Archive for the ‘disadvantages of the e-cigarette’ Category

If you don’t have enough e-cigarette supplies, you’re going back to your old smelly friend for sure. I didn’t realize how thin the line between e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes is until my only spare atomizer died. I lasted only a couple of hours before I started craving for nicotine and I feel ashamed that I had to purchase a pack of cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are advertised as a way to quit smoking and they are not. They are just a healthier substitute—at least they seem to be. Avoid my mistake: have at least two spare atomizers, two brand new cartridges, and enough e-liquid.

Throat Hit Origins

Throat hit is the tingling sensation smokers feel at the back of the throat. It is felt when the inhaled smoke hits the throat. The term is more relevant to e-cigarette smoking because by their very nature e-cigarettes taste lighter than conventional cigarettes. Throat hit is a major concern for e-cigarette smokers because most of them converted from conventional smoking and they are used to the stronger throat hit of a burning tobacco leaf.

So, the stronger the throat hit, the better because  it’s closer to the real thing. Let’s look at some of the factors involved in producing stronger throat hit, starting from the most important.

Throat Hit Factors

#1 E-liquid Quality: Overall quality of e-liquid is cited as the most important factor in producing stronger throat hit. First time buyers of e-cigarette should research the brands that offer e-liquid that ranks high in throat hit.

#2 Nicotine Dosage in E-liquid: The dosage of nicotine can also affect throat hit. High dosage equals stronger throat hit, but again it depends on the overall quality of the e-liquid.

#3 Condition and Proper Maintenance: Life of equipment and maintenance may determine throat hit. Often uncharged batteries and clogged atomizer may cause weak throat hit; so do defective ones.

#4 Device Parts Quality: Throat hit also depends on the quality of the separate parts of the e-cigarette: atomizer, batteries, and cartridges. The model, batch, and brand play a part too.

#5 Smoking Technique: Smoking e-cigarettes takes some time to learn. It is about three times harder to draw on an e-cigarette than on a conventional cigarette. Plus getting more vapor and throat hit depends on the particular way an e-cigarette is drawn on.

The color and style of your e-cigarette are important. I’m not talking about personal taste—I’ll leave that to you. I’m talking about convenience.

E-cigarette that Looks like Hot Cigarette: Good for You, Bad for Others

My first e-cigarette was the super mini electronic cigarette, a model that came on to the market after the longer pen-style. I chose the mini because it looked and felt like a regular hot cigarette; it had similar size and color, and a gray tip that lit up in red as if burning. The mini seemed the obvious choice: I wanted my new way of smoking to be as close to the real smoking as possible.

But I never thought that smoking an e-cigarette that resembled a real cigarette will affect me socially. After all, supporters of e-smoking, including me, believe that e-cigarettes are safe, don’t cause second-hand smoking, and can be used in public places. Unfortunately, it will take time for e-cigarettes to become known to the public. I was asked to put away my mini e-cigarette on many occasions.

Once, while I was strolling around an open mall, two security guards asked me to put out my e-cigarette. The first time I explained it was an e-cigarette, but when the other guard approached me, I put the mini in my pocket. After my city—Pasadena, CA—banned smoking on public places including my favorite Coffee Bean patio, I felt uncomfortable smoking my mini e-cigarette. The mini looked so real that I could get in trouble.

What Style to Choose

Buy an e-cigarette that doesn’t look like regular cigarette to use at public places. I bought a new mini e-cigarette that was black and had an indicator light that lit up in bright blue. I stopped making a nuisance of myself in front of non-smokers—most of them think I’m using a gadget of some sort and don’t pay attention to the water vapor that comes out from my mouth.

Here’s a tip for new users of e-cigarettes: buy cartridges or e-liquid with lower doses of nicotine—as precaution against chain-smoking. Gradually increase the doze until you find the amount of nicotine you are used to.

Chain smoking is a problem often discussed on e-cigarette forums. Many e-cigarette users are apt to continuously smoke their e-cigarettes until the battery dies. One reason for this could be the feeling of closure associated with putting out regular cigarette into an ashtray. Every long-time smoker knows this feeling. E-cigarettes don’t burn out, so putting out a cigarette, an important part of the smoking experience, is out.

And e-cigarettes are more available than regular cigarettes: you can smoke your e-cig at places where you have never though of smoking before—the living room, the bedroom, the mall. You don’t have to go outside anymore.

I often chain-smoked myself. Once in my hand, I couldn’t let go of my mini e-cigarette, until the cartridge was dry. That’s why I started counting my drags—now I stop after 20 drags. Though I was an e-cigarette chain smoker, I rarely felt any of the discomforts of regular smoking. On one occasion, after a night of continuous e-smoking, I remember I had difficulty breathing.

Difficulty breathing, as I learned, was a nicotine overdose symptom. In forums, I found many e-cig smokers who have experienced nicotine overdose. Nausea, diarrhea, weakness, sweating, pallor, stomach pain, and seizures are other common symptoms of nicotine overdose.