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Are Vape Shops Essential Businesses During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Around the world, countries are all dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in their own way. Still, one strategy is fairly standard, with non-essential businesses being shut down and social distancing a large part of the prevention of the spread of Covid-19.

It’s the definition of essential businesses that are proving to be the tricky part in the United States, with many vape shops being left out in the cold. It’s not just in the US either that vape shops feel that they’ve been excluded during the pandemic.

As you look through different country’s definitions of essential businesses, it’s easy to spot a pattern developing regarding what’s been deemed essential and what’s deemed non-essential. Of course, all medical and health services are deemed essentials. Then you have critical services such as sewerage, food services (delivery and take away only), power, water, and mail. It’s the next list of businesses that it seems to start getting a bit shaky.

Bars and clubs are mostly closed, but open for people to walk in and order takeaways. Most liquor stores and convenience stores are open, and also cannabis dispensaries. Obviously, if you can still buy cannabis, alcohol, beer, and cigarettes, you would assume that vape stores would also be included for taking away orders.

This is where things get a bit confusing. Almost every country and state have deemed vape shops as non-essential. It’s confusing for vape shops that are now forced to close their doors completely while they watch other shops such as tobacco, liquor, and cannabis stores continue to operate only next door in some circumstances.

Italy and France initially closed all vape shops while leaving cigarette shops open for business. After the hypocrisy of this was pointed out and vapers lobbied that more vapers would turn back to tobacco, they switched their stance and allowed vape shops to remain open. The UK was initially on the fence about vape shops, with them not declared either essential or non-essential. Still, after lobbying about having them deemed necessary, the UK government classified them as non-essential and forced them to close except for online deliveries.

Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) has started a movement #EssentialToUs to have vape shops reasonably classified as ‘essential businesses’ alongside tobacco shops and liquor stores. Vape shops, like many other essential businesses, could just as quickly implement all social distancing requirements while also offering curbside pickups and online deliveries. However, not all states across the US allow for vaping products to be delivered or purchased online, which makes it that much harder for vape shops to switch from brick and mortar stores to online ordering.

Should Vape Shops Be Classified Essential Businesses? Conclusion

When you consider many of the other businesses deemed as essential, it’s hard for many vape shops to be considered non-essential alongside liquor stores, convenience stores, tobacco stores, and cannabis stores. Do you think that vape shops should be considered essential or non-essential businesses? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

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The FDA Takes a Second Look at Vaping and Covid-19

Despite its earlier claims that young people vaping could be spreading Covid-19, the FDA has clarified its stance on e-cigarette use and the risk of contracting Covid-19. The latest statement that the FDA released said, “E-cigarette use can expose the lungs to toxic chemicals, but whether those exposures increase the risk of Covid-19 is not known,” in an emailed response to a question from a news publication.

Over the last month, we have seen a lot of news statements being released about vapers being at increased risk of contracting Covid-19 and also being in increased danger if they do contract the virus.

Unfortunately for vapers, this isn’t the first time that incorrect information and assumptions have led to attacks on e-cigarettes. Only last year vaping e-cigarettes was incorrectly linked to another lung condition which was eventually traced to black market cannabis products.

These attacks on vaping and the latest claims about vaping and Covid-19 have been used by a large amount of anti-vaping groups to try and crackdown and eliminate vaping. This biased reporting and misleading amount of health statements have led some health authorities to get together and clarify the risks associated with vaping and Covid-19.

The Science Media Research Center released statements from public health experts to help reporters understand what we do know about smoking, vaping, and COVID-19. “There is no evidence that vaping increases the risk of infection or progression to severe conditions of COVID-19,” said Dr. Caitlin Notley. She also added that since switching from smoking to vaping improves cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, smokers who switch “might be expected to have a better prognosis if infected by COVID-19.”

If you ever wanted a reason to make the switch from smoking traditional cigarettes to vaping, then it doesn’t get much better than that!

