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Originally Posted by ruo42
on another note does anybody here know much about electronic/vape cigarettes? i dont want to quit smoking but at the same time my lungs are really taking a toll
Cigarettes have additives that increase the bioavailability of nicotine so that your body absorbs more of it or absorbs it more efficiently (example, theobromine from chocolate). They also have additives that increase the craving level/addiction of nicotine, like sugars which turn into aldehydes when burned. Finally they have additives which make the smoke irritate your throat less at the time you're inhaling it (and then later you cough up a lung, sort of how like punches don't hurt as much when you're drunk).
The biggest barrier to entry for e-cigs is understanding these and understanding that using an e-cig, at first, is going to seem like you're getting less nicotine, or that it doesn't quite feel the same. It might also make your throat itch or make you cough when you first try it. The throat itchiness and coughing from getting used to this new and different vapor totally goes away after a day or two. The feeling of "this isnt as good as a cigarette" is you being used to a nicotine delivery system on steroids instead of straight up additive-free tobacco. This isn't the e-cig's fault. The reality is, this is you getting used to what nicotine feels like without all these sympathetic chemicals. Accept this and be aware of it or you'll find yourself reverting to cigarettes.
Having said that, you are now ready to choose a model. I am told that the kind you drip yourself manually are the most efficient $$-wise and most potent. The downside is you're carrying around a bottle of nicotine juice to refresh the vape after several dozen puffs. If this is the route you want to go, battery life, thickness of smoke, and price of replacement atomizers is most important. (You're going to be occasionally cleaning or replacing atomizers with any e-cig. The atomizer is the part that actually vaporizes the liquid.)
The only other real choice is a two-piece. A cartridge pre-loaded with juice that has an atomizer built into it. It delivers a few hundred puffs and then you throw it out. The battery system ends up being the only part you reuse. These replace the original system of three-piece, where the cartridge with the juice is separate from the atomizer, and those are replaced slightly less frequently than the juice carts. I feel the two-piece systems work much better than the three's ever did.
Some two-pieces have cartridges that are possible to reload and reuse with your own nicotine liquid, or e-juice, a few times, until the atomizer actually starts going out. No matter what system you're going with, you're pretty much saving money by picking up some juice. Look for unbiased reviews when you search the internet. Many e-cigs are operating off a razor and blades style business model and want to make sure you're continually buying replacement cartridges from their manufacturer.
It's going to be some time before the good options are actually sold in local stores. Another thing you'll just have to accept I guess. Don't waste your time on things you see sold locally. If it's anything like here in the states, the very best in-store stuff is going to be mediocre at most.