F.A.Q.’s
What is an e-cig or electronic cigarette?
An e-cig or electronic cigarette is actually what we call a vape device that is either powered by batteries or gets power through either a USB port or power adapter. Some appear identical in shape and appearance of regular tobacco cigarettes and come in a variety of colors and LED lights.
We call those “cig-a-likes” and they’ve become first-generation technology, that big tobacco is currently peddling through gas stations and big-box retail giants. Big Tobacco is now moving toward more advanced POD devices and has recently made a massive investment into JUUL.
JUUL in our professional and experienced opinion is the worst thing to happen to the vape industry since it began. By not providing lower strength nicotine choices to choose from and work down to, and by not providing a no nicotine option as literally nearly every single responsible vape company who has built this industry has done since it began–they knew exactly what the fuck they were doing.
Hook a new younger generation to nicotine, many who didn’t have a habit or addiction to break to start with–creating new life long customers — an old dirty big tobacco trick.
Check out the tobacco giant who invested billions in them. Now all of the sudden we are to believe and trust in big tobacco being re-packaged as “industry leaders”?
Attacks on the vape industry, denial of science, and intellectually dishonest attacks on flavors serve only to attack small businesses who care and built this industry–by deceiving the public into trusting those who created the problem.
We highly recommend that you don’t reward businesses or brands that engage in these kinds of business practices by purchasing any product they are associated with.
We recommend that you support your locally owned Mom & Pop Vape Shops, which generally carry much more advanced, reliable, and effective devices–and care about the public health of their communities.
Anyway, sorry for the rant. What was I saying again?
Ah yes, the cig-a-likes. The basics. You puff on these as you would a traditional cigarette, however, many are manual and require you to push a little button to activate the draw. Electronic cigarettes are not to be confused as medical devices to help you stop smoking, but rather as an alternative to smoking.
The device delivers nicotine in the form of vapor, not smoke. The vapor quickly dissipates in the air and leaves no lingering burnt tobacco smoke or odor lingering about.
What is Vaping?
Vaping is the lingo or term used for smoking e-cigs. Since there is no smoke, but instead vapor, the term vaping replaces smoking. An example of using it in a sentence or conversation: As an ex-smoker myself, I enjoy a good “vape” instead. My wife enjoys the fact that I can continue vaping inside while we watch movies, instead of having to pause so I can go outside for a smoke break.
We used to have reservations about equipment made in China, but with this market, they’ve shown remarkable attention to listening to the consumers–and have developed very nice and dependable devices. We still don’t and would never recommend eLiquid from China or a Big Tobacco owned brand; we stand firm on the importance of supporting your locally owned vape shops and trusted vendors.
There are a handful of companies that do offer high-quality USA manufactured devices. We recommend doing your homework and reading customer reviews before making your purchase. Many artists from many countries have begun producing high-end works of art, yes…works of art–you should see some of those things. Again, we recommend starting small and learning all you can before making that kind of leap.
We may run promotions from time to time, and offer to give away various hardware and starter kits of quality devices to our customers–so check out our facebook page and give us a like to stay updated!
What is an atomizer?
The atomizer is the part of the e-cig that heats the flavored nicotine solution that produces the vapor.
What is a cart/carto/cartridge?
A cart/carto/cartridge is a plastic cartridge, usually filled with a polyester material that soaks up the liquid nicotine solution. The cart (on most e-cig devices) is typically the part that resembles the filter of traditional cigarettes. Cartos have pretty much become a thing of the past as new technology has moved into coils/atomizers for highly efficient tanks. So if you bought a device that still takes cartos after 2016, consider punching the seller in the face. Things have come a very long way.
What is dripping or the drip method?
Dripping is when you bypass the old cartridges, or skip the convenience of the new tanks and drip directly to the atomizer or coils of your device. Some devices are built for this, while others are not.
We don’t recommend using this method for the beginner; it’s good to start with the basics and see if this is the right fit for you. As you become more experienced and familiar with batteries, voltage, wattage, ohms, and basic rules of electricity and power–you can move on to the high-end equipment and the world of DIY rebuildable coils, really taste the rainbow, and maybe become a “cloud chaser” if that’s your thing.
What is eLiquid or eJuice?
eLiquid or eJuice is the flavored liquid nicotine solution. This solution consists of water, flavoring, liquid nicotine, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerine. It really depends on where you buy your eJuice. We recommend asking your supplier what ingredients they use. If they use anything outside what is mentioned, we recommend finding another trusted and quality supplier.
What is Liquid Nicotine?
Liquid nicotine is just simply nicotine that has been extracted from the tobacco plants and through a process has been introduced to a liquid solution capable of preserving the chemical properties of the nicotine, the liquid is usually either PG or VG. Not only does our liquid nicotine come from an actual FDA approved laboratory, but it’s also organic!
What is PG?
PG is a term used when referring to Propylene Glycol. PG is found in most recipes that produce vapor for e-cigs. PG is on the list of FDA approved substances and is found from everything from flavorings, fog machines virtually almost everything you use on a daily basis has PG. We use nothing but the finest USA made USP food grade propylene glycol in our products.
What is VG?