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Top 5 Best Vape Apps of 2020

To help you get your 2020 off to the right start, we have the top five vaping apps right here! We have done the hard work for you by selecting a mix of both iPhone apps and Android apps that are perfect for vapers everywhere. Some of the criteria we were looking for when we chose these apps were functionality, ease of use, and user feedback. Enough from us, let’s check out the top five apps and why they made the list!

Vaffle

It’s because Facebook and YouTube started cracking down on vaping content that Vaffle was born in the year 2018. Since then, Vaffle has only continued to grow in popularity as more people turn away from other video sharing apps. Vaffle is available on both the Google Play Store and App Store. It’s like a vaping oriented version of Instagram with a little bit of Facebook mixed in. The app has some other cool features, including vape calculator, e-liquid app, diary, and a large number of vapers that just love vaping. There’s no other app on this list as unique as Vaffle. Vapers can redeem vape devices for fee with a Vaffle membership. We suggest you check this app out.

Smoke Free

This app is more science-based rather than social media-based and is designed to help people quit smoking. It has over twenty different techniques that will help you manage your cravings and quit smoking traditional cigarettes. If you have been trying to quit smoking traditional cigarettes, then perhaps this app and vaping could help you out

OHM’s Law

If you love vaping and are getting interested in building your own coils and deep-diving into vape DIY, then Ohm’s Law is the perfect app for you. It’s available for both Android and iPhone users and covers heaps of information about ohm’s law and resistance. The simplicity and design of the app make it easy to calculate voltage, wattage, current, resistance, and power. If you love making and building your own coils, then this app is for you!

E Liquid Calculator

If you’re heavy into DIY and vaping, then this app is for you. It allows you to mix up different E-liquid creations using there reactive, and responsive E-liquid calculator. You can adjust settings to customize your own liquid, including base, flavors, and strength. You can also store your personal recipes using whatever criteria you want. Ready to mix a batch?

Vape Geek

One of the benefits of the Vape Geek app is that it comes with an advanced coil calculator. There are a variety of different options, including Simple, Twisted, Clapton, and Staggered Clapton options to create your own DIY coils. The Vape Geek app will allow you to calculate even the most complicated aspects of coil building parameters. The coils then save automatically, so if you want to go back to them or check them out later, they’re right there for you. It displays them with a small thumbnail, name, resistance, and also the recommended power settings. Unfortunately this app is only on available on android phones.

That’s our top five vaping apps for 2020! It’s never easy to make this list with so many exciting vaping apps out there to choose from. If you have a favorite vaping app that you love, then why not share it below? We’d love to hear from you and share your favorite vaping apps with other vapers.

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Best JUUL Compatible PODs of 2020

JUUL quickly became one of the most popular vape pod systems on the market, sweeping across the globe. That market dominance didn’t last forever as more and more companies have begun making pods that are compatible with the JUUL system. This has led to a huge selection of JUUL compatible pods becoming available, but it’s not always easy finding the best compatible pods.

How To Find the Best Pod Alternatives!

Normal JUUL Pods are not cheap, that’s why there are so many companies that are now offering their pods that fit in the JUUL pod system. Finding these alternative pods isn’t hard, but finding the best flavor, strength, and quality pods is quite challenging because of how many there are. 

To make finding the best JUUL compatible pods and buying JUUL pods online a lot easier, we’ve done the hard work for you! We’ve looked through thousands of websites selling the cheapest JUUL pods and JUUL flavors and come up with the 5 of the best JUUL Compatible PODs of 2020!

Five of the Best JUUL Compatible Pods of 2020!

EON Pods

Coming in at number one on our list of the best JUUL compatible pods of 2020 are EON Pods. EON Pods offer their customers a bulk discount, which is one of the reasons that they’re so popular. They also have a huge selection of fruity flavors, which is popular with vapers that enjoy vaping a variety of sweet flavors.

Some of their most popular flavors include blueberry, orange citrus, pineapple crush, mango, grape, strawberry. They also have some delicious fruit twists and even a cool mint flavor that JUUL cool mint pods made so popular.

