You may or may not have heard that San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States to ban e-cigarettes. Home of the brave or have officials in San Francisco just put the potential for a smoke-free city up in smoke? Let’s find out more about the what, the why and the when, as San Francisco seeks to cease the sale of vaping products.

First City in the U.S. to Ban Vaping

It seems hard to believe, but yes San Francisco has become the first city to ban vaping in the United States. Known for their healthy living and forward-thinking community, it seems at odds with logic, that local government in the city have gone to such lengths that will see shops removing e-cigarettes and e-liquid from their shelves. Additionally, online sales of e-cigs in the city are also set to be banned, meaning that a seemingly healthy solution to combat smoking will be reduced to the depths and darkness of an illegal and illicit black market.

Why did San Francisco Ban E-Cigarettes

The unprecedented move by San Francisco is aiming to combat the rise in underage vaping, which comes in light of the US Surgeon General issuing an advisory at the end of 2018 describing underage vaping in the states to be at an ‘epidemic’ level. As vaping becomes more and more popular, it is estimated that more than 4.9 million American teens used e-cigs in 2018, which is an increase of 1.5 million teens in under a year.

What happened to Juul?

What is fascinating about this story is the fact that e-cig behemoths JUUL, who enjoy a 50% of the e-cig market share and who are the biggest producers of e-cigarette products in the U.S, have their headquarters based in the city. The incredible growth of JUUL even saw them purchase a new 29-story skyscraper to house its growing team on the very same day that the e-cig ban first passed the city’s committee.

While the vaping ban is yet to come into effect, San Francisco’s Mayor, London Breed has said she will sign the legislation with a ban expected to be enforced in early 2020 and shops asked to remove stock from their shelves. 

What Does The Ban Mean for Vapers

Public Health England cites e-cigs to be up to a staggeringly 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes as well as suggesting that vaping has the potential for smokers to achieve a smoke-free status. Additionally, research shows vaping to be almost twice as effective as traditional nicotine replacements such as patches and gums at helping smokers quit smoking. With approximately 3.2 million vapers and counting here in the UK, Public Health England estimates that vaping helps up to 20,000 smokers become smoke-free every year, though industry indicators suggest that the figure is much higher. With the U.S. boasting an estimated 10 million vapers, the move certainly comes as a smack in the face to those who vape to avoid cigarettes and endeavour to become smoke-free. 

Prediction for the Vaping Industry

As the six-month countdown begins, how will San Franciscan vapers respond to the impending ban? Unfortunately, the likelihood is, that many may turn to the black market of potentially unregulated products, which may pose a considerably higher health risk to those who simply wanted to live healthier lives by vaping and not smoking. Alternatively, residents may simply return to the toxic and carcinogenic cigarettes that they had successfully managed to avoid up until now. 

A story well worth keeping one eye on, we wonder whether this will be an isolated blip in vaping’s history or whether more cities and states in the United States will follow suit. Watch this space.

Does dad smoke? The reality is that if he does, he has probably been smoking for a pretty long time – maybe your whole life in fact! While cigarettes are highly addictive and pose a severe health risk, it’s never too late to quit.

Dad might be a cantankerous so and so, but deep down, he will care about how long he has to live and how many more years he gets to be in your life. With this in mind, why not help dad stop smoking and start vaping this Father’s Day?

Vaping is up to 95% Less Harmful Than Smoking

First and foremost, vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking. In 2015 Public Health England published independent research that pointed to e-cigarettes being up to a staggeringly 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes, as well as endorsing the potential that vaping can help smokers becomes smoke-free.

Cut Out the Risk of Smoking-Related Diseases

It should come as no great surprise that smoking kills. Accountable for 16% of all adult deaths in the UK, the carbon monoxide and tens of thousands of carcinogens that are released and inhaled by your dad every time he smokes will only be causing harm to his health.

By stopping smoking and starting vaping, your dad will seriously reduce his chances of developing one or more of over 50 smoking-related diseases.

