Frequently Asked Questions
Why use vaping to quit smoking?
According to the NHS, vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking. It's also one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.
This NHS webpage outlines the benefits of smokers switching to vaping.
How harmful are e-cigs?
In 2015, the governmental body Public Health England (PHE) concluded that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful to health than tobacco and have the potential to help smokers quit smoking. They estimate that e-cigs are around 95% less harmful than smoking tobacco. In 2018, a new Public Health England (PHE) e-cigarette evidence review, undertaken by leading independent tobacco experts, provides an update on PHE’s 2015 review.
Also, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) believes e-cigarettes could lead to significant falls in the prevalence of smoking in the UK, and prevent many deaths and episodes of serious illness.
A survey in 2024 found that harm perceptions of e-cigarettes have worsened substantially over the last decade, such that in 2023, most (57.0%) believed e-cigarettes to be equally or more harmful than cigarettes.
Professor Ann McNeill, lead author and Professor of Tobacco Addiction at King’s College London said:
"It’s of great concern that smokers still have such a poor understanding about what causes the harm from smoking. When people smoke tobacco cigarettes, they inhale a lethal mix of 7,000 smoke constituents, 70 of which are known to cause cancer.
People smoke for the nicotine, but contrary to what the vast majority believe, nicotine causes little if any of the harm. The toxic smoke is the culprit and is the overwhelming cause of all the tobacco-related disease and death."
According to GOV.UK, evidence suggests that vaping is better than nicotine replacement therapy for stopping smoking.
Vaping will not only help your health but also save you money compared to smoking; it is a form of tobacco harm reduction (THR).
E-cigs do not produce smoke, there is no combustion; e-cigs only produce vapour. They are low-risk smoke-free alternative.
Vape products provide nicotine in a much safer and more acceptable form.
Does vaping cause popcorn lung?
- E-cigarettes don’t cause the lung condition known as popcorn lung
- There have been no confirmed cases of popcorn lung reported in people who use e-cigarettes
For more information on this, please visit Cancer Research UK, or for more detail here.
Does nicotine cause cancer?
Many people (4 out of 10 people in England in 2020) mistakenly believe that nicotine causes cancer, but it is not responsible for the harmful effects of smoking, and nicotine does not cause cancer. This is confirmed by Cancer Research UK.
The effects of nicotine on the human body are broadly similar to those of caffeine, indicating that long term use probably represents a health risk similar to that of coffee consumption.
In fact, nicotine does have many therapeutic benefits. Nicotine has been found to improve certain cognitive functions, including attention, memory and processing speed. It also has anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and anti-inflammatory properties. It can temporarily increase alertness and focus, making users feel more mentally sharp. Nicotine stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, which can help regulate mood, helping users feel more relaxed, feel less anxious or experience an improved sense of well-being.
Some evidence suggests that nicotine may have potential therapeutic benefits for conditions such as ADHD, Parkinson’s, Tourette's, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. To view scientific citations, a fully sourced list is available via the Safer Nicotine Wiki, an outstanding living library curated by tireless citizen scientists.
How does the electronic cigarette or personal vapouriser work?
It comprises of three elements, a battery (for power), an atomiser with heating coil (that creates the vapour) in a tank that contains e-liquid (the fuel). The battery provides the power to heat the coil (in the atomiser), which heats the e-liquid (the fuel), and produces the vapour. When you take a puff, the rechargeable battery powers the atomiser which draws a small amount of e-liquid from the tank via wicks to the heaiting coil, to produce the vapour in the form of a fine mist which resembles smoke. The nicotine is then delivered straight to the blood stream via the mouth and lungs when you inhale the vapour.
How to use them
Fill the atomiser (or tank) with e-liquid, screw onto the battery, and press the switch while inhaling. (Auto batteries are activated by the user simply sucking on the e-cig). Refill the tank with e-liquid before it gets empty as required.
Brief Glossary
- Tanks: This part of the device houses the wicks, e-liquid and heating coil.
- Coil Heads: a replaceable atomiser assembly or section of wire that has been wound into a spring like coil shape. The coils are then wicked with an absorbent material, like cotton, which absorbs the e-liquid. The wire coils(s) are then heated to vaporize the e-liquid on the wicks.
- Mods: The device housing a battery(s) that connects and transfers power to the atomizer (coil). The battery(s) powers the device or Mod; some devices use an integrated battery while the others use replaceable cells. Most box mod types have adjustable power; the power can be increased or decreased in power to the desired setting in either volts or watts, and many now also have temperature control (TC) for use with TC type coils only (scroll further down for more details about this).