Every EON Pod contains 6% nicotine and 1ml of e-liquid, which is a lot higher than JUUL’s 0.7ml pods.

Ziip Pods

Ziip Pods hit our list at number two! They offer a large variety of delicious flavors that are perfect for vapers that are tired of traditional fruity vapes.

Some of Ziip Pods’ best flavors include strawberry milk, salty popcorn, and cappuccino vape juices. If you prefer traditional pod flavors, they have you covered with tobacco, mint, and menthol. If you love smashing sweet dessert pods, then you’ll love the froopy fruity loop, cinnamon roll, and cheesecake flavored pods.

With a large 1ml vape juice capacity and 5% nicotine strength, the Ziip Pods have a lot to offer vapers that are searching for JUUL compatible pods at affordable prices.

OVNS JC01 Pods

If you have particular brands of vape juice or e-liquid that you enjoy but can’t find it in pods, then the OVNS JC01 Pods are just what you’ve been searching for! These clear pods are refillable and JUUL compatible, so you can fill them with whatever e-liquid you like.

The clear pods hold 0.7ml of liquid, which is the same as JUUL, and allow you to monitor how much juice you have left in your pods. The ceramic coils help to prevent that burnt taste that many pods develop when they run low on juice.

Now you can have your favorite e-liquid as well as your favorite pod system at the same time! Convenient, long-lasting, and durable, these refillable pods are perfect for the vaper that is craving the best of both worlds!

Zalt Pods

Zalt pods are JUUL compatible and available in packs of four. One of the reasons that the Zalt Pods made  this list is their large 1.1ml vape juice capacity. You can choose a variety of different flavors and also multi-flavor packs that allow you to try a variety of different flavors and work out which ones you love or hate.  They have a variety of traditional fruit flavors, including mango and green apple, and refreshing mint and menthol options. Zalt Pods also have some great custom flavors, including blue Raz, berry lemonade, and many more.

4X Pods

While 4X Pods don’t have the same large selections of juice that the other pods we mentioned have, they do have some very exciting flavors to choose from, including sour gummy and sour berry. The majority of their other flavors are fruit duos, which include mango peach, raspberry mint lemonade, and blue blackberry.

The 4X Pods come in packs of four, have a large juice capacity of 1ml, and also a much higher nicotine level of 6.5% for vapers that like a bit of a kick when they vape.

That’s our list of the best JUUL compatible pods of 2020! What type of pods are you rocking in your pod vape system? We’d love to know which compatible pods you believe are delivering great flavor and vapor.

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Mechanical Mods: A Complete Guide

Mechanical mods are customizable vaporizers that are extremely powerful and allow vapers to modify their vaporizer to suit their particular requirements. While they may sound like an attractive option, are mechanical mods the best vaporizer for you?

Mech mods are unregulated vaporizers without any internal circuits or chips and are powered directly off the battery. If you press the firing button on a mech mod, it completes the circuit and sends continuous current to the atomizer or coil from the battery, and it will continue to do until the circuit is broken.

There are no internal safety cutouts on a mech mod, which means that they won’t cutout after 10-seconds as most regulated mods will. The cutout is an integral part of ensuring that your vaporizer doesn’t overheat accidentally.

If you enjoy building your coils and atomizers and have a strong understanding of Ohm’s law, then mechanical mods may be perfect for you. If you’re new to vaping, then a regulated sub-ohm mod may be better suited to your needs.

To help you decide if a mech mod is what you’re looking for, let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of mechanical mods!

Advantages of mechanical mods:

  • Reliability – Because they contain no circuits, screens, or chips, mech mods are incredibly reliable with no electronic components to malfunction.
  • Durable – Mechanical mods are much more durable than other mods because of their simple yet sturdy design.
  • Easy to fix – Most regulated mods are almost impossible to fix once they break, but mech mods, on the other hand, have a simple design that’s easy to diagnose and repair if needed.
  • Powerful – Mech mods are extremely powerful and only limited by the creativity and skill of the person making them.
  • Customizable – Mech mods provide an excellent platform for people to build coils that can produce vast amounts of vapor.

