Issue 11

The

The UK and Ireland’s Vape Trade Magazine

EDITOR: Paul Caplin

DIRECTOR: Dave Turner SALES EXECUTIVES:

Sheila Tole

Julie Carpenter Steve Hanson Emily Ride Steve Culf

DESIGN: Hayley Parker James Parnell

Connor Dimberline Kyle Bednall Sam Bennett

JOURNALISTS: Patrick Griffin Siddiqa Khalifa Leo Forfar

MARKETING: Katie Loomes Abida Razaque Reuben Hodgkins Stephanie Fu

FINANCE: Joanne Stubley Lauren Pilliner Anna Difusco Kris Worton

REVIEWERS:

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

A very warm welcome to our latest edition of Vapouround Magazine.

The past few months have been an amazingly busy time for us all and when you read through this issue you will get a taste of just how busy it has been.

The biggest event for us was hosting the second annual Vapouround Awards evening and this was one amazing night thanks to the wonderful people who make up the international vaping community.

I also want to thank everyone from the industry who supported the event whether by attending, sponsoring awards categories and entering their juices and products. The standard was extremely high indeed this year so huge congratulations not only to the winners but to everyone who made it through to the final stages.

The Vapouround Awards coincided with The Vaper Expo - The Big Weekend and we were obviously out in force for that event too.

It was great seeing so many familiar faces in Birmingham over the weekend and also a delight to meet so many new people too.

There is a lot of coverage both of the 2017 Vapouround Awards and also of the Expo itself in this issue to make sure you check them out.

We were also delighted to be the official media partners for the Independent Vape Industry Conference 2017 which was held in Manchester on April 27.

If you were there then you will already know what a great event it was, covering a huge range of topics which are highly relevant to the vaping industry.

I know that a lot if time and effort went into organising this event and it really paid off on the day. If you didn’t get to go then you can read our special series of reports on the Conference in this issue.

We also have our regular features, the popular Vapouround on Tour section and highlights of where the Vapouround Bus has been over the past couple of months in yet another feature-packed issue.

Until next time.

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Vapouround

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Paul Caplin | paul@vapouround.co.uk Editor

FEATURES

14 The closed gateway. 16 World NO tobacco day. 20 We’ve quit smoking. 22 Malaysia’s vaping wonderland. 24 Making E-cigarettes allergy free. 26 IBVTA release new trading standards ‘Bible’. 28 Marina Murphy: What can the vaping world learn from snus. 32 Diary of a vaper - John Endersby. 34 Clearing up confusion about nicotine. 38 Vaping and driving - Part 2. 42 Counterfeit goods - Bad for vapers and the industry. 46 Confessions of a ‘vape-oholic’. 50 Vapourounds Next Top Mod-el competition. 54 Vapouround Awards - Penguins, kilts and Donald Trump masks. 56 Vapouround Awards - Gallery page. 60 Vapouround Awards - Award winners. 62 Vapouround Awards - A trio of awards. 66 Vapouround Awards - Attitude vapes. 68 Vapouround Awards - Vaper of the year. 76 IBVTA - Speaking out for the british vape industry. 78 IBVTA - Introducing the IBVTA 82 IBVTA - Regulations - The good, the bad and the ugly. 84 IBVTA - Business matters - lawyers, mods and money. 88 IBVTA - Science, regulations and research. 92 IBVTA - Advertising - pros, cons and constraints. 94 IBVTA - Closing statements.

THE CLOSED GATEWAY

Vaping has long been demonised as a gateway to combustible cigarette smoking. Guilt by tenuous association has been the excuse for regulators trying to throw vaping and cigarette smoking into the same cage for years now. Inhalation and optional inclusion of nicotine are where the similarities end; when regulators failed to find adequate connections between vaping and smoking, they pushed the idea that one was leading users to the other.

A study from the University at Buffalo and University of Michigan has provided strong evidence that vaping does not lead to smoking.

Lynn Kozlowski, Phd and professor of community health and health behaviour at University at Buffalo headed the study.

“The national trends in vaping and cigarette smoking do not support the argument that vaping is leading to smoking,” she said. “There is little evidence that those who have never smoked cigarettes or never used other tobacco products and first try e-cigarettes will later move on to cigarette usage with great frequency or daily, regular smoking.”

Most “gateway” fears are centred on children, who may be dooming themselves to a lifetime of bad habits. This study was done with children in mind, and its results may have slain both birds with one stone.

Professor Kenneth Warner professor of public health for Michigan’s School of Public Health, co-authored the research. He was displeased with how e-cigarette research has been previously conducted.

“The evidence from the prospective studies is weak at best,” he said. “All that it demonstrates is that there is a connection between kids who vape and future experimentation with smoking. Even if there is a small gateway effect, it is totally swamped by the overall trend toward less and less smoking.”

The two professors hope their study will not only end a stubborn and prevalent myth about smoking and vaping, but improve the standard for how future studies are conducted and embolden researchers by providing a more solid academic foundation.

A new study reveals that vaping does not lead to combustible cigarette smoking

NO TOBACCO DAY 2017

Beating tobacco for health, prosperity, the environment and national development

Countries can help prevent millions of people falling ill and dying from tobacco-related disease by taking action to stamp out tobacco use says the World Health Organisation.

To mark World No Tobacco Day 2017, (May 31) the WHO highlighted how tobacco threatens the development of nations worldwide, and called on governments to implement strong tobacco control measures.

Tobacco use kills more than 7 million people every year and costs households and governments over US$ 1.4 trillion through healthcare expenditure and lost productivity.

“Tobacco threatens us all,” says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. “Tobacco exacerbates poverty, reduces economic productivity, contributes to poor household food choices, and pollutes indoor air.

“By taking robust tobacco control measures, governments can safeguard their countries’ futures by protecting tobacco users and non-users from these deadly products, generating revenues to fund health and other social services, and saving their environments from the ravages tobacco causes.”

The first-ever WHO report, Tobacco and its environmental impact: an overview, also shows the impact of this product on nature, including:

• Tobacco waste contains over 7000 toxic chemicals that poison the environment, including human carcinogens.

• Tobacco smoke emissions contribute thousands of tons of human carcinogens, toxicants, and greenhouse gases to the environment. And tobacco waste is the largest type of litter by count globally.

• Up to 10 billion of the 15 billion cigarettes sold daily are disposed in the environment.

• Cigarette butts account for 30–40% of all items collected in coastal and urban clean-ups.

“Many governments are taking action against tobacco, from banning advertising and marketing, to introducing plain packaging for tobacco products, and smoke-free work and public places,” says Dr Oleg Chestnov, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for NCDs and Mental Health. “But one of the least used, but most effective, tobacco control measures to help countries address development needs is through increasing tobacco tax and prices.”

Governments collect nearly US$ 270 billion in tobacco excise tax revenues each year, but this could increase by over 50%, generating an additional US$ 141 billion, simply from raising taxes on cigarettes by just US$ 0.80 per pack (equivalent to one international dollar) in all countries said the WHO.

WE’VE QUIT SMOKING

More than half of all UK vapers have stopped smoking completely since taking up vaping, a new study has revealed.

The study, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), shows that an estimated 2.9 million adults in Great Britain currently use electronic cigarettes. It also revealed that the most common reason vapers give for using e-cigarettes is to stop smoking. In addition, for the first time ever, the survey found that more exsmokers (1.5 million) who use e-cigarettes than there current smokers in the UK.

Around 1.5 million UK vapers have given up smoking entirely while there are around 1.3 million adults who still use tobacco. The survey questioned more than 12,000 adults as part of ASH’s annual Smokefree GB survey into the use of electronic cigarettes and vapourisers in Great Britain. While the numbers of vapers who have quit smoking is seen as a huge positive, there are still many people who ‘dual use’ e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes which still exposes them to the toxic, cancer-causing substances in tobacco smoke.

Professor Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at King’s College London, said she was encouraged by the survey’s findings. “This year’s ASH survey finds that around 1.5 million vapers are exsmokers, for the first time a larger number than those who continue to smoke,” she said. “The message for the 1.3 million vapers who still smoke is that they need to go further and switch completely.” There has been a fourfold increase in the the number of UK vapers since 2012 when the figure was 700,000 ASH Chief Executive Deborah Arnott said the growing number of vapers who had quit smoking was ‘excellent news.’

She said: “It’s excellent news that the number of vapers who have quit smoking is continuing to grow…It is very important that smokers realise that vaping is much, much less harmful than smoking.”

Worryingly, the survey also showed that only 13% of respondents recognised that e-cigarettes were considerably less harmful than smoking, while 26% thought they were more or equally harmful. ASH said: “This is a communications challenge that needs to be met in order to reduce the harm caused by tobacco to smokers and those around them.”

For the first time ever there are more UK ex-smokers 1.5 million who use e-cigarettes than current smokers 1.3 million.

“This year’s ASH survey finds that around 1.5 million vapers are ex-smokers, for the first time a larger number than those who continue to smoke,”

Professor Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at King’s College London

Is Malaysia’s

“vaping wonderland” bubble about to burst?

While many countries in south east Asia have all but banned vaping, the e-cigarette industry in Malaysia is totally unregulated but it could soon be under threat.

It was estimated that in 2015 there were around 600 vaping stores in the capital Kuala Lumpur but now that could be as low as 150.

The Malaysia E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternative Association (MEVTA) says they hear reports of shops closing every day and now government regulation of the industry could be on the cards. Its general secretary Norman Ismail says the association supports regulation but is worried that it could become excessive and heavy handed.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Health announced last year that it was working on laws to regulate vaping to cover areas such as the manufacture and sale of vaping products to where vaping should be allowed and where it should be banned.

One major worry of the country’s vaping community is that the new regulations may go so far as to limit the sale of e-liquids to registered medical practitioners and licensed pharmacists.

Deputy health minister Hilmi Yahaya says the new regulations should be drafted by the end of this year but insisted that the

government was not planning an outright ban on vaping and vaping products.

The MEVTA is backing regulation but insists the regulation must be drafted in a way that acknowledges that vaping is primarily a way for smokers to quit tobacco.

It has called on the Ministry of Health to conduct a “fair review and assessment” of the vaping industry and its health effects.

The World Health Organisation’s latest report on tobacco use in Malaysia estimated that 44% of men and 1% of women smoke cigarettes regularly and that more than 10,000 Malaysians die from smoking-related illnesses every year.

One real fear is that if regulation is too excessive then many current vapers could be forced to return to smoking and thus it could lead to many unnecessary deaths.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Health has also been accused of using “scare tactics” to discourage people from vaping by suggesting that it was harmful to health.

The numbers of vapers is also declining in Malaysia which has prompted a number of Malaysian vape distributors to switch their business from the home market to the export market instead.

Government regulation threatens the country’s booming e-cigarette industry

MAKING E-CIGARETTES ALLERGY FREE

The first practical guide to the allergy-safe use of e-liquid ingredients has been published.

Just like many flavouring or fragrance-containing consumer products, e-liquid has the potential for causing an allergic reaction.

Flavourings are an important part of the vaping experience and some flavourings are known allergens.

Currently, there are no specific allergy-related regulatory restrictions under either the Tobacco Products Directive in Europe or regulations administered by the Food and Drug Administration in the US.

Now researchers from British American Tobacco have devised a practical approach to assessing and managing the allergy risk associated with e-liquid flavourings and other ingredients in an online report “Regulatory Pharmacology and Toxicology.”

For skin allergens, the researchers propose a method for estimating the exposures to e-liquid ingredients and quantitatively assessing the risk. This has then allowed them to work out a concentration of an allergen that is not expected to cause allergy in the person vaping the e-liquid.

Additionally, the researchers say any known allergen should be labelled as an ingredient if it is present at 0.1% concentration or higher, even if it is established that it can be used safely at a higher concentration. This will help those consumers who already know themselves to be sensitive to certain ingredients to make product choices.

The researchers say that it is also prudent to exclude all known respiratory sensitisers from e-liquids. “Although respiratory allergy is much less common than skin allergy, the potential adverse effects are much more severe,” said Dr Sandra Costigan, Principal Toxicologist at British American Tobacco.

Chronic inhalation of respiratory allergens can lead to symptoms ranging from mild breathing difficulties to fatal anaphylaxis.

Food allergens are yet another type of allergen and the authors recommend the presence of any potential food allergens (that are not already excluded for being respiratory allergens as well) should be labelled.

“No two people have the same immune response, which is why it is important to tell people about allergens in a product even if all your data says most people shouldn’t experience a problem,” says Dr Costigan.

When Britain’s biggest advocate for a free and independent vape business came to its biggest Expo on May 26, associate member Liam Humberstone told Vapouround that the organisation were hoping to “write the Bible” on trading standards for the industry’s vendors.

The Independent British Vape Trade Association or IBVTA are fresh off their inaugural April conference (as detailed in our series of special reports in this issue) and haven’t slowed down since.

Chairman Richard Hyslop explained how their latest move ties in with their overall mission:

“Since our conference in Manchester we’ve been carrying on our day-to-day work, so trips to Brussels and trips to Scotland regarding excise and changes to advertising regulations.

Richard hopes this will be the most thorough codification of vape trading standards ever assembled.

“We’re sending it to Trading Standards to give it their approval,” he added. “Remember, though there’s some confusion within the industry, there’s a lot of that within Trading Standards and various standards organisations taking various approaches.

“This week we got a call to our offices from a trading standards officer who had been telling people that the sell-through period for the TPD was this September, that sort of mistake can’t be ignored.”

The IBVTA hope for a new uniformity to emerge as a result of their document. “We’re calling it the Vendor’s Guidance – which will hopefully be authorised by Trading Standards and will be distributed to the wider industry. If it goes well, everyone will be singing from the same hymn sheet.”

WE FOUND THAT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE TRPR [TOBACCO AND RELATED PRODUCTS REGULATIONS 2017] AND A LOT OF MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SO WE’VE PRODUCED A GUIDE TO EVERYTHING – NOT JUST TRPR, BUT ALL OTHER REGULATIONS. THIS INCLUDES AGE OF SALE RESTRICTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE OUR MEMBERS OR PEOPLE IN THE GENERAL VAPE BUSINESS NEED TO BE AWARE OF.

IBVTA TO RELEASE NEW TRADING STANDARDS ‘BIBLE’ FOR VAPE INDUSTRY

MANY OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE GENERAL EU BAN ON SNUS, A BAN ENACTED IN 1992 THAT STILL PERSISTS TODAY. SNUS THE ONLY TOBACCO PRODUCT BANNED IN THE EU, DESPITE DECADES OF RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THAT ‘SNUSING’ IS SUBSTANTIALLY SAFER THAN SMOKING. ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RETAINING THE BAN IS THAT SNUS IS A GATEWAY TO SMOKING – SOUND FAMILIAR?

However, let’s take a look at the one country in the EU where snus is not banned – Sweden. Sweden has the lowest smoking rates and the lowest lung cancer rates in Europe - only 8% of men smoke every day, compared to a 25% EU average - and many authorities have cited the widespread availability of snus as a key factor in Sweden’s low smoking levels.

