, and electrical goods stores, down 26 percent.

A rundown of the latest developments and research making the news worldwide.

IQOS Mesh VAPE UNVEILED

A new closed pod vaping device which replaces traditional coils with a mesh-based heating system is now on sale in the UK. The IQOS MESH uses a German-made metal mesh heater which manufacturers Philip Morris International (PMI) say offers a more consistent vape experience. It uses interchangeable VEEV capsules, available in seven different tobacco and fruit flavours and has a low liquid detection system to prevent dry hits. Its single block aluminium construction makes it light and durable and a 90-minute battery charge should allow a full day’s vaping. The IQOS MESH starter kit has a £19.99 RRP with capsules costing £2.99 for a pack of two.

The Italian Job

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister has suggested the Mediterranean country’s vape laws could be about to change. In an interview with SigMagazine, Matteo Salvini said that the Italian vape sector will be reformed with dedicated vape legislation. He said, “This provision is not going to take anything away, but a market is going to be liberalised and standardised, giving businesses a boost and vitality. It is incredible that the health issue has never been taken into account, other countries are helping those who want to stop smoking and recommend vaping. I understand and share the annoyance of thousands of workers in the vaping sector in trouble: being stuck for a bureaucratic bickering is unworthy of a civilised country.”

India to ban e-cigarettes

Federal health ministry officials in India have initiated calls to ban the sale, importation, promotion and use of e-cigarettes in the nation, but not cigarettes. According to the Indian government, smoking kills more than 900,000 people in the country every year. But officials said that e-cigarettes and Heatnot-Burn (HnB) devices must be banned outright, saying they are,“A great health risk to the public at large, especially to children, adolescents, pregnant women and women of reproductive age.” Advocacy group the Association of Vapers India (AVI) commented on the ban saying, “The advisory must be withdrawn immediately,” citing advances and endorsements of vaping in places like the UK.

US: FDA warning letters work a treat

The US Food and Drug Administration says a selection of US-based vape companies have stopped selling products which resemble candies, juice boxes and snacks. The news follows the public health authority’s aims to clamp down on e-liquids that could appeal to minors because of their names, flavour descriptions and packaging. In May, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent out a series of letters to 17 companies, and all of those affected have ceased selling such products. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD said: “The FDA will continue to take vigorous actions under our Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan to restrict youth access, limit youth appeal, and reduce toxic exposure to youth from all tobacco products, and, in particular, e-cigarettes.”

Scot FREE

Scottish prisoners are to be offered free vape kits as part of government plans to cut smoking rates behind bars. On November 30, the Scottish Prison Service will distribute starter kits free of cost until January 2019. Despite footing the initial £200,000 bill, the SPS believes that using an effective method of cessation will reduce costs in the long term. An SPS spokesperson said, “Introducing rechargeable vaping devices (RVDs) is an interim process to help prisoners break deep-seated habits.” Prisoners will also be educated on all harm reduction options, and how to cope in a tobacco-free environment.

Turn back time?

An Italian study has found that vaping could reverse some of the harms caused by smoking in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Half of the 44 patients evaluated had either significantly reduced their tobacco intake with e-cigarettes or had switched completely. The other half smoked tobacco but did not vape.

The e-cigarette users experienced a 91 percent reduction in daily cigarette use after a year, reduced respiratory infections and other COPD symptoms, improved general health and a relapse rate of just eight percent.

Dual users reduced their daily cigarette intake by at least 75 percent and experienced improved respiratory health and quality of life.

ONE MILLION REASONS...

By Gordon Stribling

The 2018 Stoptober campaign has launched and vaping is set to play a significant role for a second year running.

Last year saw Public Health England (PHE) fully endorse e-cigarettes in its Stoptober TV ad for the first time after the devices proved hugely popular the previous year.

The annual campaign encourages smokers to attempt to quit with support, online tools and by switching to safer nicotine products such as e-cigarettes.

Evidence shows that by stopping smoking for 28 days, smokers are five times more likely to quit for good.

PHE hopes to trigger as many quit attempts as possible by providing support and a broad range of products to appeal to a diverse smoking population.

To date, Stoptober has encouraged over one million smokers to attempt to quit.

PHE notes that nearly 60 percent of smokers attempt to quit cold-turkey without assistance despite this being the least-effective method.

In 2017-18, two-thirds of smokers who used a combination of e-cigarettes and stop-smoking services successfully quit.

As well as NHS stop smoking services, people quitting with e-cigarettes are being encouraged to seek expert advice from their local vape shop.

Philippa Simons, communications officer for PHE, said: “Our partnership with the IBVTA will be continuing this year and vape shops will be involved with that partnership. We’re also offering a personal quit plan and e-cigarettes will be one of the options presented.”

Smokers will also be encouraged to use IBVTA’s ‘Find a Vape Shop’ tool.

As with previous years, smokers are being encouraged to access the many other resources offered by PHE to increase their chances of quitting for good, such as those available on the Stoptober website and across social media, as well as an app, daily emails and peer support on Stoptober’s Facebook page.

Stoptober 2018 is to be huge as annual public health campaign has helped one million smokers quit and counting.

Despite the backing of the likes of the British Medical Association (BMA), Cancer Research UK and three major US studies this year alone, many smokers still overestimate the harms associated with nicotine and nicotine-containing e-cigarettes.

PHE has emphasised the importance of nicotine in helping smokers quit, explaining that insufficient nicotinereplacement and quitting too soon can lead to relapse.

New vapers are generally advised to start with a higher strength e-liquid to more closely replicate the smoking experience before reducing their nicotine intake as they work towards quitting altogether.

While smoking prevalence in England is at an all-time low of 15 percent, demographic and geographic factors play a key role in determining whether or not an individual is likely to be a smoker.

One in five 25 to 34-year-olds smokes and people living in areas such as Blackpool and Hastings smoke at three times the rate of residents in Wokingham and West Dorset. People in manual jobs are twoand-a-half times more likely to smoke than those in managerial or professional roles.

On September 7, the head of PHE told the NHS England Expo in Manchester that he believes England should be entirely smoke-free by 2030.

Chief executive Duncan Selbie said: “With the right long-term plan in place, we can remove smoking from England. This is the single biggest thing we can do to improve the nation’s health.”

Stoptober now falls within the wider remit of PHE’s ‘One You’ campaign, encouraging people to make the small everyday lifestyle changes that could significantly improve their health, such as reducing their alcohol consumption, eating more healthily and committing to daily exercise. Healthier habits can help prevent serious diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease and reduce the risk of suffering a stroke or developing dementia.

Vapouround’s Stoptober campaign began at the beginning of September. Vapers have been encouraged to share their quit stories on our website and to record testimonials which will be uploaded to social media channels for the duration of the campaign.

The Vapouround Bus will also travel extensively throughout October. Staff will offer tailored support and hand out the new ‘Vaping 101’ booklet to help smokers make an informed decision about making the switch.

Meanwhile, smokers will be able to take advantage of starter kit deals available in Vapouround vape lounges and shops.

“Our partnership with the IBVTA will be continuing this year and vape shops will be involved with that partnership” – PHE

MP S URGED TO USE VAPING AS

A ‘WEAPON’

Parliamentary committee backs vaping to save lives, improve public health and boost the NHS purse.

By Gordon Stribling

The chair of The Science and Technology Committee has said “e-cigarettes could be a key weapon in the NHS’s stop-smoking arsenal.” A recently published report from the committee urged the government to relax vaping regulations to encourage more smokers to switch to e-cigarettes.

The committee received more than one hundred pieces of written evidence and heard from 25 witnesses over a four-month period this year.

The final report reinforces the message that smokers who are unable to quit altogether would be much better off using a reduced-risk product than continuing to smoke.

According to the cross-party committee, TRPR regulations on tank size and nicotine strength could be putting smokers off vaping and were arbitrary measures that do “not appear to be founded on scientific evidence.”

The committee also stated that bans on advertising and medical claims about e-cigarettes could mean that smokers are not getting the message that vaping is safer than smoking.

Among their recommendations, the committee suggested that leaflets recommending that smokers switch to vaping be inserted into cigarette packets. Tobacco product inserts were outlawed by the government in 2016.

The TRPR remains a frustrating battleground between the industry and the government. The committee called on the government to “shift to a more risk-proportionate regulatory environment” reflective of the relative harms of nicotine products post-Brexit, the goal being to encourage positive behaviours such as acceptance of e-cigarettes and reduction in tobacco use.

While the public and the government have been largely receptive to vaping, the report highlighted the misperceptions that continue to dissuade many of the UK’s remaining nine million smokers from embracing e-cigarettes.

Many people erroneously believe that vaping falls within the remit of the smoking ban. Instead of treating vaping the same as smoking, the committee argued that there should be a dialogue to help inform more appropriate evidence-based rules than those fuelled by misperceptions about the supposed harms of passive vaping.

Norman Lamb, chairman of the parliamentary committee, said: “Current policy and regulations do not sufficiently reflect this and businesses, transport providers and public places should stop

viewing conventional and e-cigarettes as one and the same. There is no public health rationale for doing so.”

The report also dismissed claims that e-cigarettes and e-liquid flavours are creating a gateway to smoking and encouraging young people to use nicotine products.

While the NHS has championed the use of e-cigarettes, there is still no medically-licensed device for health professionals to recommend or prescribe to patients. The authors called on the government to work alongside the vaping industry to address this.

ASH UK chief executive Deborah Arnott said:

“E-cigarettes have already helped many smokers to quit, but they could help many more. Licensed products could transform the public’s understanding of e-cigarettes and help many more smokers see vaping as a viable alternative to smoking.”

The committee also noted that people with serious mental illness smoke at more than twice the rate of the rest of the population, yet access to e-cigarettes in NHS mental health units is patchy at best.

It also said that a third of the 50 English NHS trusts had banned e-cigarettes with many under the mistaken belief that secondhand vapour was dangerous.

The committee also called on all institutions to allow patients to use e-cigarettes unless there was an evidence-based reason to prohibit them from doing so.

The report, published in August, attracted significant attention from the mainstream media, starting with The Sun who broke an embargo to report on the story a day early. The following day, The Guardian, The Daily Mirror and The Evening Standard were among those who covered it extensively.

Meanwhile, Sarah Jakes of the New Nicotine Alliance (NNA) appeared on Victoria Derbyshire’s BBC 2 programme to debate the issue with a panel that included Norman Lamb MP, Rosanna O’Connor from Public Health England and Professor Jonathan Grigg of Queen Mary University in London.

In a BBC News interview, John Dunne of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), said:

“We’re very lucky in this country to have a health department and a government that really understands vaping and gets behind it as part of their smoking-cessation programme. I think what’s frustrating is the fact that the general public think that vaping is just as harmful as smoking. I think getting that public health message out there is the most crucial thing we can do.”

“We’re very lucky in this country to have a health department and a government that really understands vaping and gets behind it as part of their smoking cessation programme”

GOVERNMENT HAS “NO CURRENT PLANS” TO LEVY ‘SIN TAX’ ON UK’S 3 M VAPERS

TREASURY PRAISE FOR UK VAPE INDUSTRY, WHICH IT SAYS HAS ‘KEY ROLE’ TO PLAY IN HELPING SMOKERS QUIT

BY PATRICK GRIFFIN

The government has confirmed it has “no current plans” to add additional taxes to vape products despite national press reports to the contrary.

The Sun newspaper speculated that adding a five percent ‘sin tax’ to e-liquid would bring in an extra £40 million to the treasury and cost the average vaper £13.75 a year.

When the news broke an open letter was sent to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Chancellor Philip Hammond urging the government not to tax vapers.

The three-page letter, whose signatories included the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) and the New Nicotine Alliance (NNA), warned that a vape ‘sin tax’ would “undermine public health and be inconsistent with government policy.”

It said: “The government must continue to support and stand-up for vaping as part of a joined-up and worldleading anti-smoking policy that embraces harm reduction and explicitly recognises the value vaping has in reducing smoking rates.”

Now Robert Jenrick, the exchequer secretary to the Treasury, has replied to UKVIA director John Dunne to set out the government’s position.

“We keep all taxes under review to ensure they are fair and efficient; however I can confirm that we have no current plans to introduce a new tax on vaping products.

“Vaping products have a key role to play in reducing smoking and I recognise the contribution the vaping industry makes to the economy in terms of jobs and revenue to the exchequer and welcome the fact the UK has a world-leading vaping industry.”

QUIT AND SAVED THE NHS BILLIONS OF POUNDS.”

A UKVIA spokesman said: “Vaping is a huge public health opportunity which has already helped three million smokers quit or reduce smoking and saved the NHS billions of pounds according to the government’s own research.

“For the treasury to impose yet another tax on vaping, not only wouldn’t make sense, but it would be detrimental to the NHS and public health in the UK.”

Earlier the IBVTA, in an article on its own website, said its sources in government had already confirmed that there were no plans for a vape ‘sin tax.’

The article said: “Contrary to the anonymous Whitehall sources cited by The Sun newspaper and others this past week, neither the Department for Health and Social care nor HM Treasury currently have plans to introduce a tax on vaping products.

“The IBVTA are happy to be able to dispel the unease that our members and vapers may have felt while reading these news stories.

“Thankfully, for now, this is not something the government has plans to introduce, but we will as always continue to fight against any introduction of so called ‘’sin taxes’’ on products which are helping people to stop smoking.”

“VAPING IS A HUGE PUBLIC HEALTH OPPORTUNITY WHICH HAS ALREADY HELPED THREE MILLION SMOKERS

JUUL IN THE CROWN

AMERICA’S BEST-SELLING VAPE DEVICE HAS FINALLY LAUNCHED IN THE UK

By Gordon Stribling

The San Francisco company has been subject to considerable scrutiny in its short history, in part due to its former advertising practices that critics claimed were targeting teenagers.

JUUL Labs has addressed this criticism by changing how it uses social media, replacing models with images of former-smokers of at least 28 years of age who successfully switched to vaping using the JUUL device.

“It’s important to stress that underage use of JUUL is simply not acceptable,” Thomson said. “What I would say is that coverage in the US media is not representative of reality. Nicotine consumption among teens is actually going down year-on-year and is accelerating.”

The company has rolled out a number of strict measures to ensure that JUUL use is restricted to adult smokers. Online customers are required to provide photographic identification at point-of-sale and retail partners have adopted the ‘Challenge 25’ policy, which has been successful in reducing illicit sales of alcohol.

US e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL Labs has launched its signature pod system onto the UK vape market.

This side of the pond has long been a major target for the company, not only because of the welcome approach of the UK government and the large and well-developed market but also the cultural similarities Britain shares with the US.

While there are currently around three million vapers in the UK, that number has plateaued in the past few years. JUUL is hoping to attract a share of the millions more who continue to smoke tobacco despite the increased availability of less-harmful alternatives. Dan Thomson, managing director of JUUL UK said: “Our mission is to end smoking globally. There are still a lot of smokers in the UK and cigarettes are expensive and heavily taxed. Much like the US, people in the UK are quite health-conscious, which makes the UK the ideal market for us to move into.

“JUUL has proven to be successful for a number of reasons beyond just the nicotine. People like the sleek design of the closed system. It’s easy to use, it draws like a cigarette and there’s no battery to replace or buttons to press. And it’s discreet. Smokers can be put off by thick vape clouds.”

The launch follows an 18-month period of sustained growth for JUUL Labs in the US, where their pod system now accounts for seven out of every ten vape devices sold.

Since launching in Israel 12 months ago, the once-small company has become an international enterprise and they are already looking to expand into other territories.

The success of JUUL can to some extent be attributed to the 50mg JUULPods. But while TPD regulations mean that UK vapers will only be able to obtain 20mg pods, the relatively high concentration of salt-based nicotine should still produce the cigarette-like hit that smokers crave when making the transition to vaping.

While JUUL is primarily targeting smokers, the company is aware that current users of larger vaping devices are also looking to pod systems to use as a secondary device for times when they want to vape discreetly.

Thomson said: “We are taking a prudent approach to this and will be auditing shops and using mystery shoppers. If retailers are caught breaking the rules they will face sanctions. This could

include cutting off their supply altogether.”

While the hysteria around teen ‘JUULing’ rages on, there is little doubt that the device has helped a significant number of smokers quit. A press-release from the company revealed that 64 percent of adult smokers who used JUUL had stopped smoking altogether. While JUUL has been instrumental in the growth of vaping in the US, the device enters a well-established and highly competitive UK market, with similar devices such as the myBlu having a headstart. But Thomson is confident that the brand’s profile and the device’s reputation can give JUUL the upper hand.

The success of JUUL flies against conventional wisdom of US tobacco controllers who have historically been keen to paint vaping as the friendly face of Big Tobacco. JUUL makes up almost two-thirds of the US vaping market yet it is entirely independent of the tobacco industry.

JUUL founders James Monsees and Adam Bowen spent ten years researching and developing their vaping device with a view to creating an attractive alternative to smoking.

The device and the pods are available to buy from over 250 retailers across the UK, as well as via the company’s own agecontrolled web store.

“MUCH LIKE THE US, PEOPLE IN THE UK ARE QUITE HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, WHICH MAKES THE UK THE IDEAL MARKET FOR US TO MOVE INTO”

NIP IT IN THE BUD

The Cannabis Products Directive will help clean up the CBD industry

BY GORDON STRIBLING

The long-awaited Cannabis Products Directive (CPD) will be published on October 19, formally laying the groundwork for the regulation of all cannabis-derived products.

The UK Cannabis Trades Association (CTA) has developed the CPD in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Based on the TPD, the new directive will require manufacturers and retailers of all CBD products including e-liquids to register their businesses and individual products with the CTA. All CBD products will also be tested for quality and safety before going to market.

CTA Chair Mike Harlington said:

“All of our members have agreed to be CPD compliant from October 19 when the process of registering businesses and products will begin. CPD isn’t law yet but we anticipate that it will be rolled out across the EU as early as March 2019.”

The UK’s CBD industry is now estimated to be worth £50 million per year. But while the CTA already requires that members’ products are tested for quality, the lack of blanket regulation has meant that, until now, many poor-quality products have made it onto the market.

The CTA tested several products sold on eBay and most were found to contain far less CBD than the manufacturer claimed. One was even found to contain illegal levels of cannabinol.

While the directive will help to legitimise the CBD industry, manufacturers and retailers will still be prohibited from making claims about the therapeutic effects of their products, unless they gain a licence from the MHRA.

The UK produces and exports more medicinal cannabis than any other country. However, successive governments have refused to acknowledge the medicinal potential of the plant.

A recent high-profile case forced Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s hand.

Twelve-year-old Billy Cauldwell ended up in A&E after his anti-seizure cannabis oil medication was intercepted at the border. Cannabis oil contains more than trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), making it illegal.

After a public outcry, the Home Secretary finally signed an emergency licence allowing Billy Cauldwell to obtain cannabis oil on the NHS.

One in three prime time TV shows contains tobacco content

Calls to tighten regulations to protect children from such exposure

By Patrick Griffin

Tobacco content seen on UK prime time TV is likely to “heavily influence” young peoples’ take up of smoking, according to new research.

A University of Nottingham study has revealed that tobacco content is seen in one third of all prime time programmes despite regulations designed to protect children from such exposure.

The research, published in the Tobacco Control journal, says that the amount of tobacco exposure has hardly changed in five years and calls for broadcasting guidelines to be revised to protect children. The study looked at the tobacco content of all prime time programmes, adverts, and trailers broadcast on the five national free to air TV channels during the course of three separate weeks in September, October, and November 2015.

Their analysis included any actual or implied use, such as holding a cigarette without smoking it, or making a comment about smoking; smoking/tobacco paraphernalia; and presence of branding in one-minute intervals. The results were then compared with those of a similar analysis carried out in 2010.

In all, 420 hours of broadcast footage, including 611 programmes, 909 adverts, and 211 trailers, were analysed.

Some 291 broadcasts (17 percent of all broadcasts) included tobacco content. The channel with the most tobacco content was Channel 5, and the one with the least was BBC2.

Tobacco content occurred in one in three TV programmes broadcast, and nearly one in 10 (8 percent) adverts or trailers.

Actual tobacco use occurred in one in eight (12 percent) programmes, while tobacco related content - primarily no smoking signs -

occurred in just two percent of broadcasts.

Although most tobacco content occurred after the 9pm watershed, it still occurred on the most popular TV channels before then. And in comparison with the previous analysis in 2010, showed that the number of one-minute intervals containing any tobacco content increased, rising from 731 to 751 in 2015.

Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is banned in the UK, but tobacco imagery in TV programmes and trailers is exempt, and covered instead by media regulator, Ofcom’s, broadcasting code. This code is designed to protect children by restricting depictions of tobacco use in children’s programmes and preventing the glamorisation of smoking in programmes broadcast before 9pm. Dr Alex Barker, a senior member of the study team, said: “Audiovisual tobacco content remains common in prime time UK television programmes and is likely to be a significant driver of smoking uptake in young people. Guidelines on tobacco content need to be revised and more carefully enforced to protect children from exposure to tobacco imagery and the consequent risk of smoking initiation.”

“Audiovisual tobacco content remains common in prime time UK television programmes and is likely to be a significant driver of smoking uptake in young people”

The Science Bit

By Richard Cunningham, Ph.D

The hot topic of the global industry this year has been salt-based nicotine, with more and more e-liquid brands launching ‘nic salts’ of their own in recent months. Look it up online and the generic websites give inaccurate reports of what salt-based nicotine really is, where it comes from and what it can potentially achieve. There are even brands out there with inaccuracies on their packaging. So, let’s go back to basics in this in-depth look at salt-based nicotine and see what all of the fuss is about.

The chemistry

As we’re all aware, nicotine is found naturally within the leaves of the tobacco plant, which is in the Solanaceae plant family. Also members of that family are the tomato, potato and pepper and these actually contain very small quantities of nicotine. In its naturally occurring form within the leaves of the tobacco plant, nicotine is found as a salt. To try to put it simply, these ‘salts’ are compounds that consist of a positively charged cation (+) of a base and a negatively charged anion (-) of an acid, which through electronic interactions, coordinate together to form a neutral salt complex. The molecule of nicotine is basic, which without delving into too much chemistry means that it can accept H + ions, also known as protons. Whereas, an acid is a H + donor which means it can donate protons. If nicotine was reacted with an acid such as hydrochloric acid (HCl), we would form nicotine hydrochloride which is a salt, this can be seen in the chemical equations shown. When a nicotine molecule accepts a proton from hydrochloric acid, it becomes overall positively charged (protonated) and forms a ‘salt’ with the negatively charged chloride anion from the acid to give a complex with a neutral net charge.

In order to isolate nicotine from the tobacco leaf, one method is to react it with a strong base such as ammonia (NH3). This converts the nicotine salt to its freebase by removing a proton. Using the example of nicotine hydrochloride again it can be explained in the below equation.

This ‘freebased’ nicotine can then be extracted and isolated from the crude using solvent extraction and subsequently purified. It is purified nicotine freebase isolated from the tobacco plant that is used in the majority of e-liquids.

Nicotine can also be made synthetically, however, this is significantly more expensive, although as production methods become more efficient, the cost of producing synthetic nicotine is decreasing.

How does it work with vaping?

When smoking cigarettes, nicotine is absorbed mainly across the surface of the lungs, where rapid absorption occurs due to the large surface area of the alveoli and extensive capillary network. It is this rapid uptake of nicotine that gives the sense of satisfying a craving and that enjoyable nicotine hit many smokers crave on a regular basis.

In order to visualise this, blood plasma analysis allows quantification of the amount of nicotine delivered to a person’s bloodstream against time. Using this method, it has been demonstrated in studies that when vaping freebase nicotine, the uptake of nicotine can be much slower, compared to that of conventional cigarettes. One of the hypotheses for the slower absorption rates in e-cigarettes

is due to the larger particle size of vaporised nicotine, where the droplets cannot reach as deeply within the lung to be absorbed. A significant proportion of vaporised nicotine is therefore deposited on the lining of the mouth (oral mucosa) and throat where nicotine uptake is much slower.

Another possibility is that the liquid droplets of propylene glycol and glycerol may negatively interact with nicotine absorption and therefore decrease the rate of absorption. New-generation devices are more effective because of the higher amount of energy delivered to the atomiser, which results in a much greater amount of liquid delivered in vaping.

In a study performed by PAX Labs, researchers took a series of nicotine salts and tested these for user satisfaction and blood plasma levels over time and heart rate. These salts were prepared by reacting nicotine freebase with a series of different organic acids, such as benzoic acid, pyruvate acid, lauric acid and others.

O

H N H O

Where does salt-based nicotine fit in? N

Researchers found that when compared to nicotine freebase and a cigarette reference (Pall Mall), certain salt nicotine formulations yielded a significantly higher rate of nicotine absorption when vaped. Notably after five minutes, the two percent benzoate salt formulation was almost on par with that of a conventional cigarette and almost seven times (6.7 to be exact) that of two percent freebase nicotine. Additionally, it was found that the throat hit was notably reduced, a possible result of the acid neutralising the basicity of nicotine.

Time (min) Pall Mall

0 1.5 3 5

-0.46 1.54 9.98 11.65

Freebase 2%

Benzoate 2%

Benzoate 4% -2 0.46 0.03 -0.03 0.08

1.19 1.70

-0.09 5.67 8.60 11.44

0.09 0.05 -0.05 6.02 11.47 15.06

*JUUL Labs Inc.

On that basis, it’s thought that for those struggling to make the switch over to vaping from conventional cigarettes, nicotine salts may be a vital aid in providing a much greater level of satisfaction compared to freebase nicotine and a much more similar sensation to a traditional cigarette.

DIARY OF A VAPER

Featuring ‘UK Vapour Shaper’ Daniel Hall

I started smoking during the summer holiday before starting secondary school. It was a peer-pressure thing. I thought the kids at school would smoke and I wanted to fit in. But then I got there and I was the only one.

I felt like the black sheep of the family. Eventually my mum took me to the doctor and I tried quitting with nicotine patches and gum. This was all before I was 16. I tried again as an adult, this time using Champix. But the tablets did nothing and I ended [up] back on the cigs after three months. Eventually, I bought a vape starter kit with cola cube e-liquid from a garage and after 21 years of smoking I finally ditched cigarettes for good. Unfortunately, the kits didn’t last very long so I had to keep replacing them. In the end, I decided to just bite the bullet and invest in a proper device.

After a while, I found myself getting more and more into vaping. I introduced some vaping mates from different social groups to

one another and they got on so well that I thought, ‘why not turn this into a team?’ And so, in 2015, the Vaper Buzz Crew (VBC) was born.