- E-Liquid (or E-Juice): A mixture of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, food flavorings, and normally nicotine, which is heated to create vapour for inhalation.
What is e-liquid for?
E-liquid is used in all electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarette or e-cig) which acts very similar to a regular cigarette, producing a nicotine vapour that resembles tobacco smoke, that can be inhaled. It is an alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes. But there is no smoke; there is no combustion. And over time, lower strengths of nicotine liquid (or zero nicotine) can be used to reduce nicotine intake. Most importantly this product is an option as it used by inhaling vapour without the harmful toxins (4000+ chemicals), tar and carcinogens that are contained in tobacco smoke; it is a true alternative to smoking tobacco. Not only does it satisfy nicotine cravings but it has the same tactile action and oral fixation as smoking a real tobacco cigarette, with a great many different options of flavours.
What is in the liquid?
The liquid in the cartridge (known as e-liquid or e-juice) contains no harmful chemicals, unlike a typical tobacco cigarette. The liquid is a mixture of liquid-nicotine (extracted from tobacco) and flavourings, using a primary base of pharmaceutical grade vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG), and also with no nicotine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified propylene glycol as an additive that is “generally recognized as safe” which means that it is acceptable for use in flavourings, drugs, cosmetics, as a direct food additive, toiletries, food colourings, cake mixes, salad dressings, soft drinks and more. It is also used in machines that simulate smoke. In electronic cigarettes, the VG and PG functions to provide the vapour mist that looks like smoke and to suspend the flavour.
E-Liquid Strength
The strength of e-liquid is essentially how much nicotine the fluid contains in a set volume of e-liquid. We use a basic measure of milligram of nicotine per millilitre of total fluid volume (mg/ml). This is how the solutions we currently offer denote the amount of nicotine they contain. It is also often refered to as the percentage of nicotine in the solution. For example, each 1mg/ml of e-liquid contains by volume 0.1% nicotine i.e. 99.9 parts are diluent and flavouring mixture and only 0.1 parts of the fluid is nicotine. Using this notation, an 18mg/ml e-liquid contains 1.8% nicotine.
How does the e-liquid strength compare to traditional cigarettes?
There is no direct correlation between the nicotine strength of e-liquid compared to the nicotine strength in cigarettes, as absorption rates are different when using e-cigs. But for example, if a cigarette package states that there is 1.8mg of nicotine in the product, it means that each cigarette contains 1.8mg of nicotine. Therefore in a pack of 20 cigarettes there is a total of 36mg of nicotine. In comparison, an e-liquid of 18mg/ml strength denotes that there is 18mg of nicotine in each milli-litre of fluid. Therefore if you were to vape 1ml of this fluid then it would contain the same amount of nicotine as in ten 1.8mg conventional cigarettes.
How long does e-liquid last?
Different atomisers perform at different rates of usage, but a rough estimation using a standard atomiser is that 10ml of e-liquid is roughly the equivalent of 80-100 conventional cigarettes.
Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerin (VG) liquids - what's the difference?
Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin - why is it used in e-liquid?
When used alone, the nicotine and flavourings in e-liquid produce no visible vapour. However, when propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), both slightly sweet, colourless, and viscous liquids, is the base of the e-liquid recipe, a satisfying plume of vapour is the result. When inhaled and exhaled, this vapour not only provides a similar physical sensation to that of inhaling tobacco smoke, it can deliver a fix of nicotine to the body via the lungs too.
What's the difference between PG and VG?
PG carries the flavour better and provides more throat hit. VG is smoother and denser vapour. A lower VG ratio (normally about 50%) is used in e-liquid designed for standard atomisers or vaping via mouth to lung (MTL) and a higher VG ratio (70% and above) is used in liquids designed for direct lung (DL) cloud chasing sub-ohm tanks. Generally high VG liquids are not used in standard atomisers due to it's higher viscosity (thicker) as it will not wick fast enough to the coil, and probably cause dry hits (not enough liquid at the coil) with standard coils.
What's all this "cloud chasing" about ?
Most atomisers for standard vaping usage are inhaled more like a conventional cigarette would be used, via inhaling in to the mouth and then in to the lungs (MTL). But there are also cloud chasing tanks which is a different kind of vaping, and inhaled direct to the lung (DTL). Cloud chasing tanks use a sub-ohm coil (measuring less than 1.0Ω) with much more airflow, and much more power (generally at least 25w or above, depending on type of sub-ohm coil) than standard atomisers. Most users of sub-ohm tanks use a much lower nicotine strength, generally no higher than 6mg, otherwise it's too harsh on the throat for direct lung inhales, and also a higher VG content (70%+ VG) to create smoother and larger clouds. The DTL usage enables massive clouds and an overall different kind of vaping experience, that many find improves the flavour significantly as well.
