What is Vaping and How Does It Work?

Vaping is a practice that uses electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, to vaporize substances into fine aerosols inhaled into the lungs, just like smoking. While that sounds so direct and obvious, there is a lot about vaping to wrap your head around.

Let’s break the ice with important things you need to know about vaping.

How Does Vaping Work?

A vaper uses a vaping device resembling a traditional cigarette or a flash drive (although there are many other designs). The device is activated by a button or just inhaling.

A battery-activated heating coil within the vape warms up the e-liquid or vape juice, which is then aerosolized into fine particles and inhaled into the lungs. The particles are so fine that they mingle with other gasses in your airways and enter the alveoli where they are absorbed into the blood.

The residuals are exhaled as fine white or colored vapor, depending on the type of e-juice used.

The size of vapor clouds depends on the type of vaping device used. Small devices like disposable vapes and some pod devices are commonly used in everyday vaping, usually to deliver nicotine hits or even to smoke herbs and marijuana. Vapor clouds from these devices are not as huge as those from more advanced devices like mods and pod mods.

What You Need to Vape

Vaping devices have three major components: the battery, atomizer, and vape juice or e-liquid/e-juice.

These components work together to deliver the vaporized substance into the lungs of a vaper. A battery powers the atomizer which heats and vaporizes vape juice into an inhalable aerosol.

You will, therefore, need a vaping device and an e-liquid or any other substance that needs vaporizing.

Vaping devices come with in-built batteries, either rechargeable or non-rechargeable. Rechargeable vaping devices have a charging port where you can plug in a charger. However, some devices like disposable vapes do not need recharging. They have enough power to keep the device running until the vape juice is exhausted.

The complexity of vaping depends on the type of vaping device used and the e-liquids or other substances being vaporized. If you are new to vaping, you need to understand the various vaping methods, devices, and e-liquids.

Vaping Devices

Vapers use different types of vapes for various purposes. For instance, for a vaping beginner whose only purpose is to quench nicotine cravings, a disposable vape is enough. However, for cloud chasers who like trying out different vaping tricks, more advanced vapes like mods or pod mods are ideal. They produce huge clouds and offer a better vaping experience.

Vaping devices come in different forms and designs. Throughout the history of vaping, individuals and companies have invented vapes with unique architecture and function.

The earliest vaping devices mimicked the traditional cigarette in design and use. These evolved into the current vape pens. They are named so due to their appearance resembling a pen. More advanced designs have rebuildable atomizers (RBAs) such as RDA, RTA, and RDTA.

Generally, vaping devices are designed for every class of vapers - from beginners to advanced vapers. Each vaping device has unique features that enable it to vaporize substances fed into it.

When choosing a vaping device, it is imperative to identify your level and the reason for vaping. It could be for fun, or maybe you are trying to quit smoking cigarettes. Matching the device with purpose will quickly lead to your desired vaping experience.

E-liquids

You have to vape something, and that would be e-liquids or dry herbs. Dry herb vaporizers are different from e-liquids vaporizers. Well, this is expected. After all, both are in different forms. One is in liquid form, and the other is in solid or in coarse, or fine powder form.

E-liquids are fed into vape tanks or wells and then taken up by wicks to the atomizer for vaporizing.

E-liquids are loaded with different flavors and nicotine strengths and sometimes no nicotine. The Different e-liquids brands available for sale have something different to offer. Personal preference is the ultimate guide to picking the best vape juice.

Vape juice comes in different flavors, from tropical fruit mixes to more floral flavors like roses and other typical flavors like vanilla, bubblegum, caramel, and others.

Some e-liquids are presented as nic salts with a higher nicotine strength than their free-base nicotine e-liquid counterparts. Some e-liquids are made with zero nicotine but with delicious flavors and colorings.

Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are other components of e-liquids. Propylene glycol provides a throat sensation similar to smoking cigarettes. A higher concentration of vegetable glycerin produces more vapor.

Vaping Fun Facts

1. Vaping dates back centuries ago

It is easy to assume that vaping is no older than a few decades since there wasn’t much talk about it until recently. The truth is vaping has been around for centuries. In ancient times, substances were vaporized and inhaled for healing or enjoyment. Ancient Egyptians heated spices and herbs over hot stones and inhaled the vapor.

With technological advancement, vaping has evolved in both the devices used, and the substances vaporized.

2. Vaping is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes, but it’s still not safe

Smoking tobacco exposes you to tar, carbon monoxide, and 7000 other toxic chemicals. E-cigarettes, on the other hand, only vaporize nicotine extracted from tobacco and other flavorings contained in the e-liquid.

While vaping saves you from thousands of harmful chemicals from cigarettes, it still exposes you to several other toxic chemicals used as solvents in extraction and other flavoring compounds.

Learn more about health effects of vaping.

3. Vaping is as addictive as traditional cigarettes.

Research shows that vapers consume many times more nicotine than they would from smoking cigarettes. E-cigarettes have features that enable users to increase nicotine strength. One is by using high-strength e-liquids or nic salts or by increasing the voltage that boosts nicotine delivery.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Researchers match its addictiveness to that of cocaine and heroin. Vapers should use e-cigarettes responsibly to avoid health, social and economic problems associated with addiction.

4. Vaping is not the perfect smoking cessation tool

While vaping is safer than smoking tobacco, most smokers who use e-cigarettes as smoking cessation tools end up getting hooked on vaping. You will stop smoking only to find nicotine in vaping, which is highly addictive too. Hence, e-cigs are considered substitutes for smoking cigarettes rather than smoking cessation tools.

Your doctor can recommend better ways to quit smoking than vaping.

Who is Vaping for?

Vaping in Kenya and the rest of the world is more prevalent among young people. The technology and the fun of vaping best suit the younger generation. Companies have designed their devices and e-liquids to satisfy young people.

National Youth Tobacco Data of 2018 suggests that 3.6 million children in middle and high school use e-cigarettes in the U.S. At least 9% of the U.S. adult population regularly or occasionally use e-cigarettes.

There is no quantitative data yet that quantifies the e-cigarettes use in Kenya. However, the demand for e-cigarettes has considerably increased in Kenya, and more vape shops have been established.

Vape Price in Kenya

Some disposable vape brands will cost as low as KES 800, while more sophisticated mods and pod mods go as high as KES 12000. Your budget and your vaping needs will dictate which device you buy.

The demand for vapes in Kenya is quite high. E-cigarettes have attracted people of all income levels. Brands have successfully satisfied everyone by producing vaping devices at all price points, from affordable e-cigarettes to expensive and luxurious vapes.

Where to Buy Vapes in Kenya

Vapes were not readily available in Kenya a few years ago. Globalization and the advancement of technology have eased e-cigs access and delivery.

You can buy vapes at various online e-cigarette stores in Kenya. Vape Lab is a well-established vape distributor in Nairobi offering home vape delivery service in under 30 minutes. You can order your favorite vape device and e-liquids online and get home delivery.

Vape Lab operates 24/7. You can order vaping products at any time, day or night.

Vape Lab also has the best vape prices in Kenya, from affordable vapes to luxurious brands. Pick your preferred device from our website and have it delivered in minutes.

Summary

Vaping involves:

1. The use devices known as e-cigarettes or vapes activated by inhaling or by a button
2. Vapes aerosolize e-liquids by heating them using coils powered by an in-built rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery.
3. E-liquids consist of propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin and may or may not contain nicotine.
4. The aerosolized vapor is inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the blood, and the residuals are exhaled.

Check out the rest of our blog posts and shopping guides to learn more about vaping.