Since then, the team has gone from strength to strength. Sadly, Ohm Ranger had to move on but the team has continued to grow. Jon @coilbuilderj_V.B.C has come a long way since the beginning. There are now seven of us in the team.

As well as the social media stuff we meet up at events and expos. We got on stage at Vaper Expo UK and gave out VBC t-shirts and hats. I love getting to know people and helping them out, even those who aren’t directly part of the group. It’s like an extended family, really.

After a lot of hard work, I’ve finally opened my own Vaper Buzz Vape Shop in Hull. It’s a solo venture but I got a lot of help from Daniel Badcock, owner of Mr Vape in Hornsea, so a massive shout out to him.

“I felt like the black sheep of the family”

M E S H M E L L O N C O I L S Y S T E M M O S T D U R A B L E M I N I M O D

Alex Thienel, Owner, PJ Empire

It is often said that to successfully quit smoking, you must want to quit smoking. And that was certainly the case for PJ Empire owner, Alex Thienel: “I began smoking at 17 and continued until I was 30. In 2013, I was in a stressful job at a printing company and I was getting through two packs a day.”

It was only when his wife fell pregnant that Alex made a firm decision to quit in anticipation for all the changes that were to come. As is often the way, he had attempted to quit with nicotine gum and spray multiple times but always relapsed sooner or later. Thankfully, fate found a way.

“It all began for me when I stumbled across a vaping video on YouTube,” Alex said. “I picked up a basic Ego-style device and then continued to vape for another year-and-a-half or so before I started making flavours of my own.”

Alex built a clean room, bought some flavour concentrates and began learning the mixing process. He shared his early creations with friends who then passed them onto their friends, and he soon had 30-40 people enjoying his e-liquids. With so much vocal support, starting an e-liquid business of his own was a no-brainer. “There weren’t many flavour companies around at the time,” he said. “I found a manufacturer in Germany who continues to produce liquids for us to this day. In 2015 we released our

signature line.”

The line comprised of Apple Strudl, Strawberry Strudl and American doughnut-inspired Yummy Dohh, which remain their most popular e-liquids. PJ Empire customers now have 13 flavours to choose from, encompassing pastries, desserts and fruits.

“We try to release a new flavour every 3-4 months. But only if it’s good enough and ready to hit the shelves.”

The company has rapidly evolved and now offers everything from nicotine boosters to premium-grade Cotton Queen RDA and RDTA cotton. But the big business is in the DIY market, which now accounts for around 70 percent of PJ Empire’s sales in Germany. “There is a huge DIY community in Germany,” according to Alex. “And we provide everything that vapers need to create the highestquality liquids.”

As much as Alex enjoys serving the vaping community, he derives the most satisfaction from seeing smokers convert to vapers through the use of PJ Empire products. And it’s this goal that is behind the company’s plans for the rest of 2018, which many will look back on as the year of pods and salt-based nicotine.

“Our Salt Fix nic salts range will be coming out at the end of 2018. There’ll be four to six tobacco flavours that are ideal for pod systems. This market is really booming and is helping more smokers quit than ever before. After all, that’s what this industry is all about.”

In a rapidly growing and unfolding industry like this, consumers and retailers are always demanding more. More e-liquids, more mods, more innovative solutions to vaping. That demand is what drives manufacturers to be the best. But with demand comes deadlines and these time constraints make for added pressure on hardware producers to launch the newest most brilliant device in record time.

This September, just months after the initial Rhythm launch, USONICIG delighted hardware enthusiasts with the Rhythm V3, the third iteration to the Rhythm series. Keeping up with improving the Ultrasonic Vaping TechnologyTM and coil-free design, this time Rhythm is back with better accuracy and greater performance.

One of the major shining steps of the Rhythm V3 is its great performance with nicotine salts, which has been widely proven by the market feedback.Nicotine salts can be well maintained and delivered in unbroken form by using Ultrasonic Vaping TechnologyTM providing a more efficient way for nicotine intake.

As with the first pod system which adopts the top filling system, USONICIG claims that their pod supports up to 5,000 puffs, which equals to five traditional pods, according to lab tests. It is on budget for users who try to save more through vaping.

The main difference between its devices and other wellknown hardware ranges is that these products apply with Ultrasonic Vaping Technology TM. Instead of heating coils, Rhythm uses ultrasonic chips, which vibrate at a very high frequency (2,400,000 hits per second), to turn the e-liquid into vapour. This lowers the chance of experiencing

dry hits and that dreaded burn taste. Besides, benefiting from this new technology, the e-liquid would be magnified into much tinier particles and smoother vapour would be produced. It could make much less e-liquid coating in the mouth after vaping and thus reducing the unpleasant feeling.

This ultrasonic vibration requires a lower temperature too, at just 155℃ compared to heating at 240℃, and this effectively decreases the risk of harmful chemical emissions from high temperature or burning according to USONICIG.

At USONICIG, a team of highly skilled professionals pride themselves on achieving the very latest in innovation by being “engaged in researching and developing Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), aiming to develop superior products and bring a brand-new cleaner, healthier vaping experience to vaping consumers.”

In four years, USONICIG has kept exploring the best and most practical for all the customers. The next expectations about Rhythm series will be airflow adjustment system as well as big battery upgrade. It’s apt that this latest launch comes in the lead-up to the next Vaper Expo UK: The Return, as there will undoubtedly be a lot of eyes on it at the next big weekend.

Managing Director of Vapouround Paul Caplin recently visited USONICIG HQ in Shenzhen, China. He said: “Vaping devices that utilize alternative methods of heating e-liquid are an interesting idea … USONICIG prides itself on being that company that always goes beyond just soso, pushing innovation to the max.”

the e-cigarette specialists

a look into the life of phil

Phil is a simple lad. He has a hut on a beach - called PhilAdelphia (and we all know it is always sunny there!). He hangs out on the beach, chills with friends, surfs and vapes.

Phil loves his shorts, he has a pair for every occasion. These were designed by Phil himself, most likely by accident, but we don't care because Phil is super chill.

Phil’s Shorts, now available in-store and online!

Loyalty and friendship

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With a robust loyalty system (7.5% cost back to you), monthly prizes, rewards and outrageous deals, there's always something to keep you on your toes.

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3 million+ lives changed forever thanks to vaping Research confirms the main reason Brits vape is to quit smoking

By Róisín Delaney

An estimated 3.2 million adults in Great Britain currently use e-cigarettes.

That figure is up four-fold from 700,000 members of the population who identified as vapers back in 2012, the first year a similar survey was conducted in the UK.

In this study commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), researchers found that the number of vapers has grown rapidly over the last few years, despite reports of a plateau.

The health charity working to eliminate harm caused by tobacco consumption published findings from YouGov and King’s College London researchers who carried out the study on 12,767 British adults.

The researchers also found there are now more ex-smokers (1.7 million) who use e-cigarettes than there are current smokers (1.4 million).

This means that more than half (52 percent) of e-cigarette users are ex-smokers, while 44 percent are current tobacco smokers, or ‘dual users’ as the term is known.

The main reason for vaping cited by current vapers at the time they were surveyed was smoking cessation, which confirms what many other studies and vaping advocates in the UK have already alluded to.

The investigation was undertaken in February and March this year and the figures have been weighted and are representative of all Great British adults (aged 18+).

Talks of a plateau have been circulating throughout the year. The findings of this study show doubt or misperceptions may be the root of the plateau problem as around one third of smokers say they have never even tried an e-cigarette, with concerns about addiction topping the list of reasons why they haven’t tried one.

However, the findings show that attitudes have changed this year. The percentage of smokers who correctly believe vaping to be less harmful than smoking now stands at 27 percent, that’s up from 22 percent in 2017.

It’s been a stellar few months for the UK’s vape community. First, we had a significant endorsement of vaping as a means to improve public health and boost the NHS purse on the back of the science and technology committee’s report in August.

One month later, the world-renowned Dr Riccardo Polosa published findings which show that e-cigarette use may help undo the damage of smoking in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.

Then it was announced that prisoners in Scotland are to receive free starter kits to combat the smoking rate behind bars.

Here we have a confirmed theory that the majority of vapers in the UK, even those who dual use, are vaping in order to quit smoking for good. One of the researchers on this Smokefree GB ASH study said she hopes these findings show sceptics that vaping is less harmful than smoking.

The research, published mid-September, comes at an opportune time for vaping in the UK as the industry and smokers prepare for Stoptober 2018, the country’s largest public health campaign targeted at smokers.

Announcing the findings, Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH said the next step in breaking the grasp cigarettes hold on the British public is for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to licence e-cigarettes to make vape products accessible through GPs.

“UK policy is on the right track with thousands of smokers making the switch to vaping and improving their health and little sign of non-smokers taking up vaping. But even more smokers could benefit if e-cigarettes were licenced as medicines and available on prescription.”

“The continued false belief among some smokers that vaping is as bad as smoking is worrying. Campaigns from Public Health England and others to challenge these views are important and must continue.”

- Dr Leonie Brose, King’s College London

ST O PT O BER

By Róisín Delaney

Look at the official NHS Stoptober website and what will you see? Advice on stop smoking medicines, smoke-free tips through social media, an innovative campaign app and last but not least, information on e-cigarettes. To mark this year’s Stoptober, we asked you for your stories of how you quit smoking. Some of you got in touch through The Vapouround Club, some of you shared your stories at one of

others via our website.

“I knew it was safer and you can vape indoors too. I started with tobacco 18mg. I feel much healthier vaping.”

While Alex said he did dual use “for a few months,” he feels much healthier now compared to when he smoked. “I go to the gym and don’t feel out of breath. I don’t smell of fags, which is great.”

He adds, “I did enjoy smoking cigarettes … but

Christopher Bunnagar (34) lives in Chester and works in a vape shop. Christopher quit smoking three years ago and like many of us, he knows loss all too well having lost relatives to cancer. “Watching what happened to them made me realise just how stupid smoking was. Also becoming a father, I want to watch my two children grow up and see my grandchildren grow up.”

When asked if he wished he made the switch to vaping sooner, Christopher said “Absolutely.”

He started vaping The Black by Zeus Juice and initially dual used with both a vape and traditional cigarettes, but soon found himself reaching for his vape all of the time. “I found myself going for my vape rather than a cigarette. Vaping has helped me so much just my general day-to-day life has improved greatly and my fitness –no longer am I short in breath or have a horrible smoker’s cough.”

the Vapouround Vape Lounges and

Alex Pourian (25) from London works as a store manager. He got in touch via Vapouround.co.uk and told us how he quit smoking and started vaping while attending university back in 2014.

vaping is the way forward now.”

Alex Pourian (25)

Christopher Bunnagar (34)

James Strobridge (40) from Rochford in Essex works in the industry and his dedication to vaping even won him a Vapouround Award. After smoking for a couple of years, James started to vape in February 2016. He says: “I went on a vehicle vinyl wrapping course with friends who vaped and I was [the] only smoker so decided to give it a go for the duration of the course so as to not keep disappearing every 30 minutes.” James remembers the first e-liquid he vaped was Vanilla by Totally Wicked.

“Since I quit, I decided to start making DIY flavours of my own and a couple of months later I started my own e-liquid business [now The Rochford Project]. If I had not started vaping, I would not have had the opportunity to start my own business doing something I love doing and this is what keeps me smoke-free.”

Gemma Daly works as an area manager in the industry. She stopped smoking when her husband took up vaping and started to vape menthol flavours. Gemma says she wishes she started to vape sooner. Gemma’s husband Aaron Daly is a warehouse supervisor from Derby and a dad of two. Aaron smoked for six years until he finally gave it up. Prior to vaping, Aaron did his research: “I read many reviews online.” He says he wishes he had made the switch sooner for the “money I could have saved.”

Jane Johnson (49) from Derby smoked from the age of 16 for 26 years. She recalls how she had her first cigarette as a dare on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. Jane used vaping to help quit smoking six years ago and has never looked back. But, she had some preconceptions before she started. “I did, I wasn’t convinced but after a week my 40-a-day habit had stopped.” Jane says she dual used for a couple of days, and six years later feels: “My health has improved so much.”

Jane Johnson (49)

Gemma Daly (33) & Aaron Daly (34)

Kylie Brough (35) is a shop assistant. She smoked for 18 years, “I started aged 13 at school.” She first tried vaping in 2014 but says without knowing much about it at first, she was “worried about what vapour actually was and if it was more harmful than smoking and if it was regulated or tested.”

Since taking up vaping, Kylie says: “I can breathe easier and I don’t have to go outside in all weather.”

Kylie adds she wished she quit smoking for vaping sooner: “Definitely! It’s a much cleaner and healthier lifestyle.”

Zakkizamani Osman (43) comes from Malaysia and is a retail manager in the vape industry.

“What started out as something to help me quit smoking has now become my career. I am a vaperista and proud of it. My son vaped earlier than I did and he sparked the curiosity in me. Since then, we rebuild together and now I’m also a retail manager at a local vape shop and also a custom coil builder. The journey was made even more fun with the community always helping each other with advice and solutions to problems.”

James Swann,

in 2014. He dual used for two years whilst using regulated mods until he bought a mech mod and has never smoked since. “Being a long-term asthma sufferer, it was silly to smoke –but I did. Since stopping smoking and co-smoking I have not had a single chest infection or cough (long-term) and I have even been able to stop taking some of the daily steroids I was using to control my asthma.”

Margaret Elliott (56) stopped smoking in October 2015 with the help of a vape pen because she, “thought it would be a healthier lifestyle choice.” She says she noticed health benefits after making the switch: “My lungs no longer wheeze … causing me to have coughing fits, I do not smell like an ashtray, and the big one of course I have saved a fortune!” Like many first-time vapers, Margaret dual used for “about four weeks to give me chance to get used to the pen.”

The Stoptober campaign debuted in October 2012. Since then, the Public Health England campaign has been responsible for more than one million Brits quitting smoking. There may be 31 days in October, but Stoptober is based on research which suggests that if a smoker can stop smoking for 28-days, they are five times more likely to stay smoke-free for good. Throughout October, we will have more of these stories on our blog. Visit our website, Vapouround.co.uk for more.

(31) from West Sussex transitioned from smoking to vaping

Kylie Brough (35)

Growing pains – the future of marijuana and vaping in Canada

By Leo Forfar

On October 17, recreational marijuana use will be legal in Canada, but key products for a potential THC vaping industry will remain blacklisted.

Health Canada has omitted edibles and cannabis concentrates from the upcoming legalization. The latter are used in e-cigarettes for consumption via vaping. Health Canada have defended this omission ahead of a one-year period “for the development of specific regulations to address the unique risks posed by these product classes.”

Though businesses are, as always, frustrated by the slow and sometimes overcautious pace of reform, they have been eagerly awaiting the date where trade is fully legalised. A boom period is expected, and Canada hopes to become a world leader in the marijuana trade, with first-year sales expected to exceed five billion dollars despite restrictions.

It is not surprising to see an extra restraint placed on vaping. But this piece hopes to explore what the regulatory and political landscape will bring on the (inevitable) day legalisation comes.

Though it will be widely celebrated, business owners and vaping advocates need to be aware that legalisation of vapourised marijuana will only be the beginning of its troubles. A new dimension and

In times of political change, vaping will find new challenges and opportunities. Businesses must brace for both.

frontier of expansion for the vape trade will see new legal and oppositional cans of worms opened.

In this business, it’s never over. Even in countries where vaping has been legal for a while and the industry is thriving, it is constantly besieged by both well-meaning but misguided action, and outright sabotage.

A lot of friction has come from the cut and paste approach tobacco control initiatives and groups apply to vaping. The most common line of attack lazily conflates nicotine with tobacco in a simplified pipeline or “gateway effect,” with tobacco control groups accusing the industry of getting children hooked first on its own products and later on smoking.

For years, marijuana was the defining face of the gateway effect, with decades of propaganda telling us outright that it would lead to harder, lethal drugs.

Vapourisers being used for marijuana use will attach additional baggage – namely, the baggage of moralising and panics we’ve seen hurled at the drug for decades. This has an overseas knock-on-effect to consider. Vapers in less marijuana-friendly countries will also need to brace themselves for a slew of new, unpleasant accusations about the activity. For example, in parts of the US, where the drug remains heavily demonized, we should expect the charge of vaping as an “enabler of pot use” to be raised at some point.

Packaging restrictions will be another hurdle. The European Market is still recovering from the TPD and will undoubtedly see new regulation as CBD steps up and experts begin to mull treating mods as medical products.

In such a market, it’s only a matter of time before certain THC concentrates are marketed using rhetoric and branding styles associated with vaping. The Cannabis Act 2018 will prohibit the kind of flash and flair that made e-liquid and mod packaging what it is today; outlawing fluorescent and metallic colours, keeping label and packaging backgrounds the same colour, and limiting artwork to one brand name and one additional “brand element” such as a slogan or logo, with limitations on size.

But by far the biggest potential headache lies in the redefinition of vaping’s purpose and function, its mission.

Unlike smoking or alcohol, vaping comes to us in the wake of a huge shift in consciousness concerning public health. The mid to late twentieth century saw a tremendous uptick in lung cancer cases and an indisputable rush of evidence linking it to cigarette smoking. It’s difficult to imagine smoking reaching its lofty heights in business and popular culture had we known the full extent of

its effects at the time.

For these reasons, in order to gain traction in the eyes of the public, any product facilitating nicotine consumption has to ingratiate itself to the authorities on public health. The general public get most of their information from headlines, the majority of which have been unfair to the vaping industry.

So, with public health as the wedge the vaping industry must use for mainstream acceptance, smokers and non-smokers must view vaping primarily as a tool for smoking cessation and a viable weapon against tobacco.

A parallel can be found in the UK, where the recent rise of CBD and its foray into the vaping market has given certain business owners pause. Pushing vapour products as recreational and not facilitators of harm reduction is risky in a world where so much hinges on public image and public health.

But this is by no means a condemnation of diversifying vaping, through marijuana or any other way. There’s nothing inherently wrong with adding an extra dimension to the public image of the e-cigarette. The versatility of this industry is one of many things that sets it apart from tobacco – it has an inherently social element which drives creativity.

But here, vaping has another saving grace: the superiority of mods as delivery devices, especially for users suffering chronic pain. As a leading tool in the fight against tobacco harm, the e-cigarette is peerless in its ability to give that quick and potent nicotine hit. This has been adapted to deliver CBD and THC for those who need it. Recreational vaping will not be treated so harshly if advocates can remind the public and powers-that-be of how many people benefit from the phenomenon. The tide is turning everywhere in the developed world; in the UK, the recent cases of Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley prompted swift reform allowing easier access to prescription cannabis oils.

In changing times, the vaping industry must uphold its image for innovating and leading. Marketers may be able to develop a narrative of promoting both medicinal or recreational marijuana use as providing better hits without the risks of combustibility

Though making predictions with certainty is a fool’s game in the vape trade, businesses and advocates can look to their victories for inspiration, especially on the legal and regulatory front. The story so far reveals the value of vaping through smoking cessation and a far safer conduit for nicotine. The pleasure element, though important, has significantly less political clout. The rise of the marijuana vapouriser should not be stigmatised or downplayed but embraced as both and a new challenge and opportunity.

“Though it will be widely celebrated, business owners and vaping advocates need to be aware that legalisation of vapourised marijuana will only be the beginning of its troubles.”

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The politics of it all

Four Essential Moments from the Tobacco Control Plan Debate

By Leo Forfar

On July 20, eight MPs in the House of Commons debated the Tobacco Control Plan, just over one year since its introduction. The strategy was put forward last July in the form of a four-point plan. It seeks to bring about:

• Cutting the smoking rate amongst young people from eight percent to three percent or less, and adults from over 15 percent to 12 percent or less.

• Cutting the smoking rate in pregnancy from over ten percent to six percent or less by the end of 2022.

• Improving data collection for smoking and mental health whilst making mental health sites smoke-free by 2018. And most importantly, backing evidence-based innovations to support quitting, e-cigarettes included. So, what were the key takeaways from this session for vapers and businesses?

MPs are aware that vaping has had a positive influence. Rother Valley Labour MP Sir Kevin Barron received particular commendation from industry advocates for his strong pro-vaping stance. Sir Kevin highlighted both the increasing institutional support for e-cigarettes from public health bodies and their increasing vindication via scientific research.

“Since the plan was published, Public Health England has published an updated evidence review of e-cigarettes showing the growing evidence that vaping is less harmful than smoking and has the potential to support thousands more people to become smoke free,” he said.

Sir Kevin also derided the unfair treatment vaping has been getting in the press.

“It is very unfortunate that sensationalist media reports are creating an air of uncertainty around e-cigarettes and deterring many smokers from making the switch.”

Steve Brine, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care, proudly called Britain’s ongoing commitment to tobacco control consistent and non-partisan and gave an explicit endorsement for giving e-cigarettes greater institutional support.

“The best evidence suggests that e-cigarettes are helping thousands of people to quit and that they are particularly effective in the context of a smoking cessation clinic,” he said.

Conventional Tobacco Control measures are not enough without e-cigarettes.

It is clear now that vaping has an indispensable role in helping MPs hit tobacco control goals, and excluding it risks the full achievability of the control plan.

Sir Kevin stressed that the UK and Ireland are currently under the same tobacco control laws, with only the former seeing a drastic fall in tobacco consumption. Ireland’s smoking rate is only down one percent in the last few years, compared to the UK, where it has fallen by a quarter. He attributes this to the UK’s greater proportion of vapers and e-cigarette promotion, claiming it “demonstrates the effectiveness of e-cigarettes.”

Public service cuts hurt stop smoking services (and e-cigarettes as a part of them).

The integration of e-cigarettes into existing stop smoking services across the country remains a great opportunity for curbing tobacco consumption, but public health cuts have hamstrung this.

Sharon Hodgson, Shadow Minister for Public Health, said: “Stop smoking services are roughly 300 percent more effective than quitting by going cold turkey, but in some places the specialist services are being decommissioned altogether… I truly believe that the ambitions in the tobacco control plan cannot be achieved without adequate funding.

“We should encourage people to use smoking cessation aids, such as e-cigarettes, to help them to stop smoking, while keeping a watchful eye on any negative health outcomes, if there are any.” Sir Kevin cited a 2017 Cancer Research UK survey which revealed that budgets for local authority cessation services ranged from nil to £1.7 million, averaging £436,000 per local authority. Only 61 percent of local authorities offered specialist cessation services, with one-to-one or group support and access to medication. Some have even been replaced with a “general lifestyle” service. Tobacco control was said to be a high priority by 57 percent of the local authorities, but they lack the resources to achieve it.

“While 75 percent of local authority cessation services supported use of e-cigarettes, only 50 percent of primary care providers did so. We need a consistent approach in line with public health and NICE recommendations.”

Teen vaping (and smoking) is falling.

Underage e-cigarette use has been a thorn in the side of an industry working hard to meet compliance standards and improve its outreach into the general public. However, claims of e-cigarettes as a gateway to smoking are exaggerated.

When running through the list of goals met in tobacco control, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Public Health Steve Brine MP said that “figures published last year showed that the prevalence of smoking (in young people) has reduced by a further percentage point from eight percent to seven percent since the publication of the plan. The number of e-cigarette users in that group is also falling.”

The full transcript of this session can be accessed under the debate section at theyworkforyou.com, an open data service chronicling the happenings in the UK Parliament.

“It is very unfortunate that sensationalist media reports are creating an air of uncertainty around e-cigarettes and deterring many smokers from making the switch”

– Sir Kevin Barron MP

US SENATORS INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO REGULATE E-LIQUID FLAVOURS

The SAFE Kids Act could mark the boldest step yet towards a federal flavour ban

BY LEO FORFAR

Vaping has been branded a Big Tobaccoinspired “re-invention of smoking” by a US Senator who is spearheading moves to heavily restrict flavoured e-liquids.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski have introduced legislation to crack down on “kid-friendly flavourings” in e-cigarettes such as cake batter, whipped cream, and gummy bear.

The Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids (SAFE Kids) Act was introduced in the Senate on August 1 and would seriously limit the flavourings used in e-cigarettes.

If passed, flavoured e-liquids would be “generally restricted” but manufacturers would have one year to “prove to the FDA” that their flavours helped adults quit smoking while not encouraging young people to smoke or vape.

Durbin said: “We have made great progress in convincing kids not to start smoking cigarettes [and] nowadays, it’s hard to find someplace where smoking cigarettes is even allowed.

“But, I am convinced that e-cigarettes represent the ‘re-invention of smoking,’ cooked up by Big Tobacco to hook a new generation.”

He added: “Unfortunately, kids don’t understand that e-cigarettes are highly addictive, harmful to their developing brains, and can lead to a lifetime of tobacco addiction. These products, especially flavours that shamelessly appeal to kids, are doing more harm than good.”

Durbin and Murkowski also cited a recent government study which linked underage tobacco use with flavoured e-liquid as a reason the new law was needed.

The study, Flavored Tobacco Product Use Among US Youth, said: “Consistent with national schoolbased estimates, this study confirms widespread appeal of flavoured products among youth tobacco users … efforts to decrease use of flavoured tobacco products among youth should be considered.”

In a press release published on his official website, he claimed that e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among youth.

He said: “More than two million teenagers used them last year, which is a 653 percent increase from just five years ago. While smoking rates for traditional cigarettes are decreasing—from 28 percent in 2000 to eight percent in 2017—the nation is seeing significant increases in youth use of cigars and e-cigarettes.

“From 2011 to 2015, the percentage of e-cigarette use among high school kids increased ten-fold from 1.5 percent to 16 percent. Among kids, 81 percent of e-cigarette users said their first tobacco product had flavouring.”

Writing on her official website, Senator Lisa Murkowski accused tobacco companies of having “a long history of developing and marketing flavoured tobacco products as ‘starter’ products that attract kids.”

She said: “Flavours improve the taste and mask the harshness of tobacco products, making them more appealing and easier for kids to try the product and ultimately become addicted.”

However, vaping advocates say the proposed legislation is flawed. Dr Christopher Russell, Deputy Director of the Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR) has studied the use of flavours in e-liquids and has had research published in the Harm Reduction Journal.

He said: “Non-tobacco flavours, especially fruitbased flavours, are being increasingly preferred to tobacco flavours by adult vapers who have completely switched from combustible cigarettes to vapour products.”

The SAFE Kids bill must pass through the Senate, House and finally the president to become law. It is currently sitting at the introduction stage, having been read twice to its relevant committee. No revisions or amendments have yet been made.

“I am convinced that e-cigarettes represent the ‘re-invention of smoking,’ cooked up by Big Tobacco to hook a new generation.”