Troubleshooting
If no vapour is produced it could be to do with one or more of several elements: insufficient battery power, lack of e-liquid, inadequate connection between the battery and atomiser, or defective atomiser. But also the heating coil in the atomiser does not like too much liquid and it can flood (associated by gurgling noise when in use). If any gurgling does not clear after a couple of puffs or so, then the coil is getting flooded and can not vapourise all the liquid present at the coil, and so continues flooding, which then causes leakage (either sucked up the tube or seeps out the bottom of the atomiser). This then becomes a vicious circle, and so the flooding needs to be relieved. In that event hold the e-cig upside down in to a tissue for about 30 secs, to let any excess few drops of liquid drain off from the coil, or just flick it out, and start again.
Hints and tips
There are a great many hints & tips, but probably the most important piece of advice is to find an e-cig type & size that suits your requirements, with a flavour you enjoy, at a strength that satisfies you.
Watts and Volts? What's the difference?
On variable voltage devices, power can be increased or decreased by turning up (or down) the watts or volts. An increase in power means the coil will heat to a higher temperature, thereby increasing the vapour production; but all coil types (and resistance) have a limit of power that they can withstand before the flavour starts to taste burnt. Fine tuning the power is therefore about finding your 'sweet spot'.
A wattage setting is just a way of saying what power is being delivered irrespective of what resistance coil the power is being delivered to.
Voltage setting will deliver (whatever power) depending on what resistance coil the power is being delivered to.
It's just a way of describing the same thing, either in watts, or volts supplied to said resistance ohms.
Power = voltage squared divided by resistance
Calculator here -
http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-ohm.htm
1.5 ohms with 3.7v (standard voltage on an Evod battery) = about 9w
What's temperature control (TC) ?
Temperature control (TC) is available with many mods (devices) these days, but most vapers probably do not use TC (if available). TC is adjustable and is a different way setting up the power settings where it will not go above the temperature it is set at, and was originally designed as a way to avoid getting dry hits. In TC settings the temperature is calculated by detecting how much the resistance of the coil goes up with the type of coil used, hence is only compatible with coil materials where the resistance changes while the coil is heated up. TC can not be used with Kanthal (the material that most coils are made out of). TC can be used with Nickel (Ni), Titanium (Ti), or stainless steel (SS) coils. Nickel and Titanium should not be used without TC (in standard wattage settings). Stainless steel can be used in either TC or standard wattage settings. Most TC devices also allow you to adjust the ramp up power settings as well (how quick the coil will reach the desired temperature the device is set at).
Vaping Forum
For all things vaping discussion, and a useful resource, you can visit Planet Of The Vapes.
Recycle Your Vape
Recycle vapes - Find a local recycling point
Now please consult our Safety page
The electronic cigarette and the Law
The Law introduced in the United Kingdom in the Health Act 2006, banned the use of tobacco based cigarettes in public places. The Act was introduced in response to where tobacco based cigarettes kills over 100,000 people each year in the UK, as lit tobacco produces tar, carcinogens, carbon monoxide and up to 400 other toxic substances. In Chapter 28 that incorporates the Smoking ban, the definition of smoking is stated as : smoking refers to smoking tobacco or anything which contains tobacco, or smoking any other substance, and smoking includes being in possession of lit tobacco or of anything lit which contains tobacco, or being in possession of any other lit substance in a form in which it could be smoked. The user of a electronic cigarette device is excluded from this Act as the device contains no tobacco; it is not ignited, and produces no smoke from burning substances. (Unless the owner of the premises prohibits it) the electronic cigarette can be used in any location and within any premises that introduced a ban on tobacco based cigarettes with the introduction into Law of the Health Act 2006.
KEEP E-CIG DEVICES AND E-LIQUID OUT OF SIGHT AND REACH OF CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES
Nicotine in its pure form is a poison, and can cause harm. All nicotine cartridges and fluid must be kept in a safe place and away from children, as the amount of nicotine in a cartridge, if ingested by a small child could cause serious harm and medical assistance should be sought.
RESTRICTIONS: You must be eighteen (18) years of age or older, and possess a valid credit card to purchase our products. iVapour Limited (UK) will not sell products to minors. iVapour Limited (UK) reserves the right to cancel any sales transaction based on its sole discretion where it reasonably believes the purchaser is purchasing products on behalf of a minor.