WHAT CAN THE VAPING WORLD LEARN FROM SNUS?

By Marina Murphy, BAT

Meanwhile in the world of e-cigarettes, we constantly hear that like snus, e-cigarettes are a gateway device. And much like in the case of snus, more and more evidence is emerging that this hypothesis is weak. A team of US researchers recently analysed the findings of several previous studies and have found the evidence suggesting a link between vaping and future smoking is weak at best. And in another study conducted by our scientists at British American Tobacco, a computer model designed to predict future trends showed that when e-cigarettes are available, by 2050 the 32% of smokers in the UK that otherwise would have continued smoking had switched to e-cigarettes. The possibility that e-cigarettes are a way out of—not a way into—smoking should come as no surprise given the Swedish snus story. And the snus story promises to get even more interesting.

WHAT IS SNUS?

“Brexit offers the UK hope of sane harm reduction strategy in which snus is relegalised”, according to Chris Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs in London, which is why the New Nicotine Alliance (NNA) in the UK went to the European High Court in January to try to overturn the ban. Professor Gerry Stimson, chair of the NNA, says ‘We want snus to be legalised because snus saves lives. The human cost of the European Union ban on snus is millions of lives lost prematurely across Europe.’ The NNA case will be discussed at the upcoming Global Forum on Nicotine, Warsaw 15-17th June along with the latest scientific assessments of the impact of snus. Watch this space!

So what is snus? It is very different to e-cigarettes! It’s oral tobacco that can come loose or in a pouch and it releases nicotine when tucked under the lip or cheek. It’s been banned generally across the EU since 1992, but the availability and acceptance of this product in Sweden helped drive down smoking there to the lowest levels by far in Europe.

In fact, the proportion of Swedish men aged between 30 and 44 who smoke fell to just 5% in 2016, partly because many have switched to snus. Overall just 8% of Swedish men (and 10% of women) smoke daily, compared with the EU average of just over 25%. According to an article in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health if snus was not available many more people might have continued to be cigarette smokers. The authors estimated if the Swedish smoking prevalence was extrapolated to the rest of the EU, there would be a 54% reduction of male mortality from lung cancer.

Researchers in Norway, too, have shown that snus there is used to stop smoking, reduce smoking, and avoid starting in the first place. E-cigarettes, they say, could have the same effects, depending on how they are regulated. Snus is surely a prime example of how providing safer, socially acceptable alternatives to smoking can encourage quitting.

According to one study, switching from smoking to snus may offer reduced health risk similar to quitting smoking. E-cigarettes, like snus, may offer equally encouraging harm reduction potential. For example, Public Health England, an executive body of the UK Department of Health, estimates that e-cigarettes are around 95% safer than cigarettes, and the Royal College of Physicians in England has proposed that e-cigarettes be widely promoted as an alternative to cigarettes.

In the US, Dr Lynn Kozlowski, Professor of Community Health and Health Behaviour of the University of Buffalo, published research in Drug and Alcohol Dependence showing that as use of e-cigarettes in the US have shot up, overall smoking rates have decreased. He said in an interview that: “The national trends in vaping and cigarette smoking do not support the argument that vaping is leading to smoking. . . . The evidence from the prospective studies (of gateway) is weak at best. . . . There is little evidence that those who have never smoked cigarettes or never used other tobacco products and first try e-cigarettes will later move on to cigarette usage with great frequency or daily, regular smoking.”

Kozlowski’s paper also highlights several shortcomings in studies that claim to show a link between e-cigarette use and subsequent smoking. He points out that many studies use misleading measures for what is actually considered smoking. “Measures of ‘at least one puff in the past six months’ can mean little more than the experimenting vaper was curious how cigarettes compared,” Kozlowski said in the interview.

CRYSTAL BALL

E-cigarettes haven’t been around for a very long time, which is why there isn’t the same wealth of data as there is for snus. However, computer modeling can also be used to help predict the potential public health effects of new tobacco and nicotine products. As mentioned above, our scientists have developed a computer-based population model to do just that. This model was used to look at a number of possible scenarios for the 50 years between 2000 and 2050, comparing what might happen if e-cigarettes were and were not available. All types of smokers—current smokers, non-smokers, former smokers, e-cigarette users, and dual users— were taken into account, as were many different types of behaviours, such as starting to smoke, quitting and relapsing, switching to e-cigarettes, and becoming a dual user. The model also considered the potential effect of smoking normalisation on starting and quitting rates, and other factors such as gender, ageing and time since quitting.

The results show the potential for an overall beneficial effect of e-cigarettes, significantly reducing smoking prevalence and smoking-related deaths. By 2050 if e-cigarettes are available, the 32% of smokers in the UK that otherwise would have continued smoking likely would have completely switched to e-cigarettes.

“Our model shows that when e-cigarettes are available, the effect of ‘normalisation’, through for example, the visibility and familiarisation of e-cigarettes versus the ‘de-normalisation’ of cigarettes, means that fewer people

start smoking and there is a higher rate of successful quit attempts—smokers quit earlier and, although many still relapse, there are significantly more former smokers,” explained one of the researchers Dr James Murphy, Head of Reduced Risk Substantiation at British American Tobacco.

Mathematical models like this can be used to study complex and constantly changing situations—as is the case when e-cigarettes or other new products become available to the public. They help predict the future based on what’s happened in the past, and are particularly helpful in forecasting the possible future impact of products when the longterm health effects are unknown and epidemiological data are not available. The picture that is starting to emerge is that, similar to snus, e-cigarettes could play a positive part in tobacco related harm reduction. Kozlowski and colleagues say that even if there is a small gateway effect, it is totally swamped by the overall trend toward less and less smoking.

Kozlowski’s co-author Kenneth Warner adds: “The persistent focus on the potential risks to kids has caused adults’ understanding of the risks of e-cigarettes to worsen over time. This is likely discouraging adult smokers from using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.”

They say that regulations are needed to minimise product risks. “The public deserves accurate information on the health risks of e-cigarettes versus cigarettes,” Kozlowski said. “From the best evidence to date, e-cigarettes are much less dangerous than cigarettes. The public has become confused about this.”

While this confusion reigns, it may prove hard to realise fully the significant potential public health benefits of e-cigarettes.

Dr Marina Murphy is Head of Scientific Media Relations at British American Tobacco

DIARY OF A VAPER

(Featuring John Endersby)

John Endersby from Leeds has been smoking since the age of 13. Now, aged 50, John is proud to be a vaper and here he shares his story with Vapouround Magazine.

About two years ago, I came across an e-cigarette pen at a local vape store in Leeds. I picked up some e-juice and started vaping. I soon realised that it wasn’t the best juice to vape and unfortunately, went back to smoking. After recently being diagnosed with osteoarthritis it was hard for me to perform daily routines such as moving, walking, and even working. I became accustomed to sitting in an armchair and smoking all day. I’ve been smoking since I was 13 years old and I used to smoke 20-30 cigarettes a day.

Eventually I got bored and developed the willpower and motivation to change something in my life. I knew I had to quit smoking otherwise my condition could deteriorate.

I started searching for ways to quit smoking. I tried the nicotine patches and nicotine gum but it didn’t help feed my nicotine cravings.

I took to the internet and searched for higher quality e-liquids and that’s where I came across the latest versions of an e-cigarette and a delicious bubble-gum flavoured e-juice which was a perfect combination for me. Since then, I have quit smoking. Not only has vaping helped me quit the habit, but it’s improved my health and lifestyle. When I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, I was told that I wouldn’t heal at all. I would often wake up feeling lethargic and unable to move properly but when I began to vape, I felt healthier and my partner noticed the change too.

After 37 years of smoking many cigarettes a day, I’m finally a vaper. I feel healthier, I have a spring in my step every time I wake up in the morning and my taste buds are coming back to me.

My partner is also a smoker and after she noticed the success I had with vaping, she is now vaping too. She loves the range of flavours available and we’re both really pleased to have quit smoking altogether.

I’ve tried many alternatives to smoking such as the gum and patches but what encouraged me to stay committed to vaping was knowing how effective it was for other smokers just like myself. I’ve heard success stories from ex-smokers who are now vapers and I’ve made a lot of friends with them too.

I enjoy the fruity e-liquid flavours and waking up every morning knowing I can taste and smell food rather than stale cigarette smoke is my greatest accomplishment and I owe it all to vaping.

‘I feel healthier, I have a spring in my step every time I wake up in the morning and my taste buds are coming back to me’

THE STORY SO FAR: CLEARING

UP CONFUSION ABOUT NICOTINE

By Leo Forfar

The arrival of vapour products on the global stage has been a seismic event. Businesspeople, smokers, ex-smokers, politicians and physicians are still feeling the effects fourteen years on. It was the entrance of an unknown into a known: a new, young and relatively untested activity forcing its way into the domain of an established, old and demonstrably harmful one.

Unsurprisingly, as vaping leached the consumer base of tobacco, bringing down preventable deaths and pushing up life expectancy in every nation it expanded to, people began to associate it with smoking, throwing it under the umbrella tobacco unfurled centuries ago. As of 2017, with vaping on the rise and smoking getting its just desserts for a prolific body count, the one factor uniting them (apart from poorly thought-out policy) is nicotine.

Nicotine remains one of the more controversial elements in the debates surrounding health and safety in vaping. Its inclusion in vapour products poses something of a paradoxical issue. Most vapers are former smokers, who through necessity or preference, stopped exposing themselves to tobacco but hit a block quitting nicotine cold turkey. However, it’s never good to be addicted to anything and few vapers would deny this.

So, with the suffocating presence of tobacco shoved firmly out of the room (these are mods and e-liquids we’re talking about after all) let’s talk sense about nicotine.

John Britton is the Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham’s School of Medicine and Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies. He was able to shed some light on what the scientific community knows so far.

“The strongest myth about nicotine is that it causes cancer, and is responsible for most of the harm caused by smoking,” he said.

Professor Britton also reminded us that, though not a carcinogen nor overtly debilitating ingredient, nicotine isn’t harmless. And though vaping isn’t perfect, it remains the best option for former smokers by far.

“Nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure, and causes short term constriction of arteries (thus impairing blood flow) but these effects are very similar to those of caffeine. Long term use of nicotine is therefore probably better avoided, but of itself doesn’t represent much of a health hazard.

What do we know for sure about nicotine consumption? Should vaping companies encourage vapers to phase out nicotine content?

“THE STRONGEST MYTH ABOUT NICOTINE IS THAT IT CAUSES CANCER, AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE HARM CAUSED BY SMOKING,”

“Any long-term harm from vaping is likely to arise from other constituents of vapour, not the nicotine. Vaping is unlikely to be free from long term health hazard so the best advice to any vaper is to stop vaping. However, if that means that they go back to smoking, that would be counterproductive from a health perspective.”

John Britton

Image 1: Tobbaco fields - Cuba

As detailed in our coverage of the latest study from Cancer Research UK, vapour products never cause more than 5% of the harm caused by combustible cigarettes. And research from the University of Michigan and University at Buffalo (also covered here) proved e-cigarettes are not a gateway to combustible cigarettes. Unlike combustible cigarettes or pipes, vaping can still be enjoyed without nicotine.

So, with all this in mind, is encouraging nicotine reduction the right thing to do? Is it the responsibility of vape companies and promoters, or does it lie with the consumer, with an overreach?

A sizeable number of vapers have succeeded at breaking their addiction entirely through incremental means, but still consider vaping a pleasure and hobby. Lounges, internet forums, DIY kits and events (such as expos and cloudchasing competitions) have expanded vaping into a thriving community of sociable creativity that goes beyond the base satisfaction of urges.

Dr Marina Murphy of British American Tobacco feels the vaping industry has already gone above and beyond in providing a safe alternative to tobacco and that in needs our support, not condemnation.

“The responsibility of vape companies isn’t to lecture about nicotine levels or content, but to produce safe, functional products people want; products that can compete with cigarettes. I don’t think it’s the company’s role to dictate, even advise, on the exact level. The consumer handles these decisions and it’s theirs to make.”

To Dr Murphy, the option to alter nicotine levels – or forego nicotine completely – is all vape companies need to provide.

“If a smoker can freely switch to vaping, they can freely cut down nicotine. People come to vape for a variety of reasons, mostly to stop using tobacco products, but some just enjoy the experience. Trends are already pointing to a cut-down in nicotine use by vapers.”

Dr Murphy also pointed to a study conducted by Ernst & Young on consumer trends in vaping, which shows vapers are already in the habit of tuning out nicotine content. The study sees the most common nicotine strength in global markets as between one and six milligrams, and 14% of total vapers do so with no nicotine at all.

Beating nicotine addiction and vaping purely for the fun of it may very well one day be on the agenda, but for now, until smoking is brought to its knees, it’s here to stay. Between global growth, diversification and mainstream acceptance as a non-tobacco outlet for cravings, vaping will have to keep its public image tied to nicotine. The best the industry can do in the meantime is provide those safe alternatives and ensure it does nothing to offset lownicotine trends.

Image 2: Vape trickster

Image 3: Quiting smoking

Available in 25 flavours from 0mg - 18mg in a 50/50 blend.

Vaping while driving

A look at the gadgets designed to appeal to vape-loving motorists

BY LEO FORFAR

In our last edition, we unpacked some helpful advice on how to vape from behind the wheel without taking unnecessary risks. Assuming you’ve read up on the right precautions regarding visibility, readiness, cleaning up and mod management, you can

also add to your existing collection of gadgets to make things even better. Here we look at three kinds of vape-themed motoring accessories which range from the useful to the outright bizarre. So now that you know what to do, let’s take a look at what to get.

In-car chargers

1No one likes that sinking feeling of going for a hit of your mod and coming up empty due to a drained battery; it’s the last thing you need during the morning commute to work. Although we recommend you always leave the house with a charged mod, an in-car charger will keep you happily vaping all through the longest drive. These chargers plug right into the power supply for your car’s cigarette lighter. With this standing by you’ll never need to make the choice between driving and vaping again.

Holders

These are the most common of vapour products meant for cars (aside from bumper or window stickers – and what use are they for this sort of thing anyway?) Holders can let you switch between driving with both hands free or one hand clasping your mod. Most work like phone or sat nav holders. At no point will you need to set down your device somewhere awkward and unreachable, or risk dropping it where it can get damaged and leak. Some come with versatile mounts, attachable to most surfaces, so you won’t need to clutter up the windscreen or dashboard. Be sure to shop around; mods come in all shapes and sizes.

And finally…

3No one can call vaping culture rigid or uncreative. Where other manufacturers were dreaming up gizmos to help the driving license-holding vaper put their mod down or keep it charged with ease, EZ Cloud Company went one step further, churning out the hands-free EZ Dripper.

The EZ Dripper was made with the intention of reducing car accidents and increasing cleanliness. Consisting of a 15ml bottle, sleeve and suction mount for the windscreen, the Dripper drastically reduced the amount of time, attention and fiddling required for dripping on the road.