BAHRAIN SAYS NO

By Leo Forfar

100 percent e-liquid tax talks between government and business are ongoing, but the Middle East Vape Show will go ahead as planned.

The vaping industry of Bahrain has been rocked by a 100 percent e-liquid tax which was imposed without any warning recently as part of a ‘sin tax’ covering tobacco, e-liquids, fizzy drinks, and energy drinks.

When the tax came into force on July 12, imports were held by customs with officials only releasing consignments once the new tax had been paid.

Shop owners had been given no chance to negotiate its terms, nor consult with the authorities and many fear the huge price hike will encourage many vapers to return to smoking.

The price of a 60ml bottle of e-liquid - the most popular kind in Bahrain - has doubled overnight from six Bahraini dinar to 12.

E-liquids are part of the new sin tax as vaping products have been classified as “harmful to human health and to the environment.”

Bahraini vape shop owner Said Al Wadei said: “It makes no sense to charge tax at 100 percent on the retail price of vape juice.

“Most of the stores import more than 40,000 different vape juice bottles every month, mainly from the US, and you can do the maths to know how much excise tax they now have to pay for each consignment.”

Now vaping advocacy groups in Bahrain have formed an antivape tax movement using the hashtag #Bahrain_Vape_Is_ Not_Tobacco.

However, despite the new tax it has been confirmed that the inaugural Middle East Vape Show (MEVS) in Bahrain will proceed as planned for next January.

The expo’s co-organiser Khalid Mohamed said that the MEVS was exempt from the tax.

He told Vapouround: “All exhibitors’ products will be tax free. And it’s important to remember that this is the Middle East Vape Show – not the Bahrain vape show. We’ll have VIP

buyers and sellers from all over the region and wider world, including Europe, India, Pakistan and South Africa. It’s still a big market with a bright future.”

Mr Mohamed also shared some additional insight into how the tax has gone down and what was being done about it.

“It’s a tax on e-liquids specifically, it doesn’t cover any other products. It was announced and implemented on the same day, so suddenly even some government officials were confused. Products which were going through customs were kept in holding and many still haven’t been claimed.”

On July 30, representatives of vaping businesses met with government ministers from the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry to plead their case. The hearing was chaired by department head Minister Zayed Alzayani.

Mr Mohamed said: “During the talks, business owners brought forward evidence in favour of vaping taken from studies in the UK.

“This is the beginning of a new era of regulation. We’re prepared to accept taxation but the very clear message from vape industry is that a 100 percent tax on e-liquids is not workable or realistic.”

He said the move was an “imperfect start” to a new regulatory environment where further reform would undoubtedly happen.

Hussain Zaimoor, who owns two outlets of the Bahrain Vape Club, fears the new tax could threaten the kingdom’s status as a vape distribution hub for the region.

He said: “Vape is the fastest growing segment globally and Bahrain is the distribution centre for e-juices to Gulf states, but now – with this tax – we are in a dilemma.”

“WE ARE IN A DILEMMA” “WE ARE IN A DILEMMA”

Five Years of Next Generation Nicotine

The November conference in London will be a milestone event

By Leo Forfar

The Next Generation Nicotine Delivery conference is returning for its fifth instalment in November. With the e-cigarette trade as a cornerstone of nicotine delivery and a driver of innovation, the event has become an unmissable calendar date for industry figureheads and a platform for informed discussion of the most pressing issues.

Attendees can expect a democratisation of NGND as an open forum, where crowd-sourced issues are given the spotlight and experts are free to deliberate.

“The event has a clear aim to bring the industry together and we seek to bridge relationships and share insight from across the globe. As part of our commitment we designed interactive roundtable sessions which saw small groups engage in open discussion on crowd-sourced topics.”

Attendees who represent every corner of this diverse industry spoke glowingly of last year’s conference. NGND 2017’s feedback page contains hearty endorsements from liquid manufacturers, suppliers of flavours and packaging, testing labs, wholesalers and research institutes.

Speaking of newness, 2018 has also been the year which saw the launch of Next Generation Nicotine USA. The two-day event in April rivalled the success of its British forebear, bringing “over 150 senior executives from the next generation products sector from across the US and Canada.”

Ever at the cutting edge, the 2018 UK conference will also analyse the growing role of heated tobacco in nicotine delivery, the rise of cannabidiol, and the usefulness of salt-based nicotine. This years agenda covers “Transforming The Mainstream: Developments In Europe’s Retail Environment!”

Programme Director David Jones spoke to Vapouround about hitting the five-year mark and what lies ahead.

At the point of launching this event back in November 2014, we really had no idea the event, and overall sector, would grow to the size it is today. We have overseen the growth of the conference at a parallel with the growth of Europe’s next generation nicotine delivery products’ category, mainly the vape sector. Industry reporters are continuing to forecast double-figure growth across Europe, and we hope our London conference to grow alongside this and remain the go-to event for Europe’s next generation nicotine delivery product manufacturers.

My personal opinion would be that the rise of heat-not-burn products will not slow down the growth of the vape sector in Europe. HnB and vape are both different products, both attracting very different consumers.

As an ex-smoker myself, having tried HnB and vaping – I have settled on vaping. However, I believe for the overall next generation products’ category HnB may be able to tempt more smokers away from combustible tobacco and move them onto a safer alternative – which is certainly not a bad thing.

Within Europe it may still be too early to tell, however I don’t expect the rising profile of HnB products to hamper the growth of the vape category. Typically, vapers are loyal consumers, demonstrating continual shop and brand loyalty.

Did you have any idea Next Generation Nicotine would achieve this much?

Recent months have seen a rise in the profile of heat-not-burn products. Though predictions are tricky in this trade, what does it mean for the vaping industry exactly?

Though it has always been a globally-focused event, how has this year’s launch of Next Generation Nicotine USA broadened the perspective and purpose of the conference?

Our London event will always retain a global focus, and attracts visitors from North America, South America and Asia. We took the leap and launched our USA event earlier this year to specifically cater towards product manufacturers across the US and Canada. We found that there was a clear gap in the market to introduce a B2B conference which not only looks at the changing regulatory landscape, but delves deeper into consumer demands, product innovation and other commercial topics – something existing industry events did not cover.

Following the successful launch in Atlanta, we have found that more US & Canadian companies are approaching us to join the London edition. I believe this really demonstrates the appeal of the European market place for international brands.

is this year’s conference hoping to achieve that previous iterations haven’t?

One of the new topics up for discussion at November’s conference is that around e-liquids containing cannabinoids, most popularly CBD. It was clear during research that the interest and confusion around including CBD into e-liquids was something that needed to be discussed on the programme. We’ve included an expert’s panel debate in the afternoon of November 13 to address this, giving the audience an opportunity find out more.

What can a company in this trade gain by sending representatives to attend Next Generation Nicotine?

The 2018 conference programme has been designed based on the industry’s interests and concerns. We aim to bring together industry experts to address business-critical concerns across the category. Some new topics to be discussed at November’s event includes – market potential of nicotine salts, and CBD containing e-liquids, updated market data, product standards for both e-liquids and devices, and competitive product innovation; with product innovation spotlights throughout the event.

Each year the conference producer will be tasked with conducting over 40 thorough telephone research [interviews] with key stakeholders across the wider next generation products’ sector. This can include e-liquid manufacturers, regulators, big tobacco companies and suppliers to the sector. We conduct research with such a broad range of key stakeholders in the industry, to ensure that we can produce a really topical and relevant conference programme. However, once we have completed the initial research we will not stop there. As is clear the sector is always adapting and changing, so we often adapt the conference programme in the lead up to the event as and when industry updates become available.

How is the research conducted and how does NGND keep abreast of the key developments in the worldwide business of nicotine delivery?

What

“It was clear during research that the interest and confusion around including CBD into e-liquids was something that needed to be discussed on the programme … We’ve included an expert panel debate to address this”

Smoking, vaping and social identity

Vaping

By Gordon Stribling

It’s common knowledge among the vaping community that nicotine is far less harmful than certain individuals in the tobacco-control industry would have us believe. Some experts claim that it’s no more of a strain on the heart than caffeine. But it is addictive, or at least habit-forming. Herein lies the genesis of the demonisation of the substance because it is the nicotine that keeps people smoking. As renowned tobacco researcher Michael Russell said back in 1977: “People smoke for the nicotine, but they die from the tar.”

Addictions and habits are not just biochemical processes. Our environment, ritualistic behaviour and social cues all play their role in keeping people smoking and, in three-quarters of quit attempts, relapsing.

A University of East Anglia (UEA) study published in July has shed light on the role smoking plays in forming social identity and why this makes it so much harder for smokers to successfully quit. The team led by Dr Caitlin Notley interviewed 43 smokers who had quit but relapsed later on. The subjects discussed their history of smoking, their past quit attempts and the reasons why their efforts had failed. The researchers then focused on 23 individuals who discussed their experiences in further detail. The team found that as the individuals started smoking, particularly if they were teenagers at the time, their habits were being heavily influenced by their social environment and close personal relationships. This helped establish their smoker identity.

It can be incredibly difficult to let go of such a formative and ingrained aspect of who we are, and we may even face the prospect of leaving friends behind when we quit.

“When people attempt to quit smoking, what they are really doing is attempting to bury part of their old identity and reconfigure a new one,” Dr Notley said. “That can be hard. Particularly when it’s something that has been ‘part of them’ for most of their adult life.”

It is natural to want to feel included in a social group. And while your friends may not be your friends because they are smokers, there will be certain rituals and collective experiences you can miss out on if you stop being a smoker. No more huddling in the smoking area at work or nipping outside for a smoke on a night out.

Dr Notley said that creating a new social identity can make it easier for smokers to successfully quit.

positive

“For example, ex-smokers may take up new sports or hobbies that give them a sense of belonging to a group that does not involve harmful health behaviours.”

This might provide us with another explanation as to why so many smokers find it so much easier to switch to vaping rather than traditional forms of nicotine-replacement therapy like patches and gum.

Dr Notley addressed this point in an interview with Newsweek: “Vaping may be a suitable alternative, and offers a social identity, to ex-smokers who find it difficult to give up nicotine completely.”

Evidence of this social identity can be found at expos, on YouTube, in vape shops and in this very magazine. While many people pay no thought to vaping beyond its health benefits, for many others it becomes a part of who they are.

As much as we might have enjoyed the act of smoking in a previous life, the ‘smoker’ label comes with a lot of baggage. Vaping helps us project a more positive image of responsibility and a commitment to self-improvement.

While vaping is a relatively new phenomenon, there have been a handful of studies on the link between vaping and social identity A 2015 study published in Psychology & Health aimed to find out what young adult smokers and vapers liked and disliked about e-cigarettes.

helps us cast off the ‘smoker’ tag and replace it withsomething more

As well as the convenience, health benefits and ‘sensory satisfaction’, researchers reported that for some participants, e-cigarettes appeared to be a representation of an aspect of their personal identity and lifestyle.

The researchers concluded: “The current findings suggest that e-cigarettes may serve social, recreational, and sensory expectancies that are unique relative to cigarettes and not dependent on nicotine.” Both the UEA study and a 2016 paper published in the journal Critical Public Health detailed how e-cigarette use can help vapers meet new people or get to know acquaintances better.

The latter study found that for many individuals, social vaping was a positive process that encouraged friendship, the sharing of information and the integration of social activities like driving, watching television and going to restaurants.

Smoking is a notoriously difficult habit to break. This area of research offers a new angle that may help prevent former smokers from relapsing. If quitting cigarettes cuts you off from who you were, vaping provides a gateway to the happier and healthier person you could be.

“Vaping may be a suitable alternative, and offers a social identity, to exsmokers who find it difficult to give up nicotine completely.”

MORE OF WHAT YOU L E

Recruitment 101

Five questions business leaders should know the answers to with Izabella Edwards, managing director of Vape Recruit

Izabella Edwards founded Vape Recruit after learning about vaping and opening a vape shop with her partner in 2014. Having worn many a hat in a previous role as operations manager for a well-known vape company, this recruitment specialist has cracked the code in matching applicants to in-demand roles in this ever-growing industry. We asked the MD for her top tips in recruiting the right people in a rapidly changing industry

How do you think the vape industry can benefit from a resource like Vape Recruit?

I think it’s such an exciting time right now, the industry is really changing shape. At the start, the unregulated explosion of growth was phenomenal. The cultural scene that grew alongside this was unprecedented, all these people so passionate about an alternative to smoking! I still find it mind-blowing. Now, as the industry becomes more regulated and evermore competitive, businesses are really having to focus on compliance whilst protecting their profitability. Having the right people in the right roles is key. Just employing people who vape isn’t really going to cut it moving forwards. The financial cost of having ineffective people in your business can be the difference of profit or loss and unfortunately sometimes means the success or failure of a business.

As per our mission statement, we aim to, “play a key part in professionalising the vaping industry through helping to connect talented and skilled individuals to credible career opportunities in compliant and ethical organisations within the vaping industry.”

Would you say the vape industry here in the UK is competitive?

Most definitely! Over the years, I’ve worked with many different industries, some more closely than others, but I can honestly say that I’ve not worked within an industry that is so close-knit and friendly, where even direct competitors communicate with each other.

What are the keys to success in running a team-oriented work force in this industry?

Aside from having the right individuals with the appropriate skillset in the right role, I would say that the key to success is a robust management structure. Far too often I see organisational set-ups where the business leaders (directors, owners etc) are the people responsible for the day to day management all of the staff within the business. This is probably a symptom of the rapid growth, but really isn’t sustainable moving forwards. I’m sure all of you business leaders who are working 16+ hours a day and often seven days a week will agree! By promoting within, or investing in outside talent, the productivity and profitability of a business can be increased by having a middle management structure.

Do you find that people who don’t vape are weary of applying to vape-related companies?

Yes, sometimes. This is also a great example of where Vape Recruit can add value by contacting candidates with the applicable skill-set and ‘selling’ to them the opportunity to work in the industry. By the same token, people often apply for roles not really knowing much about the industry and what it involves, even if they vape. Again, we add value by discussing the industry with them. Some candidates withdraw and the ones that proceed get much more value out of their recruitment process having had the extra insight.

What are the roles that are in demand right now?

Great salespeople are always in demand. Also, opportunities within the liquid manufacturing sub-sector is a growth area as more businesses work towards less reliance on overseas suppliers for their core ranges. Retail will always be key. The scope of opportunities in the industry is huge. Marketing, e-commerce, accounts, HR, account management, warehousing, lab technicians, flavorists and more.

If you are in the industry and you’re looking to recruit a new member of staff, or if you are looking for a new role, speak to us! Our service costs nothing to applicants looking for work, and for businesses it costs nothing to engage with us or interview our candidates. We may well be able to connect you with the right talent who can push your business to the next level.

Vape Recruit specialises in connecting talent and skill with the vape sector. Contact their Derbyshire HQ on 07855 391519 or email hello@vaperecruit.co.uk

“I’m a recruiter through and through”

VAPE DINNER LADY SPONSOR THE VAPOUROUND AWARDS 2019

CLASSIC BRITISH BAKES VAPE BRAND COOK UP A SENSATIONAL TREAT FOR ALL FOR THE INDUSTRY’S NEXT BIG NIGHT

It may seem impossible for some to even think of 2019. Newsflash! We’re already gearing up for the fourth annual Vapouround Awards.

As the curtain fell on last May’s celebration, Vape Dinner Lady claimed the title as the 2019 sponsor and we couldn’t be happier to have such a classic and renowned brand at our side as we set the stage for the vape industry’s biggest night of the year.

Vape Dinner Lady is no stranger to the Vapouround Awards, having taken home the trophy for Best E-liquid in 2018, one of many accolades given to the bestselling and much-loved Lemon Tart. Vape Dinner Lady also took home an award in the Industry Leader category.

And a leader they have certainly been. Vape Dinner Lady made headlines across the mainstream media earlier this year when the announcement came that their liquids were to be sold in Asda. Now, months later, Vape Dinner Lady juices can be found in over 500 Asda stores nationwide. Never complacent, they have remained in talks with other major retailers, eager to stay at the forefront of vaping’s growing profile in mainstream culture.

Their recently-settled new headquarters – complete with luxury features, like the authentic beach hut last spotted at the Vaper Expo UK – has seen visitors from The Guardian and The Huffington Post newspapers, no doubt eager to learn more.

Overseas, Vape Dinner Lady’s liquids are now sold in eighty

countries. It’s been quite a challenge for the team, but one they’ve met with pride. New duties, new markets and new products has given them room to welcome new faces. Vape Dinner Lady now employs over 100 people, up from 60 last year.

With all this talk of newness, what better time than now to announce that Vape Dinner Lady will honour their own Vaper Expo UK traditions by unveiling and launching a new range this October?

This lofty position has made them something of an ambassador to the mainstream, where a still unreached mass of smokers yet to discover vaping reside.

Providing the vaping consumer base and business owners with must-have products is one thing, taking a more proactive role in smoking cessation is something else. A spokesman for the company said that they are stepping up efforts to reach these people by increasing their involvement in quitting initiatives.

“We’ve been strongly driven towards helping more people quit recently. It’s very important to us.”

A stop smoking-related e-book, published on their site, reached over 400,000 people in less than 24 hours.

It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of numbers and statistics in this trade, but the company has maintained its personability and consumer friendliness throughout a meteoric rise, which was aided by the recognition they received at the Vapouround Awards ceremony.

“We hold the Vapouround Awards in very high regard,”

said a company spokesman. “It was one of the first awards we ever won and since then, we have always wanted to be a part of this very high standard.”

As for why they deepened our partnership, the answer was clear: “Vapouround’s reputation speaks for itself. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?”

Vape Dinner Lady have thoroughly enjoyed their experiences at the awards, rubbing shoulders with their peers, united in the knowledge that we’re all doing what’s best for both the industry and the ongoing fight against cigarette smoking.

“The awards really set the standard for the vaping industry. There is always a lot of great vaping companies featured at the event and just to be a

part of that is an honour within itself. We believe that Vapouround and Vape Dinner Lady share the same values when it comes to quality and setting high standards. We are very selective in who we sponsor and only wish to associate with like-minded companies who are passionate as we are about shaping the industry’s future.”

Vape Dinner Lady’s entire identity is tied to creating and recreating fond memories, mostly through their flavours. The Vapouround Awards also captures this duality: it both honours the best of the year and stands alone as an unmissable event.

“The Vapouround Awards has great reach and status which helps us achieve our ultimate aim –to make people smile through a nostalgic experience.”

“VAPOUROUND’S REPUTATION SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS?”

WHAT PAST WINNERS HAVE TO SAY:

“The night was one to remember and all the staff had a great time. Ashley and Johnnie made the night as always with their crazy antics and witty humour. I think everyone was blown away with the fantastic magic show and the hilarious comedian that had us all in stitches. We were very thankful for winning the award for Best Menthol again. Thanks again for a fantastic evening and well done to all the other winners. This industry wouldn’t be what it is today without you all so keep up the good work, continue to keep making great liquids and good luck to everyone in the future.”

“It’s been a tough journey but a memorable one, with many hurdles along the way. Winning the Best Branding and Marketing award two years running was an honour but winning the Industry Leader is really special as it shows our hard work is paying dividend and being recognised within the industry. I would like to thank everyone for voting Nasty Juice. This is just the beginning as we have some very exciting and amazing projects ahead of us. To all our resellers and fans out there, watch this space. Nasty got the juice.”

“This really is the highlight of the vape industry calendar and we’re incredibly proud to be recognised here, at such a high-profile international event. The fact that this particular award is voted for by consumers – and in such huge numbers – is the icing on the cake for us. Lemon Tart, as with all our juices, is about flavour quality and user enjoyment.” –

Mo Patel.

“It was our first time attending the Vapouround Awards and it was really awesome. The food was lovely and the whole night was joyful. We enjoyed it very much and appreciate Vapouround giving us a chance to be known and recognised by more people. Also, thanks to the Usonicig team who worked hard behind this. It is they who worked out the brilliant vaping device that does not require coil and brings the industry a safer and better vaping experience. We hope we can come again next year and win the first place of the innovation award.”

Vape Dinner Lady Founder,

Vampire Vape – Official Sponsors of the Vapouround Awards 2018

Nasty Juice – Best Branding/Marketing and Industry Leader 2018

Vape Dinner Lady – Juice of the Year 2018 and Official Sponsor 2019

Usonicig – Outstanding Contribution to the Vape Industry 2018

POD U LIKE?

We have seen the popularity of pod systems driven by convenience. It’s as if the industry has gone full circle. It started with disposable Cigalikes, then in came open systems, followed by tanks and mods, which whilst they deliver great flavours and a much more enjoyable vaping experience can be rather messy and put off some smokers from making the switch. Now we have pod systems which have all the convenience of the closed system but combined with the ability to deliver great flavours and a convincing vaping experience.

However, there are some regulatory considerations to be aware of before you put your product into a pod system and sell it:

· They contain nicotine so they have to be registered under the TPD

· The emission testing needs conducting in the system itself

· You need to apply for a new notification: your existing 10ml notification can’t be used

· Additional TPD notification fees to be paid for the new EC-ID

Registering under the TPD – this requires a full toxicology and emissions assessment and new XML file building and submitting. If your product has already been submitted for TPD, you have a head start but you can’t simply use your existing data I’m afraid. This is an extract from the MHRA emissions testing guidance on the topic:

“Where a product is to be placed on the market as a single e-cigarette unit sold together in one combination, this should be tested and notified as a unit (the EC-ID will be reported with the notification).”

If you have your existing TPD notification you will need to re-test your liquid.

Then you can submit your new product for notification, but don’t forget to submit it as a kit, so you will need in include details of the pod as part of the design component of your XML, and you will need to include the device components of the testing, consistency of performance and metals / silicates in the emissions data – it’s quite the task. However, if you have already got your TPD notification you can re-use your toxicology so there is some saved labour. Then it needs submitting to the EU portal with a new EC-ID and you will be charged a new notification fee by the MHRA (or other European Competent Authority)

THE CURRENT REGULATORY CHALLENGES FACING THIS INDUSTRY: POD SYSTEMS, SALTS AND BANNED SUBSTANCES.

IMAGES PROVIDED BY AntPod

E-LIQUIDS WITH SEASONING

Nicotine salts are another area of considerable interest at the moment. There are many salts, benzoate, salicylate, levulinate and even some companies with bespoke formulations of their own. It’s not just a case of adding the base acid to your formulation. You need to be sure it’s ionised.

The products are made by combining the nicotine with a base acid – benzoic acid in the case of nicotine benzoate – but you need to be sure it’s ionised, the nicotine is still there, it’s just loosely bound to the base acid this gives for faster absorption of the nicotine and a smoother vape experience. Customers report getting a fast, harder nicotine hit, which is great for those smokers who were not getting the satisfaction from 18 or 20mg/ml e-liquids made with traditional nicotine.

Again, there are complications that need to be considered:

· It’s a significant formulation change, so you need to update your notification

· It needs new emissions and toxicology data

· You need to get your dose right

· Your labelling needs changing

You are changing your formulation, so you must let the competent authorities know by updating your notification through the EU portal. If you are swapping out nicotine for salt nic, you can replace your current product, or if you’re adding to the range, it’s a new EC-ID and new notification charges.

As it’s a new formulation, you will need to re-emissions test your product and also update your toxicology. You’re not adding the base acid, you’re replacing the nicotine, and these base acids can be quite tricky, so you need some specialist toxicology reporting from a recognised expert or you’re going to have difficulty in making it safe to use declaration.

It’s almost a full new TPD process. Again you can re-use your toxicology on the base flavour, but some people are tweaking these as well so you may find it’s a brave new product for a brave new world.

You need to set your dose too. The TPD limits you to 20mg/ml, but if you add 20mg/ml of your nicotine salt you will be under dosing the nicotine, most salts are around 55-65 percent nicotine, this varies. For nicotine benzoate 36mg/ml of the salt will contain 20mg/ml of free base nicotine, so go with the nicotine dose not the salt dose, the market is looking for high nicotine levels, so this is not a mistake you want to make.

Your label will be quite different as well. Here are some things to consider:

· On the front of the packaging, give the free base nicotine dose, but as an equivalent, for example say 20mg/ml or 2.0% equivalent nicotine. This also applies for the dose per puff. Give it as free base nicotine. This will avoid confusing the customers as they can relate it to what they are used to.

· On the ingredients listing you need to be clear that you have added nicotine salts not nicotine and base acid. At ADACT we have spoken to trading standard experts and they are clear: if you

are adding the nicotine salt disclose that, so this is where you can put your salt amount, ie 36mg/ml nicotine benzoate

· CLP, you need to update your CLP in accordance with the standard requirements. Your CLP is likely to change from that of the base flavour.

As with pod systems as you embrace these new trends, it’s critical that you remain compliant so speak to your compliance agency at an early stage.

UPDATE ON BANNED SUBSTANCES

Another disruption that has happened the past few weeks is companies receiving letters from the MHRA explaining that there are banned substances in their products and they need to be removed from the market. This has taken many by surprise as the original letters sent by the MHRA in April have not made it through SPAM filters, so no action has been taken.

Firstly, a bit of background on this, at the beginning of the TPD process there was a draft guidance on ingredients and that contained information on banned substances, but this was in draft format. In February this year, the MHRA sent out some notifications to companies about banned substances. They had intended to finalise the guidance previously but this did not happen, so it was finalised without notice or further consultation, which caught everybody on the hop.

Now that certain ingredients have been banned, a number of companies will need to reformulate their products and stop manufacturing on the old formulation. We have been in touch with most manufacturers and they have re-formulated their products without the banned substances. These safe versions can be swapped out, but there is a subtle change in flavour and you need to test your liquids to make sure they’re satisfactory.

Once you have re-formulated you will need to re-emissions test your formulation and update your notification. If you received such a letter, you need to do the following:

· Acknowledge receipt of the letter with the MHRA and confirm that you are no longer manufacturing product to the problem recipe

· Contact your compliance team to identify the problem component

· Reformulate to remove the problem component

· Re-emissions test the new formulation

· Update the XML and update your notification

· Write to the MHRA to confirm you have made changes and are going back to market with the new formulation

For more information on any of the topics addressed in this feature, contact ADACT Medical on +44 1302 98 60 88 or email enquiries@adactmedical.com or see www.adactmedical.com

VIENNA | AUSTRIA

THE VAPE DEBATE

NNA Chair Sarah Jakes takes on the author of a new study on vaping and lung damage

The following debate took place on BBC Essex shortly after the release of a new study which claims to link e-liquid condensates to lung damage. The exchange was hosted by presenter Steve Scruton, who was sitting in the chair for Sadie Nine. Sarah Jake’s position is that this study doesn’t reveal anything we didn’t already know. And if vaping is 95 percent safer than smoking, this discovery may fall within the confines of that five percent we don’t know much about. If vaping aids in getting people off smoking, it’s fundamentally working. Harm reduction doesn’t guarantee harmlessness, and reduced risk still has some risk.