Disadvantages of mechanical mods:

  • Risky – If you don’t understand what you’re doing when you’re making your mechanical mod, it could result in the device overheating, catching on fire, or exploding.
  • No safety devices – There are no back-up safety devices with mechanical mods if something fails. There are no circuit breakers, cutouts, or chips, which will prevent the device from continuously firing.
  • Higher initial cost – It’s going to cost you more to get started building your mech mod, but ongoing costs are lower than regulated sub-ohm mods.
  • Excessive battery usage – Regulated mods are designed to save battery power and extend the time between charges, but mech mods are battery hogs and will drain batteries quickly, especially if you’re using low resistance coils.
  • Cleaning – Mech mods are going to require a little tender love and care, which includes regular cleaning because they’re more prone to getting e-liquid inside them than regulated sub-ohm mods.

Mechanical mods conclusion

If you’re experienced, understand Ohm’s law and enjoy chasing clouds and building your coils, then mechanical mods could be just what you’re looking for. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a consistent sub-ohm vaporizer that doesn’t require a lot of attention, then a regulated sub-ohm mod may be better suited to your needs.

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Vape Pens vs Dab Rigs: Which is better for THC Oil

Marijuana in the flower plant form has been around for thousands of years. It has been used recreationally and medicinally throughout the many different cultures that exist around the world. In the past 30 years, the race for the highest THC content started and it’s only been increasing exponentially since then.

The THC percentage has been rising because of the advances and efficient cannabis growing methods that we have discovered. Some people have switched their cannabis grow lights while others have changed their soil and moved more towards indoor growing. As growing has been getting bigger, new cannabis products have been sprouting too. One of those are concentrates and waxes.

What Are Wax Concentrates?

Wax or concentrates are a concentrated form of marijuana that consists of much more potent THC. For example, marijuana in the flower form goes up to about 29% THC whereas wax can get potencies percentage levels to upwards of the high 90s. Concentrates are created through different methods and processes and they come in different forms. Some are softer and break apart easier while others are stickier and harder.

What is a DAB Pen?

A dab pen is the perfect portable device that you can use to vaporize your waxes with a simple click of a button. Although using a wax pen can be a bit more complex than using most other smoking devices, it has a very small learning curve. The way it works is actually very easy to understand. It has a battery case where it attaches to an atomizer coil encased in a chamber. Then you have a mouthpiece that goes on top of that.

To load your wax onto your coil, simply use a dabber tool. Dab some wax onto the coil. Coils are usually a flat ceramic dish or a ceramic or titanium rod tied around a steel wire. The ceramic dish or steel wire heats up to melt the wax. It melts it into vapor where you then inhale it from the mouthpiece.

Benefits

    • Portable: A dab pen has the portability aspect that the dab rig does not. Although you can take the rig out of your house, it is usually glass which makes it riskier. They can easily fall and break and they are pretty bulky. A wax vape can simply be put into your pocket and taken out without being noticed.
    • Easy to Use: Although there is a learning curve to deal with at first, you will get the hang of it very quickly. Simply just dab your dabber and put a bit of wax onto your coil. When you close your mouthpiece, press the power button and inhale the vapor.
    • Discreet: One of the best parts about owning and using a dab pen is the discreet aspect. It’s so small, you can put it in your pocket without it even being noticeable. You can even take it out and use it without anyone around you really noticing.

Disadvantages 

    • Needs to Charge: Unlike other ways to smoke, you don’t really need to charge anything. With a vaporizer, you need to make sure the batteries are charged and ready to go. Charging can take 1-3 hours and you can generally use it for a couple of days. The bigger the battery, the less discreet it is.
    • Can Malfunction: Although it doesn’t happen so often, vapes are electronic products which means they can mess up. Whether it’s a short circuit wire or you drop it and it breaks, vapes can stop working and it’s definitely not the best feeling.
    • Requires Coils: Coils are the annoying part of a vaporizer. Coils can often burn out depending on which dab pen you have. If you use them too much, you will need to buy back up coils.

