The culture of smoking vs vaping

[JohnnyFog]

I'm new at this concept of vaping, the equipment, and the 'culture' of it all. I'm learning about it as I go. This forum is introducing me to a lot of new 'culture' and concepts. My visits to my local vaping shop is helping also.

As a person who started vaping to replace cigarette smoking, I'm seeing some things that simply strike me as 'extremely different' in the technique of 'smoking.'

As a smoker, I would simply take puffs from a cigarette into my mouth and then inhale the smoke. I never took long slow drags from a cigarette directly into my lungs. I never really noticed if my fellow smokers were doing that either when smoking together. In the vaping community (I first noticed this on my visits to the local shop) it seems that the long slow direct inhale technique that produce these huge clouds of vapor on the exhale is the norm. When I go into my local shop, there are usually 3 or 4 people in there and it's literally like a fog bank inside the store and since the weather is cold, the shop storefront windows are usually fogged over!

The more I read here about 'mods' and special builds on the battery equipment, I think the huge vapor cloud is the main objective. Maybe someone can educate me on the differences or gains to be had with this technique? I have experimented with these long direct inhale drags on the vaporizer, but just being a week or so off regular cigarettes, I can still gag myself with the vaporizer...

[bcartervol98]

I'm new at this concept of vaping, the equipment, and the 'culture' of it all. I'm learning about it as I go. This forum is introducing me to a lot of new 'culture' and concepts. My visits to my local vaping shop is helping also.

As a person who started vaping to replace cigarette smoking, I'm seeing some things that simply strike me as 'extremely different' in the technique of 'smoking.'

As a smoker, I would simply take puffs from a cigarette into my mouth and then inhale the smoke. I never took long slow drags from a cigarette directly into my lungs. I never really noticed if my fellow smokers were doing that either when smoking together. In the vaping community (I first noticed this on my visits to the local shop) it seems that the long slow direct inhale technique that produce these huge clouds of vapor on the exhale is the norm. When I go into my local shop, there are usually 3 or 4 people in there and it's literally like a fog bank inside the store and since the weather is cold, the shop storefront windows are usually fogged over!

The more I read here about 'mods' and special builds on the battery equipment, I think the huge vapor cloud is the main objective. Maybe someone can educate me on the differences or gains to be had with this technique? I have experimented with these long direct inhale drags on the vaporizer, but just being a week or so off regular cigarettes, I can still gag myself with the vaporizer...

What I bolded is in my opinion the biggest problem with the "culture" of vaping today. The main objective is staying off analogs and improving your health and quality of life. A very small minority see it as a $%#@ measuring contest and push the equipment to the limits of safety to see who can blow the biggest cloud. If thats what one wants to do they can go for it but do not think it is the "norm" at all.

I have yet in approaching two years suck vapor directly into my lungs. I know no one personally that does that. I take a drag then inhale and repeat as often as necessary. I hit my e-cig like I would an analog always have.

Best of luck in staying off analogs! I will be two years in April and have never felt better!

[Tam]

Like Bcarter, I don't think the huge clouds and direct lung inhale is the "norm" for those of us who are vaping to get off and stay off analogs. Everyone I know (personally, not online), do the mouth to lung inhale and aren't into chasing clouds. I have RDAs and don't do the lung inhale on those, either. The RDAs do give juice a different flavor, which is what I'm going for when I use them. Mainly, I'm trying to find the right RDA to replace all the HH.357 atomizers I use now. It would be much cheaper in the long run but haven't found it yet.

[Bebop]

I agree with Carter. I have a really great B&M near me. It's well stocked, competitive prices and they cater to alk types of vapers from the noobs to the cloud chasers. I have been in there dozens of times now.

Before Christmas I was in there "window shopping" and I spent some 30 mins hanging out and checking things out. They are actually very friendly and the owner as well as the staff take extra steps not to belittle any type of vaper. I think they will be in business for a long time.