SARAH JAKES

“It’s incomparable. For me, the improvement in my health was almost immediate and quite marked. I have had a look at this study that’s being spoken about today and I certainly haven’t seen any of the effects that are being predicted.

The important thing with this is that vaping is very, very much safer than smoking cigarettes but no one’s saying that it’s 100 percent safe. If you look at the Public Health England report, the RCP report, they estimate that it’s about 95 percent safer (or more) than smoking cigarettes. This study didn’t compare the effects with cigarette smoke, so it brings nothing to the table in that debate. And what it tells us is that vaping may not be as safe as breathing fresh air which, to be frank, really isn’t news. If you’re a smoker, or if you’re tempted to start, this study doesn’t change anything about the fact that vaping is significantly safer than smoking.”

Lead researcher David Thickett countered by mentioning that this is a bodily reaction we haven’t seen before which could spell the beginning of long-term damage, and that vaporised nicotine appears to cause more harm than in conventional cigarettes. However, the professor agreed that it is better to vape than smoke.

PROFESSOR DAVID THICKETT

“In our study, we looked, for the first time at the effect of vaped liquid condensates on human alveolar macrophages, which are the lung’s defence system against all the nasty things than you breathe in and they fight off infection. They are very much involved in the pathogenesis (development) of chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as COPD [Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease].

Effectively, a very dilute level of vape liquid condensate can cause cell death. It promotes inflammation at sub-lethal doses where it releases chemokines and cytokines and proteases which actually damage the lung substance itself, reducing the ability of the macrophages to ingest bacteria and fight off infection. It effectively reproduces what happens to macrophages in people who have got COPD and that’s after only 24 hours incubation of e-cigarette liquid.

Whilst we accept that e-cigarettes are safer than normal cigarettes, particularly in terms of cancer risk because there are no carcinogens in them, the nicotine in the fluid was very important in generating these changes in the macrophages. And therefore, if you chronically inhale nicotine over ten or twenty years, we don’t necessarily believe that what PHE and the NNA are saying is 100 percent true.

It’s not disputed that it’s safer to vape. I accept that if you transition from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and then stop smoking after a few months, that’s a very beneficial thing to do. But a lot of people have switched and are continuing to vape. I think people need to be aware that potentially, in ten or twenty years’ time that could cause them some trouble.”

THOUGHTS FROM THE SHOP FLOOR

Helen and Stacey from The Puffin Hut on the pros and cons of pod systems

By Gordon Stribling

The Puffin Hut is the first point of call for Wiltshire-based smokers looking to switch to a less-harmful alternative. The team tailor advice to each individual customer, ensuring that they have all the information and products they need to begin their vaping journey. This feature provides a window into life on the shop floor. In this issue, director Helen and retail support manager Stacey talk about this year’s hot topic – the pod system.

“Until recently there hadn’t been much demand for pod systems. In the short period of time we’ve had them, we’ve found that they are a great resource for some of our customers. But as is often the case, they are not a one-size-fits all solution.

“We only sell open systems as we believe that true customisability is hugely important. The great thing about pods is that you can easily switch between flavours. Many people like to start their day with a tobacco at breakfast and then switch to another flavour for the rest of the day.

“They’re also perfect for use in the workplace. They’re discreet and light and very easy to use. Just pop in a pod and you’re good to go. And if you pair it with salt-based nicotine, there’s no need to

vape continuously throughout the day. The combination will keep you going for the next hour.

“While a lot of older people like the simplicity of pods, it may take a bit of trial and error before they find a device and liquid combination that packs enough punch to replicate their 50-a-day smoking habit. Also, the battery won’t last very long if the device is used continuously and users can get through the two millilitre pods very quickly.

“A pod can be cheaper though if you’re a light or social smoker or using if you’re using it as an out-and-about device. For example, the Mi-Pod comes with two reusable pods so for those people it’s great value for money. The non-refillable ones would work out more expensive than sub-ohming.

“The best thing for a smoker to do would be to come into one of our shops and explain their needs and circumstances to one of the team. It may be that a pod system is right for them, but a different type of starter kit could be more appropriate. Many of our devices can be tested in the shop so there’s less risk of leaving with the wrong one.”

“We only sell open systems as we believe that true customisability is hugely important”

CREATE YOUR OWN E-LIQUID LINE

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The sustainability of the vape market

Disposables, old stock and new products at record speeds.

Columnist Victor Mullin looks at the current state of the vape market.

COLUMNIST | VICTOR MULLIN

Everyone reading this, whether you are a store owner, a reviewer, an industry analyst, or even a vaper visiting your local vape shop, you will probably nod your head in agreement with the next statement. There is a lot of product being released on to the market. It started around 2015 when there was a definitive shift in the e-cigarette products being released and then reached the current levels around the beginning of 2017. The market and manufacturer shift from a new product or kit every two or three months, to a new product every few weeks, and in some cases, what seems like every week.

It was the case that before the rise of the stock coil sub-ohm tank, which started with the Aspire Atlantis, a new stock coiler would be on the store shelves for at least four to five months before another replacement came around. The classic example was the Aspire Nautilus and the Innokin range of iClear tanks. Then the sub-ohm market exploded, and along with it the start of the original version of the wattage race. Who could get to 200 watts the quickest. Now, as store managers, reviewers and even vapers, we are seeing product adverts from multiple companies, over multiple weeks, all releasing multiple products in a very short time scale. Atomisers, whether they be stock or rebuildable, mods and full kits released the week you are reading this article will be considered old by the time the next issue of Vapouround comes out, and then considered outdated by the time the new year is upon us.

The massive rise in popularity of vaping around 2014 to 2016 spurred on the movement of not just lots of products, but more importantly what can be classed as ‘disposable’ products. The general price of a kit these days, from a starter kit to a sub-ohm kit has dropped significantly since two years ago to the point that if a mod breaks, well no big deal. Just buy another!

Is this current trend sustainable?

For now, it is. However, there is a big problem on the horizon with the current trend of releases. First of all is the market itself. Smokers who wanted to give up smoking and move on to vaping

have, for the most part, already done so. Sure, there are still tens of millions of smokers around the planet who can still take up vaping, but that massive rush that the industry received in 2016 is turning into a slow meandering stream rather than a river in full spate. The next problem is also down to ‘old stock.’ Vape shops who contact me about a review I have done or whether I’m about to review a new product have been telling me in no uncertain terms that the issue they are currently having is one of old stock laying around in their shop that they need to sell off quick in order to get the newer items in. The problem is, the “old” stock we are talking about are tanks, drippers and mods that are less than, wait for it, four months old.

The market base, which is the pool of vapers living in the catchment area of a vape shop, is still growing, but at nowhere near the levels they used to. However, it does mean that there are still new faces coming into that shop to buy items from the store shelf. What happens when the market starts to go into what could essentially be called a stagnation?

That is the big question. The current levels of produce are sustainable. However, there will come a time, possibly within the next 12 months, when the first signs of the slow decline and then market stagnation of new vapers and even current vapers buying that new item starts to appear.

The biggest question is, will the manufacturers themselves realise that this is going to happen and slow down their production of new mods and atomisers, or, will the industry turn into a star that’s turning into a red giant, constantly expanding outwards while eating itself from within, only to end with a huge collapse?

Time will tell.

For 2019, especially the holiday season from Thanksgiving in the US until Christmas, that is going to be the big sign. The industry is on the crest of that wave that was formed in 2015 and 2016, how long will that wave keep its crest is what 2019 is going to show.

“The massive rise in popularity of vaping around 2014 to 2016 spurred on the movement of not just lots of products, but more importantly what can be classed as ‘disposable’ products. Is this current trend sustainable?”

Marking new territory

NORDICS WARM TO VAPING WITH FIRST EVER SCANDINAVIAN VAPE SHOW

By Gordon

The end of the year will soon be upon us, giving us pause to take stock of another huge year for vaping. From the emergence of mesh coils to the explosion of CBD, a lot has happened over the past 10 months, all of it reflected at expos around the world.

On July 28, Vape Scandinavia touched down at The Forum, Copenhagen in Denmark. The first expo in the region brought together vapers and vendors from industry hot spots like the US, the UK and continental Europe, as well as Scandinavia itself. “We had a strong showing from all over the region,” organiser Jason Monti said. “Including show sponsors InSano and SmokeIt and distributor Efuma from Denmark. Advocacy groups from Norway, Sweden and Denmark were on-hand to answer questions from vendors, too.”

Having previously broken new ground with Vape South America in Colombia, Jason rose to the challenge of unifying countries with contrasting vaping cultures and policies. The remit was simple – to provide countries with a high demand for vaping products with the business connections to grow the industry and supply a growing contingent of vapers.

“We approached the show as a new event for a relatively new market,” Jason said. “We now have a solid base to build on when we return next year.”

Far from simply transposing one successful show to another continent, Vape Scandinavia was reflective of the region’s vaping habits and revealed some interesting insight into the tastes and preferences of the local vaping community.

“Scandinavians take vaping very seriously,” Jason said. “They enjoy their gourmet e-liquids and custom coils, so there were far fewer pod systems than we’ve seen in the EU and South America in the past year.”

While expos provide a focal point for the world’s vaping community, Jason plans to drum up more local support next time around, with more boots-on-the-ground marketing, flyers and radio appearances. “We actually held back on marketing and advertising this time as

there

The next event will be after the summer holidays in September 2019, maximising attendance and helping build more connections between businesses and vapers.

“We’re looking to hold our next event in Sweden as there are fewer restrictions there,” Jason said. “And we’re researching potential venues as we speak.”

In the meantime, Jason will be returning to Vape South America twice, including a trip to Paraguay on January 19 for the country’s first ever vape expo.

“We approached the show as a new event for a relatively new market. We now have a solid base to build on when we return next year”

Stribling

we assumed that there were more restrictions in place than

turned out to be.”

GPSR Matters

Meeting the TPD does not mean that your e-liquid is safe, it is simply a way to register the product and meet the requirements for the banned substances. In-fact within the TPD itself manufacturers are required to also perform a risk assessment in accordance with GPSR 2005 to ensure you also comply with the GPSR. The GPSR 2005 is now high on the priority list for both Trading Standards and the MHRA so you need to act now!

How we can help

EL-Science have invested around £2M into understanding the safety of eliquid over the last 5 years and have produced a robust set of Health Criteria Values (HCV) for many of the chemical components found within e-liquids.

We all know about Diacetyl but there are many more chemicals which may have a harmful effect if not controlled. In fact, EL-Science have identified and characterised over 180 chemicals with HCVs out of over 600 chemicals researched and the list is growing. These chemicals are common flavourings which are often safe by ingestion but have significant toxicological impact when inhaled. This doesn’t mean you should not have them in your e-liquid, however, the amounts must be controlled.

Our Services

EL-Science offers a completely independent service to help you meet the GPSR 2005 regulations for both shortfill and submitted TPD products. This process isn’t expensive, especially if you already have your chemical composition. If you don’t we have in-house analytical laboratories so we can assist with that too.

Our Product Risk Assessment (PRA) is based around Health Criteria Values (HCV’s) as presented at this years ENDS Conference.

An example of an EL-Science

Product Risk Assessment

US TAX ON CHINESE IMPORTS WILL HAVE A “SIGNIFICANT DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON THE VAPOUR PRODUCT INDUSTRY.”

By Gordon Stribling

The escalating trade war between the US and China is set to have a devastating impact on the US vaping industry with higher prices, job losses and store closures predicted.

All imports of vaping products from China, including mods, batteries and other hardware are now subject to a 25 percent import tax as part of the US president’s ‘America First’ policy.

Euromonitor International’s Head of Tobacco Research, Shane MacGuill, said the tariff would have a “significant detrimental impact on the vapour product industry.”

While many large companies may try to absorb the increased costs, the new tariffs will inevitably lead to higher prices and could lead to smaller businesses laying off staff or shutting stores.

Ohio-based James Jarvis has already made the decision to close one of his six Vapor Station stores because of the new tax and fears more businesses will also be forced to close.

James, who is also president of the Ohio Vapor Trade Association, told Vaping 360: “Some companies will start to close stores — especially in more financially challenged areas, because this increase will put the cost to the consumer out of their price range and potentially push them back to combustible cigarettes. This tariff has forced me to make the decision to close one of my locations as I will not be able to absorb the cost in that location since that town is very economically sensitive.”

Critics of the new tax say that including vaping products does not make any sense because relatively few products in the industry are made in the US and the vast majority of vaping hardware is imported from China. In 2016, China accounted for 91 percent

of the $342.3 million of vaping products imported into the US, so the tariff will hit American importers, wholesalers and retailers particularly hard.

American Vaping Association president Gregory Conley said: “For the vast majority of American vapers, the choice is not going to be an American-made product versus a Chinese-made product with a 25 percent tariff. It’s only going to be the latter, which isn’t much of a choice at all.”

According to industry estimates, the tariffs could increase e-cigarette prices in the US by around 15 percent and lead to a 20 percent drop in sales.

Smoking Vapor president Geoff Habicht also warns of price hikes. He said: “On products where the margins are lower … the retail increase will be close to 15-20 percent. On products with better manufacturing margin, the 25 percent tariff may only have an 8-10 percent increase at retail.”

Matthew Milby, who owns Maryland-based Smoke Free Nation, predicts that the tariffs will inevitably lead to the closures of vape stores as profits are hit. He told Reuters news agency: “Margins on products are already low, to maintain margins we’d have two choices, raise prices or cutting employees’ hours.”

High street vape shops provide an invaluable community service. For many people, they are the gateway to switching from smoking to a healthier alternative and eventually quitting altogether. It’s little wonder that the best vape shops inspire customer loyalty. While overheads mean physical vape shops are often more expensive than online alternatives, customers are willing to pay a little more

Fears that prices on vape products could rise by 15 percent, stores may go out of business and fewer smokers will make the switch

for the experience and to support their local industry.

President Trump will be hoping that the tariffs will encourage US vape manufacturing. But this is highly unlikely given the hostile climate in which the industry currently finds itself.

In 2022, the FDA plans to clarify which products are approved for sale in the country. Until then, potential investors will be holding back. The organisation has historically taken a conservative approach to vaping. In this era of heavy regulation, potential US manufacturers are far more likely to encounter a closed door than an open one.

Market optimists may look to JUUL as an example of a flourishing US vape manufacturer. But while JUUL devices are made in the US and account for around 70 percent of the market there, the pods themselves are made in China, along with the vast majority of vaping devices.

Herein lies the second problem. China has over a decade of vape manufacturing experience and a significantly larger manufacturing capacity. It would take a long time and a lot of investment for the US to catch up.

China boasts the second largest economy in the world but growth is slowing down. Retail sales are lower than anticipated and banks have been forced to clamp down on unethical lending. So, for now, it may be that Trump holds the upper hand.

But that will be of little comfort to the country’s billion-dollar vaping industry which already faces state flavour bans, endless media hysteria and increasing restrictions on vaping in public spaces. The trade war is yet another frustrating barrier for the industry to overcome. If Trump genuinely wants US vape manufacturing to thrive, his government should do more to promote vaping as lifesaving innovation and not a threat to public health.

Margins on products are already low, to maintain margins we’d have two choices, raise prices or cutting employees’ hours.

RED

VAPING DEAD

The gritty short FIlm is a call to arms for vapers around the world

By Gordon Stribling

It’s coming up to a year since our interview with director Christy Oldham introduced our UK readers to the three-part sci-fi/action flick, Vape Warz. And prior to that there was A Billion Lives – the highly-acclaimed documentary that set the blueprint for on-screen vaping activism.

Now, a new short film that straddles the line between activism and entertainment is making waves throughout the vaping world and beyond.

The Vaping (Not) Dead is the brainchild of Dominique Aubert, a French vaper, director and documentary-maker with a background in the vaping industry and a passion for harm-reduction. The eightminute short film is his most ambitious and creative project yet.

“I have been a producer and director for a long time, especially for corporate documentaries,” Dominique said. “But I have never worked on a project of this magnitude before.”

The film’s title should give you an idea of its inspiration and what to expect to see on-screen. Namely, plenty of blood and violence.

It tells the story of a legion of vapers and their battle for their freedom to vape. Among them, a shop-worker, a manufacturer and YouTuber, all proud vapers who, together, stand up against the tobacco industry and vaping’s other detractors.

“Mickael Hammoudi, the founder of French vape federation FIVAPE, is a friend of mine,” Dominique said. “We are both fans of The Walking Dead and one day he said to me, ‘what if we could make something like that one day, except on the theme of vaping?’”

The end result is about more than entertainment. The Tarantinesque violence and dark humour are vehicles for an important message: vaping is under attack and it’s up to us to defend it, wherever in the world we find ourselves.

“We are relatively lucky in France and the United Kingdom thanks to the actions of our activists and medical professionals,” Dominique said. “But there are countries where selling vape products or just being a vaper could have you sent to jail; countries where vaping is prohibited even in vaping shops, countries where the tobacco industry is so powerful that it dictates its laws to the rulers.”

With so much evidence on our side and so much at stake, the fight can be frustrating.

Dominique continued:

“At times, this corruption is so visible that I would be laughing if the consequences weren’t so damaging to the millions of smokers who could have been saved by vaping.”

Thanks in part to funding from within the industry and donations from private citizens, the film features impressive production values backed-up by a technical team comprised entirely of vapers.

“For the rest of the team, we had Michael Hammoudi, Pascal Henriot and Laurent Caffarel, one the founders of SOVAPE. We relied upon our vaping friends to find fifty volunteers who were each given their specific role to play.”

Dominique is proud to have created such a professional film that breaks new ground for vaping advocacy. An 8K Ultra HD fiction short with an important message, all, incredibly filmed in just one day.

“As we were looking at the storyboard on the day before the filming, the technical team and the main actor, Jean Marie Lamour, thought I was a mad man for trying to make the whole thing in a day. But we did it!”

The film has already picked up significant traction since the Global Forum of Nicotine (GFN) in Warsaw, Poland where Dominique was rewarded with a gong for Best Director.

Aaron Biebert, director of A Billion Lives and curator of the film festival, informed Dominique of the award by text message.

“I was in the middle of the historic city of Warsaw when a friend present at the conference sent me an SMS saying, ‘where are you? you won!’

“I was truly astonished. I was so happy for the whole team, because this film is above all the work of a team of passionate vapers.”

The hope now is for the film to be picked up and screened at other vaping events in France and beyond. In the meantime, it’s available for vapers to stream for free and share via Facebook and YouTube.

As for what’s next, keep your eyes on the silver screen for more from Dominique in 2019.

“See you next year for a new bigger, longer and stronger film.”

“

At times, this corruption is so visible that I would be laughing if the consequences weren’t so damaging to the millions of smokers who could have been saved by vaping”

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ASK THE SCIENTIST

The facts about CBD

By Richard Cunningham, Ph.D

It’s the substance that captured the attention of many a manufacturer this year. How much do you know about CBD? Dr Cunningham explains why vaping is the ideal method for CBD consumption.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found within the cannabis plant

(Chemical Structure of CBD)

While the majority of cannabinoids are controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act, CBD is not, therefore making it legal.

In order to qualify for sale and consumption in the EU, CBD oil must be produced from one of the EUapproved industrial hemp strains. These contain a very low percentage of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the main psychoactive cannabinoid of cannabis.

As the approved hemp strains contain a maximum THC content of 0.2% by law, any hemp oil with THC content above 0.2% is considered medical marijuana and is currently illegal in the UK and Ireland.

Ever smelled weed walking down the street? Terpenes are the aromatic compounds which cause the notable smell of cannabis and hemp. A strong smell does not indicate the presence of THC, however, this can only be determined by laboratory analysis.

HEALTH CLAIMS

Numerous scientific studies from around the world have indicated that CBD could help in many health conditions and ailments. Some claim CBD can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduce chronic pain and pain relief, beat insomnia and even have anti-inflammatory effects. Further research and analysis is needed to look into these possibilities.

Vaping is the ideal method for users to take CBD at home or on the go and we see this has been reflected by the vast amounts of interest e-liquid manufacturers and vape shops have taken in CBD this year alone.

YOUDIDKNOW

Against other methods of taking CBD, vaping has been stated as being much faster than that of oral administration and much more efficient by entering the blood stream directly when vaped, therefore, giving the user rapid absorption when needed compared to waiting for a pill to work.

About the author:

Dr Richard Cunningham has a Ph.D in medicinal chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast where he also worked as postdoctoral researcher for a number of years before working in the US at the Mitchell Cancer Institute in Alabama. Among his areas of expertise are organic synthesis, nucleosides, nucleotides, cellular biology, vitamins, aminoglycosides, drug delivery, phosphorous chemistry and chemical analysis. He is now the director of quality control for the UK at Liquid Sciences LLC.

Pure CBD and THC arereportedtohave little to no odour at all.

INNOVATE TO THRIVE

If you’re a juice manufacturer, you’ve already put blood, sweat, tears and countless sleepless nights into the development of your liquids. Now what?

With an endless variety of flavours available to vapers, it’s never been more important to pay attention to detail.

PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. SO IS CONVENIENCE.

ENTER EASYSNAP.

The cost effective, convenient and innovative solution to your packaging.

Last year, there were just 100,000 new vapers in the UK compared to 800,000 in 2014 (Action on Smoking and Health). You and your competitors are now racing to fight for the same consumer pool.

You’ve been seeking the next big thing in vaping, well here it is!

Easysnap is the only one-hand opening and dispensing portion pack for liquid and is oneof-a-kind in the global e-cigarette industry. Using patented technology, vapers can snap, fold and squeeze these simple, pocket-friendly TPD compliant sachets.

Easysnap enables your liquids to stand out, to attract not just current vapers but smokers looking for an alternative to cigarettes, helping you to target your brand to the independent retail sector – a brand that is cost-effective, ergonomic and innovative.

Competitively

Quality

NO RISK OF CONTAMINATION

Thanks to an airtight seal.

UNIVERSAL TECHNOLOGY

WE TAKE CO-PACKING FURTHER

Maximise your return on investment with Easysnap’s unique answer to samples, travel packs and giveaways.

Slot your e-liquids into custom-made sampling solutions. Bespoke envelopes, cards, boxes or catalogues, whatever your brand requires.

Apply the finishing touches to your Easysnap order with bespoke designs, custom size packs and effective presentation. Make things easy with Easysnap. Envelopes, cards, boxes or catalogues, whatever your brand requires.

SPOTLIGHT: Q & A WITH VOOPOO TECH

An exclusive exchange with a vaping hardware megastar

By Leo Forfar

Four years after its creation as a solution provider in medicine and industry and just one year after the launch of its first e-cigarettes, VOOPOO Tech has taken the hardware market by storm. It now employs over 500 personnel and is rapidly spreading its business throughout Europe, Asia and the US.

How and why did you transition from serving the medical and industrial fields to the vaping industry?

The decision to become an e-cigarette manufacturer was the result of our 15 years of experience. We had many achievements before stepping into the consumer market. We believe VOOPOO will work with its industry peers to promote the growth of the entire industry. Committing ourselves to improving health for a better future is the foundation of VOOPOO’s work.

How have you managed to expand your business so far and so quickly?

We never do any expansion for its own sake. Before VOOPOO was known in 2017, we didn’t even have a serious sales team. We believe products are the best spokesmen.

Soon after we launched DRAG with GENE.FAN inside, our mods won widespread recognition. There were some doubts when our first tank UFORCE was born. But all the feedback after that prove we are gaining respect for our pursuit in craftsmanship and better user experience.

How does VOOPOO stay ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and manufacturing new technologies?

Instead of just being nerds for technology alone, we are keen on indepth research on customer needs and ways to fulfil them. Based on innovative thinking, we now have an R&D group of over 100 people. All these are essential for us to stay ahead.

We want accessibility and simplicity for users, and satisfaction for the high standards of our engineers. From the first DRAG with the fastest firing speed, to its newest generation we are now launching, supreme user experience and simplicity in operation are our highest priorities.

You describe your product range as “covering from entry-level to enthusiast level” – How does VOOPOO manage to balance the needs of so many consumers in its products?

As I mentioned, our company is driven by the insight into users. With our comprehensive research and evaluation of vapourisers based on comprehensive data analysis (rather than giant leaps) VOOPOO is following the strategy of “best or nothing”.

“Committing ourselves to improving health for a better future is the foundation of VOOPOO’s work”

THE VAPER EXPO UK –THE RETURN

A preview of the unmissable October weekend that is the UK’s greatest vape show

It only happens twice a year, but its influence amongst vapers and businesses never wanes. From October 26-28, the UK and Europe’s biggest and most prestigious vaping event will return to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre for another milestone moment in the story of the vaping industry.

The Vaper Expo UK was founded three years ago by Jay Cox and Lee Skelding, two friends who combined their work ethic, business experience and dedication to the vape trade to create the ultimate experience for the consumer, entrepreneur and business. The addition of Alyson Guiel as operations manager in 2016 completed the team that brings you the event that we all know and love. Even their most ambitious and optimistic predictions couldn’t have accurately estimated how far the show has now come, and how quickly it became what it is today.

As we look to the final weekend of October, Vaper Expo UK –The Return is almost upon us, and here’s an exclusive preview of what awaits at a packed NEC.

Following on from the success of the last two shows, the event promises to be larger and louder than ever. Organisers will provide all the hallmarks of the vape trade show, turned up to eleven.

“The three-day expo will attract over 300 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, showcasing the very latest in hardware and juice. Visitors get the chance to sample all that’s new in the vaping world, get their hands on dozens of freebies, relax in the bar and chillout zones and be entertained by our resident DJ and compères. There’s never a dull moment at the show with exhibitors all vying to stay one step ahead with crazy competitions and giveaways.”

The Vaper Expo is split between a B2B day on Friday and a B2C weekend, but neither area has been privileged over the other.

“We will once again be focussing on bringing the cream of the B2B element to the show, along with their most valued and dedicated customers via an extensive distribution of tickets and offers.”

But the expo is far from inward-looking. It’s an essential spot, not just for British vapers, but vapers all over the world. The expo has always been the perfect launching pad for new companies and new products from every level of the trade. You’ll get a firsthand, front and centre experience of such cutting-edge releases before anyone else.

And at the expo, the personal touch is never neglected. Once there, you’ll also get to meet your favourite shop owners, hardware crafters, juice mixers, reviewers and industry advocates. The May show introduced the Media Meet and Greet,

where you could connect with vaping’s most colourful characters. We also saw the profile of YouTube reviewers and personalities raised at that show, given their indispensable role in popularising vaping on social media.