The EZ Dripper proved to be a hit, selling 50 000 times in its first year, and now shipping all around the world. It won the award for Best New Product at the 2015 Vape Summit in Houston, Texas.

The vaping accessories in this feature are: • iTaste DRV by Innokin

• Vaporfi Small Car Holder

• EZ Dripper by EZ Cloud Company

Bad for vapers and bad for the vape industry

Everything you need to know about counterfeit vapour products

As we’ve reported here at Vapouround; there are now almost three million vapers in the UK, half of whom are former smokers. The UK still has a potential vaping market of 10 million smokers, many of whom will reconsider their addiction as health issues, rising costs, and limited options (such as the ban on menthols) take hold. Vaping is booming, cutting into territory once held untouchably by tobacco, unmatched by other nicotine products like gum and patches.

The industry’s successful, organised response to the trying tasks of the TPD, the emergence of the IBVTA as a force to be reckoned with politically, and vaping’s diversification in business and consumer options (exemplified at the recent Expo) has legitimised it. And that’s just at home. The global vape market will be worth over 45 billion dollars in the next decade, and politicians spearheading antismoking drives are coming around to the opportunities vaping presents.

However, a booming, richly diverse, lucrative and global market doesn’t always attract the best characters. There are opportunists aplenty. Cloned knockoffs are becoming more than an annoyance, but a hindrance for vapers and businesses alike. This is especially true in an era seeing a downturn in traditional retail shopping in favour of online buying and selling, where consumers may have a harder time checking their products in a licensed, professionallystaffed setting.

Counterfeiters are cunning, and now there are fakes almost as diverse and widespread as parts of the legitimate vape market.

What kinds of problems are fakers causing?

The first issue is over safety and consumer comfort. No one wants to free themselves from smoking only to expose their lungs to untested, unsafe liquids vaporised in poor mods. Harmful liquids are absolutely unacceptable, as are volatile mods which could damage users and their property alike. Untested mod parts have been found to contaminate their liquids with metal particles. Unsafe batteries will provide you with a short-lived vape at best, and potential volatility at worst.

The second is undercutting legitimacy. The vape industry is an amazing achievement, made possible by sacrifice and hard work, unique in its position of enabling public health and economic prosperity. The gains it has made and the challenges it has risen to should not be squandered. Hurting the business as a whole just to steal away with a cheap clone isn’t worth it. As emphasised by the IBVTA, much of vaping’s battles are fought on the public image front; the enduring falsehood that we’re part of the tobacco industry is damaging. The idea that we’re overwhelmed with exploding mods and acrid liquids is just as bad. A lot of time and effort at Vapouround goes into debunking unhelpful yet popular myths about mod and e-liquid safety.

How do I spot a counterfeit product?

Some scams can befall even dedicated vapers with a good eye for good products. Fortunately Vapouround have you covered. If you’re a business owner looking to protect the quality of your goods or a vape enthusiast looking to avoid harm, keep the following in mind.

Check if it has a UPC code

A legitimate, appropriately-tested and accounted-for product will come with a Universal Product Code or barcode.

Be wary of the price

Vapers love a good bargain, and you don’t have to vape for long before you’ve learned how to spot one. Getting a great mod or liquid for a steal is a great pleasure, but be careful. The old adage “buy cheap, get cheap” applies here. Alarm bells should go off the moment you think you’ve encountered something too good to be true.

Check the paper trail

One of the better outcomes of TPD imposition has been the mandatory inclusion of appropriate labels and leaflets laying out the contents of your purchase. Be sceptical of any package that curtails this requirement.

Thoroughly research the information provided by brands, even if you don’t buy from them directly

It doesn’t matter if you’re getting your mod and/or liquids online from a site other than the official shop – from independent vape sites to Amazon or Ebay – check what material they may have published. Many vape companies have stepped up to the challenge of clones by instilling distinctive features in legitimate products and detailing them. This covers everything from general price to markings and makeup of packaging, bottles and mod parts. If things don’t add up, ditch your purchase.

NEXT TOP MOD EL

It’s been difficult with so many great choices and deserving contestants this year, but Vapouround’s Next Top Model has been narrowed down to its final six. We know our followers have been loyally staying up to date, cheering on their favourites, and to thank you we’ll be placing the deciding vote in your hands.

We’re

lovers of

Penguins, kilts and Donald Trump masks

Why the Vapouround Awards 2017 was an evening never to be forgotten

By Patrick Griffin

From the moment we announced the second annual Vapouround Awards, we promised that it would be a night to remember.

The only thing we couldn’t predict was just how memorable it would be…and that was thanks to the many unique characters which make up the vaping community.

For example, who could have predicted that co-host Johnnie Lovell would make his grand entrance on a mobility scooter with a toy penguin sitting in the front basket?

I certainly had no idea that our juice awards judges would turn up wearing hooded capes and Donald Trump masks…very odd indeed.

And, to this day, I still don’t know why I (together with my Vapouround colleagues) were asked to stand on our chairs and sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ but we all did so none the less.

The awards acceptance speeches themselves also brought forth one or two rather memorable moments to say the least.

You can read a separate article in this magazine as to why the Attitude Vapes team were missing when they should have picked up the Best Fruit award.

However all of the above was nothing compared to the exuberant, over-the-top way Riot Squad collected their award for Best Drinks/ Cocktail with their new Iron Bruise e-liquid.

“You can take our freedom but you’ll never take away our flavour,” was the Riot Squad acceptance chant which was repeated over and over again, much to the amusement of the room.

The fact that Riot Squad representative Hamish Guerrini was wearing nothing but a kilt made the evening even more memorable.

When he turned his back on the audience to promptly reveal what a Scotsman wears under his kilt - in this case absolutely nothing at allgasps rang out throughout the room, followed by a few moments of astonished silence.

At that moment I felt a little sorry for the camera and video crew on duty, that was one sight that they could not have expected to fill the frame of their viewfinders.

There was a huge cheer at the start of the evening when it was announced that vaping was allowed at the tables and in the bar outside.

Last year there seemed to be a little confusion as to whether guests could vape or not but we ensured that there would be no misunderstandings this time round.

The evening was also a little more relaxed and informal than last year and hosts Johnnie and Strawberry Queen’s Ashley Hansen were a perfect double act.

Johnnie was a human dynamo, a walking, breathing ball of energy from the moment he walked onto the stage to the moment he left it.

How Ashley managed to stay so calm as she battled to get him to focus for more then a couple of seconds is a mystery. She has patience and charm in abundance for sure.

As I said, the combination worked very well and if these guys are available to do it all again next year then I, for one, would certainly not be disappointed.

Magician Nick Einhorn and his team were back for a second year to do close up magic tricks while Nick performed an exclusive set from the stage which left the audience in awe.

For one trick he covered an upturned empty wine glass with a cloth and then, standing some distance away, he blew vapour towards the glass.

It looked to be the worst trick ever as the vapour dissipated before getting anywhere near the glass but when Nick removed the cloth the glass was full of vapour. Talk about targeting your tricks for the audience you are entertaining.

I have never been part of a live magic act before until now. I was one of a number of people from the audience chosen to pick a juice from a book of juice flavours Nick had collected while at Vaper Expo UK earlier in the day. It didn’t take Nick long to correctly guess the flavours we had all selected. Mine was Apple Pie in case anyone is interested.

It wasn’t all mayhem magic and madness though as there was a serious part to the evening too. The ceremony took place just four days after suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated an explosive divide in the foyer of Manchester Arena.

He targeted the Ariana Grande concert which was full of young people, including many teenage girls. Twenty two people were killed

in the explosion, the youngest of whom was an eight-year-old girl, and many more people were seriously injured.

During the awards ceremony a minute’s silence was held in memory of all the victims of the attack and their families and a raffle raised more than £4,000 towards the Manchester Evening News ‘We Stand Together’ appeal which was launched in the aftermath of the attack.

The paper vowed that every single penny raised would go to the official We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, set up by the British Red Cross and Manchester council.

At the time of writing more than £6m had been donated to the Emergency Fund to help the families of those who were killed and injured in the bombing.

Vapouround’s Paul Caplin said: “It is often said that the vaping community is a very caring community and this is certainly what happened when we announced the raffle for this particular cause.

“People dug deep to do something to help the victims of this horrific attack and this is exactly the kind of response we have come to associate with the vaping community.”

So another Vapouround Awards ceremony has come and gone. It was a night of entertainment, coming together, fun and laughter and a celebration of the global vaping industry. It was also a night when we showed solidarity with the people of Manchester and demonstrated that terrorism will never win.

A TRIO OF AWARDS FOR PREMIUM LABS

A passion for creating great juices and attention to detail are just part of the recipe for success

Premium Labs boss Sam Boucher was confident that he had juices capable of winning when he entered the 2017 Vapouround Awards last month.

The Premium Labs team are well known for producing some of the best tasting e-liquids in the industry and they are no stranger to winning awards for their innovative juices.

This year Sam thought the company was especially strong in three categoriesTobacco, Tea/Coffee and Cereal and our panel of judges who blind taste tested the judges certainly agreed.

Premium Labs picked up Best Tobacco for Mocha and Best Cereal for Dr Fog’s Tiger Flakes with Raspberry & Milk.

They also had two juices in the top three for the Tea/Coffee category: Dr Fog’s Milk Series - Chai Latte was runner up and Decoded Verified: Titanic came in third. In addition, Delta (Dr Fog M Series) was runner-up in the Menthol/Mint category so it was a very rewarding evening indeed for Premium Labs.

Sam was at the event which attracted some of the biggest names in vaping from around the world and said he was immensely proud to have done so well.

He said: “My passion is for making juice and it is great to be recognised at an event like this in front of the international vaping community.

“We were very happy to have also won awards last year and this time round I wanted to win in categories that we had missed out in the year before and we did just that.

“I would have loved to won first, second and third in one category and we came very close to doing that for Best Tea/Coffee.”

For Sam and the entire team at Premium Labs, it is all about delivering a consistently high quality product with flavours which are the best they possibly can be.

Huge amounts of work goes into getting flavour combinations which not only work well together but have that certain ‘wow’ factor which delights rather than merely satisfies.

“If you are putting out 20 or 30 juices than anyone can get lucky and get one or two juices which stand out from the crowd while the others are somewhat average,” said Sam.

“We accept nothing less than having every single juice as a really great product and this is what sets us apart from companies who are merely

interested in making a quick buck.

“My goal is to be the best and to always come out with consistent flavours which people love. We want to be known for producing great, well-made juices and that is what we set about doing every single day.”

He said he was always learning more about mixing juices and as his knowledge grew he gained the confidence to try new things and contribute more to the vaping community.

“We never stop learning new things and as our skills grow then we can achieve more,” said Sam.

“When I first started out I was scared to make tobacco flavours but I learned and mastered how to do so and that has paid off so I am delighted to have won the Best Tobacco award.”

There was another success for Premium Labs during The Big Weekend expo as they won another award on the final day of the show - Best Cream for Dr Fog’s Supernova.

From the outset Premium Labs was built on producing only quality juice and this commitment is certainly paying huge dividends.

With our regal and upmarket product, 20 flavours over 5 unique series, VnG is one of the best up and coming brands on the market.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF ATTITUDE VAPES AND THE UNCLAIMED JUICE AWARD

I suppose we are at least partly to blame that the Attitude Vapes crew were nowhere to be seen when they won Best Fruit at the Vapouround Magazine Awards Ceremony. They were there at the start of the evening and director Ed Swain certainly stands out from the crowd at a towering 6ft 8ins. We had told people that this was an event to celebrate all that was good in the industry and an opportunity for people to relax, enjoy a few drinks and let their hair down.

Being there to celebrate all aspects of vaping was the main goal and winning an award would be the icing on the cake. So while the Attitude crew had entered all six of their juices into the contest, they decided to come to the event to have fun. They shared jokes with friends and colleagues as the beer and wine flowed freely and they all enjoyed the chance to unwind and relax. When someone suggested that they head off early for a night at the casino they took the party atmosphere with them to a new venue.

Just a few minutes later their e-liquid, The Earl, was named Best Fruit winner…but they had already left the building by then. Friends from a nearby table sprinted after them but it was too late and they were nowhere to be seen.

In fact Ed was already inside the casino and the first he knew that his juice was a Vapouround Award winner was when he was sent a picture to his phone of his e-liquid on the big screen as the winning entry. We felt bad that Ed missed out on his opportunity to collect the award so we decided to hold a special mini awards ceremony just for him the following day.

With the Vapouround Bus as the backdrop, we presented Ed with the coveted trophy during The Vaper Expo - Big Weekend show. Ed said afterwards: “I knew that our juices were very strong contenders with great flavour profiles but I also knew that the competition was extremely strong too.

“To be honest, we didn’t turn up with the ceremony just to find out if we had won something and I had no idea that we had even been shortlisted.

“We came to support the industry, have a great night out and enjoy a few drinks.

“We were certainly all in high spirits during the evening and we took full advantage of the great hosting so we just decided to slip out early and take the party elsewhere.”

Ed went on: “When I got the phone message saying we had won there was a huge amount of whooping and hollering from out team. I’m sure people around us had thought we had won big at the casino but the win we were celebrating was bigger than that.

“It is a huge honour to win a Vapouround juice award and it is testament to all the hard work of everyone at the Attitude Vapes team that our juice was recognised in this way. “We certainly plan to be at next year’s Vapouround Awards but, whatever happens, we will stay to the end next time.”

BECOMING THE BEST: LADY VAPER

Meet Claire, Vapouround’s 2017 Vaper of the Year

There are few awards in this game as big as Vapouround’s Vaper of the Year, a unique accolade that highlights the work of exceptional individuals in a playing field made mostly of brands.

The winner for 2017 is Claire Stephanie Ellis, founder of Lady Vaper, a thriving online community of devoted vapers sharing 24/7 to help each other find the perfect vape. But that’s not all. She’s an ordinary woman who does extraordinary things.

For millions of people, vaping has proved the only way out of smoking and the havoc it wreaks on the body. Claire suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition which causes long-term chronic pain and fatigue. Getting off cigarettes was more than just preference, it was vital for her health.

“I started vaping partially because I was a smoker, but also because of my condition. Doctors usually offer things like morphine. I’m a mother and an activist, I do campaigning for prison reform. I also do work for the Children’s Burns Trust. I need to be mobile, comfortable and active. Not sedated.”

Claire soon found a better alternative. “Things changed when one doctor suggested CBD. The first I tried was from a company called Harmony. The effects were immediate and positive.”

Claire soon took her newfound enthusiasm for vaping online, partaking in numerous groups. There she did her utmost to contribute, standing out among members and being made an admin. Inevitably, she ended up leading her own group, and her moniker – Lady

Vaper, stuck.

There are countless stories of vaping saving smokers from potential disaster. Lady Vaper’s members keep this in mind; they are a vibrant and passionate group, devoted to helping others.

“We work hard to welcome people into the group and help them get a better vape. There are 80-150 active posts per day.”