VG is the term used when referring to Vegetable Glycerine. VG is also found in many of our day-to-day products. Some folks have a slight allergic reaction to PG, so VG is general what replaces the PG as a flavor and vapor producing agent. Most eLiquid suppliers use a ratio mix of both PG and VG in their products. We use the finest quality VG that is made in the USA and is USP food grade quality. We use 70VG/30PG for our recipes.
What is Salt Nics & Pods?
Salt nics are relatively new to the vaping industry. The old nicotine solution for traditional vape tanks you see for more powerful mods is called freebase nicotine.
The difference is this:
Nicotine salts go into your bloodstream quicker and stay there longer. Much like a traditional tobacco cigarette. It’s also smoother on your throat allowing you to vape higher strength nicotine.
Just because you can does not necessarily mean you should. Nic salts should NOT be your go to all day vape preference in your POD device. They should be used only if you need to quit tobacco, and after successfully quitting–should only be used in situations that call for them such as work breaks, college classes, and anywhere that your vaping habit is restricted.
But when you’re at home studying, chilling out, or anywhere you’re not restricted in your vaping, and you want to enjoy the satisfaction and pleasure of vaping–use your more powerful setup to significantly lower your nicotine consumption for that portion of your day.
Nic Salts should NEVER be considered or used as an all day–all the time solution.
Yeah, you’ll hit your more powerful devices more often, and that’s ok.
That’s where the good shit is anyway.
The POD devices are in a way just making the old new again.
They’re just low powered devices with a little higher resistance atomizers designed for higher strength nic salt use.
Let’s cut through the shit.
If you’re a young adult using 50mg nicotine salts or higher to get high and “spin” as they call it, and you didn’t even have a long time habit or addiction to break to begin with–you are at extremely high risk of a heart attack or stroke well before your time.
You might as well be walking around with fucking paint on your faces as though you enjoy huffing in back alleys. It’s not cool. Not edgy. Not recommended. Not safe–and you’re also helping to destroy an entire industry built by mom & pop small businesses trying to take on big tobacco and big pharma on your behalf–and you’re willingly tearing them down and helping Big Tobacco win.
You’re not interested in the pods because they’re smaller, you’re interested in them because of the dangerous buzz factor previously mentioned–don’t even try to bullshit me because I ain’t buying it. I’m in a unique position to be the top vape shop situated right between 2 major universities, I see it every damn day and I know what I’m looking at.
The point of vapes is to provide a safe(r) alternative to traditional tobacco, for smokers looking to switch from tobacco cigarettes and to keep young adults experimenting with nicotine from ever going to cigarettes.
Not to get high and spin.
That’s Both Lame & Dangerous!
It’s up to young consumers and everyone who cares about this industry to hold these unscrupulous companies accountable and stop rewarding them with your business.
They’ve been built up into the juggernaut they are; they can be torn down just as easily.
Demand your local retailers stop selling their products. It’s that simple.
The only acceptable use of 50mg is for adults who have battled the addiction of smoking for years, tried everything else and nothing worked for them. Selling this high level of nicotine to young adults who are not adequately educated and who have no habit or addiction to break to begin with–is highly immoral and unethical. If the industry manufacturers and it’s retailers can’t grow up and be responsible, then perhaps these nic salts should be capped at a 24mg maximum strength.
What About the So-Called Youth Vaping Epidemic?
That’s a good question. The real problem is unethical companies using questionable marketing and distribution methods as I’ve laid out above, but let’s address this manufactured problem that’s being heaped on the entire vaping industry as a clever ruse to attack the small businesses who care–in a concerted effort to aid Big Tobacco in their quest to monopolize this industry.
The argument that flavors are the culprit is about as intellectually dishonest as one could get.
Below is just a small snippet from the breakdown provided by Clive Bates.
You can read it in its entirety here.
“Let’s be clear, the rise in vaping is not an epidemic. Vaping is not a disease and not even a cause of any disease. Vaping is a behaviour with relatively minor health consequences, if any.
Perhaps they mean it as a metaphor – but technocratic entities such as FDA, the Office of the Surgeon General and CDC should not be trading in emotionally charged hyperbole while claiming to take great care with the choice of language. The appropriate response from FDA to the rise in teenage vaping would be to say:
There has been a steep rise in teenage vaping, and this is a real concern. We must understand the nature of the rise, its causes, and its interactions with other tobacco and substance use before we determine options to intervene. This is an area of regulation where a simplistic analysis and crude interventions can have unintended consequences and cause more harm than good to public health.
There are many other problems with the use of ‘epidemic’ to apply to the recent rise in teenage vaping and Carl V Phillips has written more than you need to know here: Calling vaping/tobacco use an “epidemic”: it’s even stupider than you might think
Dr Gottlieb reaches for “epidemic of addiction” as the basis of his epidemic claim, and says he uses it ‘with great care’. But it is a gigantic and inappropriate conflation to equate a rise in teenage vaping with a rise in ‘nicotine addiction’, as we shall see.”
What About Harmful Smoke from Second Hand Vape?
“The public keeps asking these questions.
No: You cannot even get first hand smoke from a vaporizer – It is vapor, not smoke. This may seem to be pedantry but it is not. It is so important that the public, everyone, understands the difference between smoke and vapor.
It is vapor, not smoke.
So just what in the hell is the difference?”
Read here to find out.