A primary cause of lung cancer, smoking may also lead to cancer in other parts of the body such as the mouth, throat, larynx, bladder, bowel and pancreas. Additionally, smoking will be damaging your dad’s heart and blood circulation, which could lead to another long list of devastating consequences such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Furthermore, conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, asthma, respiratory infection and impotence in men are all potential side effects for long-term smokers.

Research shows that smokers who receive the appropriate encouragement and support will ultimately be more likely to quit smoking than those who don’t. It might sound obvious, but positive motivation is a far better way to help your dad quit smoking than nagging and moaning, which will only have a negative impact.

Vaping Essentials For Fathers Day

The fear and trepidation you see in your father’s eyes as he contemplates using a vaporizer for the first time can be quickly allayed by buying him a simple and straightforward vaping starter kit. The best thing about vaping is that it doesn’t need to be complicated.

Sure you could treat him to the latest and greatest in vaping technology, complete with coils, tanks and a selection of e liquids for him to play with; however, the psychological importance of making a smooth transition from smoker to vaper should not be underestimated.

Dad should be able to open his starter kit box, give the battery a quick charge and start vaping straight away. Too many moving parts may prove too much of an obstacle for your dad to contend with as he embarks on quitting a habit of a lifetime.

Shop Starter Kits

Keep it simple and choose a device like Vapour2’s Starter Vape Kit that comes with everything your dad will need to get going, including a standard e-cigarette battery, USB charger and a choice of 6 flavoured e-liquid cartridges for him to try.

Could E-cigs soon be available on the NHS?

With the ever-growing popularity of vaping in recent years and the various studies that show e cigarettes can be an effective aid to help quit smoking, there have been calls for them to be prescribed on the NHS.

The Public Health Executive (PHE) has said that it was “committed to ensuring that smokers have a range of evidence-based effective tools to help them to quit”. PHE were looking forward to the time when there would be “a choice of medicinally regulated products that can be made available to smokers by the NHS on prescription.”

The first steps towards this aim have been taken this month. An e-cigarette has been granted a licence by Britain’s medicines regulator for the first time. A licence has been granted by The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to British American Tobacco for its brand of e-Voke devices. These can now be marketed as a smoking cessation aid.

A Cautious Approach

Despite this ground-breaking advancement, Dr Tim Ballard, the vice-chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners has voiced concerns and urged for caution. Stating “Potentially there may be a place for the prescription of *e-Voke as part of a smoking cessation programme…”. Before telling patients that the devices are available on the NHS, Dr. Ballard called for more research to be carried out.

Dr Ballard was also quoted as saying “GP’s would be very wary of prescribing them until there was clear evidence of their safety and of their efficacy in helping people to quit.”

This suggests that although we have seen the first steps taken towards the medical regulation of e-cigarettes, we may still be some way from seeing them prescribed by the NHS to help smokers who wish to quit.

Although the recent NHS Quit Smoking guide “10 health benefits of stopping smoking” the current FAQ section on the NHS “Quit Smoking” page asks:

Can I get an e-cigarette from my GP?
E-cigarettes are not currently available from the NHS on prescription, so you cannot get one from your GP.

You can buy them from specialist vape shops, some pharmacies and other retailers, or on the internet.

Electronic cigarette review sites and those who are pro e-cigarettes will point out that if we wait 10 years for evidence based information, many smokers will die. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over 5 million people WILL die from smoking in the USA alone!

• e-Voke ; MHRA medicine licence granted to BAT. BAT also manufacture the Vype ePen 3, the eBox and Vype eTank range of e cigarettes

How’s your VApril going so far? Whether you’ve been stoically supporting the vaping awareness month campaign or have begun to switch to vaping – we’re here to provide that added momentum, fresh impetus, and drive, that you may just require, in order to keep you vaping this VApril.