Lady Vaper also has an Instagram page with over 1,400 followers. Claire’s become a respected authority on online group management and growth, commended for being easy to work with. People seek out her help to increase followers. Claire doesn’t just know how to manage the group, but how to grow it. A generous spirit with a well-practiced philanthropic edge, Claire does this for good causes, such as the aforementioned Children’s Burns Trust. Lady Vaper hosts numerous events, such as raffles, open competitions, and even charity vape nights – in which members come together for cloud competitions and buy merchandise with the funds going to people in need. Claire was honoured to be recognised for her work at the Vapouround Awards – the shock still hasn’t quite set in.

“I’m still in awe at how big it’s become, and so quickly! I’m just an ordinary vaper, I’m no businesswoman.”

Claire proved it isn’t always about being a bigshot. She used the growing popularity and visibility of vaping to save not only her own health, but that of others. She truly deserves her place as Vaper of the Year.

JAC VAPOUR –CONQUERING THE VAPING WORLD BY DESIGNING EVERYTHING IN-HOUSE

interview with Andrew Logan, Founder and Product Director of JAC Vapour

What is your role at JAC Vapour?

I head up the Product Department; creating and developing new products and bringing them to reality.

Why is designing your own hardware so important to JAC Vapour?

Primarily, to control quality. You can’t control quality effectively if you hand over the design process to somebody else.

We never wanted to be a ‘Me too’ company, there’s enough out there already. At our heart, we have always been a manufacturer that retails and not a retailer that manufacturers.

Our focus has always been to make our own hardware devices; our retail success provided the resources to do this initially, so it really came about as a means to an end.

Going forward; product design and manufacturer are where we aim to expand most, and it’s at the core of all our business decisions.

What products are you most proud of so far?

I was really proud of the SERIES-B Tilt when we launched it, it was a bit different.

The Tilt split opinions, and some saw it as a gimmick, but when you actually held the device in hand it did its job amazingly well and it worked. We had a problem conveying that in pictures, but anybody that got a hold of the device saw the logic, even if they didn’t agree with it.

The device is also rock solid, we built it to be reliable and put a 1 year warranty on it, that’s double any other device on the market and 4 times what most manufacturers offer. We sold nearly 80,000 of these devices and I have a box in the office with every failure (less than 500 units) that’s a tiny fail rate for a £45 device! It’s tiny even for a high-end device.

I know most manufacturers don’t have that sort of pride in fail rates, but to me that is a great achievement and a testament to the build quality and design of the unit.

An

What exciting products do you have in the pipeline over the next year?

We just launched the SERIES-B DNA 75 and we were delighted to partner with Evolv on that, it’s a brilliant device and it’s tiny. We’ve been really pleased with the success its had, and have received great feedback from both respected reviewers and customers. Currently we’re working on around 8 new devices, we have a nice balance of new user and advanced products in the works.

There’s an ‘all in one’ device, there’s a dual 18650/20700, we’ve also got updates for our S-Tanks arriving soon that’ll add top fill and fix a few of the issues we’ve had feedback on.

The S22 is one of the best Mouth to Lung tanks on the market at present, even with its very minor flaws, once we update it’ll be the best available in the market - no problem. Most manufacturers are ignoring Mouth to Lung users and I think that’s wrong, people need MTL and it pains me to see a 100watt device running an old Nautilus tank, I see that a lot and think ‘WTF’.

Users are kind of forced into that sort of situation as they want larger battery capacity but have a terrible choice of Mouth to Lung tanks. We’re here to rectify that situation.

We’ve also got lots happening on the e-liquid side of things –we’re expanding our complex flavour offerings and adding lots more flavours to our picNIC DIY range. There’s probably too much to go into on that front, I’d need another article about that alone.

What trends are you keeping an eye on?

We watch battery and chip tech pretty closely. The whole industry is probably watching the 21700 and 20700 developments, it’s a very interesting spec of battery with lots of benefit over the 18650, it’ll probably be the biggest shift in device architecture over the next year. I also think Pod Mods are interesting, I don’t feel there’s been one that really nailed it yet and we have some really good ideas.

Watch this space.

Contact Rob at JAC Vapour for any Wholesale or Distribution enquiries on

Tel: 0131 555 6111

Email: wholesale@jacvapour.com

Website: www.jacvapourwholesale.com Or visit - www.jacvapour.com

SPEAKING OUT FOR THE BRITISH VAPE INDUSTRY

BY PATRICK GRIFFIN

As managing director of Cuts Ice, Nigel Quine is an extremely busy man indeed.

Add to the mix that he is also the Deputy Chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) and Chairman of its Science and Regulatory Committee and you can see that the vaping industry plays a major part of his life.

The IBVTA organised the extremely successful Independent Vape Industry Conference 2017 which was held in Manchester on April 27.

Nigel is not only an extremely successful businessman but he also shares a passion for helping support other businesses within the industry through his work with the IBVTA.

With the implementation of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) the body has spent a lot of time recently supporting members through the challenges of becoming fully TPD compliant.

However the organisation offers more than just a helping hand through TPD compliance. Its main aim is to offer long-term support the UK’s independent vape industry by “representing all responsible and ethical independent vaping businesses in the UK, irrespective of the size of their companies and operations.”

Nigel is in favour of proportionate regulation which serves to protect the public while allowing the vaping industry to grow and flourish.

He believes that the European vaping industry should not be regulated by the TPD but by its own Vape Products Directive to reflect that vaping is now a global industry in its own right.

Nigel said: “We don’t want the vaping industry to be stifled by advertising restrictions, which don’t allow us to promote a product that will potentially save millions of lives.

“Myself and others started the IBVTA to be an independent voice for the sector.

“It is important that we operate within the regulatory framework but that those regulations serve to preserve the independent sector and promote innovation which drives the industry.

“The primary thing (about the vaping industry) is giving people an alternative to smoking and is proved to be the most successful way of getting them off cigarettes.

“The industry is also very much about innovation and always has been.

It is quite amazing how things develop, especially with hardware, where there seems to be a new piece of hardware coming out every day.

The IBVTA is a not-for-profit, nonpolitical trade association which is owned collectively by all its members.

It strives to provide “credible knowledge and guidance to support the independent vape sector and promote constructive

interaction between this industry sector and the scientific community, vapers, regulators, policy makers, and the general public.”

In addition, the IBVTA “fosters research and manufacturing excellence, in order to deliver a robust yet proportionate consumer regulatory landscape that adequately reflects the needs of vaping stakeholders and recognises vaping as a sector in its own right.”

Nigel says that a huge benefit of joining the IBVTA is having access to reliable and up-to-date information about key factors in the sector such as the regulatory framework and ongoing changes in regulations.

“We support our members with good regulatory information, representing their interests on both a national and international level, so that they can devote their time to running their business.

Addressing global concerns, Nigel said he was worried about the current regulatory framework in the USA which many industry experts fear could virtually destroy the US vaping industry.

“I think in the deeming regulations are playing into the hands of Big Tobacco,” he said. “I am very worried for our friends in the US and I do hope that the FDA sees some common sense and doesn’t regulate it in the way like it seems that it is going. If that happens there will only be a few products left in the market.

IBVTA Deputy Chairman Nigel Quine says the body will always be an independent voice for UK vape industry

“It is a bad situation and we hope that other countries don’t follow the US and more look to the UK for a more sensible regulatory environment. Although, there are many things that need to be improved with the TRPR.

“Since the implementation of the TPD, the next big threat we face to the independent industry is Excise.”

For further information on the IBVTA check out their website www.ibvta.org.uk

The Independent Vape Industry Conference 2017

-The MacDonald Hotel, Manchester. April 27.

BY LEO FORFAR

The Independent Vape Industry Conference 2017 took place in Manchester on April 27 and Vapouround Magazine was the official media partner for the event.

This was billed as a ‘must attend’ event for vendors, distributors, importers, manufacturers and it certainly did not disappoint.

It was organised by the IBVTA and was the first conference aimed specifically at the independent vape industry which focused exclusively on issues of direct relevance to the independent vape industry.

Vapouround Magazine’s Leo Forfar spent the day at the conference and these are his reports of the event.

Introducing the IBVTA

The vaping world’s most important business meeting begins

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking ten.

On April 29, a who’s who from every frontier of the vape industry filled the Mezzanine Suite of Manchester’s Macdonald Hotel for the milestone meeting that was the inaugural IBVTA conference.

The gathering included business owners, professors, researchers, lords, councillors, insurance experts, chemists, sales and marketing co-ordinators and all the other strategists and architects that make vaping what it is. The day’s agenda would be to identify the issues facing the industry and explain how best they can be understood, quantified, challenged, resolved and chronicled.

The eight-and-a-half-hour procession consisted firstly of an introductory overview by Managing Director of Totally Wicked and IBVTA Chairman Fraser Cropper, alongside Professor Riccardo Polosa, Conference Chairman and Director

of the Institute for Internal and Emergency Medicine of the University of Catania in Italy. Vapouround Magazine caught up with three of the main speakers before the conference formally began.

Professor Polosa spoke of the need to get across the message that vaping saves lives. He said: “Though the industry needs to evolve, it must remember the good and vital service it provides for public health, and be more vocal at the government level because it is saving

lives. We must never forget that.”

Matthew Moden, Director of Libery Flights, said it was great that businesses could work together for the greater good of the vaping industry.

He said: “The work done at the IBVTA just to get here is a testament to all the hard work and it’s good to see so many businesses effectively in competition with each other put aside their differences, come together and recognise the symbiotic nature of what we’re

“We’re not only promoting but safeguarding, and we’re doing it together”

facing, and appeal to people outside of the industry,” he said. “We’re not only promoting but safeguarding, and we’re doing it together. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can reach people in media, in the legal system and gather momentum over the next twelve months.”

Liam Humberstone, Technical Director of Totally Wicked, was also optimistic.

“It’s the first time we’ve brought all our members together at once. It’s an opportunity to set the baseline for what the IBVTA is about publicly. It’s great that we’ve got people representing trading standards here in person, I’m really interested in learning how they’re going to set about policing and enforcement in detail. The idea of light touch regulation is enticing, but unfortunately the responsible industry must spend an absolute fortune and do an enormous amount of work to meet standards.”

With all gathered in the main conference room, Fraser Cropper welcomed us to the first planned IBVTA conference.

“We’ve forced the tobacco industry to get involved because we’ve succeeded at taking a sizeable portion of their consumer base,” he said. “Tobacco companies have their products sold from places where vape products are also available. We sell from places catered specifically to vape products. Smokers are not ‘loyal’ to the tobacco business, they’re addicted.

We provide a superior, personal environment –our customers have their preferences (for mods, liquids and nicotine levels) considered and calibrated in a sympathetic context from many sellers who are former smokers themselves. We give additional products and information in ways tobacco just can’t provide. “Britain already has the best vapour market and compatible political climate in Europe, but vaping is still wrongly associated with smoking. The stigma of nicotine and the ‘nicotine addict’ endures, despite its mostly benign nature and its use posing minimal health risk.”

“It’s the first time we’ve brought all our members together at once. It’s an opportunity to set the baseline for what the IBVTA is about publicly”

REGULATION:

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The IBVTA delve into the many qualities and consequences of

BY LEO FORFAR

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more fitting title for the task of tackling regulation, the most necessary and sometimes burdensome aspect of business. But, like a great film, this issue has nuance and elasticity; the good comes with a catch, the bad needs to be recognised for what it is before it can be scrapped, and the ugly could prove improvable with some grooming.

Introduced in the opening talk but unpacked and expanded upon in the following by Liam Humberstone of Totally Wicked (with interjections by Conference Chairman and host Ricardo Polosa), the function and condition of UK vape regulation was explained follows.

THE GOOD:

regulation

• Knowing what we’re selling. It’s a given that e-liquid mixers and distributors must never accept less than the best, or anything unsafe.

• Improved focus on quality

• The image of greater control being exercised canenable and improve confidence; not just that of newer businesses, but consumer confidence as well.

THE BAD:

• Prohibition of tanks and bottles

• This one has been met with highly negative reception, covered at length in Vapouround. It’s increasingly common for bottles to be sold in multipacks – continuing the status quo of consumption size with nothing changed but the addition of an extra bureaucratic step.

• Upper limit of nicotine strength Considered arbitrary at best, with many studies failing to find any harm in nicotine justifying this kind of restriction.

THE UGLY:

• Prohibition of marketing and related information dissemination This is a stunting situation; it will be difficult to debunk myths about vaping that reduce our flexibility and slow efforts to reform. There is misleading and ugly rhetoric attached to vapour products, such the construct of the “nicotine addict” persists in popular media. Liam also confirmed what many felt about UK vaping and regulation:

that the primary harm done was by heavy-handedness rather than a light touch. While expressing disappointment that vape products are regulated under the same canopy as the very thing they are liberating smokers from, he said that many businesses hadn’t yet acted with the urgency that the new regulations demand.

Closing his part of the segment, Liam said that the UK is the only state to have made and attempt to meet the fullest requirements of the TPD on time.

The final segment of the IBVTA’s Regulations and Standards talk featured Kate Pike of Trading Standards North West, who gave an invaluable glimpse of the regulatory officer’s perspective, showing the IBVTA would not be a platform for partisan politics, but a forum for essential voices and views.

“Our aim is to support, not stifle businesses, ensuring they compete on a level playing field,” she said.

Trading Standards North West services over 23 million constituents in their region, with 1500 TS officers operating in nearly 200 local authorities in Great Britain and are responsible for enforcing over 100 separate pieces of legislation. Kate Pike described the TSA’s resources as being stretched thin and facing resource issues, as most of its work is now cross-border; businesses buy and sell beyond local borders and criminals operate the same way. Tension between local and national interests also remains.

Thick, stalling matters of bureaucracy can slow even the best of organisations, and the most well-intentioned of their staff. Kate soberly reminded the gathered attendees that “you can become a doctor quicker than you can become a TS officer.”

Though thorough and educational, none of the IBVTA talks were framed as ends in themselves, and Kate acknowledged the extent of unfinished business in the world of regulation, chief among them the unsolved issue raised by international sellers unbound by UK rules (such as the USA and China) supplying products to UK consumers and businesses.

But this was not a series of problems touted without solutions. “Our best means of intelligence gathering to better the situation comes through the cooperation of honest retailers. Trading Standards relies on the law-abiding assistance of everyone, be they multinational corporation or private citizen.”

“The biggest problems come when national authority demands regulation and local politicians on councils are either disinterested or opposed to it, and ultimately these people are our paymasters,” Kate Pike

BUSINESS MATTERS

Lawyers, Mods and Money

BY LEO FORFAR

Insurance complications defined the day’s main talk on business, When Steve Green of Anthony Jones Insurance Brokers took to the stage, we were treated to invaluable advice from a keen, experienced financial mind. Anthony Jones Insurance Brokers may have been media partners for the event, but were also able to bring the full expertise and detached objectivity of a fully-grown industry outside of vaping.

“In insurance terms, vaping is a very, very young entity,” he said. “That newness, that uncertainty means potentially shaky confidence for insurers.

