E-cigarettes: research - experiments - ideas

[Jo Bugman]

I switched from pipe smoking mainly because of the teeth staining (which I was wondering y'all manage that) and because I got tired of putting on the whole 3-layers of clothing armor of god to step outside to smoke in this freezing weather! I find vaping much more convenient, I can do it inside my apartment, in my car, in the work vehicle, etc. without getting a fine or inconveniencing anyone.

After dropping the pipe, I spent a week or so coughing up phlegm. The only problem I've faced is stopping myself from chain vaping (like chain smoking) which causes my mouth to dry out. I still prefer cigs but I may give those pouches a try next, thanks for the idea Scottie.

 

[Breo]

Jo Bugman said:
I may give those pouches a try next, thanks for the idea Scottie.

I first didn't get what Velos are and did not know such thingies exist as these pouches. That's cool :) Thanks a lot, Scottie and Jo for mentioning it again. I will give them a try too.

 

[nicklebleu]

FWIW, I have noticed similar benefits. From what I understand, having a cigarette is roughly equivalent to 50mg, I smoked 15 a day, now I vape 15mg a roughly 2-3mls a day, I think I have a more steady level of nicotine in my system, as I don’t need a hit once an hour, I just have a vape whenever, more consistently, like with a cigarette you smoke it for say 5 to 10 minutes and then it’s done, with vaping you have it more often but less of it, if that makes sense

Total nicotine content is actually lower - between 9 and 14mg for American branded cigarettes. But the available nicotine (= nicotine yield), is lower still, with each cig delivering around 1-2mg of absorbable nicotine. So if I take these numbers, the amount seems to be similar, or slightly higher with vaping - although I don’t know if there is a similar yield issue with vaping.

However, the actual amount of nicotine absorbed by the smoker, known as the nicotine yield, is usually between 1 to 2 mg per cigarette according to a 2020 study by the CDC. This yield is typically measured by standardized smoking machine tests, such as those conducted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It can vary based on several factors, including the cigarette's design, the smoker's behavior, and the presence of filters and ventilation holes:

Source:

 

[Liliea]

When the prospective head of the Department of Health and Human Services is breaking out bags of nicotine at his confirmation hearing I think he's sending a great message about regulating tobacco products and demystifying the false idea of nicotine.

Under such intense pressure, it’s no surprise that some might turn to nicotine for a moment of focus. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discreetly slipped something into his mouth mid-session, catching the attention of onlookers and social media users alike.
RFK Jr. was spotted using a Mountain Wintergreen ALP pouch, a product from Tucker Carlson’s new nicotine company, rather than the more common ZYN pouches.
(...)Others highlighted that nicotine has long been a go-to stimulant for high-pressure situations, from golf courses to the highest levels of government.

RFK Jr. popping @alppouch in Mountain Wintergreen during yesterday’s confirmation hearing
pic.twitter.com/qc8WqV8AUX
— Amber Duke (@ambermarieduke) January 30, 2025

RFK Jr. Uses Nicotine Pouch During Senate Confirmation Hearing - American Faith

RFK Jr. slips nicotine pouch during his Senate confirmation hearing, choosing Tucker Carlson’s ALP over ZYN.

americanfaith.com

 

[987baz]

so, the latest on the insane vaping laws down here in Oz...

from an email from the online pharmaciy guy that has been helping me

We wanted to let you know that new regulations, with more strict compliance requirements for vaping devices, accessories and substances, will come into effect on 1 March 2025.


There will be no change to how you access vaping products; just what vaping products are allowed in Australia.


What does this mean?


You may see some vaping products go out of stock and not return because if they're not compliant with new regulations, they can't be imported from 1 March.


Products not compliant with the new regulations can still be sold until 1 July 2025.


What are the new regulations?


The new regulations generally affect:

• packaging & labels (colours & information)
• device & accessory colours & design
• safety regulation of substances & devices
• permitted & restricted substance ingredients
• size of pre-filled pods
• battery safety standards.

Here are the links to the new legislation if you'd like to read more:

• Therapeutic Goods (Medical Device Standard - Therapeutic Vaping Devices) Amendment Order 2024 - vaping devices/accessories
• Therapeutic Goods Legislation Amendment (Standard for Therapeutic Vaping Goods) (TGO110) Instrument 2024 - vaping substances, substance accessories, kits and packs.

All that to say, the products you will have access to from 1 July may be significantly less than what is currently available; at least, initially.


We are working closely with our Australian vape sponsors and will keep you in the loop once we know more about which products will be affected.

From what I understand, they basically want to get rid of things that make it easier to make your own e-juice, and the devices will be less colourful and I think the liquid tanks and pods will be darker so you can't see the colour of the liquid. I think sizes will be smaller too, but I am still working my way through the documents. It's all supposed to be to "save the children" and make vaping less attractive? what a joke!! as always, the nanny state doing their damndest to get people off and away from nicotine, not to mention, disposables are still available everywhere and that's what the kids buy, cheap and colourful, haha it's insane!

