5 tips for starting the electronic cigarette well

Practical questions

If you are a smoker, here are five very simple tips from our own experience to start the electronic cigarette in good conditions.

Update: This article dating, we offer you an updated version: Which electronic cigarette model for which smoking profile?

1 – Understand what it is and know what to expect

You know that the electronic cigarette is not a cigarette in the sense that there is no tobacco or combustion. It is a vaporizer that can diffuse nicotine or not and whose e-liquid generally contains five main ingredients:

Acronym of "vegetable glycerin" which means "vegetable glycerineˮ in English. It is one of the components of e-liquid with propylene glycol, nicotine and flavorings." >vegetable glycerin to densify the vapor (make it thicker and whiter) and/or also transport nicotine in it and flavorings

food grade flavorings (artificial or natural) to give it a taste (tobacco, fruit, etc.)

water

water alcohol

It is important to understand that e-cigarettes are a risk reduction method for the adult smoker, and only make sense when compared to smoking, which is responsible for 73,000 deaths per year in France and which, according to Bercy, would cost society 47 billion euros each year (including 14 billion in tax revenue).

The ingredients presented above have been present in the food and pharmaceutical industry for a long time and are known to health professionals. Even if the scientific knowledge around the product strongly needs to be enriched, because inhaling aromas for example is not the same thing as ingesting them, according to the studies known to date the electronic cigarette has a low-risk toxicological profile and can be compared to certain nicotine substitutes sold in pharmacies.

The traces of nitrosamines, formaldehyde or acrolein that have been detected by certain studies seem to be on the one hand very debatable (experimental protocols) and on the other hand very far (positively) from the thresholds deemed acceptable by certain authorities health (exposure thresholds in the workplace). The simple fact that carbon monoxide, tar or even the deadly cocktail of nitrosamines in large quantities, are not present in the vapor of an electronic cigarette, would eliminate most of the risks associated with smoking.

The consumer smoker who is therefore interested in the electronic cigarette must still accept the unknowns of its long-term use. But if smoking involves many health risks, vaping exclusively, i.e. replacing tobacco entirely with an electronic cigarette using e-liquid, will certainly reduce the risks. According to the scientific knowledge base currently available, this level of risk reduction could be reduced by 95% (read the report from the British Department of Health).

2 – Buy good equipment

Do not expect to find the taste and the effect of a tobacco cigarette, it has nothing to do (or almost). On the other hand, the pleasure that one can derive from it is comparable, or even more pleasant, to the act of smoking. It is a question of material, approach and time.

It may sound simple, but the hardware makes all the difference, especially when you're just starting out. It can play from simple to double, either disgust you or convince you in a minute. It is therefore important not to buy just anything. The editorial staff of the Vaping Post regularly offers a list of the best electronic cigarettes of the moment, so do not hesitate to consult it if you are completely new to the field.

A simple and good advice that we can give you is not to buy an electronic cigarette with which you cannot change e-liquid (the famous product that makes vapor). The crucial point of the ecig is to change e-liquid to vary the pleasures and above all find those that suit you best, both in terms of taste and nicotine dosage.

3 – Choose your strategy

Our third tip is behavioral. You are in a good position to know that quitting smoking is hell, it is stressful and depressing. From our own experience, we would advise you not to stress yourself out by switching directly to the electronic cigarette and to expect it to rid you of tobacco in the blink of an eye and forever. First impressions are always a little disappointing, so don't dismiss the product if it has only fulfilled 70% of its role as a substitute. On the contrary, it means that you have almost found the shoe that suits you.

It is common to hear in testimonials from vapers that a few months are sometimes necessary to gradually reduce your cigarette consumption, before going completely to the vape. The transition can be done in a natural way and one less cigarette is a step closer to weaning, but the objective of zero cigarettes must not change. The real danger of smoking is the duration of consumption.

In any case, never hesitate to consult a health professional in case of doubt. Tobacconists are now more and more informed about the product.

4 – Discussing on blogs and forums

Discussing with others and discussing is not unique to electronic cigarettes when you want to quit smoking, the group effect and the he social anchoring of your approach is important to reinforce your behavior, and there is also a technical dimension which is important. The electronic cigarette is a device, depending on the model, which can be a bit complicated for a beginner (we often talk about a learning curve).

We therefore advise you to hang out on the forums and discuss with other vapers. The forum-ecigarette.com is a good address. It is the largest French forum on the ecig, perfect for entering the world of electronic cigarettes smoothly. You will find people there who are very welcoming and very patient with beginners.

5 – Vary e-liquids

The pleasure of electronic cigarettes, or vaping now that you are a connoisseur, is to vary the pleasures. The product contained in electronic cigarettes, e-liquid, can be very different depending on the brands you choose. Many manufacturers exist, French or foreign, and some really stand out. You'll be surprised what these companies, mostly created by ex-smokers, can do today. Some e-liquids are so pleasant to “vape” that the taste of a traditional cigarette may eventually disgust you. But it can take time, do not hurry, test, buy different e-liquids, this is how you will manage to identify your tastes and find the e-liquids that will best match.

Today the voting system that allows vapers to leave their opinion on e-liquids includes thousands of comments and hundreds of e-liquids. Consult this section to give you ideas on the different brands and create a vaper account at the same time in order to participate in this knowledge base.