“The most clear and present problems on liability for vaping lie in unreliable devices. There are also significant, ongoing issues with mislabelled products, another liability vulnerability for vape businesses. Manufacturers are more legally responsible than distributors.”

Steve acknowledged that much of this was due to ubiquitous and often unfairly negative media coverage of malfunctioning devices. “Mod safety is improving – accidents caused by exploding batteries via faulty chargers is falling and products are improving across the board.

“The biggest cause of battery and mod failure is user error – an extremely difficult defence to put forward in court when faced with an injured party. The image of a company going against an individual in such a situation isn’t a sympathetic one and won’t engender good media coverage.”

The talk also contained warnings against short-term, myopic thinking and the temptations of quick fixes:

“Merely selling insurance to vape retailers is not an adequate fix for problems in this field.”

There are bigger problems on the horizon, many of them tied to the consequences of vaping being misidentified as tobacco-associated.

“Without a doubt, manufacturers and retailers in all regions will be subject to future tobacco litigation.”

Steve predicted the EU would again move toward classification of e-cigarettes as medicinal products. There are also numerous class action lawsuits brewing in the American legal system to be wary of; tremors in the world’s largest vape market will have a domino effect. Steve advised vape businesses research these lawsuits on www.schmidtandclark.com and www.classaction.com

With Steve Green’s eye-opening talk fresh in everyone’s minds, the floor was handed over to four additional figureheads and authorities in matters of business: Cuts Ice CEO Nigel Quine; Malcolm Keen, Solicitor of BLM Law – the UK’s leading insurance and risk law specialists; Jac Vapour CEO Neil McCallum and Stuart Mathieson of WTC Logistics.

Malcolm Keen continued the advice on what vape companies should consider on matters of insurance. He said potential divided the basics into three parts: insurance claims begin with identification of loss and damage, develop with assessment of how loss changes with a claim, and conclude with a defence. Malcom pointed out that “there has never been a successful secondary smoke claim” made against vaping, and that though we see a 96-96% harm reduction compared to smoking, some influential bodies are prolonging certain debates, such as popcorn lung claims.

“Claims rely on proof of causation; proofs of pulmonary disorder or other reactive diseases are almost impossible but claimants will still attempt them. Public Health England agreed in 2016 that health risks in e-cigarettes are minimal compared to combustibles, but long-term effects are still being observed.”

Business matters and Brexit are joined at the hip in today’s landscape, but Neil McCallum urged us not to let it distract from our mission: “Thousands and thousands of small elements on all things related to business will be affected by Brexit, but unless we get vaping separate from tobacco we’ll never establish our own identity in the market and insurance companies won’t be able to accurately and impartially assess us for claims, cases and coverage.”

Nigel Quine said it was vital that an opportunity was not missed to free millions of people from smoking tobacco.

“Our top priority must be separating tobacco from vaping in the public eye,”

he said. We have an opportunity to free millions from smoking and can’t let this product of ours be legislated away from its potential. When this happens, we lose valuable time that could be spent advancing and perfecting vapour products and expanding their reach.”

The most clear and present problems on liability for vaping lie in unreliable devices.

There are also significant, ongoing issues with mislabelled products, another liability vulnerability for vape businesses. Manufacturers are more legally responsible than distributors

SCIENCE, REGULATION AND RESEARCH

BY LEO FORFAR

Two scientific officers explain what is needed from the vape industry to make it safer.

Albert Einstein once said that on matters of science, “Everything must be made as simple as possible. But not simpler.”

The greatest burden of the scientific ambassador is the communication of complex ideas in simpler terms for non-scientists – the majority of whom hold considerable sway in society. The vape business is no different.

Liam Humberstone and Professor Polosa returned to the stage for this eagerly anticipated portion of the conference, this time accompanied by Lucy Robins, Chief Scientific Officer at Liberty Flights, and Helen Taylor, Chief Technical Officer for Cuts Ice.

In addition to their talks, the latest speakers kindly gave Vapouround exclusive interviews. Lucy Robins, praised the opening of panprofessional borders made possible by the IBVTA, especially commending Kate Pike of Trading Standards and the representatives of Anthony Jones Insurance for providing seldom-seen angles of how regulation and risk-assessment correlate.

She also urged for a continued open communication between all major and minor vape companies: “Data is complex and methods are continually evolving, companies must keep up and stay informed. Scientific data must be viewed from a neutral, non-partisan perspective.

We must also keep our range of studies diverse to accurately assess our range of products, remaining informed of how we (Liberty Flights) would differ from Cuts Ice or Totally Wicked. There’s an oft-repeated argument that we don’t have enough data yet from longer-term studies, so scrutiny on us is greatly increased and the quality of our work must remain consistent.”

Vape businesses (and the scientists who work for them) are sometimes accused of skewing research for positive results. Lucy wants our readers to know that “vape businesses are open to honest data, even the kind putting products in an unflattering light: consumer safety and enjoyment is prioritised and scientific officers are successfully holding businesses to account. I come from a pharmaceutical background and have enjoyed the support and endorsement of directors in vaping.”

When asked what she considered the most important issue faced by scientific research and its place in vaping, Lucy urged businesses to do their best to present the data proving vaping is an effective tool for smoking cessation, and that regulation and up-to-date scientific data must have an iron-clad relationship. Scientific researchers need intermediaries, funders and allies who are willing to listen and listen carefully. Both speakers did an exceptional job meeting this standard. Cuts Ice’s Helen Taylor also caught up with Vapouround to put things in layman’s terms.

“Everything we have conducted in testing, we have tried, where possible, to internationally recognised standards through ISO. We started with standards that were available from the traditional tobacco arena for product comparison and from that we’ve had to look at the way the products as non-tobacco entities and adapt the regime testing into a uniquely vaping-

centred one. There still isn’t a single, centralised ‘body’ conducting studies on vaping, so we’ve tried as much as possible to get the diverse plethora of products tested to the best of our ability in order to generate genuine, credible scientific results.” The TPD’s specific requirements galvanised an increase in scientific research and set the tone for how it is being conducted.

“The body of data we’ve just gathered is an amalgamation of three companies within the Scientific Regulatory Committee collected over the last 18 months in order to put packages together for TPD submissions. But we are continuing to look not only at new liquids to put on the market but new methodologies for testing.

We are currently working with others in the independent industry to try to get a sensible, unified standard in place that fits the human topography data for vaping.”

EVERYTHING WE HAVE CONDUCTED IN TESTING, WE HAVE TRIED, WHERE POSSIBLE, TO INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED STANDARDS THROUGH ISO. WE STARTED WITH STANDARDS THAT WERE AVAILABLE FROM THE TRADITIONAL TOBACCO ARENA FOR PRODUCT COMPARISON AND FROM THAT WE’VE HAD TO LOOK AT THE WAY THE PRODUCTS AS NON-TOBACCO ENTITIES AND ADAPT THE REGIME TESTING INTO A UNIQUELY VAPING-CENTRED ONE.

PROS, CONS AND CONSTRAINTS: ADVERTISING

Dave Turner of Vapouround Magazine joins a panel discussion on advertising

BY LEO FORFAR

Focused as the IBVTA are on pooling knowledge and methods to find answers, they rightfully see no shame in acknowledging uncertainties ahead, and always seeking out new questions. Professor Polosa welcomed Matthew Moden of Liberty Flights back on stage, this time with Robert Morrison of CAP (The Committee of Advertising Practice – sister organisation of the Advertising Standards Authority).

Vapouround were also proud to see our sales director Dave Turner join this discussion, which raised as many new questions as it answered.

Robert Morrison laid out a list of sectorspecific rules CAP had compiled for its approach to vapour products and companies:

1. The prevention of links with tobacco 2. The protection of non-smokers and non-nicotine users 3. The protection of young people

PERMITTED:

PROHIBITED:

“Marketers can still retain their own websites, provided the content therein is factual rather than promotional,” he said. “Factual advertising content covers: names of products, descriptions of product components, prices, instructions for use, ingredients, flavours and nicotine levels.”

Purely promotional content that fell outside the factual parameter was laid out as “descriptive language that goes beyond neutral objectivity, explicit personal endorsement, imagery unrelated to the product and comparative claims with other vapour products or the general market.”

looking back at 2014 when we could advertise more freely and when vape companies were allowed to show somebody actually vaping. This was the first time since 1965 that anybody in advertising had been seen doing something that looked like smoking.

“Three weeks later, those adverts were pulled because they ‘glamorised smoking’ and the offending ad in question featured a group of friends talking about how they had made the jump from vaping to smoking. It was pulled because the ASA assumed it would appeal to

answering that question: a lack of precedent and clarity. Dave Turner took the microphone for this development.

“For my perspective – and as a representative of Vapouround Magazine, the biggest issue preventing us from moving forward in advertis ing is nothing is really that clear yet. I liase a lot with the CAP. We have hundreds of adver tisers and what we tend to find is that the best thing we can do with each individual case is ap proach the CAP. Unfortunately, this is a young industry; I would personally like to see stronger

Closing Statements

The IBVTA’s inaugural conference officially ended at six o’clock in the evening, and nobody was leaving early.

Members and visitors who had arrived already overflowing with ideas or questions and ready to share everything they could, stayed in the Mezzanine Suite for at least another hour, edified and encouraged.

Both insiders and outsiders knew more about this business, had put some prejudices and misconceptions to rest, internalising good advice and clearer knowledge on how they could help themselves and others improve it.

Fraser Cropper expressed satisfaction with the day’s results, and reminded us how much work was ahead.

“Hopefully we’ve achieved everything we set out to achieve today. Not only that but we’ve added to what I hope is our already emerging credibility. Our aim is to create firstly, a trade association that good businesses want to be a part of, and then generate a credibility for that trade association that allows us to influence the people who need to be influenced by good business and knowledge. That was the agenda. I hope we’ve expanded those spaces today – for both the potential members we have yet to welcome into the association, but just as importantly, those influencers and stakeholders who need to understand that this is a credible industry which can take responsibility and is willing to do so.”

“I think the biggest learning experience I can take from today is where the emphasis has been. We set the agenda and understood what was going to be discussed, but the feedback and questions from our invitees showed that there’s a great deal of concern for what could be done by certain policies to harm our growth, such as increased taxation. Vaping is enjoying great success, but it seems external influences could be a real inconvenience for that. It’s been really nice to see influential people I look up to, like Helen Taylor, and we need more advocates like that, creating sessions for politicians and other strong influencers to be able to share with us and for us to converse with them and relay our concerns.”

Two of those figures were Lord Callanan of the Conservative Party and Lib Dem Councillor John Leech, who took questions from the audience alongside Sarah Jakes of New Nicotine Alliance on domestic and international policy and what it meant for vaping.

Lord Callanan restated his continual support after the event:

“I’ve been a longstanding advocate of vaping as a practice that is demonstrably safe – 95% more than tobacco smoking. This is by far the best solution to the ongoing problem of cigarette smoking, which can only be called a crisis; nine million people in this country still expose themselves to it. Vaping is a wonderful new technology and product producing remarkable gains for public health and it’s doing it at no cost to the taxpayer. We should be celebrating and promoting e-cigarettes.” Councillor Leech said that the growing profile, capital and presence of vaping on the world stage would bring opportunity aplenty, but also additional regulatory attention and even heavier tax. “I know people who I would never have believed would give up change their ways due to e-cigarettes, one of whom increased their lung capacity 55%. We’re all in agreement that it’s a good thing, but the question is where we go from here, which front we fight the hardest on, whether it be advertising, legislation on vaping in public spaces, and the issues surrounding research into safety. I suspect it’s even safer than the 95% figure, and we have to keep the scientific research as up to date as possible, because ear-grabbing figures like that will have the strongest influence on government and the general public. If there is still some danger involved in vaping, bear in mind that the government will take that as a green light to tax it more. I’m confident that there will be heavy changes coming, but we can’t be certain when.”

April 27th was a strong debut event for the IBVTA, hitting its targets and setting up new ones. We would see them again at Vaper Expo: The Big Weekend, where they revealed their next project – see our news section for details.

Fraser Cropper and others offer their thoughts as the IBVTA’s first conference draws to a close.

Vape Jam UK 2017, ExCel London

BY DAVE TURNER

The third annual instalment of VapeJam this year took place at the Excel Arena which is set in some delightful surroundings at London’s Docklands.

The venue and location led to a thoroughly relaxed atmosphere, especially when you’re lucky enough to have the weather that coincided with this year’s event.

As before there was a wide variety of exhibitors on show leading to an event that seemed to send everyone – both business and consumers – home happy.

As an established event in the calendar, VapeJam has created a place for itself as a season starter in terms of expos. With the annual calendar becoming increasingly full of expos it’s a comfort to have an event where you know what you’re getting.

This year’s instalment offered a selection of exhibitors offering everything from

hardware to juices and the vibe amongst visitors seemed happy throughout the three days.

As a regular visitor to expos both here and around the globe, it’s always a pleasure to chat to familiar friends and faces and it was lovely to see companies such as Bomb Sauce, BKS Tradeline, Infinity Vape, Vampire Vape, Thor Juice and Doozy Vapes (to name but a few) having a good time.

As the event calendar moves on I’m sure that people as ever will be constantly bumping into each other again but it’s nice to know that at the first UK expo this year people left with a positive vibe despite the challenges facing everybody.

APRIL 7-9, 2017

The event itself was laid out nicely and the exhibitors I spoke to personally seemed satisfied and happy with the event. As ever the members of the public were happy with the various goodies and bargains that they left the arena with.

One constant within the industry seems to be the ongoing improvement in the aesthetics and presentation of the stands and the brands, this once again was no exception with the effort put in by the exhibitors combining to create a wonderfully ambient atmosphere which was only added to by the clouds of vape.

As we move forward to the bogeyman day of May 20th in the UK, this reviewer has unwavering faith in the industry that presented itself at VapeJam. Yes, we still have many challenges ahead of us and yes, we have all had to fight so hard for what we have but if the businesses I saw and spoke to at the event are any indication – the future is bright.

“ONE CONSTANT WITHIN THE INDUSTRY SEEMS TO BE THE ONGOING IMPROVEMENT IN THE AESTHETICS AND PRESENTATION OF THE STANDS AND THE BRANDS”

The Top Secret Riot Squad VIP Boat Party

By Patrick Griffin

My colleague Connor and I were the final guests to arrive for Riot Squad’s Top Secret VIP boat party held on a luxury yacht moored beside the ExCel London convention centre where Vape Jam was being held.

It didn’t help that Connor had somehow lost his admission ticket and the dwarf security guards singled him out for extra special attention.

After satisfying themselves that he had nothing suspicious on his person, they proceeded to take turns to (gently) slap him on the bottom with their hand-held metal detectors. He really seemed to enjoy the experience and it really set the tone for the rest of the evening.

People walking by the Royal Victoria Dock where the Sunborn Yacht Hotel is located, glanced around in bemusement while Connor just stood there and took his punishment like a man.

A few seconds later and we were on board and where I quickly spotted another colleague, Katie, who had a cocktail in her right hand while two rather playful primates checked her hair for nits.

