Common Vaping FAQS

Published by Matt Brown on 4th Oct 2018

When you're thinking of switching from smoking to vaping, there are many questions you may have. We’ve collated answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive from our customers.

What is an e-cigarette / vape?

E-cigarettes are a less harmful alternative to smoking which many people use to help them kick tobacco altogether.

E-cigarettes are made up of a battery (which provides the power), a heating element (or ‘coil’) which heats up a liquid, turning it to vapour which you inhale.

This liquid can contain varying levels of nicotine, replacing the nicotine which you would usually get from cigarettes. It can also be provided with no nicotine. The liquid also provides the flavour.

Why are e-cigarettes better for you than smoking?

People smoke for nicotine but they die from the tar. E-cigarettes remove this variable.

E-cigarettes only heat the e-liquid rather than burning anything, so the particularly dangerous parts of cigarette smoke are absent. In a tobacco cigarette, it’s the tar (and other chemicals) that are produced when combusted that kill.

E-cigarettes, however, are completely tar-free and are never combusted, which is why Public Health England is confident in calling them 95% safer than smoking.

Nicotine is the addictive part of smoking, but is not the harmful substance in cigarettes. Nicotine can raise the heart rate in the same way as drinking too many cups of coffee, but nicotine on its own does not harm health.

Are e-cigarettes safe?

According to Public Health England’s research into many available studies, e-cigarettes are at least 95% safer than smoking.

While quitting smoking entirely is the ideal, for many that’s almost impossible. The habit is the hardest thing to break when stopping smoking.

Making the switch to e-cigarettes instead represents a far safer alternative to continuing to smoke without the trauma of breaking a well-formed habit cycle. For both the user and those around them.

In the UK, e-cigarettes and e-liquids are subject to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPRs). This legislation sets out in detail what can and cannot be legally sold, and has brought in a number of restrictions surrounding the size of tanks and bottles of e-liquid, as well as the maximum nicotine strength that's allowed.

The rules go further and list a number of ingredients that are banned from the manufacturing of e-liquid, including Diacetyl and Acetyl Propynol, as well as any vitamins or similar additives.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the regulator in the UK, and have a responsibility for ensuring that companies operating within the marketplace are meeting their responsibilities under the law.

As a reputable vape company, here at JAC we are fully compliant with all regulations so you can be confident that when you shop with us, you are purchasing a high quality, fully tested and notified product.

What do the recent headlines coming from the USA mean for vaping?

There have been a number of moves in the USA to restrict the sale of flavoured e-liquids in response to a spike in serious respiratory illnesses.

These issues appear to be related to the sale of black-market e-liquids, which are unregulated and in many cases contain THC (derived from cannabis). The market in the UK has a far more rigid regulatory framework where the ingredients that can be used to create an e-liquid are much more tightly controlled.

Public health bodies in the UK have not altered their advice that vaping is a far healthier alternative to smoking.

What is the smoke that is released?

It’s not smoke.

What you see being produced by an e-cigarette is vapour, which is created when the e-liquid is heated to a certain temperature. Think of it like steam being created when water is boiled, and it’s this vapour that you inhale.

The vapour from e-cigarettes is not harmful to health in the way that second hand smoke is. E-cigarette vapour does not cause harm to bystanders.

What are the differences between e-cigarette form factors?

In simple terms, the capacity (mAh) of the battery affects the vaping capabilities of the device – the higher the mAh the longer the battery will last on one full charge. This alongside the e-liquid capacity of the cartomiser or POD.

1. Cig-a-Likes (V3i)

Cigalikes are small, slim e-cigs which are usually about the same size as a tobacco cigarette. Due to their small size, they don’t have a very long battery life and aren’t always the most powerful. But, many people find the similarity in size to tobacco cigarettes comforting as their first device, while they accustom themselves to vaping.

Cigalikes are used with cartomisers; you simply screw the cartomiser (which contains the flavoured liquid and nicotine) to the end of the battery and off you go.

A cart (for the cigalikes) contains the least amount of e-liquid (usually less than 1ml), so will generally last for 2-3 hours before it will need to be replaced.