But one thing you will notice if you spend any time in there at all is that the casual vaper, the smoker who wants to quit, the budget vapers all out number the cloud chasers by a long shot. Spend a half hour in there and the same 3 cloud chasers at the bar sit there the whole time while dozens of vapers come and go picking up their juice, buying their ego bats, asking about simple tanks and setups, testing juices.

Im not poo pooing the cloud chasers. To each their own. But they simply are a minority although very vocal and occasionally "holier than thou". There's always a couple ***'s in every crowd.

Most of us just seek a decent vape. We don't settle for junk, we want quality in taste and vapor production. We wanted off the analogs.

I don't even think I ever knew a smoker who did "lung hits" lol. Its definitely a phenomena of vaping/cloud chasing.

Just like this forum, most of what you see is people happy to get off cigs. One friend of mine couldn't get off cigs til he got a mechanical. He needed more vapor but he's not a cloud chaser. He just needed the next level up of vapor production with a higher performance coil. I think the majority fall in to that category - people looking to break the habit of smoking and enjoying the toys and variety.

[Earthling789]

I have to agree with everyone above....

Those of us that are vaping to stay away from smoking are not out to "annoy the neighbors" with huge clouds of vapor.

Everyone I know takes mouth-to-lung hits... just like most smokers... Full lung-hits are rare unless you cloud-chase and are running 0mg, max VG

Just like in the wold of motorcycles, there are those 1%ers that give the other 99% of us a bad name.

[bcartervol98]

I have to agree with everyone above....

Those of us that are vaping to stay away from smoking are not out to "annoy the neighbors" with huge clouds of vapor.

Everyone I know takes mouth-to-lung hits... just like most smokers... Full lung-hits are rare unless you cloud-chase and are running 0mg, max VG

Just like in the wold of motorcycles, there are those 1%ers that give the other 99% of us a bad name.

So you are not a 1%er? HAHA

Almost everyone in my Body Shop are lol, at least they THINK they are.

[joejoevapekins]

I have to agree with everyone above....

Those of us that are vaping to stay away from smoking are not out to "annoy the neighbors" with huge clouds of vapor.

Everyone I know takes mouth-to-lung hits... just like most smokers... Full lung-hits are rare unless you cloud-chase and are running 0mg, max VG

Just like in the wold of motorcycles, there are those 1%ers that give the other 99% of us a bad name.

Lol makes me want a 1%er cloud chasing patch

[T-Bone]

It's a small section that are into getting those huge clouds, JohnnyFog. So please don't let it discourage you.

[Itsmedeanna64]

To me, sometimes big clouds can be a bit bothersome.....means you can't stealth vape. Lol. I started vaping to quit smoking. I did that and now I vape for flavor even though I can do big clouds. Big clouds was never for me and not now either. At my b&ms it seems to be more my sons age that cloud chase, like 20's. I think that's cool as long as it keeps them off cigs and smoking anything else lol.

My b&m has contests and if you go by there at night the big windows are completely fogged and they have the door open. It's in the middle of 2 nice restaurants in a popular strip mall. It's hilarious!

Deanna

[sparc]

Vaping is a healthier alternative for cigarettes and is also a hobby for a lot of folks. The culture surrounding vaping is big. Look how may forums and websites are dedicated to vaping vs cigarettes.

Vapers battle amongst themselves a lot. The anti-cloud folks, the anti-clone folks, anti-authentic folks, the people who feel they can vape(stealth vapers too) anywhere, tube vs box vs regulated mods, mouth vs lung hits, the list goes on. We do agree that vaping is a healthier than smoking a cig at least

</rant>

[Itsmedeanna64]

You're so right spare. How could it not be a good thing, right? It appeals to a lot of different kinds of folks for sure.

Deanna

[T-Bone]

anti-authentic folks,

the people who feel they can vape(stealth vapers too) anywhere,

tube vs box vs regulated mods,

Heya sparc, what are these?