What is a Dab Rig?

A dab rig is one of the more intense ways to smoke your concentrates. It’s not only intense because you need a torch but the high it produces is much stronger. A dab rig looks similar to a regular bong but it has a different stem and instead of a bowl, you put a nail or banger. Another difference between using a regular bong compared to this wax water pipe is that with a regular bong, you need to pack the bowl first then light it up. With this, you simply heat it up first with the torch then dab the dabber tool onto your nail or banger.

Benefits

    • Clean Smoking Experience: One of the aspects of vape is that you use the same coil over and over until it stops working. With a dab rig, you use a torch which heats up the nail a lot. This removes the old resin because of the heat.
    • Intense High: You cannot get an intense hit from any other way of smoking then with a wax bong. The heat mixed with the concentrate gives the best of both worlds.
    • Cool Glass Designs: Vapes have different designs but they generally come in a few different forms. Wax water pipes come in different materials like silicone and glass along with the different designs. Glass blowers like to create intricate designs like microscope rigs, dragons and much more.

Disadvantages 

    • Price: One of the things that makes people shy away from dab rigs is the price. Prices can vary with them and sometimes they get so expensive, it’s not even worth using it. If the price is too little, the material can be bad too. Bad quality usually means thin glass which can break easier.
    • Can Break: Another disadvantage to having a dab rig is simply for the fact that it can break. Silicone is a great material to help stop this but not everyone likes smoking out of silicone. Glass is the most popular and a simple waist level drop can shatter it.

Which Ones Better?

If you are thinking of getting a dab pen or a dab rig, ask yourself what’s more important? discreet and portability or an intense high and a great smoking experience. Being able to serve the reason you want it for is going to be best for you. At the end of the day, these are both devices that will get the job done well.

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New Cannabis Tech Boosting Industry and Providing A Better User Experience

Vaping has become insanely popular in recent years, especially when it comes to cannabis, but the technology dates to ancient times. Ancient Egyptians used to place herbs, oils, and seeds on hot stones then inhale the vapors that were produced. Thankfully, today we have the technology so that we don’t have to keep hot stones nearby. In fact, today’s vaporizers are creating a new market for the cannabis industry and consumers are buying.

In 2018, a report by BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research estimated that up to 60% of all concentrate sales will be for pre-filled vape pen cartridges. That number is expected to be higher in Colorado, as much as 86%, and as much as 71% in California. More and more, consumers are turning towards cannabis oil cartridges.

Cannabis and Vaping Industry

This explosive growth means one thing: The industry is investing a lot of money into improving their vaporizers. Like with computers, it seems that the vaping industry is evolving its technology every 18 to 24 months, trying to deliver to consumers the tech they want and the performance that they need.

Not only that, but the oil is evolving as well as science catches up with the plant. Producers are working on creating oils with varying levels of both CBD and THC as well as gincorporating flavors into the mix.

While you can utilize a regular vape mod or pen with cannabis oil cartridges, THC and CBD oils have a different viscosity than nicotine and regular vaping oils. Using a nicotine vape pen for a thicker oil can burn out coils quicker as well as gunk up the system. This means that the industry is turning to portable vaporizers especially produced to handle cannabis oils where the more THC, the thicker the oil.

Since vaporizing the dry herb releases those cannabinoids without burning it and producing carcinogens, dry herb vaporizers have also become a popular method of consuming cannabis. Popular and more discreet, since vaporization produces less of that familiar cannabis smell.

Vaping Devices for Cannabis Oil

When it comes to vaporizing cannabis flower or cannabis oil, a consumer has a few choices. Many companies have made devices geared towards either cannabis oil, cannabis concentrates, or dry flower. Some manufacturers, such as Pax, have come out with all-in-one devices that can handle flower, oil, and wax with a simple change of atomizer or cartridge.

Many vape pens come with pre-filled, disposable cartridges. Some do offer refillable cartridges as well. Trying the many different kinds of oils and flavors available can help you to determine the kind that’s right for you as well as determining what type of vaporizer that you’ll need.