It’s what monkeys do and was just one of the special treats laid on for the 150 VIP guests who had been invited to the party everyone at Vape Jam wanted to attend.

I lost count of the number of times people at the event had asked me how they could get tickets for the party. Riot Squad was running a contest on social media allowing people to win two tickets and that certainly proved to be a very popular contest indeed.

The Squad’s Riot Van pumped out pulsating music as guests arrived while, once inside, the yacht was kitted out with Riot Squad branding everywhere you looked. The whole evening was most impressive indeed.

There was a great magic act and lots of mayhem and entertainment from start to finish. The views of the London skyline from the deck of the yacht were truly spectacular and especially so as darkness fell.

There were lots of alcohol shots of various colours being offered to guests, delicious canapés and nibbles to enjoy and a real party atmosphere throughout the night.

There were top tunes from an awesome DJ, mayhem all round and even a guy in a Riot Squad mankini thrown in for good measure.

Riot Squad like to make a noise, cause controversy and do things differently. They also know how to throw a great party.

“Spotlights beamed the company logo onto the dance floor which not only looked great but also gave the guys in the monkey costumes something to chase.”

Dwarf security guards and playful primates meant this was one party that was impossible to forget

By Steve Hanson

So 31st March – 2nd April 2017 was ‘VapeCon2 KL’, this was Malaysia’s 3rd Vape show and Vapouround’s first visit to this incredible, wonderful, fascinating Commonwealth country.

The first thing I noticed about Kuala Lumpur (after the heat) was just how friendly and helpful all the locals seemed – and nothing was too much trouble for the staff at the Seri Pacific hotel where we stayed.

The hotel was only a few miles from the world famous 1483 foot high Petronas twin towers – which could be seen dominating the skyline from the glass-walled lift of the hotel as you descended and ascended throughout the day.

The show itself was set at the fantastic PWTC 85,000 square foot exhibition hall on two levels – thankfully it was fully air conditioned, as the temperature outside never seemed to drop below a sweaty 37 centigrade.

I’d like to say that it went without a hitch, but I can’t because on the Saturday the local government had decided that any products containing nicotine could not be displayed to the public – so the nicotine products had to be hastily removed; this resulted in the show opening just over 6 hours late.

More than 200 brands were represented, amongst the familiar names were Fantasi & Nasty Juice, and every other stand

seemed to be in competition with each other for the loudest music or shiniest car wrap. Mango and pineapple flavours were prevalent, and I would certainly say that they seem to favour fruit e-juices rather than cake and sweets.

The European TPD has no jurisdiction in Malaysia, and although some local regulations were mentioned, I can’t help feeling that many manufacturers here are, at least for now, potentially missing out on a lucrative European export market.

Amongst the 31 million residents 38% of the adult men are cigarette smokers, (according to ‘The Sun Daily MY’) which is significantly higher than normal for such a commercially developed country – European and UK Juice makers please take note as there are lots of Malaysian smokers just waiting to be converted.

In summary, if you get the chance to travel the 6,500 miles or so to witness this spectacular city I would recommend that you jump at the chance, and if you arrive next year I’ll guarantee that you’ll notice a lot more people vaping than I did during 2017 – it’s a market just waiting to be fully exploited by us all.

I had just arrived at the Shenzhen eCig Expo2017 when I was greeted with a friendly “Hello Vapouround” by a fellow show attendee.

We had never met before but the Vapouround logo on my t-shirt was enough to get me instantly recognised and this is an experience which now happens all over the world.

The show itself was held in three halls over three days and it was massive, covering 30,000 sq m of floor space.

Sometimes with huge shows it is rather difficult to find an individual stand as the floor plan and numbering system can be rather confusing but there were no such problems here as it was super easy to pinpoint a stand on the floor plan and then find it in the hall.

Being able to easily navigate around stands is really important at larger events if you are to avoid aimlessly wandering around like a lost tourist on the first day of a holiday.

Construction costs are more affordable in China than in many other countries so companies were really able to push the boat out with huge, elaborate stands making this show really visually striking.

Also I noticed that exhibitors were not in the least shy here in pulling visitors into their stands rather than wait for them to make the first move.

Typically as you walked past a stand you would be approached by a pretty girl asking for your business card or handing you a promotional leaflet. Once you hand over the card or take the leaflet then you are guided to the stand and given a sales pitch.

After a while this approach can get a little annoying, especially if you are trying to meet a colleague to visit a specific exhibitor with little time for diversions.

Some exhibitors were more aggressive than others about this and would stop you several times in one day to show you what they had to offer.

There were times that I deliberately avoided making eye contact with anyone until I arrived at where I needed to be while pretending not to see the leaflets being trust in my general direction from left and right.

This was a busy show and attracted companies from all around the world from every sector of the vaping industry.

China: IECIE: Shenzhen eCig Expo, Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre April 14-16, 2017 patrick griffin

In fact there was so much to see and do that the tickets I was given for free drinks at the VIP bar went unused…and that is not like me! (I did actually get to the bar at the end of the final day only to find that it had already closed.)

We were the official media partners for this event and it was great to see so many people walking around with our eCig Expo show guide which had been printed in both English and Chinese.

Day two saw the first day which was open to the public and I had to do a double take as I walked past one stand which was blasting out music to attract visitors.

I smiled as I heard a familiar tune but one which I had not heard to for some time…”Glory Glory Man United…Stand up for the Champions…” was not something I had expected at a vape show.

For a moment I was lost in memories of the glory days of this great football club under Sir Alex Ferguson… but I digress.

The music faded as I walked to the stage area at the rear of Hall 9 where a vape talent contest was taking place. The contest wasn’t limited to a vape theme so there were dancers, singers and rappers all performing to the crowds. This was great fun and it was clear that everyone involved had a wonderful time taking part.

On the final day of the expo the same stage was the venue for the China final of the World Series of Cloud Chasing which drew massive crowds (and massive clouds).

During this contest there were lots of giveaways from the stage with people snapping up hats, t-shirts, juices and other vaperelated goodies.

The funniest moment was when a take-away coffee cup containing a bottle of e-liquid was thrown into the crowd.

In the scramble to claim this prize one person ended up with the empty coffee cup while another got the e-liquid which had been inside. In the end it was decided that the person with the juice should get the container too but it was a funny moment.

This was a very well-organised show and the the organisers very very helpful and accommodating. They really went the extra mile to make everyone feel welcome.

One thing which came as a surprise was how strict everyone was about timings. If the show finished at 7pm then that is the time that the halls had to be emptied. From half an hour earlier the lights were dimmed and officials went around locking doors and securing them with metal chains and padlocks.

Those who stayed until the end found that virtually every door had been padlocked shut and finding one still open was a bit of a challenge.

It was exactly the same at a shopping mall we visited where the lights being switched off and the exit doors being locked was the signal that the mall had closed for the evening.

The vaping scene is huge in China and particularly so in Shenzhen where many vaping companies are located.

Next year’s expo is already being planned and it will be even bigger than this year’s show. Four halls covering 37,500 sq m have been booked for the 2018 event so it is going to be another big one.

BY DAVE TURNER

MOSCOW

With a life that involves travelling to different countries and continents visiting various expo’s, you learn to expect the unexpected. Simply speaking there’s no way to travel so much and so intensively without experiencing a fair few moments that are unexpected and this trip was certainly no exception.

It certainly wasn’t an expected moment to bump into Natalie Imbruglia at Domodedovo International Airport on our arrival. In addition, the complimentary gas mask, glow stick and whistle in our hotel room were interesting touches and something I was not really expecting at all.

Finally, stumbling into a police dog training camp when lost in a forest was again something we hadn’t planned for – nevertheless when we flew back both myself and my colleague Abida agreed it had been a very worthwhile trip and expo. As the EU continues to implement the

Tobacco Products Directive the expo itself was almost a throwback to the days before 10ml bottles, 2ml tanks and the likes were impending and imperative. Such concerns were not apparent or indeed even relevant in Moscow.

Through various conversations it became obvious that not only were most companies not TPD compliant but many had indeed never heard of the TPD. What they had heard of however was brilliantly innovative branding, juices and products.

From speaking to many of the vendors, it was apparent that currently the Russian market is overall quite insular. There was however a desire to expand into other countries and regions and from my own personal perspective there was a lot on offer that would appeal to a western audience.

A common theme amongst conversations was a request for help and advice on TPD

compliance regarding not only juices but bottling and labelling requirements. For those of you reading this and considering whether it’s worth getting involved in this market then the answer isn’t simple.

Will it be simple? Most definitely not. Will it be worth it? Quite probably yes.

As much as the vaping market is diversifying with various rules and regulations in different countries and regions the desire of the consumers for variety remains undiminished. If a UK-based company had the time and resources to work alongside the vendors that we spoke to it’s my own personal opinion that it would be a worthwhile investment.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for vaping in Russia but what I can say with certainty is that this was a very well organised, enjoyable and productive expo.

APRIL / 08-09 / 2017

Czech Republic: Prague. May 13-14.

By Dave Turner

As the expo season begins to move into full swing it was time to visit the historic city of Prague for the latest instalment.

As with all seasoned vape expo travellers it was once more a chance to say hi to old friends and make many new ones. As always it was especially nice to see the people from Nasty Juice and The Lemonade House.

Although not the largest expo the vendors there had brought with them a varied and excellent range of products, both juices and hardware, and the visitors to the expo all seemed to have a very enjoyable time.

Prague itself was a pleasure to visit and on this occasion, we had a little time for sightseeing which added an extra layer of enjoyment to the trip and combined with the excellent organisation of the event it made for a very enjoyable time. As with many expo’s it was the effort that the exhibitors had put in that stood out. In a calendar of events that is increasingly ever full it’s wonderful to see that effort levels aren’t slipping and quality is still standing firm. A case in point

was the award of Best Juice of the Show which myself and my colleague, Stephen Culf, were tasked with judging.

With over 52 juices to sample and choose from both the quality of the juices and the branding and packaging of them were consistently high. The winner in the end, and a very deserved winner at that, was Nasty Juice.

If you have the chance to visit an expo in Prague I’d heartily recommend it. From the friendliness of the people to the beautiful architecture of the city and to the quality of the expo itself it’s an all-round winner. As the vaping circus continues to move from city to city and country to country it’s certainly one worth putting on your calendar. Some special thanks should also go to the organisers who put in a sterling effort to enable the event to run so smoothly. This reviewer is already looking forward to visiting any other expo they have to offer. With a myriad of things to consider in organising one it is an undoubtedly difficult task but one they not only allowed achieved but achieved in style.

By Dave Turner

From time to time there’s an expo from here to there which is more than just enjoyable. It’s a cut above and absolutely nails every aspect of what an expo should set out to achieve. The Verona expo was very much one of these.

Spread over two halls at the Veronafiere in the beautiful city of Verona, the meticulous planning of the event organisers was evident on everything from the layout of the event to the high calibre of vendors attending.

Despite the expo falling at a very busy time in the calendar, the quality of both the vendors themselves and the effort they had put into their stands shone from the very first second that you walked inside.When you attend an expo as enjoyable and well planned as this and combine it with a location such as Verona, it’s time to stand back and remember just how lucky you are to work in such an industry and enjoy events such as this.

Verona itself provided a beautiful back drop and the weather was yet another addition, with a level of a sunshine that was enough to

create many a thirsty dog. Visitor numbers were very impressive indeed and from speaking to many of the companies on show, business was very good for all concerned. Some particular thanks must be given to our interpreter Elena who went above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of Vapouround and who was a very welcome addition to the team.

In a twist on the usual routine for an expo, the business to business day was held on the final day of the three day show with the first two days – Saturday and Sunday – allowing entry to the public. I must say in my personal opinion that this worked very well, an opinion shared by many of the people I spoke to.

With a high level of quality vendors, a wonderful expo hall, top notch organisation and beautiful weather in a beautiful city, this was so far one my highlights of the expo year. I’ve visited the expo’s in Rome and Naples before and Italy never fails to disappoint but even by those lofty standards Verona was very special indeed.

Here’s looking forward to the next visit there

SHOWMANSHIP, SECURITY AND A STRAY SQUIRREL

There are two things I had not been expecting to see at the first of this year’s two Vaper Expo UK shows…a squirrel in the atrium outside the exhibition halls and armed police inside the exhibition halls.

The squirrel was searching for scraps of food dropped by visitors to the NEC while the armed police were looking for terrorists who might choose to kill visitors at a UK vaping event.

Even as late as last October when I attended ‘Vaper Expo UK - The Return’ the idea that anyone might want to detonate a bomb at a vaping event seemed preposterous.

However The Big Weekend’s opening day was just four days after the Manchester Terror attack when children were targeted by a suicide bomber as they left a concert by American singer Araina Grande.

The attack sent shockwaves throughout the UK and the world, the government raised the terror threat warning to critical and, as a result, armed police were deployed at a number of high profile public events including Vaper Expo.

With press accreditation I was one of the first to enter the exhibition hall and was asked to submit my bag to examination by one of the security team on duty at the NEC.

“I am really sorry to have to ask you to do this,” explained the security guard. “I really wish this wasn’t necessary but you can understand why it is.”

There were also many more security personnel on duty than at any other Vaper Expo I had attended. Gone are the days when they were there simply to stop people trying to sneak in without a pass - now they were looking for people behaving suspiciously as well, people with murderous intent. These are sad times indeed in which we live.

So what of The Big Weekend itself? Was the vibe more muted and somewhat sombre because of the security threat? Not a bit of it. Not even for a moment. The unique atmosphere which is Vaper Expo was totally undiminished.

Vaper Expo UK bristled with surprises for its first show of 2017

This was the biggest Vaper Expo to date and it took place in three inter-connected halls - a cavernous space which for three days would be totally devoted to vaping.

Actually the previous sentence is not strictly true. If the hall was a football pitch then the immediate area either of the centre line was taken over by funfair rides. We had dodgems, a waltzer and a ride that looked like a giant spider, the name of which escapes me.

I am all for non vape-related items like this being incorporated into vape events because they add to the uniqueness of the event and only serve to enhance the overall visitor experience.

At other events I have seen giant chess sets, pinball machines and even poker tables but the fairground rides took things to a new level indeed.

Vaper Expo organisers Lee and Jay (and now new-edition Alyson) always strive to go the extra mile to make each event both entertaining and memorable with a different look and feel to the expos which have gone before.

It was also great that many of the exhibitors also worked hard to ensure that their stands were different to what they had done before and gave visitors an immersive and interactive experience. For example I saw lots of dancing girls who would have looked right at home in an old time music hall troupe, with their elaborate costumes and striking feather head dresses.

Front Line and Riot Squad went out of their way to provide utterly amazing visitor experiences and they were the two stand out exhibitors of the expo for me. Front Line had a fairground-style haunted house experience which is unlike anything I have ever seen at a vape expo.

Riot Squad went for a Scottish castle which was home to the Clan of Iron Bruise to launch their new Iron Bruise e-liquid which looks certain to be a huge hit. (You can read more about these in our Battle of the Stands feature in this section of the magazine.)