Buying Your E-Liquid Online

It might seem obvious, but one of the key contributing factors to staying smoke-free is enjoying the experience of your vape. This will predominantly come down to what you vape – your e-liquid. The flavour of your vape will be a matter of personal preference, however, the taste that you expect, should be clean and leave you satisfied.

If you’ve just started vaping you may have discovered that not all e-liquids taste the same – far from it in fact. Additionally, and rather inconveniently, most high street retailers won’t necessarily stock the same brands of e-liquid, which means that unless you stock up on your favourite e-liquid well in advance, you might not always be able to experience the same consistently great taste that you want and have come to expect from your vaping.

The answer? Buy your e-liquid online! Affordable, delivered quickly to your door and provide you with that same consistent high-quality e-liquid that you know will keep you away from the cigarettes – you can find your favourite flavours with a sample pack and then bulk buy as you see fit to save on costs.

Need a More Powerful Vaporizer?

In all instances, we recommend purchasing an affordable and easy to use starter e-cigarette such as Vapour2’s Classic Range. But what if that’s not giving you what you want in order to stay smoke-free. Depending on your previous habits and consumption of cigarettes, it’s feasible that a simple starter e-cigarette may not be satisfying your needs.

It may seem like a drag, but the answer you’re looking for may be to do with the power of your e-cigarette, which means you’ll probably want to think about upgrading your device. If you’re keen to continue using prefilled e-liquid cartridges Vapour2’s EX Series will give you double the power and double the vapour production.

If you’d like to introduce some serious power to your vaping experience and make the move to filling your own blank cartridges with e-liquid – then Vapour2’s Pro Series 3 and 3X is the device for you.

How to stay smoke-free this VApril

You may think that by owning a decent vaporizer and having a quantity of your new found favourite e-liquid to hand, that you’ve got all you need to keep vaping and stay smoke-free. In most cases this would be true, however, the real secret to staying smoke-free is to have a backup plan. By this, we mean essential accessories.

E-cigarettes and vaporizers are expensive bits of kit, which is why you should avoid carrying devices around in your pockets or left loose in handbags or rucksacks. Having a suitable carry case to transport your battery and e-liquid should be a priority to keep your essentials safe.

A replacement rechargeable battery may seem like an expense you’d rather not entertain at this point, but the worst thing when your craving nicotine is realising that your vaporizer has run out of power. Invest in a replacement battery that can be stored in your new carry case, and avoid the temptation to give into cigarettes just because you haven’t got enough battery in your vaporizer.

Stay smoke-free, and vape happy this VApril.

Hi-ho and here we go, as another jam packed VApril challenge gets set go underway this spring. Calling upon vapers far and wide to celebrate, embrace and share the benefits that vaping can have on smokers lives – let’s take a look at what’s in store this April.

Speak up for Vaping

Know smokers who still think that vaping is some spurious and curious fandangled fashion accessory that poses the same risks as smoking? Studies suggest that 44% of the 7 million smokers in the UK are still unaware that e-cigarettes are considerably less harmful than their tobacco counterparts – which is quite frankly a worryingly high number.

It was way back in 2015 that Public Health England (PHE) published their independent report stating that e cigs are staggeringly 95% less harmful than smoking and that vaping has the potential to help smokers become smoke-free. In fact, according to PHE, vaping may be helping up to 20,000 smokers relinquish the fatal habit of smoking and make the positive switch to vaping which account for estimates of 2.6 million vapers leading altogether healthier lives than they had been doing so previously.

If you’re one of the millions vapers who have felt the positive benefits that vaping has had on your life, why not speak up for vaping and let people know your story. Join the Vapril Campaign and take the challenge to speak up for vaping.

Switch on to Vaping

Still smoking? Not aware that 16% of all adult fatalities in England are caused by smoking related diseases? Where. Have. You. Been.

