Vaping for beginners – this is how it gets started
Whether professional or beginner - everyone is talking about vaping and e-cigarettes. The smart way to smoke is en vouge. But what is the difference to a conventional cigarette? What are liquids and what technique do I have to master in order not to immediately stand out as a complete beginner? Discover the basics of vaping and the benefits of e-cigarettes.
Vaping for Beginners: What's the Difference Between Cigarettes and Smoking?
When steaming (or vaping), a nicotine-containing or nicotine-free liquid, the so-called liquid, is heated. The resulting vapor (liquid mist) is inhaled - hence the casual expression "vaping". When smoking cigarettes, on the other hand, a mixture of tobacco, paper and additives is burned and the smoke (solids) produced is inhaled. So the significant difference concerns the ingredients and their chemical reaction, or more simply, their transformation into vapor or smoke.
Are e-cigarettes and vaping healthier?
Numerous renowned international researchers rate e-cigarettes as significantly less risky than tobacco cigarettes. Among other things, the carcinogenic substances in classic tobacco cigarettes are almost completely absent. More than 7,000 substances can be detected in tobacco smoke, 70 of which are carcinogenic. In e-liquid vapour, these substances either do not exist or only occur in negligibly small concentrations because there is no combustion. The English health authority Public Health England evaluates the e-cigarette very positively compared to tobacco cigarettes and came to the conclusion in 2014 that e-cigarettes are about 95 percent less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. (Link to PHE)
The Roswell Park Center (a leading cancer research center in the US) found that nitrosamines (the carcinogenic substances in tobacco smoke) absorbed by e-cigarettes are significantly lower. (link to the study)
A 2019 study looked at the risk of cardiovascular disease in smokers and vapers. The result: If a smoker switches to e-cigarettes (with nicotine), the risk of developing heart or blood vessel disease decreases by 39 percent.
And the official drug and addiction report rates e-cigarettes as significantly less harmful than tobacco cigarettes due to the lower amount of pollutants.
The current Cochrane report also shows that e-cigarettes are more effective in stopping smoking than conventional smoking cessation preparations.
Through our research on human lung cells, we were already able to prove in 2014 that liquid vapor, in contrast to tobacco smoke, does not damage the lung tissue.
The conclusion: e-cigarettes and liquids are not healthy, but they are significantly less harmful than tobacco cigarettes! And they can be an effective way to stop smoking!
What are the benefits of e-cigarettes?
- No harmful burning of tobacco
- Nicotine content as desired (from 0 mg/ml to 18 mg/ml)
- Switching to e-cigarettes makes it easier to quit smoking
- No exposure of others to secondhand smoke (including pets)
- No unpleasant smell in the mouth or in the clothes
- No yellow walls
- No risk of burns
- No discoloration of the teeth
- Improved sense of taste
- Wide range of models and tastes
- Many e-liquids are cheaper than cigarettes
How an e-cigarette works
How an e-cigarette works is very simple. A liquid (the liquid) is heated by a small coil head that sits on a battery (mod). This creates a vapor that is inhaled through the mouthpiece. Completely without combustion! The vapor transports the nicotine and flavor and simulates cigarette smoke, but in a more modern way. While there are many different e-cigarette systems, they all work on the same principle of heating liquid.
Vaping for beginners: the right technique!
When vaping, the right technique is crucial: As a smoker, you automatically draw very short, but stronger on the tobacco cigarette. On the e-cigarette, you should draw a little more gently, but longer. With the tobacco cigarette, the filter limits the smoking time. With the e-cigarette, this “natural” stop is not necessary. Therefore, the rule of thumb is: take a break after 10 to 12 puffs on the e-cigarette. 10 to 12 puffs of e-cigarettes roughly correspond to a classic tobacco-cigarette length.
The big advantage of the e-cigarette is shown here: If you don't have a nicotine kick yet, you simply take one or two more puffs and don't have to light a new cigarette.
E Cigarette Starter Kits
Despite the great variety of flavors, it is advisable for beginners to initially stick to the familiar flavors. That means: A smoker of classic tobacco cigarettes chooses a classic tobacco liquid. A smoker of menthol cigarettes vapes a tobacco liquid with a menthol note and a cigarillo or cigar smoker reaches for the cigarillo liquid. The variety of flavors is particularly tempting for beginners, however: How many smokers have smoked a watermelon in your life?
Also important: Choose the right nicotine strength. Because smokers want to maintain their individual nicotine level. To begin with, heavy smokers should try 18 mg/ml nicotine, medium smokers 12 mg/ml and light smokers 6 mg/ml or 3 mg/ml. The doses can be reduced over time, allowing the body to adjust gradually.
As a beginner e-cigarette, an easy-to-use device (without many setting options) is always preferable. These are also low-maintenance and cheaper to buy.
How much does an e-cigarette cost for beginners?
Not only the health aspect is interesting when switching to e-cigarettes, the significantly lower costs are also a convincing factor.
An average smoker has annual costs of around 2,200 euros. As a vaper, you can reduce the costs by about a third, which is around 790 euros per year - of course depending on your personal vaping and smoking behavior and assuming a cigarette pack price of 10 euros and a liquid price of 5 euros per 10ml. The average vaper uses 10ml of e-liquid equivalent to a pack of cigarettes in 2-3 days and does less damage to their body too.