The Vaper Expo UK has grown from an outing, to an experience, to a full-blown institution of British and global vaping. According to an expo press release, the show is “quickly transforming into a weekend event and with many other activities, restaurants, hotels and facilities onsite why not make a weekend of it?”

Though the expo has plenty of style, it never neglects substance. It’s a catalyst

for the changes which define an industry, a place where game-changing deals are made. In addition to seeing the start of our magazine, the show has been the platform for the vaunted Vapouround Awards. Delivering on this much hype twice a year means the team must keep the spirit of The Vaper Expo active and their visitors happy, as organisers know.

“The Vaper Expo really is the must-attend vaping event of the year. We always bring even more to the show than ever before with designated feature zones and entertainment areas.”

Hopes are still high, as early bird ticket sales for October were sold out by late June. Those 300 exhibitors are racing to the end of October with a full head of steam, inspired and encouraged by what they can give to you. So, if you’re a vaper or involved in the trade and you don’t have tickets to the show, cancel your existing Halloween plans and book your place as soon as possible. If you’re a first-timer, we envy you – that feeling of discovery and wonderment we felt during our first trip three years ago. The strength and promising future of Britain’s vaping industry grants us a litany of experiences, and the Vaper Expo UK is one we all have in common. More and more vapers these days have their own “expo story” and we hope you’ll have yours soon.

VAPE SCANDINAVIA.

By Dave Turner

JULY 28-29

Travelling the world with Vapouround, I’ve been lucky enough to visit various countries and continents ranging from multiple European visits through to Canada, China and the US. I’d like to think then the following opinion is somewhat qualified and most definitely evidence-based.

Copenhagen is expensive. Very expensive. It’s not that the burger that came with a small portion of chips and a glass of coke wasn’t a nice burger. It was in fact a very nice burger. It just wasn’t a £27 burger. It was a chance, I suppose, to once again examine my Danish Krone – the only currency I’ve ever used so far where some of the coins have a small hole in the middle of them rather like a Polo mint.

It must be added that the city itself was beautifully designed and thoroughly organised, much like any expo organized by Jason and his team. Hosted at The Forum in Copenhagen, it was the inaugural Scandinavian event from the team that has already given us two helpings of Vape South America.

Crowd wise the expo itself was quieter than perhaps would be described as average, but as it was a first time show I don’t think this was a major issue at all. The layout, organization and companies exhibiting allow me to state with confidence that this is an expo that will grow.

Everybody I chatted to had a thoroughly good weekend in terms of their business-to-business trade, which is obviously the key component of any vape expo, and it was always a pleasure to see old friends such as Nasty Juice, Riot Squad, the guys from Pukka Juice and of course Mo from Dr Vapes.

Would I return? Yes, and I’d recommend you do too.

BY PAUL CAPLIN

ECC ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. AUGUST 3-5

Back to where it all began three years ago.

In the three-years of Vapouround Magazine, we have attended at least six ECC expos, and the August expo in California is always very important to us as it holds a lot of Vapouround history. It was in fact our very first show that we attended on our birthday three years ago.

Vapouround Magazine was launched at Vapefest in Shrewsbury in early August 2015 and then flew straight out to California that same week to experience this phenomenon for the first time. We had no idea what we were about to come across and we were totally unprepared. We had only been to two shows in the UK at that point, the very first Vaper Expo which had 83 stands and Vapefest UK which had 50 vendors at most.

So to turn to this massive American show was somewhat of an eye opener for me. Five aircraft hangers full of vendors –there was something like 1,500 vendors at this show. I had never seen anything like it, and the four of us had no chance of getting around to see everyone. We did however make lots of new friends and connections and we were amazed how well received the magazine was, as well as how welcome we were. Fast forward to August 2018 and the ECC is a very different animal compared to what it was. Now it’s a much smaller affair, partly due to the overcrowded expo roster in the US calendar, and partly because

popular US brands are all trying to conquer different countries and different markets. The show itself has about 150-200 exhibitors nowadays, ranging from some classic big brands to a lot of new kids on the block trying to make a name in the vape scene. As always, the ECC is very well organised, although a little strict on certain things like keeping wristbands on and security is ridiculous. You can’t take a backpack to the show unless you’re an exhibitor. Apart from this, there was a great turnout all three days. The general feeling was that the B2B day was the best day, which is a massively positive for anyone wanting to do great business at the show.

My pros were this B2B day, it was so good and well represented. The layout was easy to navigate and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Cons would be the over-the-top security rules plus the stage mic and music were ridiculously loud.

The ECC will always remain a very special show to Vapouround and we believe that we owe some of the success that we have had internationally to this prestigious show. We come back year after year and look forward to the next one. Make sure you save their dates. This is one show well worth checking out, plus the weather in Cali is great this time of year too.

More than 7,000 attendees created a great atmosphere that will not be easily forgotten.

We found exhibitors from all over the world, in an almost equal percentage with the local exhibitors, something that has created great diversity of products and cultures. We had 47 exhibitors without estimating the distributors booths.

The location was ideal, next to the sea and easy to reach. A strong rain fell on Saturday afternoon and kind of slowed down everything, but Sunday was the day to be there. People started entering the place from the early start time until some minutes before the doors were closed.

One great surprise was the first application ever for an exhibition, where you could see live streaming on both the days with interviews, games and of course a live view of all 47 booths. Through the same app, people had the chance to vote for all of the awards at the exhibition. The app was a little buggy though, because of the enormous quantity of people connected at the same time. We are aiming to have a second improved version for 2019 for sure.

Last but not least, the production company has announced three unmissable events for 2019. These

are Vapexpro Bulgaria 2019, Vapexpro Athens 2019 and The Vape Fest.

This latter will be a three-day festival and details for this will be announced by the end of the year. The location is yet to be announced, but organisers promise to offer a great Vape Bazaar in a Camping Spot with music and of course, a lot of vape.

Vapexpro Athens was totally an excellent weekend in a great place with many kind people.

Taking awards home from year three of VAPEXPRO Greece were:

The third edition of Vapexpro in Greece was a crack!

Some of the most famous vape brands in the world, such as VGOD, PHIX, Nasty Juice, I VG Eliquids, Vampire Vape, MOX, Asmodus, Smoant, Drip More, Kardinal, and more exhibited and were beloved so much by Korean vapers. Most exhibitors found Korea to be a new emerging vape market and have already decided to participate in next year’s show with high satisfaction.

The total number of exhibitors amounted to 90 companies from 11 countries, and 9,000 people visited this show.

It wasn’t just about exhibiting products, but various events also accompanied with this show. The first vape tricks competition and cloud chasing competitions were held with the trick show of VGOD, and there was a conference for the latest trends in the Korean vaping market, KC Certification, laws and regulations, shipment and customs were also discussed during the show. Still the laws and regulations of vaping in Korea are strict, but VAPE KOREA EXPO took a role of connection between Korean government and vapers, which stepped to the better acknowledges of vaping culture in Korea.

Next year Vape Korea Expo 2019 will be held on a bigger scale with even more exhibitors from all over the world.

The first VAPE KOREA EXPO took place in September at the KINTEX Exhibition Hall, Korea.

VAPE KOREA EXPO, KOREA. SEPTEMBER 7-9

UK sector news: tax, insurance, e-liquid sales

UK treasury has confirme d that it has “no current plans” to introduce a tax on vaping products.

The

The information came in a reply by Robert Jenrick, exchequer secretary to the treasury, to a letter from the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).

In it Jenrick agreed that vaping had a role to play in reducing smoking and that this would lead to an overall cost saving to the National Health Service. He added that the treasury was also aware of the financial contribution made by the e cigarette sector

“I recognise the contribution the vaping industry makes to the economy in terms of job and revenue to the Exchequer and welcome the fact the UK has a world leading vaping industry,” Jenrick said.

Jenrick, who is also a Conservative MP, decl ined a meeting with the UKVIA due to “diary pressures”. But he added: “I would however encourage you to engage with my officials should you wish to discuss any of the issues raised in your letter ”

ECigIntelligence remains sceptical that an e cig tax was in fact being considered. It is more likely that discussions of new tax categories for novel tobacco products such as heat not burn (HnB) consumables were misinterpreted by reporters as including e cigarettes.

About ECigIntelligence

Vapers classed as smokers

Vapers in the UK are having to pay higher insur ance premiums because insurance companies are still classifying them as smokers

An investigation by ECigIntelligence has found the overwhelming majority of British insurance firms ask potential life and health insurance customers whether they have smoked or used a nicotine replacement (NRT) product in the last 12 months.

If they answer “yes”, they are classified as smokers, which means their premium can cost twice as much as for those who say “no”.

Insurance expert Andrew Wibberley told ECigIntelligence there has been “some confusion about whether [e cigs] were a temporary thing to help people not smoking, or whether they were a permanent change. The challenge for insurers is deciding which one. It’s a market that will change at some point.”

Shaking up the market

More than a third of the e liquid revenue in UK vape stores is generated by 10ml ready to use e liquid products, but shake and vape and multi pack products have gained ground since the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) came into British law, a new ECigIntelligence survey reports.

ECigIntelligence is the leading provider of detailed global market and regulatory analysis, legal tracking, and quantitative data for the e cigarette, heated tobacco and combustible alternatives sector worldwide. Customised research and consultancy are also available.

We offer tools to navigate the complex market and regulatory landscape through independent, analytical and actionable data insights, in depth country reports, regulatory trackers and legal analysis. We also publish CBD Intel.com for the European CBD sector.

BUS TOUR

Vaper Expo Shop Birmingham, August 3

Like the show it was named after, the Vaper Expo Shop in Halesowen attracts the best and brightest. A relaxed atmosphere at the venue allowed us to enjoy more in-depth conversations with both vape shop workers and curious members of the public on our recent visit. It’s one thing to provide an entry point into vaping for curious smokers, but spending quality time with them as you do is a huge bonus.

Refax Vapes, August 4

Shop manager Cheryl Yee hosted us on a beautiful sunny day on a busy high street providing perfect public exposure. An overwhelming majority of those we engaged were non-vapers having their first experience with our smoking cessation service. Even vapers who visited us left the bus determined to help get their friends and relatives off cigarettes. Inside the shop, we learned that Refax has connected extremely well with the local vaping community and everyone involved was happy to help grow it that day.

Lincoln Market, August 18

Our visit to Lincoln Market gave us the chance to do more than we normally do via the Vapouround Bus. Riot Squad, Blu and Premier E-Cigs accompanied us in a busy marketplace. It’s never too late to learn something new in the vape industry, and sharing this space with such distinguished brands proved that. In a high footfall area, we saw many people who had never been properly exposed to a vaping company before. Premier E-Cigs even provided some additional entertainment, challenging visitors with games. As always, we were ready to answer questions, provide goody bags and talk smokers through their first starter kit.

Back to the 80s and 90s festival,

A three-day triumph for the bus and the local community, this outing proved that nostalgia is in, but anyone’s habits can change. We introduced every kind of attendee – from 18 to 65 plus – to vaping. The addition of ADV Distro allowed us to introduce new vapers to products beyond a starter kit which they could buy. The best thing about this festival was the lack of cigarettes available for purchase, meaning there was only one place to go when smokers ran out and the nicotine cravings hit.

August 10-12

REACH Registration Certi cate

I Love Vapes - Southampton, August 24

Sometimes, the clue really is in the name. From its set-up to its marketing, I Love Vapes went all out in helping us bring vaping to those who really needed it. This date saw us in a beautifully maintained shop which has built a devoted following. The efforts of owner Jas had both the bus and shop packed all day long. One outstanding visitor we had was a man on a mobility scooter turning in his cigarettes for a starter kit.

There’s nowhere like the London high street to do business. A natural hotspot of both dedicated vapers and smokers who have yet to make the switch, we were exposed to the best examples of what the industry can do for communities. Hosts Matt and Tatiana proved how well they have cultivated relationships with the locals, as smokers and non-smokers alike braved some adverse weather to get their fill of the shop and the bus. This day saw families changed, with one young woman taking a starter kit for her stepdad. Matt and Tatiana even provided some of their own manufactured liquids.

The Great British Vape Shop - London, August 25

Premier

Often on tour, no matter where we go and what we see, it’s the people who make the best impression. Whilst getting the true premier industry experience at Premier E-Cigs, the bus was visited by a woman suffering from MS. She had been given a life expectancy of twenty years and had lived double that on a five-a-day habit. Now, urged by her children, she decided to quit, going home to personally pick up her pack to trade with us. After taking her starter kit, she signed up to the Vapouround Club to what we hope will be a long and fruitful journey for her.

- Mansfield, SeptEMBER 7

E-LIQUID

VAPOUROUND REVIEWS

Following on from the consistently solid Punk series of devices, the XT220 has big shoes to fill.

The first things to note about this device are its construction and aesthetics. This is a heavy, sturdy mod. Coming in at 258g without batteries or an atomiser installed, this is not a device for those with stealth in mind. The construction feels about as solid as it can possibly get within the mid-priced range. There are as few seams as possible in the design, and it’s clear that the XT220 was built to last. TESLACIGS have done away with the quirky steam-punk look, opting for a more minimalistic design. If I had to guess, it seems the chassis of this device was based on the looks of a high-end gaming PC, with sleek curves, LED lights and a clear panel on one side of the mod.

Ergonomically, the XT220 is comfortable and satisfying. It’s a very large device, but the curved design makes it fit comfortably in the hand, and the large fire button is easily accessed whether using your thumb or index finger. The heavy construction only adds to the luxurious feel of the XT220, and the weight is well balanced, so this mod is unlikely to tip over when put down.

The chipset here is simplistic but functional. Everything is very responsive, and power is delivered to your atomiser with no delay whatsoever. There are a variety of settings to play with, including memory banks, preheat, temperature control and LED. The preheat settings work nicely, temperature control seems to be reasonably accurate, which can be amended by tinkering with TCR settings. The LEDs can be customised or turned off entirely. I must commend TESLACIGS for sticking to a simple, unpretentious design here. In keeping with this philosophy, there is a hard on/off switch located just below the fire button. This is more convenient than simply locking the device and is also more reassuring if you plan to travel with your XT220.

The Tallica Mini tank that’s bundled with the kit is an interesting addition. Its TSXX mesh coils perform well at a wide range of wattages, which is a welcome feature. Tesla recommend anywhere between 60-110W, and whilst the higher end of this range was a bit too hot for my liking, there was no sign of a burnt coil. The TS-XX has above average flavour and dense, satisfying vapour production. Coil longevity is decent, too. I managed to put approximately 70ml of e-liquid through each coil before a noticeable drop in performance. Airflow is generous, though slightly turbulent when wide open. I preferred closing the control ring off by about one third to enhance flavour and get a smoother experience. Installing the coil is also somewhat unconventional. Rather than screwing the atomiser into the base of the device, you slot it into the tank, which is fool proof and does away with issues caused by over-tightening coils. I will say that I sometimes got a “no-atomiser” warning with the tank but unscrewing the base and then putting it back together would always solve this issue. The only thing that you need to bear in mind with the Tallica Mini is that it does suffer from “vapour lock” – that is to say, if you don’t leave enough space for air in the top of the chamber, the

This is easily avoided by not over-filling.

The ACE may come as something of a surprise to keen vapers, since blu have historically been known for disposable and closed systems tailored to those on the very beginnings of their vaping journey. This new AIO subverts expectations in several ways and it’s difficult to complain when such an influential company decides to seriously act on consumer feedback.

The first surprising thing about the ACE is its form factor and resulting battery capacity. Previous blu kits have all been very diminutive and unlikely to last for a full day’s use at the best of times without a charge. That’s not the case this time around. Although still small in the grand scheme of things, the ACE is a full-sized AIO with an internal 1500mAh cell. When using high strength nicotine e-liquids with the ACE as my primary device, I found it easily lasted me a full day without the need for a charge. In terms of practical changes, this is a serious improvement and makes the ACE a convenient option for new vapers who need an accessible and simple device.

The included spiral drip tip does a good job of preventing spit-back and is also interchangeable with your choice of 510 mouthpiece. It’s good to see that blu are paying attention to the finer details here and the compatibility with standard tips shows a genuine effort to make this a truly open system.

The airflow control ring found at the top of the device allows the user to dial in the experience to a reasonable degree, from a classic tight mouth-to-lung all the way to a very restricted direct-to-lung draw. This will please a lot of new vapers who struggle to find a starter kit with their preferred restriction, though I found it performed best at a tighter setting.

The leak resistant top-fill method is nothing revolutionary, but it works well here and the mere fact that there is no restriction on your choice of e-liquid will be welcomed by many. The 0.6Ohm SS316L coils cement the ACE as a very competent starter kit. Don’t be fooled by the sub-ohm resistance, though – these coils work best with higher nicotine strengths and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavour and vapour production on offer. SS316L is known for its clean flavour and this remains true here. I found the coils to last for approximately one week of moderate use, which is well within acceptable bounds.

In summary, the blu ACE is a solid starter kit that works without any gimmicks. It’s also fantastic for salt-based nicotine users and offers substantially more battery life than pod systems.

Perhaps one of the most high-profile vaping companies, blu have focused solely on the starter market since its inception. The new blu ACE kit is a very simple albeit modern AIO system that is much more versatile than previous offerings from this industry giant.

Mesh coils produce a noticeably better vape than traditional round wire stock heads and as a result, every tank manufacturer has scrambled to produce their own mesh offerings to stay relevant. The Mesh Pro is Freemax’s second meshbased tank and it aims to trample on competitors with an even more adventurous coil design than the tank that kicked off this mesh revolution.

The Mesh Pro is not an aesthetically subtle tank. Coming in at 59.8mmx25mm, with bold resin and stainless steel construction, the size and material choices make for an atomiser that is best used on similarly large or audacious mods. This may be off-putting for some, but with the already huge success of the tank we will likely see a plethora of new material options soon.

At the time of writing, there are eight different coil head options available for the Mesh Pro, with a ninth coming soon. Five of these are mesh-based coils and that’s likely what most users will be looking for. The single mesh coil is the most reserved of these and provides a near identical vape to that of the original Fireluke Mesh system. Users who prefer medium wattages will be best served here and I found the sweet spot to be anywhere between 45W-60W with this particular head.

The dual and triple mesh coils are really what sets the Mesh Pro apart from its competitors. They’re more power hungry and will obliterate your e-liquid supplies but in return you will get what is quite possibly the best stock coil vaping experience currently available.

I enjoyed both dual and triple mesh heads anywhere between 70-100W. There isn’t a huge difference between the vape quality of these heads, though the triple coils do seem to last slightly longer and produce a marginally denser vape. I was able to push at least 80ml of e-liquid through each before any noticeable decline in performance.

The sliding top-fill and airflow control are standard but functional and I had no problems with either of these components.

The Freemax Mesh Pro is an absolute must try for any enthusiastic vaper who does not wish to venture into the world of rebuildable atomisers.

Freemax were the first stock coil tank manufacturer to introduce mesh coils to their line up with the Fireluke Mesh Tank, and in doing so they sparked one of the biggest changes to mainstream vaping since the Aspire Atlantis, the very first sub-ohm tank, which was released all the way back in 2014.

DEVICE

The Novo is a proud addition to the well-known SMOK family, and it’s easy to see why consumers will find it alluring. Not only does it look attractive, but it performs remarkably well, when it comes to a mouth-to-lung pod system. Pod systems are becoming increasingly popular with both new and experienced vapers.

The kit also contains two pods, a USB charging lead and a user manual.

The aesthetics of the Novo are incredibly sleek and stylish. The whole kit looks and feels very impressive, it fits perfectly in your hand and has a sturdy, substantial weight to it, and is improved even more by the smooth, rounded edges and glossy finish of this device.

They come in a variety of attractive colours. The device itself is rather small, perfect for handbags, pockets or on the go.

Using this device is very straightforward. As with most pod set ups, there is a disposable pod, that requires filling through a small hole, that is then sealed with a rubber plug when you are done refilling.

There are no complicated adjustable settings on this device, not even a fire button. It only requires the user to inhale to produce the vapour

This makes pod systems very accessible, as there is no coil changing, no tricky settings, you can use any strength nicotine and, of course, its minute size.

The battery capacity is a standard 450mAh, and it charges via USB. It takes around 30-40 minutes to charge fully. A full charge lasted me about five hours of moderate usage, so quite an average battery life.

When it comes to how this device performs, it felt rather smooth, but with just enough of a throat hit to satisfy. It is designed as a MTL setup, so that it closely mimics the draw you would experience on a traditional cigarette. As a result, the Novo doesn’t produce a huge amount of clouds, as a sub-ohm tank. However, cloud production is still pretty good.

High nicotine liquids – both standard and nic salts – would be perfect for this device, as it gives you a short, sharp inhale that doesn’t require you to puff constantly just to get a hit of nicotine.

SMOK is a globally known vaping device manufacturer, which has been at the forefront when it comes to new and fashionable vaping equipment.

Geekvape should be no stranger to vapers who enjoy rebuildable atomisers, but over the last 18 months this veteran company has started to dip its feet into the world of regulated devices and sub-ohm tanks, taking aim at a more mainstream audience.

In many ways the Nova kit runs counter to trends we’ve been seeing this year, forgoing a large colour display, LED lights and outlandish finishes for a classically styled kit that focuses on functionality and clean lines.

The Nova mod utilises the same AS chipset found in the recently released Aegis Legend mod. The chip had a few teething issues upon release which were resolved with firmware updates and thankfully, the Nova kit comes with these latest amendments pre-loaded right out of the box. This is a snappy chip full of features, which may come as a surprise considering the unassuming LED screen which is quite small by today’s standards.

Power curves, temperature control and TCR settings are all available here and navigating the menu system is intuitive. All but the pickiest of users will be satisfied with this chipset and many may actually prefer this smaller screen to the large OLED displays found on some of the Nova’s competitors.

In terms of form factor, the Nova feels like a bit of an homage to simpler times when mods were rectangular and built to last. This isn’t the most ergonomic design, but the boxy frame is deceptively comfortable in the hand and feels very solidly put together, with no play at all in the magnetised battery door. The resin veneer that covers half of the device is unobtrusive and of better quality than the usual fare.

The Cerberus sub-ohm tank is a clear step up from other tanks bundled with kits, which all too often feel like an afterthought. The X1 mesh coils perform very nicely and also last for a good while, I was easily running 70-80ml of e-liquid through each coil before noticing a substantial decrease in performance.

Geekvape’s coil quality seems to have slightly improved since they originally released their X1 coils and I found I was getting more intense flavour production than with the previous batch that came with the Aegis Legend kit. I feel that the Cerberus has actually been overlooked and is a very solid single mesh tank that can compete with the best on flavour, especially with the airflow turned down to two or three times of the way open at 50-60W.

The Geekvape Nova kit is a fantastic all-around bundle that is ideal for anyone who’s setup is a bit long in the tooth and needs a refresh. Impressive.

DEVICE

Keen eyed vapers may notice that the Zero shares quite a few characteristics with the Vaporesso Nexus AIO released earlier in the year. The Zero takes the best parts from the Nexus and improves upon the platform, whilst doing away with some of the slight issues of its predecessor.

The updated omni board mini that is somehow crammed into this tiny chassis allows for consistent regulated wattage output from the Zero system. There are three settings to choose from, and though there’s not a huge difference between them, vapers using particularly strong or harsh e-liquids will no doubt benefit from the lower power options. The automatic temperature control is still in place and seems to be more accurate than the sometimes overly cautious settings of the Nexus. This results in a more satisfying, warm vape that only starts to taper off when the pod is badly in need of a refill or charge.

Flavour from the 1.0Ohm CCELL pods is above average for this kind of device. You may not be able to pick up every nuance of more complex blends, but this is to be expected from such stealthy systems and all of the main flavours come through nicely, especially bright fruit top notes. I found citrus and tropical e-liquids to work exceptionally well in the Zero kit.

The integrated 650mAh cell is impressive for such a small device and even on the highest (12W) setting I found the Zero’s battery life to be surprisingly good. I got around five hours of moderate use out of the device before needing a charge and even this was a painless experience with the 1A quick charging that brings the device from flat to full in well under an hour. This makes the Zero a rather practical bit of kit for the inconspicuous vaper on the go.

The pressure activated firing system didn’t miss a beat during my testing and though there’s no adjustable airflow on the CCELL pods I was thoroughly satisfied by the moderately restricted mouth to lung draw of the device. Purists looking for an old-school super tight MTL experience need not apply, but for anyone else this should be ideal for a pod system.

The Renova Zero is a solid pod device that boasts good flavour, a convenient system and respectable battery life. Stealth vapers rejoice.

Renova is a new subsidiary company from industry giants Vaporesso and the release of their first device under this new name has been hyped up for quite some time, resulting in a fair amount of anticipation from those who enjoy podstyle systems.

Just when you thought pod systems couldn’t get any smaller, the Jenson QT steps in. This device exemplifies the current race to make the tiniest vape possible. A miniscule 10mm depth means that the QT will easily slide into any pocket virtually unnoticed, but does this design choice sacrifice performance and practicality to achieve an extreme form factor?

This is a very simple open pod system. There’s no airflow control, wattage adjustment or temperature settings to be found here. This may be off-putting for some experienced vapers, but the QT is clearly aimed at beginners who are looking for a hassle-free experience. The 2ml pods are easily filled via a rubber seal on the bottom and a clearly visible wick means that you won’t have to guess as to when your coil is saturated and ready to vape. The longevity is respectable but not outstanding. During moderate use expect to get around a week out of each pod.

The pressure activated pods have a fairly tight mouth-to-lung draw, which is ideal for the rather conservative power output of the QT system. Thinner e-liquids are advised here, which should be no surprise to those familiar with pods. I had no issues when using 50/50 PG/VG blends, but thicker liquids may dramatically shorten the pod’s lifespan or even fail to wick. This isn’t really an issue because the vast majority of high strength e-liquids are less viscous and are clearly what the QT was designed for.

Vapour output is unsurprisingly reserved, and flavour is about average for this kind of device. I found brighter fruit flavours to work best in the QT, which is becoming something of a trend for low output pod devices. This performance is very respectable considering the tiny size of the system and many vapers will be surprised to hear that the QT can go toe-to-toe with larger pods in the vape quality department.

Battery life is the only real stumbling block of the system. The 370mAh cell lasts a surprisingly long time but will still need to be recharged several times during the day if the QT is your primary device. This shouldn’t really shock anyone, but it must be noted since the system is clearly aimed at new users. The short battery life means the QT is best suited for use as a back up device, or for short trips when a stealthy vape is required.