2. Vape Pens (S17, S22)

Vape pen devices typically have a bigger battery, with a refillable tank on top, so that the whole device looks like a (thick) pen.

Refillable tanks mean that you have more flexibility over what flavour of e-liquid you use and which coil you use.

The battery life of our SERIES-S17 is 900mAh and our SERIES-S22 is 2600mAh – high powered devices in very small form factors – meaning your device should last much longer on one charge (all day in the case of the S22).

There is more of a learning curve, as you will have to learn how to replace coils and refill e-liquid, but you'll be up to speed in no time.

We always recommend you read our instruction manuals, even if you are tempted to just get the device put together quickly – we’ve included step by step user guides helping you to get started – these include how to change a coil and how often, how to fill your tank with e-liquid and how often you should change and how to clean your tank and device.

3. AIO

An All in One device is a product that has a device with a refillable tank that is housed in the device rather than as a tank, such as a vape pen, on top of the device.

Our All in One device is the VIM can be used with a refillable tank or a POD.

It is easy to use for new users and, again, each device comes with a comprehensive user manual.

4. POD Mods

A POD Mod is a catch all term for a product that is a device that is used with a POD.

A POD is a tank pre-filled and sealed with e-liquid.

A POD Mod is a very easy device for a beginner to start with – no coils, e-liquids or fuss. Our VIM family can be used with PODs - simply buy your VIM device, click in the POD and vape.

Once a user becomes happy with vaping, their technique and how to use their device then a transition to re-filling tank becomes an easier (and cheaper) proposition.

5. Box Mod

A Box Mod is the next step up for the vape pen style device, it gives a user more flexibility with added features. Typically, they come with a larger battery that lasts longer than vape pens and small vape devices and allows users to interchange tanks or atomisers, if they wish

We don’t generally recommend Box Mods for new users as the learning curve is steeper than ‘plug and play’ devices such as cigalikes, vape pens, POD Mods and AIO.

How long will my cart, e-liquid or POD last me?

This comes down to the user and how heavily they vape.

A cart (for the cigalikes) contains the least amount of e-liquid (usually less than 1ml), so will generally last for a 2-3 hours before it will need to be replaced.

A 2ml tank filled with e-liquid will last about 5-6 hours of regular use.

A POD filled with a nic salts e-liquid will typically last for around a whole day, thanks to a more effective nicotine delivery.

What are Nicotine Salts?

The e-liquid contained in cartomisers and pods is made up of three primary ingredients, plus flavourings: PG (propylene glycol, found in asthma inhalers), VG (vegetable glycerine, found in cough syrup), and nicotine.

Nic salt pods (available in our SMOKING and picNIC e-liquids or VIM PODs) use the same ingredients, but with a special type of nicotine known as nic salts.

Nic salts are specially designed to give you the same quick satisfaction that you’d get from a cigarette, rather than the slower release nicotine found in traditional e-liquid. That means a more immediate hit, and faster satisfaction for cravings.

Devices using Nicotine Salts also need used less due to the faster nicotine hit, meaning battery life and the PODs themselves will last the user much longer.

A great place for beginners to start.

Do I vape e-cigarettes differently than I would smoke, in terms of my inhale technique?

In terms of technique when vaping e-liquid, we advise those starting out with these style of e-cigarettes to take a draw for around 3-7 seconds before holding the vapour in their mouths for several seconds.

After this, they can either exhale directly or inhale the vapour into their lungs before then exhaling.

E-cigarettes using normal e-liquid will take up to 30 seconds for the body to absorb and provide the hit. This is due to the vapour molecules being much larger than smoke molecules and unable to be absorbed as deeply into the lungs.

VIM + VIM PODS

However, if you are using VIM PODs which come with Nicotine Salts e-liquid, you can use the device much like a cigarette.

Nicotine Salts are absorbed 8 times faster in to the blood stream than normal e-liqiuid in to the blood stream so the user will very quickly work out the technique best for them.

Nicotine Salts are the easiest transition for smokers to vapers, since the liquid mimics the sensation of smoking.

Which e-liquid is best for me?

This is entirely subjective and is down to your habit and the flavours you like. Luckily we have a handy page to help you already – see it here.