Is there still a place for super high nicotine strength?
Do you vape high nicotine strength e-liquids? There’s some very tough news coming if you do, but before you get into “puffy panic”, take a few deep breaths, and we’ll do our very best to help you figure out how to get through this. Sitting down? Comfortable? Fairly relaxed? Here goes…
Higher strength nicotine e-liquids have been banned under new regulations, and over the period November 2016 to May 2017 they will completely disappear from the shelves of legitimate e-liquid suppliers.
If you vape anything above 2.0% nicotine (that’s 20mg/ml), you are going to have to change to a lower strength before May 2017. We’ve talked to enough high nicotine strength customers to understand the worry, occasionally even terror that this news can inflict.
The question everyone is scared to ask themselves: What if I end up smoking again? Let’s put that one to bed immediately. Maybe if, somewhere deep inside, you think you might want to, you’re not going to let that happen. And we’ll try to help, but ultimately you’re going to retain control of your own destiny in the same way you did when you made the switch in the first place.
So how are we going to do this?
First, figure out when. Needs to be well before May, as there might be a false start or 2. Once you know when, pick an e-liquid, go for 1.8% (18mg/ml) minimum – in a flavour that you know you love. Now here’s the counter-intuitive advice: don’t try it in any device that you have been using long term – you need to use something that delivers vapour in much greater density than you are currently getting. That way, although the nicotine strength is lower, your body will get as much nicotine per puff as you’re getting now. Trust me, this works, but it takes a bit of getting used to. Just trying to creep down in nicotine strength on the device you’ve already got has worked for some, but it has also not worked for many. The key is to find a device that delivers more vapour.
Let’s take a guess at what device you currently use: Switz2? Skope S? arc Slim? These are all fabulous e-cigarettes that have served a lot of people very well, in some cases for many years, but if you’re using them with high nicotine strength e-liquid, they probably won’t deliver what you need when you go down in nicotine strength.
Recommendations for a new device?
We’ve got 3. Orbis, AIO 2, Arc 5. All 3 are easy to use, and capable of providing enough vapour for 1.8% nicotine to satisfy once you get used to them.
The Orbis is the simplest. Easy to fill and use, just press the button and vape. It’s got a rather more “free” airflow than some of the earlier models, but you’ll find it’s possible to take slow and controlled puffs. Fill your mouth with plenty of vapour before inhaling, and once you have taken 2 or 3 puffs, think really objectively about how the experience has made you feel. It’s not quite the same as high strength nicotine, but the ultimate result should be that your nicotine craving subsides. If it does – we’re winning. Stick with this, and try really hard not to go back to your old and familiar device. It has been a good friend, but in a world where nicotine strengths have gone down, it just won’t provide what you need anymore.
What if this doesn’t work for you? How about you’ve tried a Orbis in a shop, and you just couldn’t love it? Next stop is the AIO 2. This device has slightly more restricted (but adjustable) airflow, and is available with a huge range of atomizer heads. They are kitted with a 1.5ohm, and if you want to increase the nicotine you get, remember “less resistance = more vapour” is the general rule. If the 1.5ohm doesn’t suit, then try 1.0ohm, 0.6ohm or 0.5ohm, depending on just how short of getting enough vapour you feel you are.
Let’s go out on a bit more of a limb for the third choice. The Arc 5 is not a traditional cylindrical e-cigarette, but it does offer some advantages over the other 2, and is the latest in a product line that has revolutionized vaping. It’s adjustable, but once you have found the settings you want, you don’t have to make any further adjustments. More importantly, if you don’t get on well with the tank it’s supplied with, it has the power and battery capacity to be used with a whole host of alternative tanks. Our advice would be to talk to helpful staff in one of our shops or authorized reseller stores to make sure you get a tank and atomizer combination that suits you if you are still struggling to find something that works for you with 18mg/ml strength.
Honestly, it can be done. The new regulations are not going to change, and we believe regulators have made a huge mistake in removing high strength nicotine e-liquids from the market. It’s therefore fortunate that vaping technology has advanced so much, because we truly believe you’ll be able to keep vaping.