We know that smoking is a ridiculously addictive habit, which is why funnily enough, e cigs were conceived in the first place. Designed to simulate the act of smoking and providing a delivery of nicotine to your bloodstream – heating e-liquid into a vaporised state at low temperature is in stark contrast to the thousands upon thousands of carcinogenic materials and carbon monoxide you inhale every time you light up.

Why not ditch the cigarettes this April and try taking the Vapril challenge? Switch on to a Vaping plan by simply heading to the Vapril website and get some great advice on how to get your vaping adventure started with 4 simple steps to follow to help you become smoke-free.

Easier than you might think, all you’ll need is a simple Starter Sampler Pack which will include a rechargeable battery, USB charger and a choice of flavoured e-liquid cartridges. Hey presto, you’re good to go!

Seeking expert advice

Deciding to vape for the first time doesn’t need to be a big deal, but it’s feasible that you will have the odd question or two. “What kind of vaporiser should I use?” “Does it matter where I get my e-liquid from?” “I’ve got all the gear and genuinely know idea”.

All valid enquiries that can be addressed at the ever so informative Expert Advice section of the Vapril website.

Good luck and happy Vapril.

The experience you have when you vape will generally be down to two things. One – how decent your e cigarette device is. And two the quality of the e-liquid that you are actually vaping. Let’s take a look at the latter and the importance of buying the best e-liquid you can.

How Do You Know What Quality E-Liquid Is?

We’ve all been there. The sight of a new, colourful e liquid on display at your local shop vying for vaping attention. ‘On Sale’ you notice. ‘Introductory Offer!’ it says emblazoned on the neon sign. ’10 for the price of 1’.

The appealing affordability of the cheap e-liquid at hand might seem like a tempting one. Though it’s important to tread with a little caution if you don’t want to be caught left with a nasty tasting e-liquid.

The rise in popularity of vaping and the lucrative market that it yields has led to some nuisance purveyors trying to get a slice of the action. This leads to choosing to use cheaper, synthetic ingredients to create e juice that isn’t that ‘juicy’.

Leaving a somewhat sinister aftertaste, cheap e-liquids might not be what you’re looking to quit stop smoking and seeking a pleasurable vaping experience.

Ultimately you should source your e-liquid from a well-established, reputable seller who has garnered a host of glowing reviews by real customers.

Look for flavourings derived from natural ingredients that have been suitably tested. Those with nothing to hide will be happy to share with you the ingredients that you can then research yourself.

Should they be a reputable and honest seller, they will follow the Tobacco Products Directive regulations. This will cover all things ingredients and testing before those products becoming available to you the consumer.

Consistent Flavours

When you smoked cigarettes, the consistency of the flavour of your tobacco was never really in question. You would light up, and it would taste the same every time.

Buying cheap imitation e-liquids, more than likely manufactured with cheap ingredients – is never a good start.

The likelihood that you might not always get the same flavour when you vape is also high when you go down that route. Besides, how do you know what’s in it?

By buying e-liquid made from the best possible ingredients you’ll stand a better chance of enjoying a consistent flavour profile every time you vape.

Enjoying the experience and flavour of your vape is key to you remaining smoke-free. Even if it might cost a little more than the e juice found at the petrol station at the end of your road.

A poor quality e-liquid made with cheap ingredients will only result in a nasty aftertaste that may just put you off the idea of vaping altogether.

You Are What You Vape

The annoying sound of your parents declaring “you are what you eat” as you tuck into your fourth bowl of ice cream. These may be the words you used to loathe, but to an extent they were right. From late brunch to a liquid lunch, what we consume naturally plays a significant role in our functions.

Eat too much sugar and you’re prone to diabetes, too much dairy can create dairy intolerances, and too much of anything will have its own set of ensuing consequences.

Vaping e-liquid is 95% less harmful than smoking. However, the technology and use of e cigs simply haven’t been around long. Certainly not long enough for scientists to observe any potential long-term damage.

Avoid e liquids with lengthy lists of synthetic ingredients and ensure the e-liquid you use is fit for your consumption.