Also, remember that vaporizing cannabis flower or oil can provide a vastly different experience than smoking dry flower in the traditional way. For some, it provides a more potent experience using less material. It also takes effect faster. The exact effects will also depend on whether your cannabis strain or oil has more THC vs. more CBD.

If you do decide to go with a traditional mod, make sure that it has temperature control available. THC and CBD is best when vaporized at very specific temperatures. If you also use that mod for vape juice, make sure you have a separate atomizer or tank for your cannabis oil. This will prevent mixing of flavors and chemicals from the different oils.

In the end, vaporizing cannabis is a growing trend among cannabis consumers. Technology is being driven to keep up with consumer demands, so look out in the future for more technology to hit the vaping industry that is specific to cannabis consumers needs.

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Flying With Your E-cig in 2020: A complete vaping Travel Guide

It will come as no surprise to say that vaping has really taken off in the past few years. More people vape than ever, and the positive health benefits that come with switching from cigarettes to vaping are undeniable.

As a relatively recent phenomenon the laws and social netiquettes regarding vaping can be difficult to navigate, as they’re constantly changing to keep up with studies, findings and public opinion. So you can probably imagine that the real problems arise when considering flying with your vape kit. With packing chaos, 4 Am wake up calls and the mad dash to your departure gates, flying is stressful enough and could do without the added worry that you might not be able to take your e-cigarette.

Common questions include- can you take your e-cigarette in your hand luggage? Are there specific regulations and restrictions? Can you vape during your flight? Because the rules of vaping are forever changing, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to prepare, store and use your vape kit when flying.

Vaping Abroad

Before beginning the stressful process of packing, it’s first worth double checking the laws and regulations regarding e-cigarettes at your chosen holiday destination. E-cigarettes are entirely banned in a number of locations, including Belgium, Austria, Egypt, Thailand and Brazil. Many other counties also enforce restrictions, such as Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Japan. Bear this in mind when planning your trip and do a little research.

Hold or Hand Luggage?

As packing prep is key before a flight, one of the more pressing questions is whether you can carry your e-cigarette in your hand luggage or whether it has to go in the hold. Because of recent incidents whereby the batteries of e-cigs have overheated and exploded, e-cigs can pose a fire hazard. Airlines therefore now require that all battery operated or electrically powered nicotine equipment should travel with you in the cabin.

To avoid any unnecessary trouble, your mod and tank should be detached and your tank should be stored as per your other liquids and toiletries- in a clear plastic bag. Ensure that your mod is turned off to avoid accidentally pressing the button.

Travelling with E-liquids

All liquids, including e-liquids, are subject to the usual airline restrictions. Most airlines do not have specific rules and regulations regarding e-liquids, however it’s quite common that airline staff conduct security inspections on e-liquids and vape kits. So don’t panic, this is general procedure.

In order to avoid added stress, wrap your e-liquid and clearomizers in toilet paper, this should protect any glass from damage. In the eventuality that there is a breakage, the toilet paper should soak up any spillages. It may also be wise to pack your e-cig liquids in a separate, transparent bag, this will ensure that the security checks run as quickly and smoothly as possible.

When packing bottles of e-liquids, remember that the liquid is likely to expand during take-off because of increased air pressure. To prevent any accidents, fly with your bottles half full.

Stocking Up

Depending on the length of your holiday and your chosen destination, it is advisable to carry extra vaping essentials. This is because foreign vendors may not be able to guarantee products of the same safety and quality standards that you are used to.

To be safe, you should pack extra e-liquids, clearomizers, batteries and some spare replacement coils as sourcing replacement parts in different countries can often prove extremely difficult and often fruitless.

Vaping On Board

Having successfully packed and made it through security checks without a blip, the next question is can you vape on board? Unfortunately, the use of any vaping equipment during a flight is completely prohibited. Don’t believe the myths that vape smoke will not trigger cabin alarms, it most certainly can and could leave you with a hefty fine and a flight ban for life. Even advanced devices like the MyJet, which produces very little vapour, could still incur big penalties. So it’s best not to take the risk, save your vape until after touch down!