The QT is an interesting pod system that has surprisingly good performance for its tiny size but sacrifices battery life in order become one of the most inconspicuous vapes available on the market. It’s great for infrequent use of high nicotine strength e-liquids, but don’t expect it to last long on a charge if you’re a chain vaper.

REVIEWS

VAPOUROUND JUICE REVIEWS

DRAGON FRUIT

Percentage used + VG/PG ratio of mix: 3% at 70/30 | Throat hit: Mild

Dragon fruit flavourings have long been a popular choice for mixers who wish to add a tropical accent to a profile without distracting from the main ingredients. Capella’s version is somewhat newer than its competitors and brings some different characteristics to the table. At three percent this will add intrigue and some tartness to fruit mixes without completely dominating the profile. Capella’s Dragon Fruit shares some characteristics with Capella’s Sweet Guava, but is a sharper, lighter flavour. Virtually any fruit mix will benefit from one to three percent of this concentrate and for that reason, it’s a great addition to anyone’s arsenal.

GREEN APPLE HARD CANDY

Percentage used + VG/PG ratio of mix: 4.5% at 70/30 | Throat hit: Mild

Green Apple Hard Candy is a very simple concentrate and this makes it a good choice for newer mixers. It’s an upfront green apple with a noticeable hard candy accent. There is some of the tartness that is found in its real-life counterpart, which is something often missing from candy fruit flavourings. The potency is fairly forgiving too, which means you can use this concentrate as either the main body of a recipe, or simply to add a hard candy note to your favourite fruit mix. This makes it a versatile flavour that invites experimentation from new mixers who wish to avoid overly complex profiles.

TROPICAL FRUIT PUNCH

Percentage used + VG/PG ratio of mix: 3% at 70/30 | Throat hit: Mild

Multi-faceted single concentrates have a tendency to be hit or miss, but I was pleasantly surprised by Tropical Fruit Punch from Capella’s Silverline. This is more potent than some of the other Silverline offerings and should be used more sparingly as a result. In keeping with its name, this comes across as a vivid blend of pineapple, citrus and cherry. It’s bright and distinctive and will likely need some help from other concentrates to reach its full potential. In a single flavour mix it can become a bit floral, but this is easily solved by pairing Fruit Punch with less fragrant fruits such as Capella’s Sweet Strawberry. An excellent foundation for any tropical mix.

CANDIED WATERMELON

Percentage used + VG/PG ratio of mix: 5% at 70/30 | Throat hit: Mild

Watermelon is one of those flavours that seems to elude many mixers. There’s an overwhelming amount of choice on the market but in the past, it has required a lot of patience and multiple concentrates to recreate a solid candied watermelon flavour. Candied Watermelon from Capella’s Silverline seeks to do away with this process and it does a fantastic job. It’s a very simple flavour but undeniably spot on. There’s no hint of a green rind note, but there is a mild sourness that should be expected in any good candy watermelon mix. I found the potency to be fairly mild, and this is great for newer mixers who wish to experiment but also means this concentrate can be easily used in a more complex mix without dominating the profile.

CRUNCHY FROSTED COOKIE

Percentage used + VG/PG ratio of mix: 4% at 70/30 | Throat hit: Mild

Veteran mixers will immediately recognise the aroma of Crunchy Frosted Cookie from Capella’s Silverline. It’s more of a spin on the beloved Capella’s Sugar Cookie than an entirely new flavour. Crunchy Frosted Cookie turns things up a notch in comparison by giving a substantial boost to the vanilla found in its predecessor. The same bakery notes are still abundant though, which makes Crunchy Frosted Cookie an excellent foundation for any confectionery mix. The potency of this concentrate seems to scale more linearly in comparison to Sugar Cookie though, and this means it can be mixed at higher percentages for a simple but convincing cookie profile. Pairing with complementary fruits and a touch of cream will bring out the full potential of this versatile flavouring.

ORANGE MANGO ICE

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD, WITH COOLING

The Dr. Frost line is inspired by Malaysian vape culture and mango flavours are the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of the region. Pungent, ripe mango is the top note here. It’s bright and brings some sweetness to the mix but doesn’t dominate the profile by any means. Instead, a tart candy orange plays a prominent supporting role that ensures the floral notes of the mango do not become overpowering or sickly. The two are well balanced and at times seem to merge into one amorphous fruit flavour. The profile is rounded out with an intense icy finish that keeps the blend light and ensures a refreshing vape every time.

WATERMELON ICE

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT:

MILD, WITH COOLING

Although Watermelon Ice seems to be another very stripped back blend from Dr. Frost’s own description, this one seems to have at least a few elements that make for an interesting vape. A sweet and mildly sour candied watermelon dominates the mix and this is hardly a surprise. It’s a mellow flavour that does well to avoid any soapy offnotes sometimes found in melon mixes. This is supported by what seems to be a honeydew accent. This adds another dimension to the watermelon and keeps things interesting. There also appears to be a subtle gummy candy note in the background that adds a slightly sticky mouth-feel to the profile. As you would expect from the Dr. Frost range, things are finished off with an intense icy blast, which makes for a light but flavourful vape.

GRAPE ICE

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD, WITH COOLING

In a market full of cryptically named e-liquids, it’s sometimes welcome to see a product with simple labelling that just tells you what to expect. Grape Ice is a stripped back blend from the Dr. Frost line, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a boring one. The grape here is a bit different to what you might expect in the e-liquid world. It’s bright and has some candy like sweetness, but there are also some floral notes which are more reminiscent of elderflower or green grape. Instead of the darker flavour usually found with American styled concord grape e-liquids, this is lighter and more refreshing. The strong coolant finish rounds this flavour off and makes for a compelling, if simple profile.

STRAWBERRY ICE

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD, WITH COOLING

Strawberry Ice is undoubtedly the simplest of the Dr. Frost line-up and while strawberry vapes are a safe choice, there’s a good reason that they remain to be so popular. This is an in-your-face candied strawberry that does not attempt to replicate the natural fruit. Instead, it’s a bright and sweet candy profile that’s undeniably nostalgic. There’s no hidden accents or layers of complementary flavours here, just an unpretentious but punchy strawberry that lingers on the palate for a while after vaping. The profile is finished with Dr. Frost’s signature coolant and it works well here to emulate the experience of a frozen lolly. Strawberry Ice might not be an exotic or innovative flavour, but it works and will likely be enjoyed by many vapers.

CHERRY ICE

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD, WITH

COOLING

Cherry Ice is another simple blend from the Dr. Frost line. Cherry is a divisive flavour and in some cases manufacturers opt to go for a milder profile in order to balance the flavour. This isn’t the case here. Instead, Dr. Frost have chosen to create an intense cherry blend that’s likely to be an acquired taste. The cherry here is rather potent and borders on medicinal at times. When combined with the icy coolant finish, the effect is akin to a cough drop. There is, however, a hint of a more candied black cherry in the mix too, though it is more of an accent that plays second fiddle to the stronger medicinal cherry note. Many cherry fans will be pleased with this one, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Dragon’s Blood

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Described as a blend of berries with a dark twist, Dragon’s Blood is a simple but intriguing e-liquid. A bright raspberry is the top note here, it’s candied but still carries some of the sour tang found in its real-life counterpart. This is complemented well by a deeper base of dark berries, seemingly a mix of blueberry, blackcurrant and blackberry. This adds both floral and earthy notes to the mix and also lends thick, syrupy connotations to the profile. The blend is finished with an enigmatic note reminiscent of sherbet but it’s difficult to say for sure. Fans of fruit profiles will likely enjoy this one.

Chronos Custard

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Many dessert fanatics judge an e-liquid manufacturer by the quality of its custard offerings, so how does this blend from Thor Juice fare? Chronos Custard is a heavy hitter that doesn’t shy away from emulating the decadent confectionery it’s based upon. This is a rich, thick dessert profile laden with eggy richness and a buttery smooth mouth feel. This is complemented well by light top notes of caramel and a hint of cake that results in a full-bodied custard and bakery blend that will impress those looking for a dessert e-liquid which lingers on the palate.

Exotic Tropic

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Moderate

Described as a blend of tropical island fruits, Exotic Tropic has a loud but simple profile. A candied pineapple dominates the mix here. It’s a very bright top note that carries a good amount of sweetness but also includes some of the tartness you would expect from an authentic pineapple. This is backed up by what seems to be a citrus medley predominantly comprised of white grapefruit. This is a tried and tested fruit pairing that results in a nicely balanced profile reminiscent of a tropical beverage. I found Exotic Tropic to be light and refreshing but it did come along with a moderate throat hit.

Medusa

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Medusa is billed as a mix of candied fruit, fizzy citrus and aniseed. If you think this sounds like an acquired taste, you’d be right. A candied fruit medley is the most prominent flavour here, it’s what would happen if you took a handful of assorted gummy sweets and ate them all at once. It’s not unpleasant, but it is difficult to distinguish the individual fruit flavours. This is supported by a more defined fizzy lime note which enhances the candy profile well. The mix is finished with a subtle hint of aniseed which makes for an interesting twist. Aniseed has always been a divisive flavour and for me it works well in this case, though for some vapers it will be a deal-breaker. Medusa is a good choice for those looking for something a little different.

Ares

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Strawberry cream e-liquids are another staple of vaping and a competent rendition is always sure to be a crowd pleaser. Whilst some of its competitors place more emphasis on either the strawberry or cream elements of the mix, Ares achieves a well-rounded balance of the two. The strawberry here is mostly a candied portrayal but does also have hints of some slightly earthier natural notes. This is a good start, since a one-dimensional strawberry could over simplify this already stripped back profile. This is supported by a thick vanilla cream which provides a luxurious mouth-feel and amps up the overall sweetness. The vanilla cream element leans more towards confectionery than authentic dairy, but this is likely what many people are looking for in this kind of blend. Ares doesn’t challenge the format, but it is a very solid strawberry cream profile.

Wobbly Goblin

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Described as a blend of blackcurrant, citrus and kiwi, Wobbly Goblin is another adventurous fruit profile from Thor Juice. The blackcurrant and citrus elements take centre stage here. The blackcurrant top note is candied but not overly sweet and is complemented very well by the fizzy citrus medley which seems to be mostly comprised of lime. The mild florals of this dark fruit are accentuated by the sharper citrus kick from the lime resulting in a bold and interesting fruit profile. The kiwi element of Wobbly Goblin is more of an accent but it does add some depth to the mix by supporting both the tartness of the citrus and rounding out the sweeter notes of the blackcurrant. Wobbly Goblin is a vivid e-liquid that fruit fans will enjoy.

Blue Lollipop

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Blue raspberry has always been popular in the e-liquid world and for whatever reason it’s a profile that has attracted a large following of die-hard fans over the years. IVG have done well here to not overcomplicate what should be a simple format. Raspberry is the dominant flavour here. It’s more towards the candied end of the spectrum, carrying a fair amount of sweetness and doing away with the sharper notes found in more natural renditions. This is accompanied by a milder sour blueberry note, which is again on the candied side. It does still have some floral notes though, which is something you’d expect from any competent blue raspberry mix. I’m not really getting a distinct lollipop flavour here, perhaps because the blue raspberry profile is already associated with hard candy.

Rainbow Lollipop

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Rainbow Lollipop is described as a mixed fruit candy with a lollipop base. This is quite an ambiguous fruit profile and honestly rather difficult to describe. Rainbow Lollipop is certainly not a subtle blend, it’s a potent candy fruit medley that includes a large number of citrus and berry components. Lime and strawberry are quite prominent here, but other than this, the other fruit elements all seem to merge into one chewy candy blur. The lollipop base is also somewhat difficult to pick out, likely due to the already candied nature of the profile. That’s not to say that Rainbow Lollipop is unpleasant by any means, but it will be more suited to vapers who enjoy intense candy vapes.

Caramel Lollipop

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Caramel can be a difficult flavour to replicate in e-liquid form. There’s always the danger of slipping into astringency or overpowering sweetness without proper care, so how is IVG’s caramel lollipop? This is a very simple profile that just works. The top note is a sweet candy caramel, reminiscent of traditional hardboiled sweets that are widely loved in the UK and Ireland. It’s difficult to really pick out a discernible “lollipop” flavour here but this is perhaps just contributing to the hard-boiled caramel flavour and keeping it from tasting like the soft crack caramel found in desserts. Though there isn’t a lot of layering going on here, Caramel Lollipop manages to be a mellow and pleasant candy e-liquid.

Bubblegum Lollipop

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Following IVG’s most famous e-liquid, there’s no denying how popular it has been with vapers since its release, the profile gets somewhat of a reimagining here in the new IVG Pops range. The signature bubblegum, mint and mild coolant combination is still the star of the show though. It’s mellow, mildly sweet and refreshing as it always has been but is slightly altered by a noticeable hard candy accent. This addition does seem to slightly increase the sweetness of the profile, but not so much as to make it overbearing. Of all the IVG Pops range, the lollipop element is most noticeable here and it does taste quite true to life. This is likely to be a very popular flavour, but whether it will manage to dethrone the original is another question.

Bon Bon

A classic French dessert, Bon Bon is a sweet and whole-tasting baked apple crêpe flavoured e-liquid. It has a marvellouslyorganised set of flavours, all carefully designed to create a smooth, satisfying and very palatable vaping experience. There are notes of a mild-tasting, slightly doughy baked crêpe, enveloped in notes of a soft, sweet and slightly spicy cinnamon apple. The exhalation was smooth and I could pick up on a very mellow creaminess that worked superbly well with the spicy cinnamon. There is a subtle sweetness that lingers on your tongue after exhaling, and leaves you wanting to vape more.

Rouge

An extremely simple, yet extremely effective arrangement of flavour components, Rouge is here to impress. Unscrewing the cap, there was an immensely fruity blast emanating from the bottle, leaving me anxious to try it. The strong, red apple notes became even more apparent when vaping (especially on an RDA set up). It tasted very realistic, and the ripe apple was quietly followed by a subtle sweetness, that accentuates the more dominant tartness of a red apple. The whole experience in vaping this juice, was incredibly smooth, and I didn’t have an uncomfortable throat hit at all. As a 70 percent VG e-liquid, cloud production was very impressive too.

Sunrise Smoothie

A delicious and realistic blend of sweet, creamy banana and smooth strawberries. I found this flavour to taste exactly like a real smoothie, and not at all artificial. The banana presents itself as mild, but holds enough flavouring in it to add a unique and well-rounded element to this e-liquid. The banana is most prominent during inhalation, and it offers a balanced and subtle sweetness. As you hold the vapour in your lungs, the smooth strawberry comes into play. The most accurate way to describe the notes of strawberry would have to be wholesome, slightly tangy and this complements the banana perfectly. This is closely followed by a subtle creaminess that really wraps up the other flavours in a very satisfying way. Easily the best strawberry and banana flavour I have ever tried.

Graham Finale

A one-of-a-kind flavour, Graham Finale is a Graham cracker coated with strawberry jelly. You can certainly pick up on a fruity, edgy strawberry jam, followed closely by a sweet, and sugary cinnamon biscuit. The cinnamon is soft and complementary to the ever-so-slightly sharp strawberry jelly. It comes across as incredibly smooth and incredibly easy to vape. The jam elements are more potent, especially when combined with the sweeter element of a cinnamon biscuit. What I appreciated most about this juice would be the full on, but not overwhelming, way it vapes. It has just the right amount of sweetness, without becoming overly potent. I could definitely see this as an all-day vape. This is a high VG e-liquid, meaning it’s ideal for sub-ohm setups. Expect great cloud production.

Pink Punch Lemonade

I absolutely love lemonade flavours and they usually feature in at least one of my vapes at all times. I’m pleased to say that as from today this liquid is going to be a permanent fixture in my e-liquid collection. Everything about this juice screams quality, from the design of the label, to the mouth-watering smell of it, but most importantly the flavour is on point. It’s sweet and tangy in equal parts. Of course, the citrus lemonade is the constant, its incredible refreshing quality reaching every corner of the tapestry of flavour being woven here. There’s a good amount of strawberry that brings you up to a sweet high, before you’re brought back down to earth by a tangy punch of pink grapefruit. All of the flavours get a chance to shine here and they all complement each other perfectly. I have to give a round of applause to the mixers here as it’s so effortlessly blended and balanced, I don’t think I could ever get bored of this e-liquid.

Chilled Melon Remix

This juice makes me think of a large glass pitcher on a hot summery day, filled to the brim with icy cold water and juicy slices of mellow honeydew melon. I can’t think of many things more refreshing and refreshing is definitely the word that I associate most with Chilled Melon Remix. The honeydew melon flavouring used here is extremely accurate and tastes just like the real thing. It is smooth and mellow with a small amount of sweetness. The addition of an icy cool menthol adds another layer of freshness to this chilled number. Ultimately, the overall flavour is cool and crisp, sweet and refreshing. An all-day vape for sure.

Jelly Donut

reviewer, I have tried many jam doughnut flavours, all of which I enjoyed. This one was no exception. A rich, sweet and sticky strawberry jam is more apparent on inhaling. It is very flavourful, and you can definitely pick up on the realistic sugary jam. As you hold the vapour in your lungs, you then get to experience the less sweet, but very inviting freshly-fried doughnut. A very uncomplicated mix of flavours, there is no doubt that this juice gives testament to the saying ‘less is more.’ A very smooth and pleasant to vape juice.

balanced by a sweet, partially sugary note.There is a unique aftertaste to this juice, not unlike a very mild, but still present, koolada. I particularly enjoyed the way that this e-liquid

Despite being a cola fizzy drink flavour, I felt that this juice was more on the side of a cola bottle gummy sweet, rather than a traditional fizzy cola drink. Although it didn’t come across as a drink to me, I could still appreciate the flavour and find points of it I could relish. This e-liquid has a pretty simple set of flavours, and the cola is both sweet and a little sour. The sweetness was most noticeable whilst I was inhaling, and the sharper, more sour edge became more apparent on exhaling. It provided a pleasantly smooth throat hit.

I’m an absolute sucker for anything cola flavoured so this e-liquid was an absolute treat for me. The first thing you’ll notice with a bottle of this elixir is the smell. My nostrils were instantly filled with a syrupy scent of fizzy cola and sweet cherries upon taking the cap off of the colourful bottle. I enthusiastically loaded up my freshly wicked RDA and with high expectations took my first puff. I was not disappointed. The sweet, sugary cola hits you first, with all the fizzy, slightly spiced notes that you’d expect. Not long after my tongue was finished processing that, the cherry joined the mix. Rather than a fresh fruity flavour it’s more of a candy cherry that I definitely think complements the cola flavour perfectly. Cherry Cola is a classic combo and I think this is one of the best examples of an e-liquid that represents that.

Cowbunga brings something a bit more refreshing to the table. If you’re into your minty e-liquids this may just be the perfect juice for you. Something I’ve noticed about Phil’s Shorts liquids is the instant smell you get upon popping off the cap. Each one smells exactly like you’d expect and really gets you excited to taste the juice. In this case a waft of sweet, minty candy filled the air and my nose and I knew I was in for something amazing. The flavour on display here is subtle but effective, of course the first thing that you taste is the mint, a sweet and warming mint flavour that reminded me a bit of candy canes at Christmas. As I began to exhale I got more of the sweetness and as the mint began to taper off I was left with a pleasant, refreshing taste in my mouth. I definitely recommend trying this juice if you’re looking for a bit of a palate cleanser.

Jelly Shot

Another sweet, candy juice here to finish off my roundup of some of the Phil’s Shorts e-liquids. Jelly Shot is a mixed gummy candy that expertly blends a few different fruity sweet flavours in to one hell of a fun liquid. The main flavour here is strawberry gummies, it’s the first taste you get on the inhale and it’s the predominant thing you’re left with on your palate afterwards. Sandwiched in between the inhale and exhale you get smackings of raspberry and watermelon candy, both of which being a little sourer than the strawberry and acting as a worthy companion to the sweetness of the red fruit. The overall effect fills your mouth with an incredible flavour that harkens back to packets of sweets from my youth. I absolutely have to recommend this juice to anyone, but if like me you have a very sweet tooth you’ll be in for a treat with Jelly Shot.

Happy Dough Lucky

CherryOla

JUICE

BY ALEX SHENKER

Trump It - Make America Grape Again

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Moderate

Grape Again is described as “a smooth, grape-flavour packed e-liquid” but it is so much more, starting with a compelling sweet grape scent. The grape taste is instant and very smooth. On the grape-o-meter, this e-liquid comes in pretty high. The taste is more of a black grape soft drink with a sugary note. This is accentuated by a moderate menthol hit that lifts the flavour. Overall the vape is tasteful and refreshing. An e-liquid to keep at hand on the hot summer days.

Shootin Putin - Lemon Kremlin

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Lemon Kremlin has a very precise lemon meringue scent. On inhale I was oddly surprised at how lightly the lemon presents itself. The meringue flavour takes the limelight at first (excuse the pun). The vape does hold a zesty

Shootin Putin - Kalashnikov Coco Ice

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Kalashnikov Coco Ice has an intriguingly light coconut aroma that carries a subtle vanilla note. The flavour carries a fresh coconut taste that has a slight bitterness when exhaled but the vape develops a sweet vanilla profile that complements this. The vape has a summer cocktail characteristic but doesn’t carry the menthol hit that I was expecting from the name. The menthol is very low if any. A subtle and refreshing vape overall, with a sweet kick.

Chubby Wrong-un - Nuclear Smoothie

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

So this one got me excited. The scent is fruity and teasing but doesn’t give too much away. The flavours are straight to the point, succulent strawberries in a thick cream. The vape industry is saturated with this kind of flavour, but the strawberry notes are juicy and radiate a natural berry flavour that gives this vape some weight. This vibrant taste responds harmoniously with the soft milky taste of the cream. For such a basic profile this e-liquid has depth. The e-liquid has an uninspiring aftertaste but is a great vape overall.

Trump it - Banana Republik

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

On first impression this e-liquid gave me just as I opened the cap was an amazing sweet banana scent. The vape has a strong sweet banana taste from the get go, we’re onto a winner. The flavour is more like the foam candy found in any sweet store. It has a soft creamy note that follows the banana taste out to create a pleasant

APPLE STRUDL

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD

This is perhaps the e-liquid that put PJ Empire on the map, so does this Apple Strudl live up to the hype? The top note here is a warm baked apple which carries a thick sweetness without becoming sickly. This is paired nicely with a rich confectionary cinnamon that gives a nice contrast to the mild tartness of the apple top note. The bakery elements are noticeable but do not weigh the mix down at all. Instead they bring a dense, fluffy mouthfeel to the profile and layer the apple and cinnamon notes nicely. This makes for a very convincing emulation of the dessert it’s based on and if you’re a fan of sweeter e-liquids, Apple Strudl is not to be missed.

YUMMY DOOH

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD

PJ Empire describe Yummy Dooh as a raspberry glazed doughnut with a strawberry filling. Doughnut e-liquids have become very popular over the years, but all too often become sickly sweet in a short space of time. Yummy Dooh is slightly more reserved than what you might expect from such a profile. This is a well-balanced mix with no single dominant flavour. A combination of syrup like strawberry and more natural raspberry are the top notes here. This is a tried and tested combination and it works well in this case. The doughnut and bakery notes are more subtle than what we normally find, but they still bring substantial sweetness and density to the mix. This is a competent doughnut e-liquid that will be enjoyed by vapers with a penchant for all things sweet.

SLUSHY QUEEN APPLE GIZER

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD, WITH COOLING

Described as a frozen apple and kiwi energy drink, Applegizer is a unique profile that I’ve not come across before. Apple is the most prominent note here and it has elements of both candied and natural crisp Fuji. It’s a bright, tart top note which is rounded out well by a more reserved kiwi accent that brings some slightly deeper body to the mix. The energy drink aspect of Applegizer is more of a background note and this is probably for the best, since the bold apple and kiwi works so well. The mix is finished with a moderate icy coolant, which really enhances the bright profile here. Applegizer should please any fruit fan.

STRAWBERRY STRUDL

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD

Strawberry Strudl is a simple but interesting bakery e-liquid that includes the unconventional pairing of strawberry and cinnamon. The strawberry top note here is heavy and sweet, evocative of a preserve. This is joined by a rich confectionary cinnamon that brings some spicy notes to the profile. This is not a pairing commonly seen in the e-liquid world and as a result it takes a bit of getting used to. The bakery notes are subtle in the mix and whilst they add some sweetness and substance to the blend they are not the stars of the show. This is one of the sweeter PJ Empire offerings I have sampled for review, and its interesting top note pairings warrant at least a try for dessert fans.

SLUSHY QUEEN MANGO BANGO

VG/PG RATIO: 70/30

ADDITIONAL SWEETENER: MINIMAL THROAT HIT: MILD, WITH COOLING Mango Bango is described by PJ Empire as a blend of mango and pineapple juice with a cooling finish. Mango can be a very difficult fruit to get right, due to how easily it can taste overripe or simply become lost in the mix. In this case, it works very well. It’s reminiscent of a mango soda which makes for a bright but mellow top note, without any of the musky pungency that is sometimes found with this exotic fruit. The pineapple juice element of Mango Bango takes a back seat and is really just an accent to the already bright top note. Coolant is a great finishing touch to the profile that has always worked well in mango mixes. Mango Bango has quickly become a personal favourite and fruit fans should definitely check it out.

QUARTET

Quartet from Black Note features a Latakia tobacco blend. A Syrian tobacco that is apparently cured once in the sun and then again using the smoke from different herbs. The flavours in this e-liquid are very complex and definitely for the tobacco vape enthusiasts out there. It’s a very peppery flavour with punchy, aromatic notes that would take me weeks to decipher. I’ve never hidden the fact that tobacco e-liquids aren’t really my thing, but I can definitely appreciate the amount of effort and work that Black Note put in to create easily the best quality and most authentic tasting tobaccos on the market.

FORTE

Now apparently the Burley tobacco blend featured in Forte is used in many of the most popular brands of cigarettes sold today. Black Note have taken these leaves, selected from a farm near Mount Vesuvius in Italy, steeped them for six weeks and used their essence to create this rich, complex tobacco e-liquid. The flavour is full-bodied and very reminiscent of a classic cigarette. There are so many different notes and undertones on display I’d struggle to put it in to words. So I’ll just say that if you’re someone who smokes cigarettes but is looking to try vaping and wants a familiar flavour, Forte effortlessly bridges the gap between the two.

