Though not on fire, vaping is all the rage.
The Oxford Dictionary officially made 2014 the year of the vape when the eponymous tome announced the term as the ‘Word of the Year.’ Specifically:
- verb- To inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device
- noun- An electronic cigarette or similar device
It gave credit for the award to the fact that the word is used thirty times more than it was used just two years previously and twice as often as the year before.
Vaping, the verb, happens when hot air heats the oils in the tobacco to a gaseous state. Smoking burns the plant material. Both methods deliver a nicotine hit but vaping produces little to no smoke and no ash.
Vaping enhances the tasting experience because the combustion and smoke obscure the compounds naturally found in the plant material. Because of the lack of combustion, vaping is much easier on the lungs and results in the release of fewer carcinogens and less tar. Many users vape because they are more discreet due to the lack of odor (sometimes just a bit) and smoke involved.
Good vapes, the noun, are certainly a healthier alternative to traditional smoking. However, the downside can be found in vapes with weak batteries or heating elements, offering average hits and therefore a second-rate experience. Anecdotally, vaping may not give as full or long-lasting effect as smoking either.
Finally, beware of really cheap vapes with noxious chemicals like arsenic and boron, leftover in the manufacturing process, that can leach into the plant material during the heating process. Fortunately, there are plenty of quality vapes out there to do so safely, but it doesn’t hurt to study up and check out reviews of any product before you purchase!
Now that you know so much about vaping, it makes a lot of sense to get yours now!