On Board Tank Leakage

Ultimately, you should always travel with a spare, empty tank. However, if you’re flying with a full tank of e-liquid, ensure that the tank is upside down when taking off. This should release pressure, avoiding any spills. Although this method is not guaranteed to work with all tanks, it works particularly well with the Kangertech.

To Wrap Up

As the rules of vaping are forever changing, it can be difficult to keep on top of what is and is not acceptable. It’s therefore always best to research the laws of the country that you’re visiting. If in doubt, contact your airline and they should be able to address any extra questions or concerns. However, if the stress of travelling with your vape kit is still too much for you, it might be worth considering carrying a disposable e-cig that you can discard before your flight.

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The FDA’s unjustified Regulations on Vaping are Not Based on Facts

The intent of the Food and Drug Administration has been to manipulate the public to believe vaping regulations protect “The children”. They want the public to assume regulations are based on evidence and are in the best interest of public health.

If you’re not paying attention, you should be.

Vaping Regulations

According to Mitch Zeller (Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products), regulations are reasonable and sensible and based concerns of youth becoming “addicted to nicotine”. It was also so they could make vaping products appear similar to smoking.

“We will make policy where the science takes us.” ~Mitch Zeller, Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products

Vaping Saves lives

Killing a bill

Here is an outstanding example of how legislators in Montana had hearings to try to put vaping products into a clean air act. Those officials trying to get the bill passed seemed to present information to the “best of their knowledge”. Used to getting their way, fancy worlds like may, could, can or might – did not impress or persuade lawmakers.

The “defendants” were well prepared, and the officials were unprepared by responding to  questions with “something outside (my) expertise”, and “I don’t know.”

The way we fight unjustified legislation is with facts.

Balancing Budgets

One example of regulation is the “Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda” introduced by Senator Camera Bartolotta in Pennsylvania. It does mention Public Health England and Royal College of Physicians.

If it passes, the tax will to go from a proposed 40% wholesale tax to a 5-cents per milliliter retail tax on e-liquid. After checking with Chris Hughes, it may still be subject to state sales tax in addition to the per mil tax.

NO vaping product should be taxed as tobacco. Period. They should be subject to normal state or local sales tax like any other consumer product. Period.

How Wall Street Tobacco Deals Left States With Billions In Toxic Deb

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Vaping is not a Tobacco product

There is no goal to benefit “public health”, only government health. It needs to be contested or justified properly, by the government.

“There is a legitimate role for tobacco regulations, but vaping is not a tobacco product.” ~ Congressman Tom Cole

The actual fact is that Smoking rates (youth and adults) have declined. Vaping is helping millions of people live healthier lives and should be treated as an aid to help quite smoking.

More Money, Not Tobacco

Declining revenue from lower cigarette sales is the driving force of vaping regulations. Health organizations are insisting on regulations while ignoring less harm. You might think you were no longer using tobacco, but with regulations as tobacco, people who switched to e-cigarettes are subject to higher health insurance premiums. Most officials calling for regulations do not want to reduce smoking, they want to maintain and increase their revenue.

The FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act of 2017.

“Nobody” (that’s me) as much as anyone (that should be you), is beyond pleased to see  Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), along with Congressman Sanford Bishop (GA-02) introduce legislation to

“amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to change the predicate date for newly “deemed” tobacco products, impose common-sense licensing and advertising guidelines for vapor products and direct the FDA to establish product standards for vapor product batteries.”

“There is a legitimate role the FDA plays for tobacco regulations, but e-cigarettes are not a tobacco product. ~Congressman Tom Cole

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) Discusses the Cole-Bishop Amendment with Nicopure Labs

“Regulations should be based on evidence and the FDA doesn’t have the evidence to say that vaping is a harmful product.” ~ Congressman Tom Cole

Cole and Bishop Introduce The FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act of 2017

“The alternative to tobacco products is found in the vaping industry, and that’s good, not bad.” ~ Congressman Tom Cole

Hope for vapers: New bill could halt FDA e-cigarette prohibition

Pending here:

H.R.1136

This fight isn’t over. We must educate our local Congressmen and Congresswomen. In doing so, they will understand “when tobacco use decreases, less smoking occurs”. If legislators and health officials aren’t focusing on less harm, they are part of the problem.