 

[987baz]

this is the speal about packaging

The shift to plain designs and strict packaging rules isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about redefining how these devices are perceived. By stripping away flashy designs and promotional elements, the new standards reinforce their role as therapeutic tools, not lifestyle products. For the industry, compliance isn’t optional—it’s the only way forward. For consumers, these changes bring added clarity and reassurance about safety and intended use.

So, as 2025 unfolds, prepare to see therapeutic vaping devices in a whole new (and very matte) light. The future is plain, but it’s designed with purpose.

Which is to say that, unless the devices meet these "standards" of being matt grey/black/white they won't be legally allowed to import them. I don't care what colour they are to be honest, but that will mean that a lot less vaping companies will bother with the Aus market because why would they go to the extra effort of making something for such a a small market. So aus vapers will have a lot less choice about which devices we can have, so my advoce to anyone down here is, grab what you want now, because our options are about to get a lot smaller.

 

[987baz]

This from a user on the redidit Aussie vapes forum

There seems to be a lot more in these updates than being mentioned. Colours and packaging are the least of our problems. Regarding pods/tanks, “a therapeutic vaping device or a therapeutic vaping device accessory may have a clear panel, which must be the smallest size that enables visibility of the amount of therapeutic vaping substance in the device”; so there goes majority of the pod systems that use clear/frosted tanks. Add to that, the durability requirements (which also includes foreseeable misuse or abuse), as well as child resistant features to prevent operation of the device, or ingestion of components. Most pods can be removed, or the silicone plugs or caps where you fill easily pulled off and ingested, also allowing access and ingestion of the liquid. What device is built strong enough to withstand foreseeable abuse/misuse, whilst having child resistant fill ports and a non-removable pod/plug/etc?! There’s many other hoops manufacturers and sponsors need to jump through as well, which due to the huge reduction of profits, I can see them (manufacturers mainly) pulling out from this Nanny country shitshow.

So, yeah, that’s pretty much what I was thinking too … there is no mention, that I can find of if you already have a device, I mean, I bought mine legally, so can I still use them? Doesn’t say I can’t, but the pod system I have might not be usable as if the pods don’t meet the new regulations they won’t stock them, luckily my tank just needs coils which, as far as I can see aren’t mentioned.

Apologies for the multiple comments, just thought I’d keep you updated, if it happens here you can likely assume they will try this elsewhere.

 

[987baz]

I asked the pharmacy guy about the new legislation and if devices already bought will still be ok to use and if we will have access to pods and coils for them. His reply below.

Thanks for reaching out. There is no issue with any vaping products being used post legislation changes.

Unfortunately we don’t have confirmation of any products that will be complaint across all brands at this stage for continued sale.
Once we have more information from sponsors we will surely keep our customers informed.

 

[maiyizhi]

Help needed

I am reading a Korean science paper on nicotine salts. The text is in English but several tables are in Korean only. I would like to get them translated but couldn't find a way to extract the text. I could download them as png and pdf but cannot copy the text.

Does anybody have an idea?

View attachment 102986

I tried to use Transmonkey to help you translate it, you can take a look.

 

[A Jay]

I tried to use Transmonkey to help you translate it, you can take a look.

Thank you for the helpful post, maiyizhi. Hadn't heard of Transmonkey before but it seems useful. Gunna have to check it out now.

It would be nice if you made an intro post over in the Newbies section of the forum so we have an idea of who provided this helpful chart translation.

 

[broken.english]

View attachment 105705
I tried to use Transmonkey to help you translate it, you can take a look.

Fine, thank you!

 

[axj]

I just switched to vaping too because the self-rolled cigs have been irritating my throat too much, which started to produce a lot of phlegm. For the phlegm I also started taking NAC and that seems to help a lot too.

Tried three different vaping brands so far and I quite like one of them. The local shops only seem to have flavored e-cigarettes and menthol seems okay.

 

[Chu]

I just switched to vaping too because the self-rolled cigs have been irritating my throat too much, which started to produce a lot of phlegm. For the phlegm I also started taking NAC and that seems to help a lot too.

Tried three different vaping brands so far and I quite like one of them. The local shops only seem to have flavored e-cigarettes and menthol seems okay.

Nice! But just in case you aren't familiar with this, know that sometimes it may not just be smoking that causes phlegm, but some foods, especially dairy. So also watch out for irritants in your diet if you aren't doing that already, unless you know for sure that it's only from smoking that you get it.

For me, reducing tobacco a lot has removed all coughing. But I occasionally get a bit of phlegm from either smoking or dairy or some nuts.