[aufin]

Well, like my Dad used to say ........"Ain't my day to worry about what other folks are doing" ...... and I have to agree. Bought my initial setup to get away from stinkies, worked quite well, and I've been satisfied ever since. Almost 2 years in and I just upgraded to a Vision Spinner to spin on under my well worn, paint-shy EVOD tanks. Needless to say, I'm not chasing clouds, worrying about keeping up with anyone, or anything else other than keeping cigarettes out of my fingers and lungs. Have no problem whatever with those who do chase clouds (There are a multitude of other much worse activities I could think of), but hope nothing happens that might "cloud" the general publics' acceptance of vapeing.

[JohnnyFog]

Thanks for the feedback

I just wanted to know if I'm doing something wrong or missing out on something important

I am guilty of one thing. I'm cheating on the anti-smoking policy where I work. I do work in the medical field and I understand the health risks associated with smoking. I see it every day. Smoking keeps most hospitals in business.

Several years ago, our hospital introduced the 'smoke free campus' which means you can't even smoke on the property. In reality, this only applies to the employees. Management and security will walk right by a group of visitors (or patients even) standing outside an entrance smoking their cigarettes. If an employee is caught doing it, even in their cars in the parking lot, it's grounds for termination. There are smoke alarms everywhere inside the building. Bathrooms, stairwells, corridors, just everywhere and one goes off almost daily from a patient or visitor lighting up inside the building.

When the policy was written, e-cigs were not included. The policy specifically stated 'tobacco products' which was their all-inclusive term. Last year it was updated to include e-cigarettes.

I hit on my vaporizer during occasional bathroom breaks throughout my shift. Since it doesn't smell like 'smoke' and it doesn't linger in the air, I'll hopefully never get caught.

I wonder if a zero-nicotine juice in a vaporizer is still considered an e-cig?

[Tam]

I just wanted to know if I'm doing something wrong or missing out on something important

I hit on my vaporizer during occasional bathroom breaks throughout my shift. Since it doesn't smell like 'smoke' and it doesn't linger in the air, I'll hopefully never get caught.

I wonder if a zero-nicotine juice in a vaporizer is still considered an e-cig?

Nope. You're not doing anything wrong or missing out on anything important. If what you have is working for you, that's the most important thing. The rest can be classified as "fun stuff."

When my mother was in the hospital for over a month I spent many a bathroom break puffing away. Mostly I used the Mojito flavor with a little extra peppermint thrown in at 24 mg so it smelled more like a strong mint gum than anything if it smelled at all and the 24 mg let me get the nic I needed without having to chain vape.

Even if it's 0 nic, I would think they'd consider it an e-cig just be virtue of the vapor it produced. They can't be checking all juices to see which ones contain nic and which ones don't. That's my opinion anyway.

[Earthling789]

Healthcare and the "industry" has gotten nuts over "tobacco" recently... and since e-cigs have evolved into mainstream, even your health-insurance and most employers are no longer asking "do you smoke?", they are asking "to you use nicotine?", which is absolutely absurd, since nicotine is a naturally occurring substance in nearly every plant and fruit on the planet! But, the health-industry MUST classify e-cigs as a "tobacco-product" in order to fit the dialogue and mantra so the FDA, healthcare, and big-tobacco can control the industry (and impose taxes to fill everyone's coffers).

I actually called-out my health-insurance agent recently on the double-standard... They impose a $50/month "sin-fee" on smokers, and have for the past 5 years... this year they included the language to include "nicotine use" in the fee. I pointed out the hypocrisy that our health-plan pays 100% for nicotine patches, nicotine gum, chantix, et-al to aid in helping someone quit (and they are not imposed any fees if they use a patch/gum), yet those of us that have kicked the nasty habit of smoking by using vaping are still included with "smokers"!

She looked at me long and hard... started to say something, then stopped herself... then she leaned in close and said, "check the box for non-smoker, AND check the box for no-nicotine-use"... she agreed it was a rather stupid and condemning double-standard... and just a way to generate revenue!

As for your stealth-vaping in the bathroom... yeah, if you get caught they'll probably crucify you... you'd probably have more luck getting away with dissecting a live patient in the lobby....