As always Vapouround Magazine was out in force at this event. Back by popular demand was the doubledecker Vapouround bus which served as a meeting point for many during the three days as it certainly stood out as a landmark of the expo.

We also created the look and feel of our Vapelounges complete with chill-out sofas and plenty of space for visitors to take a break and relax.

There were exhibitors from all sectors from the vaping industry at this expo. The juice companies and hardware manufacturers were there, of course, but so were businesses selling bottling equipment, packaging, labeling solutions, distribution and advice on regulation and compliance issues.

There were talks, competitions, coilbuilding sessions, giveaways and, of course, lots of vapour clouds.

It says something about a three day vaping expo where it is possible to walk around the event for three full days and not get bored.

Anyone who has attended a Vaper Expo event will know why this has become one of the leading vape expos in Europe, if not the world.

If you still have not experienced a Vaper Expo event for yourself then you have really missed out on something amazing. Thankfully this is something which can very easily be corrected. The second Vaper Expo UK event of 2017 will take place in October and I have no doubt it will be yet another unmissable event on the international vaping calendar.

A rare pleasure

By Leo Forfar

Vapouround staff writer Leo Forfar muses on his first ever Vaper Expo

I was in a unique place going into Vaper Expo: The Big Weekend. Tremendous hype had paved the long, winding and sometimes bumpy road to the event, and as a contributing writer for both the official show guide and awards evening brochure, a large part of that hype was written by me. It’s fine selling events to others for a living, but I’d be partaking in this one.

The research and interviews I did for my features – which traced the origins of this phenomenon, its launch, and ascension from 2015 onwards – soon grew into more than a professional curiosity. I was going in not just as an exhibitor, but a VIP, an insider, privy to more information than most, and still quite unsure of what to expect.

It would be improper not to mention the significant change of mood instigated by the Manchester terror attacks going into the Expo. With such an atrocity fresh on everyone’s minds and such a large, sustained gathering ahead, security checkpoints were placed at every entrance and exit.

I entered the NEC on a blazingly bright Friday morning in a state of nervous excitement, more aware than usual of my surroundings but determined not to let the news dampen my experience.

The procession of other exhibitors coming in – also dressed in merchandise and leaving behind streams of scented vapour like thurible-wielding priests – were in similar spirits, and our common cause was assumed. The patrolling police were a credit to their profession; as concerned

with our ease and comfort over their presence as they were with our safety. I noticed immediately, as the team were setting up the Vapouround bus and distributing our goodie bags (on the usually more muted B2B day, no less) that no exhibitor present, not the longest-tenured veteran of the vape business, had lost their passion for it, nor their ability to find wonder in it. We received as many friendly approaches and inquiries among fellow heavy-hitters than we would have parked out in public.

As the show began, the only sight more overwhelming than the chasmic size of the NEC showrooms was the swarm of sound, colours and clouds that soon filled them. Think of a fairground, combined with a circus, mixed with a Woodstock highlight reel, crammed with concepts and characters from your favourite sci-fi movie, all converging at the unveiling ceremony at a tech conference.

Writing about the mascots, the artistic embodiments, the esoteric creations of the vaping subculture has been, and remains, fascinating. Seeing them in their flower was even better. The (sometimes almost literal) fruits of exhaustive labour were everywhere: liquids infused with exotic flavours and brewed with industrious intricacy, costumes bringing brands to life. I couldn’t turn without spotting an effigy of a witch or wizard brewing, a superhero posing, an alien or robot painted to perfection in neon colours presenting their liquid of choice.

The inventions, the promises of future innovation and their means of presentation were excessive in the best possible way, a

monument to maximalism: all at once sleek, suave, sexy, clinical, thought-provoking, outlandish, approachable, avant-garde, humorous and inexhaustibly imaginative. The minds behind this flowing patchwork of creative discipline and untampered passion were easy to spot, and eager to share. All around were men and women coming from every possible background, the length of their careers far exceeding the lifespan of this activity. Skills they had been cultivating for a lifetime in some cases, were now reattuned and adapted to fit the purposes of the vape business.

It was a pleasure to connect first-hand with some of the people I’ve only known through emails and phone calls. Often, when we heard the word ‘business’ we collectively share this enduring, stereotypical view of a disconnected and coldly compartmentalised corporate ladder. But many of the people captaining their businesses and running the stands were just a few years removed from mixing liquids for fun in their rooms, or pursuing a small-scale vape company as a longshot or last resort. They had all travelled far, and lost nothing of their former selves along the way.

The men and women of this industry really do put everything into it. It’s a rare pleasure to be part of something causing a rarely-equalled level of physical, mental and economic good, wherever it’s found. All the good found at the Expo isn’t confined to its twice-yearly occurrence: it’s happening everywhere throughout the year. Sometimes we just need a reminder.

we represent

Vapouround’s Big Weekend Appearance sees the best of its past, present and future

The Vaper Expo is always the one expo of the year where you can see Vapouround Magazine out in force. While we can be seen at vape shows throughout the world, Vaper Expo is very much regarded as our home event.

The most obvious sign of our presence at The Big Weekend was the colourful double decker Vapouround bus which was part of our showpiece stand at the three day event.

The bus was parked close to the main entrance to the show and was one bus which was, quite literally, impossible to miss. It served as both the Vapouround team’s headquarters for the show and a meeting place for many others as they looked for an obvious landmark at the cavernous venue to meet friends and colleagues.

On board the upper deck vape testing station was a big hit with visitors as they sampled some top line juices and were able to have all their vape-related questions answered.

On the lower deck was a large seating area where we could meet with clients and visitors who wanted to know more about the Vapouround range of products and find out about forthcoming visits of the bus throughout the UK. Behind the bus was a large chill out zone with sofas and mood lighting which was designed to mimic the look and feel of our Vapouround Lounges which

are currently in London and Derby and soon to be rolled out in other key locations too.

Available at our merchandise stand (and graciously modelled by staff throughout the weekend) was our new clothing range. Far from cheap souvenirs, the Around Collection’s t-shirts are 100% cotton, coming with peel-proof print and unique takes on the Vapouround slogan. We also brought out a new arsenal of cool, charcoalblack snapbacks. If you missed the Expo, or couldn’t find the time to pick any up, see http:// vapouround.co.uk/shop/ for our full variety.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the Vapouround Hunt, which saw visitors incentivised and rewarded for getting the most out of their weekend. Dedicated participants who collected stamps from participating stands returned to our HQ for raffle tickets and prizes.

Everyone who completed their Vapouround Hunt cards was guaranteed a prize - anything from a bottle of e-liquid right up to cool new mods and tanks.

It is always a pleasure to see so many people at Vaper Expo - to meet old friends and make new ones - and we thank everyone who came up to us for a char during the weekend. We will be back again in October and look forward to seeing you all there then.

CHAMPIONSHIP FORM

The glittering history of the man supplying Vapouround’s lounges with coffee

Vaper Expo: The Big Weekend didn’t just live up to its name as the biggest and boldest vaping event for its three-day duration, but as a machine propelling companies and innovative creations all through the remaining year. You never know what this unique little world will come up with next, nor who you’ll run into as you traverse it.

Unsurprisingly, we found both quantity and quality united at the Expo. With the vape business still in a boom period and gathering momentum, regulation be damned, Vapouround are in the luxuriant position of expanding our lounges and filling them with the best people and products. The Expo humanises those who make this industry what it is; they go from unseen, nebulous figureheads to familiar faces, even friends. It’s a relief to pull back the curtain every so often to show some appreciation.

The company supplying Vapouround’s lounges with coffee are Espresso Essential, and the official rep for Espresso Essential’s South West region is Glenn Catley. We found him at their stand, graciously offering every passing visitor a free cup – and some of us really needed it.

Glenn Catley can be described in many ways. He proudly introduced himself as “Bristol born and bred” – and has enjoyed a career as a prominent motivational speaker, advocate of clinical hypnotherapy, stress management coach and now operates a training business in clinical psychotherapy for the enhancement of personal and business skills.

But, the charming Glenn Catley swiftly moved on to “Former WBC Super Middleweight Champion of the world – and I never get bored of saying that!”

Glenn’s stand wasn’t just distinguished by the service provided, but the looped highlight reels of his best victories in the ring, and a stunning display of championship belts.

Nicknamed ‘The Catman’ and renowned for his punching power (which saw 22 of 29 wins coming by knockout) Glenn peaked in 2001 with a dramatic final-round stoppage of Markus Beyer in Germany for the vacant WBC belt; a title which would eventually be held by Joe Calzaghe and Carl Froch.

“Ten years ago, the boss of Espresso Essential, Dave Marshall, tried to get me involved with it – I was too focused on my in-ring comeback at the time. A year ago I popped into the factory, just to catch up and was offered a post again. I’m thoroughly enjoying, we’re absolutely thriving, just like the vape business. Dave suggested we come and have a display at the NEC, meet all the people in the vape scene, and I thought I’d tell my story while I’m here.”

Since its founding, Espresso Essential has expanded to schools, clubs, stores, offices and of course, vape lounges.

Battle of the Stands

Of all the stands at Vaper Expo - The Big Weekend, there were two that stood apart from the rest - Front Line and Riot Squad.

Both worked very hard on the visitor experience theme and it looks like months of effort went into ensuring that visitors to these stands would have an experience they would not forget in a hurry.

Each stand was unique and the two companies took very different approaches in how they set about wowing the crowds. This is what they did…

Riot Squad had a lot to live up to after winning Stand of the Show last year for their interactive stand which saw visitors being arrested, dressed in boiler suits and interrogated for the crime of vaping in public.

This year their stand was a castle which was home to a group of fearsome Scottish warriors, the clan of Iron Bruise and surrounded by a team of bagpipers, drummers and knights.

At the castle gate, visitors were invited to join the ‘Clan of the Iron Bruise’ before touring the castle where they were given a brief history of the clan before having their faces painted to mark them as new clan members.

The Scottish-themed adventure was designed to mark the launch of Riot Squad’s newest flavour Iron Bruise which was unveiled at the Vaper Expo event.

Actors inside the castle staged an immersive experience by transporting visitors back to 13th Century Scotland where they had to enter battle to protect the new flavour.

This worked really well. So much so in fact that Iron Bruise picked up “Stand of the Show” for the second time running. It was a double success for the new liquid which was also named “Best Drinks/Cocktail” at the 2nd Vapouround Awards.

A Riot Squad spokesman said: “Every Expo we do, we aim to give all of our consumers (and shops on the B2B day) an experience to remember.

“We don’t just want people to sample some juice, we want them to get an emotive experience that they’ll away from this and never forget. It’s just as fun for us to do it as it is for them.”

Compared to the ‘shock and awe’ of last year’s visitor experience, this was a little less high octane but that did not detract from the stand in any way at all.

Riot Squad needed to do something totally different to last time and they did not disappoint.

message on the wide screen TV.…you are about to embark on an access-all-areas tour of the front line liquid HQ.”

The message kept flickering on and off and going in and out of focus. This is exactly the kind of effect you see in sci-fi movies where the hero is trying to coax an abandoned spacecraft back to life.

Normally the flickering screens mean something is about to go badly wrong and this was exactly what was about to happen to the Front Line visitors.

Soon the image on the screen faded, the room went dark and there was a brief period of silence only punctuated by screams from among the visitors.

A klaxon sounded and staff told visitors they had to leave the facility without delay. As people left there were sparks, loud noises, tumbling barrels, blasts of air and all accompanied by lots of screams.

This was scary, very enjoyable and a lot of fun.

Conclusion:

For me, I thought Front Line had the edge over Riot Squad because it was so totally different and unexpected to have a house-of-horrors type experience at a Vaper Expo.

Riot Squad did better at integrating the overall visitor experience with the launch of their new juice and full marks to them for getting everyone talking about Iron Bruise which, after all, was a key objective of the experience.

WE CATCH UP WITH VAPE MODEL SASTRA AND VAPE SHOTS AT VAPER EXPO UK

In the last issue we told how model Sastra found new opportunity in the world of vaping after overcoming a battle with anorexia.

It was a positive and inspirational story and at Vaper Expo: The Big Weekend, we got a chance to meet up with Sastra faceto-face and chat about her work with Vape Shots.

Vape Shots came to the NEC boasting a new stand, a new range of liquids and plans to take full advantage of the opportunities posed by the event.

Building up for The Big Weekend took some careful timing, as owner Flo Jackson and the team faced the launch of this new range days after the TPD came in. Representing Vape Shots on the Expo floor was the unmistakable Sastra-Maria Gonzales.

An unfortunate ankle injury prevented her from dancing on-stage at this Expo, but she remains in high spirits; bearing good news and diversifying her involvement.

“I’m in full recovery from anorexia,” she said, beaming, “and Flo’s been really supportive; making sure I eat. She’s been easy to work with as well, now that I’m more involved with the business these days. I’m still doing photo shoots and promotional events for Vape Shots, but

I’m in the shop selling as well. I’m trying a bit of everything.”

This was Flo’s first Vaper Expo as an exhibitor and head of a blossoming business and it was a great success.

“I’ve been here as a customer before; had a look-around, tried the exhibits out, sampled juices and conducted research, but The Big Weekend is my first time at the Expo as an exhibitor,” said Flo. “We’ve been working so hard on a 50ml range of zero nicotine shots and it’s going down a storm. It’s been flying out and we’re very excited to unveil it at the Expo. We’ve been saving our latest project, the Banging 12 Flavours for a special occasion like this and we’ve had nothing but positive feedback.

“Coming here is an invaluable experience – not only to meet and chat with a wider range of people in vaping than you normally would, or compare flavours, but hear opinions outside the box and be exposed to points of view you normally wouldn’t be. I’ve learned so much by doing this. Only a few hours into the B2B day I knew I’d made the right choice.”

Vape Shots enjoyed all the gains one can hope for by taking the plunge and setting up at the Expo. They will be back in October, hoping to take things to the next level.

BEST QUALITY

LEICESTER CITY CENTRE THURSDAY, 23 MARCH, 2017

In the first week of Spring, the Vapouround Bus visited Leicester for the second time. This time we came to the city centre and we had a great day out.

With so many locals intrigued about our colourful Vapouround bus, we had a range of visitors interested in what the bus was all about.

From bus drivers, mothers and fathers, to university students and shoppers, a lot of people in Leicester were thoroughly impressed with the bus and its amazing décor.

Sanjay, a bus driver, said: “I noticed the bus when I was driving. You couldn’t miss it especially with its size and colourful design.”

Sanjay was one of the many vapers who visited the bus and like many vapers, he is a former smoker.

I was a smoker for 20 years and I began to have trouble breathing. I didn’t like the stench of the smoke or the stains it was leaving behind on my teeth. Now, I’ve been vaping for two years and I love it! It’s really helped me to quit smoking for life.

Other smokers who have heard about vaping but never tried it were eager to participate in trading their cigarettes for a free starter kit. We had so many visitors on board that were ready to quit smoking with vaping that by the end of the day, we ran out of starter kits and goody bags.