LEGATO

Last up we have Legato, another Italian tobacco blend, this time Kentucky. It’s a much smoother flavour than the other two I’ve sampled today. Though it’s still very rich and earthy, I found Legato a lot easier to vape than the other two flavours as the tobacco is a little less punchy and in your face. It’s a really sophisticated flavour and I’d definitely recommend this juice to anyone looking for more of an entry point in to the highend tobacco liquid market. It’s also worth mentioning that all of these Black Note juices are 50:50 in VG:PG so they’re really accessible and can be used in pretty much any vape. I can definitely see myself vaping more of Legato as it is the mildest of the three today and I may well be converted.

STRAWBERRY & WATERMELON

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Moderate

It’s often best to stick with simple flavour profiles when formulating CBD e-liquids, as the organic compounds lend their own distinct taste to the mix.

Strawberry and watermelon is a wellloved combination that may be seen as a safe choice but it works well in this context. The predominant flavour here is a sticky candied strawberry. This is complemented well by a more subtle, candied watermelon and whilst this is not a ground breaking pair, it is pleasant. The botanical flavour from the CBD isolate is relatively noticeable but works well with the fruit elements. This is a mellow CBD e-liquid ideal for beginners.

BLACKCURRANT & MENTHOL

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Moderate

Blackcurrant & Menthol is another simple but classic profile from Mountain Fox CBD. This blend doesn’t try to overcomplicate things and instead opts for something which plays well with the CBD isolate. The blackcurrant is potent and of the candied variety, carrying plenty of sweetness whilst retaining some of the deeper notes you might expect from a more natural portrayal. This is supported by a strong menthol finish that not only works well with the fruit notes but also does a good job of concealing the flavour imparted by CBD. Vapers who do not wish to taste the CBD element of their e-liquid will enjoy this one.

MANGOES & CREAM

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Moderate

Mango is a difficult flavour to replicate at the best of times, so it is quite ambitious of Mountain Fox to try and incorporate it into a CBD blend. In this case I’m not entirely sure that it comes across as intended but that’s not to say that this is an unpleasant flavour. The top note is a vague tropical fruit that’s difficult to pinpoint. Mango may well be part of the mix but it certainly isn’t dominant. The supporting cream flavour is quite mild but does bring some sweetness to the profile. The natural CBD flavour is much more prominent here than in the other Mountain Fox offerings that I have sampled and it is pleasant, though likely an acquired taste. This one is probably more suited to those who want to taste the CBD in their e-liquid.

Jammie Blueberry

A wonderfully-straightforward flavour, this juice boasts a fruity and subtlysweet blueberry jam. The flavour is just that, a straight-up fruity, albeit slightly tart, taste that is an incredibly easy flavour to vape. It has just the right amount of sweetness, without becoming sickly at all. I’m not usually a big fan of blueberry vapes, however due to this liquid’s rather mild blueberry element, I found it to be quite palatable.

At 70 percent VG, this e-liquid is best utilised in a sub-ohm setup. I have been using it in a dual coil RDA, and the flavour is very impressive indeed. I felt that the mildness of the flavour as a whole actually worked to this juice’s advantage, due to the fact that it made it very pleasant to vape, without unnecessarily over-complicating an already decent liquid.

Candy Hearts

A fruity, sweet and sour taste, this juice is based on a sherbet-tasting candy you used to have as a child. It comes across as being quite simple in terms of its straightforward flavours. There are no pointless complexities, and you get what it says on the box. As a flavour, it matches perfectly with the sugary, tart and crumbly heart sweets. There aren’t many discernible flavours any deeper than a generic candy one. For example, it was difficult to pick out a strawberry or an apple, but just tasted fruity and sweet overall. This e-liquid still tastes wonderful, without having to dig deeper when it comes to breaking down an entire flavour element. I enjoyed the tangy sweetness to this e-liquid, and especially the likeness to the actual candies.

Blue Trillions

A whimsically nostalgic flavour, Blue Trillions is a memory-evoking blueberry bubblegum e-liquid. Despite being reminiscent of a popular candy, this juice is not overly sweet, making it a fantastic candidate for an all-day vape. The bubblegum is pleasantly soft, but still retains enough flavour to pack a fruity punch. The bubblegum elements are followed by an even more subtle blueberry candy. These two flavour constituents are combined to help create a smooth and delectable vaping experience.

On the exhale is when you can expect to fully appreciate the sweet bubblegum tones, and as you breathe out, sweet billowy clouds will soon fill the room. I would definitely recommend this juice to vapers who prefer a subtle fruity or candy flavour.

Toffee Vanilla Ice Cream

Wow! This is a perfectly-smooth vanilla bean ice cream, expertly blended with an equally smooth and sweet toffee. The soft, creamy and sweet vanilla ice cream is very apparent on inhaling, and you can appreciate the overwhelmingly smooth and wholesome flavour. The mildness of the vanilla ice cream is then followed by a rich and sweet toffee, in such a way that you can really appreciate how the two flavours combine to make the ultimate dessert vape. Despite having rather sweet flavour components, vaping this juice did not at any point feel too sweet nor too sickly. It just felt smooth and incredibly pleasant in flavour. As a 70 percent VG e-liquid, vapour production was also very impressive.

Tropical Soda

My very first impression on smelling this e-liquid was that it would taste extremely similar to a tropical fruit energy drink. Upon trying this juice, I felt this even more so. The initial flavour that hits your taste buds is a fruity, fizzy pineapple. It is more on the candy side rather than a more realistic fruity side, however the flavour is well executed and very, very tasty.

The sharp pineapple is closely followed up with an equally sharp, yet still pleasant, citrus kick. These two tangy flavours play off one another, combining together to create a super fruity soda. To help mellow out these powerful flavours, a more smooth-tasting melon comes in to play.

It helps round off any tart or sour flavours introduced by the pineapple or citrus. It is most noticeable on the exhale and is rather discreet in taste.

CUCUMBER GIN

Gin flavours are gaining popularity, and it’s not hard to see that these ones are paving the way. A wonderfully-revitalising e-liquid, the flavour itself is one of a kind. A fresh and somewhat fruity element of cucumber slowly encapsulates your taste buds in a unique and welcome manner. It has a rather sweet flavour that brings this juice to life. The strong and noticeable cucumber is met with a rich, and slightly sharp gin. The gin, despite being rich in taste, is pleasantly complemented by the more potent, yet still palatable, cucumber. The cucumber part of this e-liquid tastes sweeter than a typical cucumber, although I feel that this makes it even more rewarding to vape. It is not at all sickly nor overwhelming, just an ideal summer time flavour.

STRAWBERRY GIN

A classically sweet and succulent strawberry flavour, this e-liquid is equally as refreshing as the cucumber gin e-liquid. The strawberry comes across as ripe, juicy and wholesome. It tastes more like a real life strawberry rather than an imitation of one, such as a strawberry candy or a strawberry milkshake, for example. The strawberry is within the perfect balance of being not too sweet, yet still sweet enough to be able to enjoy vaping it. The gin flavouring is a subtle, yet very much present addition to the fruitier elements. It adds a nice touch that develops this flavour in a complex and gratifying manner.

CLEMENTINE GIN

An ultra-unique set of flavours, this juice is ready to impress even the most refined of palates. A sweet, juicy and ever-soslightly sour citrus is most noticeable upon inhaling. It felt incredibly smooth, despite being a rather powerful flavour. I thought that the gin flavouring in this juice was slightly more apparent than in the previous ones, adding to the extremely distinct nature of this e-liquid I could genuinely imagine that this e-liquid tasted just like what it has set out to be, a perfectly executed, pleasurable and well-balanced clementine gin. These flavours join together to help conjure up a refined and refreshing all day vape.

BRIGHT – GRAPE TRIO

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

Described as a blend of white, red and black grapes with an icy coolant, Grape Trio is a simple fruit profile that relies on competent ingredient selection to be a worthwhile choice. The intense grape combination here really is distinctive. American-style concord grape candied red grape and a more natural white grape are almost seamlessly layered here and the result is a grape profile quite unlike any other I’ve tried. It’s not for the faint of heart though and is an intense combination. The white grape top note also seems to bring a hint of elderflower to the mix, which serves to further separate this from other grape blends. The coolant finish is just as potent as the flavour profile and makes for a refreshing and unique e-liquid.

DEPPER COLA CO

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

The manufacturer’s description doesn’t give too much away about Depper Cola Co other than it being based on a classic soda beverage. There’s quite a lot going on here, though. The predominant flavour is a sweet cola that leans more towards candy than the popular drink. This is complemented well by a mild black cherry note that adds some tartness and also helps the cola flavour to pop. There’s something else in the mix too and this is what sets Depper apart from other cola flavours. There’s a subtle herbal accent that runs through the mix. This sounds odd but is actually a flavour found in authentic mixed cola beverages and it works very well. It adds intrigue to the mix and is a nice contrast to the otherwise rather sweet profile.

GEORGIE PORGIE –Strawberry Puff Pastry Tart

VG/PG ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

This blend from the Georgie Porgie range tackles the tried and tested strawberry cream profile, whilst adding a bakery twist. A confectionary strawberry is the dominant flavour here. It’s syruplike and brings quite a lot of sweetness to the table, without any of the tart notes found in a natural strawberry. This is layered with a decadent vanilla cream, which is a safe, but very effective, pairing. A mild pastry flavour ties the mix together and brings some substance to the mouthfeel of the blend. Strawberry Puff Pastry tart is an unapologetically sweet e-liquid and this will likely please many fans of dessert vapes.

JUICE REVIEWS BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES

George Clowney

This is a very well-blended mixed fruit flavour, some sweet, some tart, some really sour, it’s got them all. Each individual flavour is quite easy to pick out as well, each of them given their small chance to shine throughout the inhale and exhale. The red fruits come first, then there’s lemon, apple and I can also taste some blackcurrant, it’s really chock full of fruit flavours. Definitely give this juice a go if you’re a fruit fiend, you won’t be disappointed.

Jack Pot

Apple Candy – This has to be one of the most apple-like juices I’ve ever tasted. It’s got the right balance of sweet and sour, fresh apples and candy apples. If you like apple, you’ll love this. If you don’t then don’t even bother trying it. Not much else I can say besides, apple.

Now if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from trying BordO2’s juices over the years, if they describe a flavour, it’s going to taste exactly as they describe. So, when I saw the words ‘lemon cake’ I knew what to expect, and I was excited. The lemon concentrate here is absolutely delicious, a lot more sour and tangy than what I’m used to in e-liquids. A welcome change. And, my oh my, the cake is good as well, you can almost feel the soft sponge in your mouth, so much so that I wanted to chew. As we all know cake and lemon go together amazingly and this is a fantastic juice that demonstrates that effortlessly. This is a dessert flavour for those who like it a little less sweet.

Pig Doherty

Something a little different here, as pear is given its time to shine in the spotlight. I really love the fruit and I don’t think you see enough of it in the vape world so it’s really nice to see BordO2 thinking outside the box with this juice. The pear concentrates used here are truly authentic tasting and they give a beautiful sweet with the slightly aromatic flavour you usually get from a ripe juicy pear straight from the tree. It may be simple but it’s very effective and very tasty.

Les Déglingos – Happy Hour

A passion fruit number here. The luxurious flavour of a mixed fruit cocktail, but the passion fruit is definitely the stand-out taste. It’s sweet and moreish and perfect in the warm weather. I definitely am recommending this to everyone as one of my favourite new fruit flavours on the market. If you can get your hands on some give it a try.

Chuck Nourrice

MEET DJLSB VAPES!

ONE OF THE MOST HIGH PROFILE VAPE REVIEWERS OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WITH 200,000+ SUBSCRIBERS, SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE ONLINE VAPE-SCAPE.

FAVOURITE REVIEWER / VIDEO OF ALL TIME?

The “Legal Vape 3000” from Phil Busardo, also my favourite reviewer of all time.

WHAT ARE YOU LIKING AT THE MOMENT?

I’ve been really enjoying the latest pod systems not only for the convenience, form factor and ease of use but also because they came a long way while I still feel they still have a long way to go and a lot of improvements needed.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE TIRED OF SEEING ON YOUTUBE?

I watch tech and camera tutorials and reviews first as I’m always looking for improving the production quality, but when I get some free time I go through a few vape-related videos and as silly as it may sound, I find most being inspirational and important to share the word, but what I can’t stand is underaged vapers doing videos on these life changing products.

YOU’VE BECOME KNOWN FOR YOUR VERY TECHNICAL HARDWARE REVIEWS, WHICH INCLUDE IN-DEPTH TESTS AND DATA PRESENTED IN GRAPHS. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START DOING THINGS THIS WAY?

In a way I got my inspiration from the one and only P Busardo to finally go ahead and do it. It was an easy decision as I’ve always tested, tweaked and improved many of the earlier products that back then, six years ago, let’s be honest weren’t that good and especially not good helping people transition and finally quitting.

AS DEVICES BECOME MORE COMPLEX, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU THINK MANUFACTURERS SHOULD PUT LESS OF A FOCUS ON?

I think most companies should lose focus on the fancy and unnecessary features like LEDs and focus on accuracy, safety and ease of use.

WHAT ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS TO GETTING YOUTUBE REVIEWS RIGHT?

The key ingredient to get YouTube reviews right is essentially being you, being the same person you are while sharing knowledge and passion, but let’s be honest, in this day in age, you do need to stand out, be unique and have a somehow good quality and good production.

AND FINALLY, YOU ARE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND AND CAN ONLY HAVE ONE SET-UP AND ONE E-LIQUID WITH YOU. WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

I would definitely pick the ViciousAnt Spade SX485 because it is a small and extremely good quality squonker, with a great and reliable chipset from YiHi and a flavour single coil RDA like the ODIS O-Atty X and without a doubt my favourite eliquid from Adoreeliquid, Custard de Leche.

Our premium grade nicotine salt bases ready to flavour!

NicSelect Smooth Salt (Nicotine benzoate)

For formulators, nicotine benzoate appears to reduce or neutralise the taste of the nicotine and with a near neutral pH (around pH 6.5) results in an easy and soft throat hit. In research conducted by Li et al, nicotine benzoate was shown to have the best properties in taste, reduction of throat irritation and maintenance of nicotine stability making it one of the main and preferred salts for e-liquids.

For vapers, nicotine benzoate was one of the first salts to hit the market help create the nicotine salt buzz. Our test panels noted that it was the smoothest to vape while offering a rapid and notable nicotine hit.

NicSelect Velvet Salt (Nicotine levulinate)

For formulators, research indicates that nicotine levulinate may act to desensitises the upper respiratory tract potentially allowing for the vaped nicotine to be inhaled deeper into the lungs. Some studies also suggest that nicotine levulinate may enhance the binding of nicotine to neurons that ordinarily would be unresponsive to nicotine. Nicotine levulinate is slightly acidic (around pH 6.0)

For vapers, nicotine levulinate was highly appreciated in our test panels with the best balance for smoothness and nicotine hit whilst having no or minimal influence on flavour.

NicSelect Rush Salt (Nicotine ditartrate)

NicSelect Chill Salt (Nicotine salicylate)

For formulators, nicotine salicylate has a growing market share as salicylic acid is considered one of the more natural of the acid salts as it is commonly found in fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, nuts, and teas. Like nicotine levulinate and nicotine benzoate the lower pH provides an enhanced and smoother vaping experience. Nicotine salicylate is slightly more acidic (pH around 4.8).

Our test panel found nicotine salicylate to be smooth with a “coolness” to the vape. Little or no flavour changes were reported and nicotine delivery was reported to be strong yet without any harsh throat hit.

For formulators, Nicotine ditartrate salt is commercialised extensively in smoking cessation products globally and, supported by years of use and research, is nowadays one of the more popular salts found in e-liquids. Nicotine ditartrate has a near neutral taste when vaped making it a popular choice for formulation with all types of liquids and flavour combinations with the most rapid uptake and nicotine hit (rush) in our range. Nicotine ditartrate is slightly acidic (pH around 6.2). For vapers, nicotine ditartrate provides a stronger throat feel and a full on nicotine hit. Our test panels noted it had the quickest and most potent and closest to “cigarette like” nicotine uptake and rush.

NicSelect

Silver Salt (Nicotine lactate)

For formulators, nicotine lactate provides another natural acid solution being found in dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt as well as naturally occurring in the human body. Nicotine lactate is one of the more acidic salts, but this does not negatively affect the vape experience (pH around 4.0).

For vapers. Our testers reported nicotine lactate to be pleasant to vape with a mid-range nicotine delivery at low temperatures but without a strong throat hit. Interestingly nicotine lactate appeared to soften the nicotine taste in the e-liquids, no other major flavour changes were reported, although some flavours needed to be added at higher concentrations as the nicotine lactate appears to soften or dampen some flavours.

For more technical information or to discuss your specific requirements, please contact: Tel: +41 91 604 69 21 Email: europe@nicselect.com www.nicselect.com

Richard Vick aka Vaping V1CK has been reviewing vaping products on his YouTube channel for over four years. We asked this vape guru for his current top three picks.

DPRO MINI

OK so this has been out a little while but any chance I get to recommend this RDA I take it. The Dpro Mini is a single coil low profile RDA from CoilART. It has a postless deck, adjustable airflow and is available in a wide range of colours. As always with CoilART, it has done an excellent job of borrowing ideas and styles from various high-end atomisers such as the Narda and Hadley. Put simply I think it’s the best affordable single coil RDA on the market. The flavour is fantastic and it out performs several far more expensive RDA’s currently on the scene.

BASIUM

Maybe I’m biased as this was designed by a good friend of mine – Dean, The Vaping Biker – but the Basium has very much been a stand out new product in the last couple of months. Squonking’s popularity has rocketed this year but like all new trends it has had to climb the innovation ladder. At first, we had single cell mech squonkers then regulated squonkers and now finally dual battery regulated squonkers like the Basium. If you squonk over 50 watts it has been a rough ride but now finally we have a squonker in the Basium from Dovpo which is easy to use well-made and has the battery life to keep up with my style of vaping.

TIMESVAPE DREAMER

I have to be honest and say I’m not a massive ‘mech head’. I rarely reach for a mech tube to vape these days but the Dreamer, a 21700 tube mech designed by Stan ‘Tenacious TX’ and Timesvape, really has had me questioning that. There was no doubt in my mind that when it came to tube mechs you got what you paid for. The likes of SOI, Kennedy and Rouge were producing things of such quality that no affordable companies seemed able to match. Then the Dreamer came along an incredibly well-designed and manufactured mech and it really has blown the competition out of the water. I honestly believe the Dreamer to be the best mech tube available at any price range, I have just bought a second one.

REVIEWE

We asked one of the southern hemisphere’s biggest names in vaping, The Vaping Bogan aka Sam, for his reviewer’s picks and the Aussie didn’t disappoint.

NOVA 200W MOD - GEEKVAPE

This simplistic dual 18650 mod is a refreshing return to classical box mod design.

It’s really nice to see Chinese vape companies still putting out clean, classy looking mods in a time of LED filled, voice controlled, faux-snake skinned covered tacky junk that is filling the market at the moment.

I love the matte finished metal and resin textures, the simple but comprehensive chip and traditional box shape design. This mod is not trying to stand out with gimmicks, instead its plays it cool with classy aesthetics solid design.

FALCON SUB TANK - HORIZON TECH

I don’t really vape sub tanks unless I’m reviewing one, I’m much more of an RDA/RTA kind of guy, but every now and then I get one that really stands out. The falcon is one of those. The flavour is a level above almost every other sub tank I have tried and the vapour these coils pump out and moderate wattages is impressive.

The coil life is also rivalled by few other sub tanks, the use of flax paper and wood pulp combined with cotton seems to give these coils longevity I have not had with other tanks. And the flavour seems to last significantly longer than other coils If you’re into sub tanks, then definitely check this one out.

ZELTU X POD SYSTEM

Pod systems are the new trend, and the market it filled with cheap plastic junk pod mods. Enter the Zeltu X. This little pod system incorporates many great features other pods do not. Adjustable airflow control, 1000mAh battery, easy to see and understand battery life indication and a magnetic drip tip cover.

Along with some great technical features it also actually vapes really well, great flavour and vapour production. I love the way this thing looks and vapes but it’s also the little things that make me grab it every day, a simple and easy fill method and great battery life and pods that don’t bloody leak!

Battery safety: Getting the basics right for you and your customers

BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES

A large portion of mods on the market these days call for removable cells rather than built-in cells, which can only be charged through the mod. An inappropriately used cell can spell disaster for a device and its user, so it’s important that you only provide quality choices for your customers.

Large manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic and Sanyo are known to accurately mark the capabilities of their cells. It’s generally safe to assume that the continuous discharge rating (CDR) and capacity (mAh) ratings will be correct with legitimate cells from these manufacturers.

The CDR of a cell tells us the current we can draw from it continuously without causing permanent damage or quickly degrading its life span. While it is true that in many cases vapers can push cells past their CDR to achieve higher power outputs, this is not recommended and certainly shouldn’t be attempted by those new to vaping.

Exceeding the CDR of a given cell will cause it to degrade much more quickly than in normal use, meaning such a user will have to be disciplined about replacing their cells frequently in order to avoid a dangerous incident such as thermal runaway – an explosion caused by a cell overheating.

Vapers looking for high power output should use cells with a high CDR, such as the LG HB6, Sony VTC4 or Samsung 30T which are rated at 30A, 30A and 35A respectively.

Those who do not need this kind of performance can enjoy superior capacity by using cells with higher mAh ratings. Due to the way modern cells are manufactured, there will always be a trade off between capacity and CDR.

Lower CDR cells often have larger capacity ratings. Cells such as the Samsung 30Q, LG HG2 and Sony VTC6 all boast a whopping 3000mAh capacity and will be ideal for vapers who use low-to-mid wattages (less than 60W per cell).

Re-labelling

Smaller battery brands, especially those aimed at vapers, do not manufacture their own cells. Instead they purchase large quantities of cells from manufacturers and then re-label them with their own branding and all too often, specifications.

This means you cannot take their claims at face value. You will often see ratings that exceed 40A CDR on an 18650 cell, which is simply not possible at the time of writing. These re-wrap brands can also change the source of their cells at any time and without warning. For these reasons, it is best to avoid selling these products at all costs, since they could potentially hurt one of your customers.

When in doubt about the capabilities of cells you wish to purchase, it’s best to consult the independent tests of John Muchow, aka “Battery Mooch”. As an experienced electrical engineer, he has taken it upon himself to test the capabilities of the cells that vapers use. His most up to date test results can be found on his facebook page, @batterymooch. As a general rule of thumb, if a cell that you are looking at has not been tested by Battery Mooch, it’s not worth using.

WITH MILLY MOON

How did you first discover vaping, and what made you try it?

At first I noticed that many people were using vaping devices. My partner decided to quit smoking and start vaping and soon after the vaping community started growing rapidly. Being part of his vaping journey, I have met a lot of great people and that inspired me to start vaping and show other people that vaping is better and more beneficial than smoking.

You’ve been a social media personality for some time now, what inspired you to put yourself out there?

I was impressed with the vaping community, they are very approachable people who started something big. I saw how the vaping community were like one big family and I thought it would be great to be a part of it and something to be proud of. The support they give you is also amazing and they are truly a bunch of lovely people.

What’s the average day like for Milly Moon?

I work full time in a pharmaceutical company and I am single mum of two. Usually I like to take shots of vaping products and quite often I’m testing new e-liquids/devices which I get sent from a few companies and I’m hoping to expand on that. I’m on social media nearly every day –Instagram, Snapchat etc.

What advice do you have for people who want to grow their presence in the vape community?

The most important and obvious thing is to be yourself and do what you love no matter what others may say, just believe in yourself, as look at where it got me. Be honest and kind and always remember the vape community is united.

Over the years, which have been your most and least favourite devices?

I have two favourite devices. [The] first one is a phobic Squonker, perfect for every day vaping and it has never disappointed me in this whole time I’ve been using it, which has been a while. The second one is the SubZeroX mech mod which belongs to the Sub Ohm Innovations and also won the Vaper Expo Award ‘The Mech Mod of The Show’ in 2017. I was incredibly impressed as it hasn’t faulted me so far. My least favourite devices must be the rest of the ones I own as I can’t really decide which one is my ‘least favourite’.

What are you usually up to other than vaping?