[Rixter]

I almost posted this reply here, but decided it needed a thread of its own.

[sparc]

I hit on my vaporizer during occasional bathroom breaks throughout my shift. Since it doesn't smell like 'smoke' and it doesn't linger in the air, I'll hopefully never get caught.

Can always vape on the public sidewalk. That's what the people across the street from my work do. The medical company they work for(rhymes with maiser) also has a smoke free campus policy even tho it's a non-medical facility.

The parking lot is still company property but the public sidewalk belongs to the city. If the city allows smoking in public then you're good to go.

[Serendipity]

I'm a flavor chaser,lol.

Some of those cloud chasers are actually kind of rude. Some think just because it isn't a cigarette that it's okay to fill an area of people with a Vaping cloud. To me that's the equivalent of blowing smoke in someone's face.

[bcartervol98]

I'm a flavor chaser,lol.

Some of those cloud chasers are actually kind of rude. Some think just because it isn't a cigarette that it's okay to fill an area of people with a Vaping cloud. To me that's the equivalent of blowing smoke in someone's face.

Amen

[GeorgeF]

I have noticed a lot of differences in the culture. The first B&M I walked into seemed to cater to mostly cloud chasers and came across as snobby to those just starting out.

Almost deterred me from making the switch. But, I went ahead with my ego batteries and ce4 tanks, because I knew what I was trying to get out of it. I was trying to get away from cigarettes.

Four months later I am still away from cigarettes. I have upgraded to vv/vw APV's and Nautilus tanks. I have found that the Nautilus on top of a Vamo is my all day set-up without a need to refill every couple of hours.

I also have a 100 watt box and an RDA. Use that mostly at home and whenever I visit the go to B&M. I am in it(vaping) for two reasons now. Keeping off cigarettes and chasing flavor.

Since being a vaper I have noticed the one B&M I visit regularly everyone, employees and customers are very friendly and insightful. Being a smoker, every smoker was almost anti-social.

I guess everyone that vapes are all under the understanding we are on common ground for one thing, quit smoking.

It has almost become a hobby for me.

[spydre]

I hit on my vaporizer during occasional bathroom breaks throughout my shift. Since it doesn't smell like 'smoke' and it doesn't linger in the air, I'll hopefully never get caught.

I wonder if a zero-nicotine juice in a vaporizer is still considered an e-cig?

As far as this goes, I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here, because I have a family member who is severely asthmatic, and the chemical make up of certain scented products sets off her lungs, especially if she's in a bad way already. Most hospitals already have policies prohibiting employees, or at least employees who have patient contact from wearing perfume/cologne scented body wash, lotion, etc., for just that reason. This family member literally had to kick two hospital employees - one a nurse, and one, a respiratory tech of people - out of her hospital room because the nurse was wearing perfume and the RT was wearing scented lotion that was pretty much literally shutting her lungs down. So I see two sides of it. Just letting you know WHY the hospital may have made that policy change. OR they could have found that some of the employees switched to e-cigs during working hours so they could pop right outside to get their nic fix on break rather than leaving hospital property.

[Serendipity]

As far as this goes, I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here, because I have a family member who is severely asthmatic, and the chemical make up of certain scented products sets off her lungs, especially if she's in a bad way already. Most hospitals already have policies prohibiting employees, or at least employees who have patient contact from wearing perfume/cologne scented body wash, lotion, etc., for just that reason. This family member literally had to kick two hospital employees - one a nurse, and one, a respiratory tech of people - out of her hospital room because the nurse was wearing perfume and the RT was wearing scented lotion that was pretty much literally shutting her lungs down. So I see two sides of it. Just letting you know WHY the hospital may have made that policy change. OR they could have found that some of the employees switched to e-cigs during working hours so they could pop right outside to get their nic fix on break rather than leaving hospital property.

i think there should be some etiquette with Vaping just like smoking. If a restaurant chooses to allow Vaping there should be a Vaping section, and don't fog up with huge clouds. I might sound like an a hole for saying that, but... If you do it at work, do it ninja style.