Public figures know better and haven’t stopped turning their heads away from science. This isn’t about convincing anyone, it is about showing the truth about vaping products. They want the public to be obedient. It’s about a much less harmful product convicted without a trial, and taxation without representation.

I will not comply. I’m not shutting up. A Billion Lives are at stake.

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Why Are U.S. Health Officials Ignoring U.K. Colleagues about E-Cigs?

Photo Source: Composite by G_marius based on Jonny Williams' and Dominik Morbitzer's images.

U.S. health officials have yet to embrace the advantages of e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction from across the pond. They are ignoring their colleagues from both the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Public Health England (PHE). They are also still ignoring consumers in the United States.

Rather than initiate dialogue or pursue evidence to present to consumers, U.S. officials are not mentioning it.

In fact, the United States is ignoring it as if it doesn’t exist.

The Royal College of Physicians

The Royal College of Physicians released their 206 page report, “Nicotine without smoke: Tobacco harm reduction” on 28 April 2016.

Their report clearly states both benefits and concerns:

  • E-cigarettes appear to be effective when used by smokers as an aid to quitting smoking.
  • E-cigarettes are not currently made to medicines standards and are probably more hazardous than NRT.
  • However, the hazard to health arising from long-term vapour inhalation from the e-cigarettes available today is unlikely to exceed 5% of the harm from smoking tobacco.

American Lung Association

Meanwhile in the United States, the American Lung Association (ALA) has consumers depending on answers from their statement in 2016 here:

E-cigarettes and Lung Health

The American Lung Association remains concerned about their impact on the public health, given the dramatic increase in use among youth. As FDA begins its oversight of these products, we will learn more about them and more safeguards will be put in place to protect the public health.

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association (AHA) has consumers still reading this:

Research: E-cigarettes don’t help smokers quit

According to that article from 2014,  Stanton Glantz says

“It’s completely the Wild West out there,” he said. “It’s like getting into a time machine and going into the ’50s and ’60s.”

See a pattern yet?

American Cancer Society

Next, The American Cancer Society (ACS) has this from October 1, 2015

E-Cigarettes & Smoke-free Laws; ACS CAN’s Current Views

It states, among other things

While e-cigarette manufacturers may claim the ingredients are just “water vapor” or “safe,” without federal regulation there is no sure way for e-cigarette users to know what they are consuming.

To do my due diligence, I checked with the American Medical Association, which would be the American equivalent of the Royal College of Physicians.

This statement is still active, dated June 9, 2015.

AMA Strengthens Policy on Electronic Cigarettes to Protect Youth

“….the American Medical Association (AMA) today adopted new policy to further strengthen its support of regulatory oversight of electronic cigarettes.”

Public Health England

While each of these organizations are ignoring the RCP report, they are also ignoring Public Health England (PHE).

That 111 page report is here (in PDF file format):

E – cigarettes: an evidence update A report commissioned by Public Health England

Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive, PHE explains, in part here:
The role and impact of electronic cigarettes has been one of the great
debates in public health in recent years and we commissioned this independent review of the latest evidence to ensure that practitioners, policy makers and, most importantly of all, the public have the best evidence available.
Many people think the risks of e-cigarettes are the same as smoking tobacco and this report clarifies the truth of this.

Regulations

The PHE and RCP reports had a combined 317 pages showing the public and health professionals what they found.

The Food and Drug Administration bypassed any and all mention of these two reports, and instead, deemed nicotine as tobacco and releasing 499 pages of e-cigarette regulations.

History repeats itself.

In 1962, The RCP released a report on smoking in relation to cancer of the lung and other diseases.

The United States waited to officially release a similar report until 1964.