Seeing a puff of “smoke” slowly loft above the rows of desks in a lecture hall is not a common sight in 2014, however the rising popularity of electronic “vaping“ devices may be changing that.
Vaping is to cigarettes as an iPad is to a record player. The battery-powered device delivers a dose of nicotine (or not) to the user by atomizing “e-juice” into a vapor, which is inhaled.
Co-owner of the vaping supply store Monadnock Vapor, Daniel Cavallero said, “What these offer people is a much safer alternative to tobacco, when you compare thousands of chemicals, hundreds of carcinogens, to FDA-approved ingredients and artificial flavoring and nicotine.”
Cavallero continued, “You just have to have common sense to make that decision. I always recommend people to do their research but there is a lot of propaganda out there.”
Photo Illustration by Kyle Bailey
The devices have several components that work together to atomize the base liquid.
Cavallero explained that a battery supplies the electricity to a heating coil made of wound Kanthal wire.
Kanthal is the name brand of a thin, highly resistant wire that creates the needed heat to vaporize the liquid.
The “juice” is held in a holding tank and is drawn to the heating coil by inhaling and drawing the liquid into organic cotton wicks that need to be replaced periodically.
Users are able to select flavored juices with varying nicotine levels.
Cavallero explained the juices are made of, “Propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, artificial flavoring and nicotine.” Cavallero added that the juices come in varying nicotine levels, from 0 mg to 24 mg.
“To compare it to a typical Marlboro Red, you would be in the eighteen range per drag of the cigarette,” Cavallero said.
He continued, “Nicotine is not a carcinogen, it is a stimulant like caffeine, but it is highly addictive.”
KSC Junior Kyle Trolan has smoked since age 15, but said he has not tried vaping. “I guess it’s hard to break away from the habit of smoking a real cigarette, even if you know the benefits of switching to smoking electronic cigarettes.”
When asked what those benefits may be, Trolan added, “It’s not smoke. Other than that, I’m sure I have heard a million different things, but I block it out all the time. It’s one of those things.”
Cavallero displayed the variety of flavors ranging from tobacco-flavored blends to bakery and berry flavors, like “Owl Sauce, a berry blend with a little bit of menthol.”
The sweet flavors have some people concerned about who the companies are targeting.
Kate McNally is the program coordinator of the Cheshire Coalition for Tobacco-Free Communities.
McNally stated, “I don’t want to see children using them and emulating people that do use them. Having candy flavors — there is even a gummy bear flavor. I think that is criminal to have that kind of a product in the market because it does make it look really appealing to kids. Just like Joe Camel.”
One reported benefit of vaping is that it can help to wean smokers off of cigarettes.
Cavallero said, “I’d say this is more beneficial as a whole. Getting off of smoking, you feel a lot better. When I stopped smoking and started doing this I felt a thousand times better. I used to get pneumonia and bronchitis and all these lung infections from smoking and after a couple of years of doing this I feel great.” “The best part is we have people that come in here that used to smoke a pack and a half a day, to transitioning only to vaping,” Cavallero added.
Cavallero continued, “People are starting to realize that patches and nicotine gum — less than ten percent of people who use it find it effective. For this stuff [vaping], I would say we have had close to a hundred percent success rate.”
McNally explained that there has not been enough research done to know if vaping is safer or an effective method of quitting. “What we do know works is getting medications like patches, gum and lozenges … And using a program. If somebody comes to see me and they use one of those things, my program doesn’t cost anything so I don’t need to charge anybody and you don’t even need to re-charge me. You’re chances [of quitting] will double or triple and that is according to the best practices guidelines,” McNally said.
David Walsh can be contacted at dwalsh@keene-equinox.com
gary
anything that can help must be a benefit – we know there is a lot to learn but ant least with the information to hand people for the first time have an alternative or a choice with regards to normal cigarettes
gary
anything that can help must be a benefit – we know there is a lot to learn but ant least with the information to hand people for the first time have an alternative or a choice with regards to normal cigarettes
Paul
I think people who says vaping is safe is no different than huge tobacco companies. anything u burn is not good for your body. the contents might be fda approved for ingestion, but not when you burn them and turn them into vapor. the chemical changes. those who says it is safe is just trying to earn money.
Paul
I think people who says vaping is safe is no different than huge tobacco companies. anything u burn is not good for your body. the contents might be fda approved for ingestion, but not when you burn them and turn them into vapor. the chemical changes. those who says it is safe is just trying to earn money.