E Cig Tips and Tricks

As I’ve been using my Blu Cigs, I’ve picked up a couple of tricks that might be useful for you.

First, at one point I noticed that after loading up a new blu cig cartridge, I wasn’t getting the proper vapor and nicotine hit from the drag. I knew my battery was charged and obviously the cartridge was new. After tinkering a bit, I took the cartridge off and realized the problem. When you load an e-cig cartridge, the atomizer pierces the nicotine receptical. (See the construction of an e-cig here.)  It is covered with a layer of aluminum foil. When I’d pierced the aluminum, the foil stuck to my atomizer, blocking much of the vapor and nicotine from getting through the end of my e-cig. I simply removed the foil, replaced the blu cig cartridge, and all was good in e-cig land.

Another tip I picked up from a friend, is how to get more vapor from the blu cig. Personally, I’ve always smoked light cigarettes, so I don’t have any problem with the amount of nicotine and vapor I get from a light e-cig cartridge. My friend, however, was a heavy full-strenght cigarette smoker and wasn’t completely satisfied with the hit he was getting from his Blu Cig. He told me that by putting a small piece of Scotch tape where the batter and atomizer connect, he was able to draw more vapor from his Blu Cig and get satisfaction.

Have any tips? Leave a comment!

Electric cigarettes, a new, tobacco-free device designed to provide smokers with a nicotine fix without the hassle of second-hand smoke or carcinogens, are drawing attention in this country as a way to skirt current smoking laws. With the help of Chuck Williams, proprietor of the Pipe Den in the Harrisburg Mall, we provide this quick intro on the device and what it does. Williams has had an electric cigarette kiosk in the mall since April and says business has been steadily growing.
Q: What are electric cigarettes?
A: Also known as e-smokes, e-cigarettes and e-cigs, electric cigarettes are a new, tobacco-free alternative to traditional cigarettes, pipes and cigars. There are many types and brands but they all operate more or less the same way.
Q: How do they work?
A: Electric cigarettes are shaped like traditional cigarettes, but inside hold a small, rechargeable battery, an atomization chamber and replaceable cartridges that contain a mixture of water, propylene glycol (a compound commonly found in cosmetics, food and medicines) and nicotine. As the battery powers up the chamber, moisture goes through and creates a steam effect, much like a smoke machine. When you “puff” on the device, a red LED light on the tip will light up, in simulation of a real cigarette, but all you exhale is water vapor.
Q: Do I have to recharge it?
A: Yes. The product uses a lithium ion battery, similar to that found in a cell phone. Williams said it takes about two hours to charge in a normal outlet and can last all day if completely charged.
Q: What’s the advantage over normal cigarettes?
A: Proponents say they give a smoker a nicotine fix, but without tar, carcinogins and tobacco. The smoker exhales water vapor, so there’s no second-hand smoke — and only a little smell. Among those proponents are William T. Godschall, executive director of SmokeFree Pennsylvania, who’s spent more than 20 years battling second-hand smoke.
Q: Are these things safe?
A: Few scientific studies have been carried out to determine the safety of electric cigarettes. A number of regulatory agencies have issued warnings regarding the health effects of these products. The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t done any studies yet but has discouraged their use and expressed concerns that they lack the appropriate health warnings.
The American Cancer Society has criticized the lack of clinical trials to determine the product’s safety and joined with the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to ask the FDA to remove them from the market.
“I think they’re a bad idea,” said Dr. Rebecca Bascom, a professor of medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. “I think they’re appealing in that a lot of people would like to quit smoking. The problem is there are no studies that have shown its effectiveness as a cessation aid. There are no safety studies either.”
“You’re taking something into the lungs. It’s well known that things act differently when they go into the body through different routes,” she said. “It’s naive to think they can deliver nicotine alone. We shouldn’t be asked to trust that this thing is going to be good.”
Health New Zealand, a private public policy group, conducted a study in May and deemed the product a “safe alternative to smoking.”
Q: Will it help me quit smoking?
A: Its adherents say yes. The fact that you can buy cartridges with smaller amounts of nicotine make it “a good way to wean yourself off the drug or quit smoking,” Williams said.

Q: How much nicotine is in them?
A: Most cartridges, like the kind Williams sells, come in packs of 16 mg, 11 mg, 6 mg, and 0 mg. Companies claim on average e-cigs contain less nicotine than actual cigarettes. Some people, however, Willams said, have been making their own filters, regulating the nicotine amounts by dropper.
Q: What do they cost?
A: Prices range from about $40 for a low-end model to $130 or $200 for the more high-end versions. The cartridges themselves cost $10 for a pack of five. (Each cartridge contains about 100-200 puffs or the equivalent of 20 cigarettes.) You can also buy disposable models for about $30. These only last a day or two.
Q: Where can you “smoke” these?
A:  Ostensibly just about anywhere. In bars, restaurants, the office. Williams said he’s been able to use them on airplane trips. Some businesses and restaurants do not allow people to smoke them on principle. It’s probably a good idea if you’re in a bar or public place to ask before “lighting up.”
Q: How popular are they?
A: Williams said he has sold about 300 since January. He divides users into four groups: People on a fixed income who don’t want to constantly shell out for smokes; those who want to smoke anywhere without being hassled; people who are trying to quit smoking; and people who want to smoke but can’t stand the smell.

I found the above article at PennLive.com

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