I am leading a healthy lifestyle, I love fitness and any kind of exercising. When I’m not busy working and keeping my Instagram updated I love watching movies with my daughter and my son keeping me updated with the music industry as that is one of the few interests we luckily

SCOTLAND

Vaporized 11 Brandon Parade S Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, United Kingdom, ML1 1RB Telephone +44 1698 265111

Scotvapes Inverness 2-4 Market Arcade, Academy Street, Inverness, Highland United Kingdom, IV1 1PG Telephone +44 146 326 2470

Vaporized 6 Broad St Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire United Kingdom, AB43 9AU Telephone +44 134 651 3049

The Vapour Lounge 86 Commercial St, Dundee, United Kingdom, DD1 2AP Telephone +44 138 220 4611

Emporium Vapour 11 Dalderse Ave, Falkirk, United Kingdom, FK2 7EF Telephone +44 800 612 7270

Aqua Vapour 33 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH11 2BA Telephone +44 131 629 0900

Dr Vapor 91 Portobello High St, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH15 1AW Telephone +44 131 669 1959

Bean Smoking 67 Hyndland St Glasgow, United Kingdom, G11 5PS Telephone +44 141 334 7284

Pencig

6 Ormiston Terrace Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH12 7SJ Telephone +44 131 334 4604

Totally Wicked

112 Gallowgate Glasgow, United Kingdom, G31 4EB Telephone +44 141 550 3555

Vaporeyes 335 Victoria Rd Glasgow, United Kingdo, G42 7SA Telephone +44 141 237 9600

Vaporium Glasgow 12 Budhill Ave Glasgow, United Kingdom, G32 0PN Telephone +44 141 387 5939

Ecigarus

28 Quarry St Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, United Kingdom, ML3 7AR Telephone +44 169 842 0068

Barracuda Vape

Unit 6 Loreburne Shopping Centre, Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom, DG1 2BD Telephone +44 138 724 7785

NORTH WEST ENGLAND

Ladybird Vapours

5 Princes Rd Ellesmere Port, Cheshire West, United Kingdom, CH65 8AS Telephone +44 151 355 9999

The Vapour Bar 5-6 New Oxford Street, Workington, Cumbria, United Kingdom, CA14 2NA Telephone +44 190 026 7373

The Crafty Vaper Unit 1 Cannon Corner, 24 Church St Accrington, Lancashire, United Kingdom, BB5 2EH Telephone +44 125 423 0600

StateSide Vape

71 Poulton St Kirkham, Lancashire, United Kingdom, PR4 2AJ Telephone +44 1772 686862

The Vapour Corner 78 Lord St Fleetwood, Lancashire, United Kingdom, FY7 6DS Telephone +44 756 145 6592

Up In Smoke 99 Lancaster Rd Morecambe, Lancashire, United Kingdom, LA4 5QJ Telephone +44 152 442 1985

Vapepod 30 Finkle St Kendal, Cumbria, United Kingdom, LA9 4AB Telephone +44 153 973 4408

The Vapour Stop 256 Whitegate Dr. Blackpool, United Kingdom, FY3 9JW Telephone +44 125 369 9086

The Gourmet Vapor Shop 42 Harrison Street, Blackburn, United Kingdom, BB2 2JE Telephone +44 333 344 6555

Just Vapours

11 Clarendon Pl Hyde, Greater Manchester United Kingdom, SK14 2ND Telephone +44 161 964 4638

Vape Street 17 Hazel Rd Whitefield, Greater Manchester. United Kingdom, M45 8EU Telephone +44 161 796 2916

Vape World 226 Ashton Rd Oldham, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, OL8 1QN Telephone +44 161 621 0088

Tutzys Piccadilly Vape Shop 14 Piccadilly, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, M1 4AJ Telephone +44 161 236 9763

Vapour Nation 100 Gorton Road Stockport, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, SK5 6UE Telephone +44 161 442 5532

Cloud Chasers

248 Grange Rd Birkenhead, Merseyside United Kingdom, CH41 2QH Telephone +44 151 649 0283

Bulldog Vapours 282 Park Rd Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, L8 4UE Telephone +44 151 726 9139

Vape Saloon 41 Wallgate Wigan, Greater Manchester United Kingdom, WN1 1BE Telephone +44 194 249 8206

Crystal Vapours 6 Chemical Street, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside, United Kingdom, WA12 9AT Telephone +44 192 522 1101

EcigWorld 57 Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire East, United Kingdom, SK9 5BQ Telephone +44 162 553 9550

NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Healthier Smoker - Totally Wicked 6 Fowler St, South Shields, United Kingdom, NE33 1NF Telephone +44 191 427 1760

Liquid Lounge Vapour Supplies 19a Olive St Sunderland, United Kingdom, SR1 3PE Telephone +44 191 447 1171

The Vape Company

2c Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE1 4PF Telephone +44 191 261 9972

Uptons Vapourium 214-216 Chillingham Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE6 5LP Telephone +44 191 265 1011

Vapour Street 194 High St E Wallsend, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom, NE28 7RP Telephone +44 191 649 8416

Punkmonkey Vape 2 Tyne Terrace South Shields, United Kingdom, NE34 0NF Telephone +44 191 456 8995

Vapour Logic 2 New Market Morpeth, Northumberland, United Kingdom, NE61 1LA Telephone +44 167 050 3966

Galaxy Vape Unit 2 Kellaw Road, Darlington, United Kingdom, DL1 4YA Telephone +44 132 546 9887

The Electric Cigarette Shop 83 Westdyke Road, Redcar Cleveland, United Kingdom, TS10 2AA Telephone +44 164 296 1323

EciggyUK 86, Market Village, The Galleries, Washington, United Kingdom, NE38 7RT Telephone +44 191 417 6555

Castle Vape 3c Front St Prudhoe, Northumberland, United Kingdom, NE42 5HJ Telephone +44 1661 831580

First Floor Vaporium

10A Market Place Hexham, Northumberland, United Kingdom, NE46 1XG Telephone +44 1434 604250

Vapour Blast

88 High St W Wallsend, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom, NE28 8HY Telephone +44 7837 551187

Lunar Vape

100 Coatsworth Rd Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom, NE8 1QP Telephone +44 191 440 2677

Smooth Vapourz

158 York Rd, Hartlepool, United Kingdom, TS26 9DT Telephone +44 7789 692993

YORKSHIRE

Cigara

599 Attercliffe Rd Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, S9 3RD Telephone +44 114 243 2662

VapeHQ

11 Manvers Way, Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, S63 7FN Telephone +44 1709 872714

Vapour Boutique

66 Owlerton Green, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom,S6 2BH Telephone +44 114 327 3933

Optimum Vapes

299 Roundhay Road Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS8 4HT Telephone +44 113 235 0292

Richards E-Cigs

11 Upper Millergate Bradford, West Yorkshire. United Kingdom, BD1 1SX Telephone +44 790 448 3779

Ikon Vape Lounge

11 Market Pl Batley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom WF17 5DA Telephone +44 192 469 4240

Vapour Worx

39A High St Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, HG5 0HB Telephone +44 142 361 0083

Fresh Electronic Cigarettes

4 W Gate Wetherby, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS22 6LL Telephone +44 193 758 8410

Vape Safe

8 Stonegate, York, United Kingdom, YO1 8AX Telephone +44 190 484 8488

Richmond Vape Station

5 Castle Hill, Richmond, North Yorkshire United Kingdom, DL10 4QP Telephone +44 7464 100993

Moorends Vape Shop

144 Marshland Rd Moorends, South Yorkshire United Kingdom,DN8 4SU Telephone +44 1405 740293

Vapour Workz

17 Sheffield Rd Warmsworth, South Yorkshire United Kingdom, DN4 9QH Telephone +44 1302 570371

Flava Vape

5 Market St, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, S70 1SL Telephone +44 1226 289581

SMKD Electronic Cigarettes

The Ridings Shopping Centre, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, WF1 1DS Telephone +44 1924 728100

Avid Vapers

46 Savile St Hull, Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom, HU1 3EA Telephone +44 1482 221444

The Emporium Hull

279a Hessle Road, Hull, United Kingdom, HU3 4BQ Telephone +44 1482 221883

JAC Vapour

11 Boar Ln Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS1 6EN Telephone +44 113 245 2509

VapeShop Leeds 229 Selby Rd, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS15 7HW Telephone +44 7873 617767

We Are Vapes

394 Kirkstall Rd Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS4 2HQ Telephone +44 7453 804247

NORTHERN IRELAND

Titanic Vapour

264 Shankill Rd. Belfast, United Kingdom, BT13 2BL Telephone +44 7955 485176

Titanic Vapour

122 Longstone St, Lisburn, United Kingdom, BT28 1TR Telephone +44 7938 476622

The Vape Bar

57 Market St, Lurgan, Craigavon, United Kingdom, BT66 6AR Telephone +44 7803 795587

Vape and Tech

42 Market St Tandragee, Armagh, United Kingdom, BT62 2BP Telephone +44 28 3898 9415

Rude Boy Vaping

4 Dufferin Ave Bangor, North Down, United Kingdom, BT20 3BU Telephone +44 28 9147 2097

Vape Hunter

748 Upper Newtownards Rd, Dundonald, United Kingdom, BT16 1RJ

Total Vapour 148 Cregagh Rd, Castlereagh, United Kingdom, BT6 9ET Telephone +44 28 9070 5428

Northern Vape 10 North St Belfast, United Kingdom, BT1 1LA Telephone +44 799 996 6944

Ziggicig

Unit 9 Upper Main Street, Strabane, United Kingdom, BT82 8AR Telephone +44 28 9560 7313

The Electric Smoke Company 26 Irish St, Downpatrick, Co. Down, United Kingdom, BT30 6BP Telephone +44 289 756 2896

Ciggy Point 374 Upper Newtownards Rd, Belfast, United Kingdom, BT4 3EY Telephone +44 28 9543 8867

iVape 27 Railway St Strabane, United Kingdom, BT82 8EG Telephone +44 28 7138 3606

ISLE OF MAN

Totally Wicked 7 Market Hill Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 2BF Telephone +44 1624 616205

Electrovape

The Victoria Mall, Unit P, 2 Christian St, Ramsey, Isle of Man, IM8 2EN Telephone +44 7624 220993

Offshore Vapes 11 Castle Street Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2EU Telephone +44 1624 625212

WALES

Ladybird Vapours 42 Henblas St, Wrexham, United Kingdom, LL13 8LP Telephone +44 1978 264919

Ladybird Vapours 35 Station Rd Deeside, Flintshire, United Kingdom, CH5 1SU Telephone +44 1244 810835

Ejuice Couture

232 Victoria Rd Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey United Kingdom, LL65 1UD Telephone +44 1407 238008

Bangor Vapes

173 High Street Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom, LL57 1NU Telephone +44 7388 344650

North Wales Vapour

27 Madoc St Llandudno, Conwy, United Kingdom, LL30 2TL Telephone +44 1492 330865

Mat’s Vapour Lounge

30 Vale Rd Rhyl, Denbighshire, United Kingdom, LL18 2BU Telephone +44 1745 350274

Celtic Vapours 46 Commercial Rd, Neath, Port Talbot, United Kingdom, SA13 1LG Telephone +44 1639 898220

Barracuda Vape 75 Caerphilly Road Birchgrove, Cardiff, United Kingdom, CF14 4AE Telephone +44 29 2062 6722

Switch Xpress 236 Corporation Rd, Newport, United Kingdom, NP19 0DZ Telephone +44 1633 549342

Vapourlicious 40 Terrace Rd Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, United Kingdom, SY23 2AE Telephone +44 1970 358693

VAPE Barmouth Church St Barmouth, Gwynedd, United Kingdom, LL42 1EW Telephone +44 7400 898088

Topvape1

50 Heol Maengwyn Machynlleth, Powys, United Kingdom, SY20 8DT Telephone +44 1654 703925

Chameleon Vapes 42 Bridge St, Wrexham, United Kingdom, LL13 7HP Telephone +44 7943 609219

The Vape Escape Shop 7b Mold Rd Buckley, Flintshire, United Kingdom, CH7 2JA Telephone +44 7936 469677

Beaum Vape

Unit 3 Ivor House Bridge St, Cardiff, United Kingdom, CF10 2TH Telephone +44 29 2037 2687

Vapour Queen 24 Albany Rd Cardiff, United Kingdom, CF24 3RQ Telephone +44 7714 191102

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

Trip Hammer 6 Station Rd Poole, United Kingdom, BH14 8UB Telephone +44 1202 738444

Betty’s Vapour Lounge & Coffee House

71 Trelowarren St, Camborne, Cornwall United Kingdom, TR14 8AL Telephone +44 1209 711133

Ecigarus

Pannier Market, Lemon Quay, Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR1 2LW Telephone +44 1872 264177

Flavour Vapour

5-6 Kenwyn Street, Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR1 3DJ Telephone +44 1872 225333

Coastal Haze

11 Strand, Newlyn, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR18 5HH Telephone +44 1736 448050

Phoenix Electronic Cigarettes

4 Harliquin Centre, Paul St, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, EX4 3TT Telephone +44 1780 764585

Hodges Vape Lounge

10 Belgrave Promenade, Wilder Rd, Ilfracombe, United Kingdom, EX34 9AS Telephone +44 1271 269655

AMB Vapours / Totally Wicked 33 Bear Street, Barnstaple, United Kingdom, EX32 7BZ Telephone +44 1271 322999

Potion Vapour

21a Broad St, Ottery Saint Mary, Devon, United Kingdom, EX11 1BY Telephone +44 1392 580008

Vaper Trails

3 St Albans Street, Weymouth, Dorset, United Kingdom, DT4 8BZ Telephone +44 7719 890080

Vape Of Good Hope 18 Fairmile Rd, Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom, BH23 2LJ Telephone +44 1202 484108

Trip Hammer

6 Kings Rd E, Swanage, Dorset, United Kingdom, BH19 1ES Telephone +44 1929 421526

Juicy One of Wareham

2 South Street, Wareham, Dorset, United Kingdom, BH20 4LT Telephone +44 1929 556000

Severn Vape 79 Northgate St, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, GL1 2AG Telephone +44 1452 526062

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RedJuice Unit 7, Neptune Business Centre, Tewkesbury Rd, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, GL51 9DN Telephone +44 1242 312024

Electro Clouds Vape Co 21 High St, Tewkesbury, United Kingdom, GL20 5AL Telephone +44 1684 850222

E-Cigarette Direct Unit 18a Angel Place Shopping Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA6 3TQ Telephone +44 1792 852843

Flavour Vapour

1 The Courtyard, 47 St James Street, Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA1 1JR Telephone +44 1823 275612

Gorilla Vapes 28 Fore St, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA8 2EX Telephone +44 1278 781834

Exmoor Vape 56b The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA24 5BB Telephone +44 1643 709251

Amesbury Vapourium 22 Salisbury St, Amesbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SP4 7HD Telephone +44 7548 933336

Hazy Trails 19a Station Rd, Tidworth, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SP9 7NR Telephone +44 1980 258081

The Puffin Hut 18 High St, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SN4 7AA Telephone +44 1793 850200

Choice E-Cigs

16 Maryport St, Devizes, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SN10 1AH Telephone +44 1380 698170

Spectrum Vaping

3 Budlake Rd Exeter, United Kingdom, EX2 8PY Telephone +44 1392 927937

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

Cloud Vapers

Unit 20, Regent Trade Park, Barwell Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, United Kingdom, PO13 0EQ Telephone +44 1329 283552

Ecigwizard

75 High St, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK16 8AB Telephone +44 1908 766396

Vapourium

105 Stoke Rd Gosport, Hampshire, United Kingdom, PO12 1LR Telephone +44 239 258 6333

Socialites

Midsummer Arcade, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK9 3GB Telephone +44 845 340 3899

Oxford Vapours

142b London Rd, Oxford, United Kingdom, OX3 9ED Telephone +44 1865 751666

Carmichael’s Vaping

11 Swan Walk, Thame, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, OX9 3HN Telephone +44 1844 216551

Evapo 198 Terminus Rd, Eastbourne, East Sussex United Kingdom, BN21 3BB Telephone +44 7388 995053

Ejuiceology

14 Queens Road, Hastings, East Sussex United Kingdom, TN34 1QY Telephone +44 1424 547085

ESAUCE

1 Heath Buildings, High Street, Oxshott, Leatherhead, United Kingdom, KT22 0JP Telephone +44 1372 849789

Coffee and Clouds Vape Shop

5c High St, Caterham, Surrey, United Kingdom, CR3 5UE Telephone +44 7955 585740

Cheeky Smoke

4 Coronation Buildings, Ham Road, Worthing, United Kingdom, BN11 2NN Telephone +44 7500 015475

IdealVape

249 London Rd, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, United Kingdom, RH15 9QU Telephone +44 1444 628758

Every Cloud Vape Shop 105a Commercial Rd, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, PO1 1BQ Telephone +44 2392 815342

There’s No Place Like Ohm 7 Northern Buildings, Northern Rd, Portsmouth United Kingdom, PO6 3DL Telephone +44 7940 057485

Lucid

111 East St, Southampton, United Kingdom, SO14 3HD Telephone +44 2380 636636

Totally Wicked 127e Above Bar St, Southampton, United Kingdom, SO14 7FN Telephone +44 2381 781020

Anglo Vapour 42 Market St, Eastleigh, Hampshire, United Kingdom, SO50 5RA Telephone +44 2380 615692

Steampunk Vape Lounge

18 St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1SN

Telephone +44 757 250 0135

The Vapour Room 18 St. Thomas square Newport Isle of Wight United Kingdom, PO30 1SG

Telephone +44 1983 716110

Solvape

48A High St, Gillingham, Medway, United Kingdom, ME7 1AZ Telephone +44 1634 855736

101 Vape 34 High St, Gravesend, Kent, United Kingdom, DA11 0AZ Telephone +44 1474 878906

No. 1 Ejuice

50 Guildhall St N, Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom, CT20 1EE Telephone +44 1303 259333

Premium Vapes

72 Northgate, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom, CT1 1BB Telephone +44 1227 780544

WEST MIDLANDS

The Vaper Expo Shop UK 8 Alexandra Road, Halesowen, Birmingham, B63 4DJ

Switch Xpress 58 High St, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS11 0DJ Telephone +44 117 336 1278

VapeClass 384 Filton Ave, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS7 0BE Telephone +44 117 904 9752

The Vapour Hut 70 Regent St, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS15 8JA Telephone +44 117 961 5522

The Vapour Place 86 West Street Bristol, United Kingdom, BS3 3LL Telephone +44 117 939 8665

E-Vapor 58 Union St, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS1 2DL Telephone +44 7473 731198

Black Country Plume 118 Walsall Street Wednesbury, United Kingdom, WS10 9BY Telephone +44 121 448 7245

White Mist Vapours 9 Kings Rd Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B735AB Telephone +44 121 439 1717

Vapes R Us 125 Graingers Ln, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B64 6AH Telephone +44 1384 910844

UltraVapour 68 Long Ln Halesowen, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B62 9LS Telephone +44 121 293 5786

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Grey Haze

163a High St Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B12 0LD Telephone +44 121 306 9296

Vape Shack 1a Shirley Rd Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B27 7XU Telephone +44 121 792 9004

Clowdz Coventry 3 City Arcade Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom, CV1 1DG Telephone +44 24 7622 5515

Sky Blue Vape Lounge 274 Walsgrave Rd Coventry, West Midlands, United Kingdom, CV2 4BL Telephone +44 24 7644 0055

Warwick Vapes - Vape & Coffee Shop 13C Smith St Warwick, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, CV34 4JA Telephone +44 1926 257390

VapeHQ 41A The Tything Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom, WR1 1JT Telephone +44 1905 25565

Turtle Vapes 80 Edinburgh Place, Cheltenham, GL51 7SE Telephone +44 1242 702484

EAST MIDLANDS

Vapouround Vape Lounge Derby 3 Market Place, Corporation Street, Derby, DE1 3PW

Vapouround Lounge @ Delboys 35 Roosevelt Avenue, Derby, DE21 6JR

Vapouround Vape Lounge Arnold Unit 2, 4 Croft Road, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 7DX

Vapouround Vape Lounge Littleover Highfield Road, Littleover, Derby, DE23 1DG

Vapouround Vape Shop Draycott 4A Market Street, Draycott, Derby, DE72 3NB

The Brews Bros Suite 3, Garrod House, Manby Park, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 8UT Telephone +44 150 732 8000

Atmos Central 285 Narborough Rd Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom, LE3 2AQ Telephone +44 116 225 2824

The E-Cig Shop 26 Chesterfield Rd, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 3QF Telephone +44 1246 472295

The Vapourist Brimington Rd N, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 9AP Telephone +44 800 195 0077

888 Vapour

17 Sheep Market Spalding, Lincolnshire United Kingdom, PE11 1BE Telephone +44 1775 720205

Phoenix Electronic Cigarettes

18 Maiden Ln, Stamford, Lincolnshire. United Kingdom, PE9 2AZ Telephone +44 1780 764585

Vapers Place

38 Elizabeth St Corby, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, NN17 1PN Telephone +44 1536 269622

Audacious Vapes

1 Piccadilly Buildings, Sheep Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom,NN16 0AN Telephone +44 1536 628070

Electro Mist

7 The Parade Northampton, United Kingdom, NN1 2EA Telephone +44 7497 593231

Right Vape

88 Kingsley Park Terrace, Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, NN2 7HJ Telephone +44 1604 313789

VapeWorks

13 & 14 Market Street

Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, LE11 3EP Telephone +44 1509 231457

NGVape

2-4 West End Arcade, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG1 6JP Telephone +44 115 998 5582

E Liquid Paradise

47 Bramble Dr, Nottingham, United Kingdom, DE22 3AF Telephone +44 115 998 0847

Vape-X

162 Nottingham Rd Eastwood, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom, NG16 3GG Telephone +44 1773 687201

Eco-Vape

82a Seacroft Rd, Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, LN2 2DR Telephone +44 1507 477268

888 Vapour

3 Lincoln Rd Sleaford, Lincolnshire United Kingdom, NG34 8AB Telephone +44 1529 307045

Vapors Mansfield

19a Ratcliffe Gate, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, NG18 2JA Telephone +44 1623 237577

VapeHQ

6 The Forum North Hykeham, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, LN6 8HW Telephone +44 1522 687427

Liberty Flights

23 Cornmarket Derby, United Kingdom, DE1 1QH Telephone +44 1332 297052

Vapourbay

74 Outram St Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, NG17 4FS Telephone +44 1623 555750

The Vape Cave

33 Queen St Market Rasen, Lincolnshire United Kingdom, LN8 3EN Telephone +44 7821 794095

Vaping Worx

25-27 Mercer Row Louth, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, LN11 9JG Telephone +44 1507 604350

EAST ANGLIA

RC Vapes

24A St Nicholas St Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom, IP22 4LB Telephone +44 1379 308090

Peterborough Vape Lounge

5 Wentworth Street, Peterborough, United Kingdom, PE1 1DH Telephone +44 1780 764585

Another Vape Shop 69 Ledbury Rd, Peterborough, United Kingdom, PE3 9RF Telephone +44 7745 631959

Make My Vape 21 George St Luton, Luton, United Kingdom, LU1 2AF Telephone +44 1582 722223

The Vape Guru 32-34 Queensway Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, SG1 1BS Telephone +44 7570 254629

Liberro Electronic Cigarettes

14A High St Buntingford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, SG9 9AG Telephone +44 800 111 4753

Vape and Juice 71 High Street, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom, SS1 1HZ Telephone +44 1702 339 536

Vapeology Lounge 41 Ness Rd Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, SS3 9DB Telephone +44 1702 625581

Urban Vapor 259 Broomfield Rd Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4DP Telephone +44 1245 255477

The Vape Hut 63 High St Maldon, Essex, United Kingdom, CM9 5EP Telephone +44 7969 759965

Sheppards - Tobacconists and Vape Specialists

15 Eld Ln Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom, CO1 1LS Telephone +44 1206 578201

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The Vaping Emporium

10 Northgate St Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom, IP1 3BZ Telephone +44 1473 871380

Vvapour 8 Hall Rd Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR1 3HQ Telephone +44 1603 948957

The Alchemists Cupboard 12 Charles Watling Way, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR5 9JH Telephone +44 1603 396906

Huff n Puff 47 Regent Rd Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR30 2AL Telephone +44 7802 693425

Total E-Cig Vape Shop & Cafe 125 High St Great Yarmouth, Norfolk United Kingdom, NR31 6RE Telephone +44 1502 588788

LONDON

Vapouround Vape Shop Canning Town 56-57 Barking Road, Canning Town, London, E16 4HB

Vape Emporium 16 Eton St Richmond, Greater London, United Kingdom, TW9 1EE Telephone +44 20 8940 7111

Vape and Volts 30 Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8AH Telephone +44 2037 583777

Vape Emporium 87 Heath St London, Greater London United Kingdom, NW3 6UG Telephone +44 20 7693 7279

Vape 315 Ruislip Rd E Greenford, Greater London, United Kingdom, UB6 9BG Telephone +44 333 323 7733

D-VAPE SHOP 142 Southwark St, London, United Kingdom, SE1 0SW Telephone +44 7778 727800

Vape Superstore 51 Rupert St, London, United Kingdom W1D 7PG Telephone +44 2072 874524

Smokin Sin 21 Borough High St, London, United Kingdom, SE1 9SE Telephone +44 7752 505544

UK ECIG STORE 30-32 Fleet St, London, United Kingdom, EC4Y 1BW Telephone +44 2034 754885

VapeHut UK 35 Oxford St, London, United Kingdom, W1D 2DT Telephone +44 7771 557799

Le-Vap 196 Edgware Rd, London, United Kingdom, W2 2DS Telephone +44 7435 094979

Noble Vaping 36 Great Eastern St, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 3ES Telephone +44 2034 870612

Vapester

34 New House, 67-68 Hatton Garden, London, United Kingdom, EC1N 8JY Telephone +44 3030 311020

Vapourcore

274 Old Brompton Rd, London, United Kingdom, SW5 9HR Telephone +44 3333 052822

Tower Vape Shop 111 Abbey St, London, United Kingdom, SE1 3NP Telephone +44 2072 376343

EzCloudz 17-19 Stockwell Rd, London, United Kingdom, SW9 9AU Telephone +44 2077 337641

Peckham Vape 80a Rye Ln, London, United Kingdom, SE15 4RY Telephone +44 7577 580171

House of Vapes 494 Fulham Rd, London, United Kingdom, SW6 5NH Telephone +44 2073 865049

Otherside 261 Portobello Rd, London, United Kingdom, W11 1LR Telephone +44 7802 335476

Hyde Vapes 53 Queensway, London, United Kingdom, W2 4QH Telephone +44 2035 385858

Vapor Works 167 Stoke Newington Rd, London, United Kingdom, N16 8BP Telephone +44 2079 231016

Vape Emporium 87 Heath St, London, United Kingdom, NW3 6UG Telephone +44 2076 937279

CS Vaporizers 9b Perry Vale, London, United Kingdom, SE23 2NE Telephone +44 7399 491451

Vape Shop London 108 Charing Cross Rd, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 0JN Telephone +44 2072 403513

F&S Electronic Cigarettes 114 Newgate St, London, United Kingdom, EC1A 7AE Telephone +44 7592 927485

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Ecigarettes World 3 Wine St Sligo, Ireland, F91 N2XV Telephone +353 873960076

Evapour 7 Market Square, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland, F92 RT26 Telephone +353 74 911 4746

The Ecig Store Bridge St, Cahernamart, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland, F28 HW83 Telephone +353 098 29597

Healthier Smoker Kiosk 1, Tuam Shopping Centre, Trinity Court, Tuam, Co. Galway, Ireland, H5 4YW21 Telephone +353 83 464 5265

Hale Vaping 34 O’Connell St, Limerick, Ireland, V94 A973 Telephone +353 1 253 0594

E-Lixor Vaping 33 Fair St, Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland, P5 1W722 Telephone +353 22 50469

Wicked Vapes 97 Oliver Plunkett St Cork City, Cork, Ireland, T12 PK2F Telephone +353 21 239 4545

Vintage Vape Rooms 52 Shandon St, Gurranabraher, Cork, Ireland, T23 VP68 Telephone +353 85 223 6230

Puff ‘n’ Stuff Smoke Shop 123 N Main St, Youghal-Lands, Youghal, Co. Cork, Ireland, P36 NW58 Telephone +353 24 25576

Hale Vaping 52 High St, Kilkenny, Ireland, R95 T685 Telephone +353 85 713 6523

Smoke Green Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland Telephone +353 87 352 9111

Madvapes 12 Bunting Rd, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, Ireland, D12 A9Y2 Telephone +353 1 563 9658

VIP E Cigarette

The Mill Shopping Centre, Ninth Lock Rd, Dublin, Ireland Telephone +353 1 475 0000

The Vape Club 8a Coolock Village Centre, Coolock, Dublin 5, Ireland, D05 WY83 Telephone +353 1 430 6666

The Global Vape Store Directory.

With its focus on quality, while being designed to bridge the gap between vaping and smoking, MyVapors offers customers a range of supreme quality e-liquid in 10 flavours and a selection of nicotine strengths.

These products may contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance.