Myth #1:

Electronic cigarettes are just as unsafe as tobacco ones are: After the FDA released its lab report in 2009, stating that it found certain toxic chemicals and carcinogens in the e-cigarettes it tested, this point has been stated repeatedly by the media and other organizations. This has lead to the belief that e-cigarettes are no worse than tobacco cigarettes for human health.

Reality: The truth is that the FDA only found trace amounts of “tobacco-specific nitrosamines” in certain samples that they tested. However, the amounts were too insignificant to cause any hazards. In fact, nitrosamines are actually allowed by the FDA in certain consumable products such as nicotine gum and nicotine patches.

On the 4^th of October this year, the National Vapers Club (NVC), in collaboration with CHANGE, LLC, released the results of a study they have been working on since 2009. The Indoor Vapor Air Quality Study (IVAQS) proved in a scientific manner that after comparing toxins and pollutants in e-cigarette vapor with tobacco smoke, the former was found to have no significant risk of harm to human health. An independent study conducted by Dr. Murray Laugesen also showed that e-cigarettes on average contain only 8.18ng of nitrosamines per gram of liquid. This is an extremely tiny amount, lower than what is found in nicotine gums and patches.

Myth #2:

Using electronic cigarettes may lead to tobacco smoking: Critics of the e-cigarette industry are quick to point out that non-smokers may try them out, getting addicted to nicotine in the process, and switching to tobacco cigarettes.

Reality: A majority of e-cigarette makers today, market their products to existing smokers, mainly as a healthier means of getting their nicotine fix. E-cigarettes are viewed more as a harm-reduction tool, than something to be used for entertainment. People do start smoking for a variety of reasons, such as peer pressure and excessive stress. It is highly unlikely that a non-smoker might get attracted to e-cigarettes for their flavors. In fact, polls do show that a vast majority of e-cigarette users are actually smokers. Even if a non-smoker happens to use e-cigarettes, the chances that he/she would move on to tobacco ones are quite slim. This is because tobacco would taste really foul to a non-smoker after having used the nice flavors that e-cigarettes have to offer.

Myth #3:

Young people are targeted by e-cigarette makers, with flashy packaging and sweet flavors: Once again, critics assume that fruity or exotic flavors and fancy advertising only appeal to little children.

Reality: As I mentioned before, most of the e-cigarette marketing is meant to target smokers. E-cigs are not meant to be a smoking cessation aid, but a means for smokers to cut down on the dangerous toxins and carcinogens that are associated with smoking tobacco. These devices provide only nicotine vapor to the user, and none of the harmful chemicals. The mere use of slick marketing or packaging does not imply that a younger audience is being targeted. Sweet and exotic flavors appeal to adults as well, and is added to the otherwise flavorless nicotine juice to enhance the vaping experience. Several smokers confess to preferring e-cig flavors to the taste of tobacco smoke.

Myth #4:

Electronic cigarettes may be more addictive than tobacco cigarettes: Another conclusion from the infamous FDA lab report was that the levels of nicotine found in cartridges varied from the amounts stated on the labels. This has led to the belief that e-cigarettes provide very strong doses of nicotine and are hence, more addictive.

Reality: It is a well-established fact that the sample size used by the FDA in their lab analysis was too small to have produced conclusive results. Also, two independent studies conducted by Dr. Laugesen and Dr. Thomas Eissenberg at Virginia Commonwealth University proved that e-cigarettes are not as efficient as tobacco in delivering nicotine doses. This means that the amount of nicotine delivered in e-cig vapor is much less than the actual concentration of the liquid.

E-liquid or e-juice is available in several concentrations for users to choose from, so they can self-regulate their nicotine intake on a daily basis.

Myth #5:

Second-hand vapor is unsafe for non-users: Anti-smoking groups such as the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights are against the use of e-cigarettes in workplaces and public spaces, as they believe that the vapor exhaled by users contains toxins and carcinogens.

Reality: As we’ve already seen, many studies have proved that the pollutants present in e-cigarette vapor are in such negligible amounts that they pose no risk whatsoever to those around. There is no threat to bystanders or non-users from second-hand vapor. Tobacco cigarettes are unsafe because they produce smoke that is not only exhaled by the smoker, but also comes directly from the lit end. This is not the case with e-cigarette where there is no real combustion taking place.

Myth #6:

All electronic cigarettes contain antifreeze: The 2009 FDA lab report also states that they found diethylene glycol, a component of antifreeze in one of the samples they tested.

Reality: The truth is that the FDA found diethylene glycol (DEG) in only one cartridge out of the 18 tested. This evidence is inconclusive, and cannot be used to generalize all brands of e-cigarettes. Subsequently, several independent studies were conducted on other e-cigarette brands and no evidence of DEG was ever found. DEG is a highly toxic compound, the consumption of which would cause immediate poisoning that could result in death. If e-cigarettes did contain DEG, it would result in a poisoning epidemic. Nothing of the sort has ever been reported.

Myth #7:

Electronic cigarettes are easily available to children/teens: Anti-smoking groups and legislators are of the assumption that children and teens will naturally be attracted to e-cigarettes, and can purchase them with ease.

Reality: E-cigarettes are mostly sold online, and it isn’t easy for children to buy them this way. They would need access to a credit card, which is impossible unless they steal one from their parents. Retailers and kiosk vendors are generally forbidden from selling these products to minors. Even if they were accessible, a single tobacco cigarette is way more affordable than an e-cigarette for a teenager who is experimenting. In any case, since e-cigarettes are marketed as a healthier alternative to tobacco cigs, they lack a ‘coolness factor’ with a younger audience.

Electronic cigarettes are completely free from tobacco. They contain liquid nicotine, which is vaporized and inhaled in a glycol vapor base. Since tobacco is absent from these devices, they are also free from all the toxins and carcinogens that have devastating effects on the human system. Instead, e-cigarettes provide a safer and healthier means for smokers to get their nicotine fix, in their efforts to quit smoking. They also aren’t deprived of their habit of puffing on a cig, as e-cigarettes simulate the effect perfectly. Several studies conducted recently have proved that e-smoking is indeed a safer option to tobacco smoking. The devices can be refilled, are cost-effective and taste better than regular cigarettes. They come in a variety of flavors ranging from mint to strawberry, keeping one’s breath minty fresh instead of reeking of tobacco. Gourmet flavors like Tiramisu aren’t uncommon, either.

‘Tobacco harm reduction’ is essentially a term used to describe a less-moralistic approach to helping people get off harmful, addictive substances. Instead of preaching abstinence, which many find difficult to deal with, harm-reduction aims to minimize the dangers present to individuals who are addicted to controlled substances. According to recent studies, about 67% of all smokers want to quit and 75% have tried. But the fact that the tobacco industry is still thriving is an indication that not many have been successful. According to Professor Gerry Stimson, director of Knowledge-Action-Change and former director of the International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA), the solution for dealing with tobacco is “staring us in the face.” “Those who are unable or unwilling to quit need to shift to safer nicotine products. Public health needs to catch up,” he said in a recent lecture.

Given the fact that e-cigarette technology falls bang into the definition of a harm-reduction tool, its popularity is on a steady rise. According to the figures released by Action on Smoking and Tobacco (ASH), only 3% of smokers used e-cigarettes in 2010. In just two years, the figure has more than doubled to 7%. This is estimated to be about 650,000 to 700,000 in Great Britain alone. The smokers who at least tried an e-cigarette were at 9% in 2010, but have risen to 22% in 2012. But that’s not all. In 2011, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine published that nearly 31% of those who tried e-cigarettes reported that they quit smoking all together within 6 months of use. This is far better than nicotine gums and patches, which have had a success rate of below 20%.

E-cigarettes have been in the news time and again with negative research and reports suggesting that they contain toxins and are harmful for human use. However, many of these researches have been successfully disproved for lack of sufficient evidence backing their claims. The fact does remain that while nicotine is an addictive substance in itself, it is not as harmful as tobacco is. Several medical health professionals even suggest that the effects of nicotine are comparable to that of caffeine – addictive, yet not deadly.

Use Your Discretion

This is exactly what some e-cig companies such as Skycig advise their customers to do. According to commercial director Damien Scott, “They’re (e-cigs) not covered by the smoking ban. But use your discretion in public places. In enclosed spaces you should ask permission first so that you’re not exhaling vapor everywhere.”

What you need to understand is that when you use an electronic cigarette, it might be cause for genuine concern and alarm in someone who is not familiar with the device. Not everyone is aware of the positive aspects of e-cigarettes. So while you know that what you exhale is nothing but water vapor, the guy next to you thinks of it as harmful smoke. Most people are mistrusting of the device that so resembles tobacco cigarettes that they would prefer it not be used around them.

So what do you do when an establishment doesn’t carry any signs about e-smoking? A good rule of thumb would be to ask the business owner, and respect their decision if the answer is no. You could of course, explain to them the differences between e-cigs and regular ones, politely asking them to reconsider. Even if you are at an establishment that allows vaping and someone sitting next to you seems uncomfortable or requests you to stop vaping, the best thing to do would be to respect their request. At work, it is a good idea to inform your colleagues about what you are doing. Smokers have been notorious because of a few rude ones who blow their tobacco smoke right into people’s faces. But since vaping is so new, the opportunity still exists for the community to create a positive view of this culture.

Educate People

The construction and workings of an e-cigarette might seem very simple to you, especially if you are a seasoned vaper. However, the device probably looks like something dangerous to the uninitiated. You might find yourself in several situations where you are asked to explain what the device is and why it’s okay for you to use it in public. In such situations, it is a good idea to educate the people around you, but you must learn to do it respectfully. Avoid using jargon that newbies may find intimidating. Instead, use the simplest terms possible to explain how an e-cigarette works. The best thing to tell people is that the device contains liquid nicotine which is vaporized by a heating filament; you inhale it and exhale water vapor into the air around you. You could also explain that no toxic chemicals go into the making of an e-cigarette. Arming yourself with the local law might be helpful as well. That way, you could always inform someone that what you are doing is legally permitted.

The exact words used in the report are as follows: “ENDS [electronic cigarettes] are products resembling cigarettes and could therefore undermine the de-normalization of tobacco use upheld by the WHO FCTC. One of the guiding principles of the guidelines for implementation of Article 12 (Education, communication, training and public awareness) is Norm change. It stipulates that it is “essential to change social, environmental and cultural norms and perceptions regarding the acceptability of the consumption of tobacco products, exposure to tobacco smoke…”. Parties are therefore invited to consider that a ban of ENDS as already undertaken by some Parties would contribute to changing the social norms regarding the consumption of tobacco products.”

In layman terms, this statement means the WHO is striving to change the way society looks at tobacco cigarettes – as something unnatural or not normal to use. Since e-cigarettes look and feel the same as analogs, the fact that they are safer products would work against the de-normalization process, which basically means that the use of e-cigarettes might make the use of tobacco cigarettes look normal. Of all the arguments that have come up against electronic cigarettes, this seems to be by far the weakest, and also the silliest. I could understand WHO wanting to ban the devices if they were scientifically found to contain harmful substances and were deemed unfit for use, but banning a safer product on the premise that it makes the dangerous one look normal? It looks like e-cig critics have really run out of ideas to bash the vaping world.

On a more serious note, this certainly might be a cause of worry for the e-cigarette industry, because WHO’s advice is said to have significant influence on several countries’ regulatory decisions on electronic cigarettes. One of the “Parties” as referred to by WHO is Qatar, where a ban on e-cigarettes was recently announced, citing WHO’s recommendations as a major influencing factor. Pharmacies in the country have been banned from stocking and selling the products.

I wonder if the WHO really believes that by removing e-cigarettes all together they are going to be a step closer to making people believe that tobacco use is not normal. What is in fact more likely to happen is that all those people who quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes will actually get back to the deadly habit. E-cigarettes have helped thousands of people not just to quit smoking, but reduce the harm done to their bodies to a very great extent. E-cigarettes do not contain any of the toxins or carcinogens tobacco does, and hence are an excellent harm-reduction tool in the process of weaning oneself off from tobacco.

Studies also show that an overwhelming majority of the people who use e-cigarettes are smokers who use the device as a means to get rid of their smoking habit. How then, does the WHO propose that the reverse would happen? Would these smokers find it normal to go back to tobacco smoking after having successfully quit? The WHO seems to believe e-cigarettes are bad because they look like tobacco cigarettes. The argument for the banning of a device on the basis of a mere ideology and not scientific evidence is downright fallacious. The fact that WHO is making such a suggestion is quite baffling to the logical mind.

E-Cigarette Skins

Skins are probably the cheapest way to personalize your electronic cigarette. They’re easy to use and come in a variety of colors and patterns that make your e-cig stand out from all those white sticks everyone else is using. There e-cigarette brands out there that offer a selection of skins to choose from, but there are also independent companies that specialize in skins, and they have a much richer offer. What’s great about these cool accessories is they’re so inexpensive that you can buy a bunch of them and just pick whichever suits your mood on any given day. The possibilities are endless.

Depending on what model you go for, there are different ways of applying skins to your e-cigarette. For example, Vapor Jackets, one of the most popular skin companies on the market, sells wrappers that slide around your e-cig and stick into place through applied heat. You can use a hair dryer or even an old fashion cigarette lighter (ironic, huh?) to heat the vapor jacket and it will start to shrink and wrap tightly around the electronic cigarette. Other, more conventional skins have to be cut to the dimension of your e-cigarette and work like common stickers. These tend to peel off after a while, but they’re also usually cheaper.

Whatever type you decide on, you’ll turn your vaporizer into an interesting fashion accessory that’s bound to catch everyone’s eye.

Designer Batteries

Until a short while ago, most e-cigarette brands sold only white batteries. Nowadays, most of them offer a variety of colors, although ex-smokers looking for something as close to smoking as possible still prefer the classic white. There are lots of colors to choose from when it comes to batteries, and some brands have even introduced rubberized batteries, a sign that customization is a big part of their marketing strategy. But some companies, like the popular Green Smoke, have already taken the next step – designer batteries. Most companies offer a range of abstract patterns or popular logos, but there are a few that will imprint whatever design you want on your custom battery.

Although slightly more expensive than generic e-cigarette batteries, the designer choice will make you stand out from the crowd. They have high quality finish and they will not fade or scratch as easy as skins.

Bedazzle Glass Tanks

This last customization option on our list is directed at advanced vapers who are familiar with tank e-cigarette mods. “Bedazzle”, a veteran member on ECF, the world’s largest vaping forum, makes these incredibly beautiful borosilicate glass tanks that will not only transform your vaporizer into a work of art, but also prevent any cracking, from any types of juices. She uses a technique called electroforming - a metal forming process using conductive copper paint to form a metal skin on the glass tanks. Each tank is cut, and polished by hand on a lapidary machine, and although you may notice tiny imperfections on each tank, that is just a normal result of handmade work.

Bedazzle glass tanks come in any size/style to fit any mod on the market right now,m and the design options are simply mind-blowing. With a 10-year experience working as a glass artist, Bedazzle can create whatever design you like. Prices range from $17 to $19.

Problems associated with the use of fillers can be easily avoided by using a technique called dripping. Essentially, ‘dripping’ is a method of filling the atomizer directly with e-liquid that can be purchased in small bottles online. Once the atomizer is filled, the vaping process is pretty much the same as with cartomizers. The filler taste is eliminated, and many claim the flavor of the e-liquid is enhanced.

To ‘drip’, simply remove the cartridge and pull out the filling material using a pair of tweezers, or your fingers. Next, open the e-liquid container and directly drip 2-3 drops of juice into the atomizer. Depending on the type of e-cig you are using it would take a maximum of two to three drops. Place the cartridge back without the filler, and you will be all set to begin vaping. This method gives you around five to eight complete puffs, after which you need to drip once more.

Try not to over-fill the atomizer with e-juice, or instead of constantly having to drip directly over the atomizer you’ll run into leaking problems, which are even worse.  As you get familiar with the dripping process, you will figure out how many drops you need to add. It is recommended that you use e-cigs with manual batteries while dripping, so the risk of the liquid entering the battery is minimized, in case of leaks. You could even purchase drip tips that are specially designed for the process. Thick e-juice that is made from 100% vegetable glycerine is generally best for dripping, but it also lead to gunk build-ups around the atomizer as well.

Dripping has a lot of fans in the vaping community, but it’s not really a technique recommended to new electronic cigarette users, since having to constantly drip e-juice on the atomizer and potential leaking problems  can be frustrating,

The first step to using an e-cigarette is pretty much the same as smoking – place the device between your lips and take a drag. But don’t be surprised if there’s very little vapor, or none at all. If you’ve done everything else right (like pushing the button on a manual battery, or priming with an automatic one), there’s probably some things you need to learn about drag technique. Vaping an e-cig is different from taking a drag out of an analog. With the latter you would take a sharp, short puff directly into your lungs, but’s slightly different with e-cigs.

While vaping, you need to do the opposite of pulling too hard or too sharply. You need to keep in mind that the e-cigarette, unlike the analog, is not burning all the time. The vapor production is a slow, smooth process that occurs only when you take a drag. When you place the e-cig between your lips, try taking in a long and light puff. It will take a few tries before you get it right – but when you do, you will get in exactly the right amount of vapor to make it a satisfying experience.

If your e-cigarette has an automatic battery, a few primer puffs are required like I mentioned before. Nothing happens on the first buff because the battery requires some time to detect the air flow and start the vaping process. So the first couple of puffs need to be short, to activate the battery, and then long and easy – just like with the manuals.

The thing to remember is that with a long and leisurely drag, the smoke doesn’t go directly into the lungs. It goes into the mouth at first and then you inhale it into the lungs. If you’re the kind of smoker that likes to take short drags, then take in a couple of primer puffs in quick succession – filling your lungs with vapor. Eventually, you will get the hang of it and develop your own style of vaping.

E-liquid, or e-juice, mainly consists of five ingredients – propylene glycol (PG), water, nicotine, glycerol, and additional flavoring. For those who suffer from PG-related allergies, vegetable glycerine (VG) can be used as an alternative. PG or VG make up 70% of the e-liquid, acting as a vaporizing base (nicotine does not vaporize on its own). For home-made e-juice, the main ingredients you need to purchase are PG/VG, distilled water, e-juice flavoring, and commercial nicotine juice. You would need to purchase these ingredients individually and mix them up in certain ratios, depending on how strong or flavored you would like your e-liquid to be.

PG/VG is available in stores such as Walmart, in the form of Glycerine. It’s the same stuff that some people use to soften their skin, but you need to make sure you buy the one marked USP grade, which means it is food grade glycerine. VG tends to be of a thicker consistency than PG, so you might need to use a bit more water to thin it out. It’s important that you use distilled water, because tap water might contain unwanted impurities. Nicotine juice is available dissolved in a PG/VG base for purchase online in varying concentrations (mg of nicotine/ml of fluid). You can go for unflavored nicotine juice at whatever concentration you are comfortable with. Beginners are generally advised to start at 50mg. Apart from these ingredients, you will also need a few mixing supplies like clean, empty bottles and 1ml to 10ml syringes that help with drawing out and measuring liquid.

Now, you could be making e-liquid with or without nicotine, it is completely up to you. A general rule of thumb to follow for e-juice without nicotine is: 70% PG/VG + 15% flavoring + 15% water (optional for thinning). With nicotine: 60% PG/VG + 20% nicotine juice + 10% flavoring + 10% water (optional). This is of course, just a general guide. The actual amounts you use would also be influenced by the concentration of nicotine juice you are starting with, and the end concentration of e-juice you want to achieve. One of the best places to start is with an e-juice recipe calculator, like this one: http://www.todmuller.com/ejuice/ejuice.php. It makes your life easier by saving you from doing the math.

It’s always best to mix e-liquid in small batches, for the best and safest results. Also, nicotine is considered a toxic substance in high concentrations. You must not allow it to touch your skin or splash into your eyes directly; it’s best if you wear a pair of gloves and goggles while working. It’s also best not to work with nicotine juice when kids or pets are around. Rinse off any nicotine from your skin immediately and visit a doctor if any negative reactions persist. If you are careful though, you could have a lot of fun making your own e-liquid at home.

According to Tom Kiklas, co-founder and spokesman for the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association (TVECA), there are currently 1.5 million e-cig users in America, an
unimpressive number compared to the 46 million hooked on analogs. But the big difference between the two is e-cigarettes are growing while tobacco cigs have been on the decline for a few years now. Although the electronic cigarette industry is still in its infancy, Kiklas expects it to break the $1 billion barrier in just 5-years’ time. They have two key elements going for them right now: the health benefits perceived by consumers and the constant manufacturing innovation. The FDA forbids e-cig suppliers to advertise their products using health-related claims, but no one is preventing users from doing so, and as we all know, word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool. In terms of innovation, although the principle by which e-cigarettes work has remained almost unchanged since their invention in 2003, there have been multiple breakthroughs in both looks, usability and packaging.

Bonnie Herzog, senior market analyst at Wells Fargo, is a bit more reserved than Kiklas, but she also believes electronic cigarettes show a great deal of potential in the convenience sector. “It’s a fairly new category, and that’s what I find so exciting,” she told Convenience Store Decisions. “I’m making some pretty big predictions. I think it’s possible that consumption of e-cigarettes could surpass that of traditional cigarettes within the next decade.” Just like other analysts before her, she compared the rise of these innovative devices to that of energy drinks in the beverages sector. They too started out as a niche segment and quickly transformed into a $1.5 billion market that’s expected to reach $2 billion in annual retail sales by 2016. Herzog compares e-cigs to energy drinks in terms of growth, profit potential and buzz. Everyone’s talking about them right now, and despite some negative publicity, most people tend to respond positively to electronic cigarettes. Another strong signal e-cigs may have the same success as new age drinks is the big players’ interest in them. Earlier this year, Big Tobacco company Lorillard acquired Blu, one of the leading e-cigarettes suppliers on the market, and other big brands are expected to follow suit.

Another characteristic that Herzog says makes e-cigs so appealing right now is their similarity to conventional cigarettes. “E-cigarettes are a very small category right now, but because the product’s attributes are so similar to traditional cigarettes, this makes them very attractive to existing smokers. The operative assumption is that the risk is reduced because you’re inhaling vapor. The notion that they offer the same sensation with less harm is an attractive proposition to a large group of consumers.” Not to mention they are a cheaper alternative to smoking, and can be used almost everywhere without the risk of second-hand smoke. As the findings of the IVAQS study recently showed, there’s no apparent risk to humans from second hand vapor.

However, the electronic cigarettes’ exponential growth may be slowed down by the FDA’s decision to regulate them as tobacco products and states putting restrictions in place. E-cigarette importers will need have tobacco importing licenses, and sellers will have to have tobacco licenses in all 50 states, plus the taxes for these products will also grow considerably. “We have no problem with the taxing of the product, but you have to tax it at the level of harm that it does, and it’s a less harmful product than a traditional tobacco cigarette,” Tom Kiklas said. “So if you’re going to tax it, tax it at that level, and that level would be not very high.”

Just a few days ago, Spinfuel, a respected online e-cigarette magazine, did a story on the deception and corruption in the vaping industry. You probably already know this is a very fast-growing business, with new brands being created virtually every day, and I really have no problems with that, as long as they play by the rules. Sure, they’re all looking to make a profit by simply stamping a brand on devices that they get from the same three e-cigarette manufacturing plants in China, but as long as their prices remain decent and they help someone quit smoking, I’m actually ready to lend my support. But in order to maximize their profits and convince desperate smokers to buy their stuff, a lot of companies resort to a series of low-down tricks without being held accountable. The Spinfuel article focused on V2 Cigs and Bull Smoke, but they aren’t the only ones making ridiculous claims about their e-cigs. I’m not even going to talk about these two companies (I’ve never even tried Bull Smoke, but I’ve reviewed V2 Cigs), because this is a general problem.

Roughly every e-cigarette company out there mentions their superior technology makes them the better choice compared to the competition, when in reality many of them use the same identical e-cig model, but with a different name on it, and sometimes different-color LEDs and different battery threading. I’m not saying all e-cigs are the same, because they are not. There are a lot of different models to choose from, different generations, different cartomizers, and so on. What I’m trying to tell you is a lot of these companies claim to have proprietary superior technology to the competition, with some going as far as claiming they are “the originator of the unique 2-piece design electronic cigarette that provides smokers with an exciting new alternative”. Not to mention half of these companies claim to sell the the best/premiere/most popular electronic cigarette on the market, without providing any evidence of that. How can they all be no.1 at the same time, and most importantly, why isn’t anyone doing anything about this?

Because the e-cigarette industry is yet unregulated and everyone can do as they please, as far as they abide by general commercial law. No one can hold these companies responsible for deceiving buyers into thinking they’re spending their hard-earned cash on a generic electronic cigarette they could buy five times cheaper from a different vendor, or for using scam free-trial offers to actually bleed customers dry for a standard e-cigarette standard kit. As far as they don’t use the “safer/healthier alternative to smoking” argument, they are pretty much free to do as they please to promote their products. Sure there are respectable brands out there that don’t stoop to dirty tricks to make a profit, but they’re no match for big players with deep pockets and aggressive marketing strategies. There are companies and even newly-formed organisations pushing for a self-regulation of the e-cigarette industry, but I wonder if that’s in the best interest of the vaping community. With so much money at stake, I doubt it… Hopefully, with time, as the industry matures, this kind of practices will be a thing of the past.

In closing, I just want to make it clear I was not referring to the actual electronic cigarettes these shady companies sell. Some of them are actually pretty good, it’s the way they are promoted that I have a problem with.