Peter Jordan, a smoker and vaper, wanted help deciding which would be the best vaping products for him.

Bus Manager, Jorgie Shaw, helped advise him on vaping and said: “It’s about getting the right nicotine level when you first start vaping.

“Being on the bus and travelling to different cities, we’ve realised that people need more advice on vaping and that’s what the Vapouround Bus is here to do.”

To further inform members of the public on vaping, Stop Smoking Service decided to join the Vapouround team for the event.

The Stop Smoking Service are based in Leicester’s city centre where they offer help to people who wish to quit smoking. They supply nicotine replacement products and beneficial advice to help smokers kick their habit.

Caz Humphreys is one of the advisors at Stop Smoking Service and she was really excited to see the bus in town.

She said: “The Vapouround Bus is fantastic, it’s definitely stimulated a lot of interest today and we’ve had a lot of people discussing smoking and vaping. The bus has helped people realise the benefits of vaping alongside the stop smoking paraphernalia we were handing out.”

Caz was informing members of the public about e-cigarettes and the positive aspects of vaping and explained: “I’ve personally witnessed people lead healthier lives by quitting smoking with vaping.

“A woman came into the clinic with collapsed lungs and poor health due to smoking but she finally quit with an e-cigarette and our help. I noticed a huge improvement in her health in just a week and she did as well.

“I think today’s been a very successful event in offering advice to smokers as well as helping them quit smoking with vaping.”

The Vapouround Bus team had a blast with the Stop Smoking Service. Leicester proved to be huge success with many smokers converting to vaping and we look forward to another visit real soon.

We’re always happy to answer any questions and if you want to know more about getting the Vapouround Bus to your area or store, then contact either David Turner or Jorgie Shaw on 01332 650239.

Alternatively, they can be reached by email: dave@vapouround.co.uk jorgie@vapouround.co.uk

EVOLUTION VAPE BIRMINGHAM

It’s always a pleasure to be out and about on the Vapouround Bus but our trip to Evolution Vaping in Birmingham was particularly enjoyable.

An establishment founded in 2014 by James and his mother Sharon, Evolution Vaping have forged a reputation in the industry for providing a high level of service – they provide a high level of event too.

As a store and online presence, Evolution have an impressive selection of juices and hardware. This reviewer would certainly recommend them and it was obvious that the same level of effort had been put into organising the day.

From cloud-chasing competitions to a packed shop and from a delicious barbeque to great company the Vapouround Bus and its team spent a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday afternoon there. As ever the Vapouround Bus caused an immediate stir on its arrival with vapers and non-vapers alike taking the chance to see probably the most well-known vaping vehicle in the country.

APRIL 1, 2017

The event itself was a timely reminder that despite all the legislation and hurdles everybody has had to face within the industry in recent times, establishments such as Evolution and business owners such as James and Sharon continue to go from strength to strength.

Working in the vape industry is always a pleasure but it’s an added pleasure at events like this one. If you’re anywhere in the vicinity I’d urge you to pay them a visit as the selection of juices and hardware is incredibly impressive with the added benefit that everything is priced affordably.

The staff and the visitors alike were a pleasure to chat to and it was nice to bump into old friends such as Danny from Cloud Island, a great guy with a great company. Hopefully the bus will be back there again and from everyone on the Vapouround Bus team I’d like to offer our thanks for a great time. In short….

Great people. Great business. Great day.

CLOUD 57, WEST BRIDGFORD, NOTTINGHAM

SATURDAY, 29 APRIL 2017

Cloud 57 was holding an ‘All Day Vape’ event for everyone in the local community – from dedicated vapers in search of the best new products to curious smokers looking for a superior alternative. With a relaxed, friendly atmosphere established and thick clouds of delicious vapour mixing and hanging overhead, the stage was set for the Vapouround Bus to pull in.

Vapouround’s signature vehicle arrived at 4pm sporting a resplendent, eye-catching new exterior and a cosy interior packed with free food, drinks, mods, liquids and all the knowledge the vape enthusiast or beginner could want. Situated just at the edge of the city centre and bordering the gateway to the suburbs, the bus saw whole families stop by to inquire about vaping. Visitors, already thrilled by their experience at Cloud 57, got a chance to diversify their experience and step things up.

“IT WAS EASY MAKING THE TRANSITION TO VAPING; FORTUNATELY I HAD ALL THE CORRECT INFORMATION I NEEDED FROM THE START, THE RIGHT LIQUIDS, THE RIGHT NICOTINE LEVELS.”

As usual, we were cleared out of goodie bags and other freebies in fewer than three hours. Some of the visitors who traded cigarette packets for starter kits were trying to move past smoking habits as high as 30-a-day. They left with starter kits, liquids and most importantly: accurate information on how to stay off cigarettes for good. Tracy was one of the many visitors who had gone from tobacco to vapour, and never looked back: “I was smoking for quite a few years. I’d had enough of cigarettes. I was sick of them personally, and was worried about the effects they’d had on my health. It was easy making the transition to vaping; fortunately I had all the correct information I needed from the start – the right liquids, the right nicotine levels.”

Tracy wasn’t the only one lending her support and seeking help.

Ben, 29, recently decided to quit smoking over health concerns and ever-rising cigarette costs, but didn’t make the jump to vaping until he was steered in the right direction.

“My mate’s really into vaping. I went around to his, tried my first e-cigarette and really liked it and then looked for the right flavour for me. I bought by first mod from a shop right here in Nottingham, and kept my eyes open for better mods and different setups.”

First impressions can be everything. We at Vapouround understand that many people’s introduction to vaping rests on word-of-mouth, good personal interaction and the right products for the right people from the very beginning, and we structure our bus tours around these facts.

We’re always happy to answer any questions and if you want to know more about getting the Vapouround Bus to your area or store, then contact either David Turner or Jorgie Shaw on 01332 650239.

Alternatively, they can be reached by email: dave@vapouround.co.uk jorgie@vapouround.co.uk

The Vapouround Bus visited Premier E-Cigs new store in Wragby, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, on Friday 5th May 2017. Premier E-Cigs sell premium brands of Innokin, Kangertech, and Hangsen Liquids to coils, clearomizers, and other vape related accessories. Father and daughter, Pete and Hayley, launched the store in Mansfield, Nottingham, with no plans to slow down. Now they have over 10 Premier E-Cigs stores located across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

Premier E-Cigs have two spots on the recently re-wrapped Vapouround Bus and what better way to show them than driving the bus down to the store?

Before we began to set up, people were wondering what the Vapouround Bus was doing in town. Members of the public were eagerly waiting to hop on board and sample juices on the Vapebox.

Many smokers were looking to quit smoking and once we told them about the free starter kit trade for a pack of cigarettes, smokers were excited to participate. Everyone had a lovely time including, Hayley who said: “The day was brilliant, everything went great. I’ve been working with Vapouround Magazine from day one and it’s been fantastic having the big Vapouround Bus support us all the way.”

This was the first time the Vapouround Bus visited Premier E-Cigs but regular customers of the store already knew all about Vapouround.

“We’ve had a lot of regulars visit the store because they knew Vapouround was in town. People have been sampling the e-juices on the Vapebox and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed the day,” said Hayley.

With the bus being so big in size and colourful, it gained a lot of popularity. Hayley added: “We welcomed new customers to the store as well. Our store is located on the

main road so you can’t miss the store or the bus! I think the Vapouround Bus is a brilliant concept to generate more awareness on vaping and helping smokers to quit.

“

We’re always happy to answer any questions and if you want to know more about getting the Vapouround Bus to your area or store, then contact either David Turner or Jorgie Shaw on 01332 650239. Alternatively, they can be reached by email: dave@vapouround.co.uk jorgie@vapouround.co.uk

We really appreciate the bus coming all the down here just to visit Premier E-Cigs.”

SPA VAPES IN CHELTENHAM 6TH MAY 2017

The Vapouround Bus arrived at Spa Vapes in Cheltenham on the 6th May.

As the Vapouround team began to set up for the day, there was a buzz of people that were eager to get on board. We entertained a massive crowd of people who were excited to see the bus for the very first time. Some people even handed in their cigarettes for a free E-Generation starter kit. This is a concept that we have been introducing on the bus for a few months now and it is really helped smokers to quit the habit and start leading a healthier life with vaping.

The owner of Spa Vapes Paul Gifford used to smoke around 60 cigarettes a day but with one inhale on an e-cigarette, it changed his life forever.

Paul said:

“I used to smoke a lot back in the day but once I was on the e-cigarette, I’ve never looked back. It became my drive to opening an e-cigarette business when it was still new on the market.”

“With vaping, my health and my overall well-being improved. My blood pressure dropped, my breathing and fitness improved. I feel a lot healthier now compared to when I was a smoker.”

The whole point of taking our eye-catching Vapouround Bus is to promote the healthy benefits of vaping and introduce smokers to a new device that will help them stop smoking.

So, when we found out that Paul, too, was an ex-smoker who quit with the help of an e-cigarette, we knew we had to take the Vapouround Bus to Spa Vapes.

We hoped the bus would reach out to smokers and help change their lives for the better and it did. With many smokers seeking a means to quit, a lot of visitors were interested in the bus, vaping, and Spa Vapes. Spa Vapes also supplied a barbeque, beverages and tombola to their customers which was a massive success. The vibe was great and everyone was friendly and excited to see what the Vapouround Bus had in store.

We’re always happy to answer any questions and if you want to know more about getting the Vapouround Bus to your area or store, then contact either David Turner or Jorgie Shaw on 01332 650239.

Alternatively, they can be reached by email: dave@vapouround.co.uk jorgie@vapouround.co.uk

LEICESTER TOUR | 12TH MAY 2017

The Vapouround Bus is becoming a very popular attraction in Leicester as this is its third visit to the city. This latest visit took place on Friday May 12 and as we drove into the city centre there were already a number of eager visitors waiting to hop on board. The weather was a little gloomy but that didn’t put people off at all and everyone had a great time.

We teamed up with The Stop Smoking Service based in Leicester for this event and it was great to have them on board with us. They help advise people who wish to quit smoking by supplying nicotine replacement products and advice.

Caz Humphreys is one of the advisors at Stop Smoking Service and she was informing members of the public about e-cigarettes and the positive aspects of vaping.

Caz also brought along a carbon monoxide monitor to show smokers how much carbon monoxide is released into a smoker’s body. We had a lot of volunteers who wanted to quit smoking and once they became aware of their carbon monoxide levels, they were eager to switch to vaping.

One of the great successes of the Vapouround Bus is introducing vaping to smokers. On the bus, the Vapouround team encourage smokers to hand in their cigarettes for a free starter kit who wish to stop smoking. With helpful advice from Vapouround’s bus manager Jorgie Shaw, people are more likely to switch to vaping.

She said: “We’ve had a lot of smokers who wish to quit but can’t find the right equipment in stores or can’t find the most useful advice. With the bus visiting so many cities, I’ve learned that you have to show people how to use their e-cigarette and introduce them to an e-liquid flavour they enjoy which is why we have the Vapebox and the free starter kit trade.”

With sunshine beginning to seep through the clouds in the afternoon, more visitors were intrigued by the Vapouround Bus in its new green and blue livery.

Vaper Sunil Sinhal, from Leicester, has been vaping for over a year and was thrilled to see the Vapouround Bus.

He said: “The bus is great! I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’ve been a vaper for over a

year and it’s really helped me to stop smoking. I love the fruity and dessert e-liquid flavours on the Vapebox, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste buds.”

Richard Black, 36, has also been vaping for over a year to quit smoking. He said: “Vaping offers me a sense of release. It’s been hard to completely stop smoking but vaping has really helped me with that.

“Seeing the big Vapouround Bus in town has introduced me to a lot of other e-liquids out that I didn’t even know existed.”

Once again, visiting Leicester was a huge success. Everyone had a blast and we were delighted to see people from our previous visit. It goes to show how popular the Vapouround Bus truly is.

TOUCH OF VAPE - COVENTRY - MAY 13 2017

The Vapouround Bus was delighted to visit Touch of Vape E-Cig store for their grand opening on Saturday 13th May. We’ve been eager to travel to Coventry after many months of planning our visit with store owner, Richard Brookes.

Touch of Vape provides a customer service friendly environment accompanied with their wide range of vaping devices of e-liquids, mods and many more: “We regard ourselves as the next generation vape store and what we’re trying to implement with our philosophy is create a professional look and higherend vape store to the high street,” said Richard.

It was a pleasure to meet Richard, his family, and see the fantastic store they had spent a generous amount of time in refurbishing. With a neutral black and white theme accompanied by glossy counters, the store looked sophisticated and elegant.

The interior design of the store was superb and the staff also matched the colours of the store with white shirts and black trousers which added a sense of professionalism. The staff were very friendly and were happy to help with any questions that the public had regarding vaping and what

suit the customer best.

The Vapouround Bus was also busy with a constant flow of people wanting to sample the e-liquids on the Vapebox.

We welcomed vapers at the store and told them all about the Vapouround Bus. Everyone loved the latest look of the bus and once they found out we were there to help smokers and advise vapers, they were incredibly excited to join in on the fun!

“WE REGARD OURSELVES AS THE NEXT GENERATION VAPE STORE AND WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT WITH OUR PHILOSOPHY IS CREATE A PROFESSIONAL LOOK AND HIGHER-END VAPE STORE TO THE HIGH STREET,”

products would

We also met many experienced vapers at the store and it was great to talk to people and learn about their successful journey from smoking to vaping.

Richard was also pleased with the overall outcome of the grand opening: “We were anticipating the grand opening for quite some time. We have spent a lot of time and money investing in our store and as far as grand openings go, I think this was a fantastic one! Having the Vapouround Bus join us on the day brought a lot of attention to the store.”

Richard has been vaping for over two years: “I’m pro-vaping all the way and with the Vapouround Bus generating more awareness on vaping and introducing the benefits of vaping to the public, I think this is a great example we’re setting for the vaping industry.”

Richard loved the look of the recently re-wrapped Vapouround Bus: “The bus definitely had the visual impact that we were looking for on the day. In terms of customer service traffic and footfall, the Vapouround Bus made the day feel like an official event.” We had a lovely time at Touch of Vape who were very welcoming towards us. We hope to come back again!

We’re always happy to answer any questions and if you want to know more about getting the Vapouround Bus to your area or store, then contact either David Turner or Jorgie Shaw on 01332 650239.

Alternatively, they can be reached by email: dave@vapouround.co.uk jorgie@vapouround.co.uk

“I’M PRO-VAPING ALL THE WAY AND WITH THE VAPOUROUND BUS GENERATING MORE AWARENESS ON VAPING AND INTRODUCING THE BENEFITS OF VAPING TO THE PUBLIC”

Expo highlights:

Located in the most international and fashionable consumer market of China Shanghai More than 200 exhibitors and nearly 500 brands, bringing a thousand of products The most worth seeing in the year at the new products launch showcase Various accompanying activities such as the summit forum and bargain hunter auction Catalougue

The buyers entitle

Buyer gift of products with the value of 2000 RMB. One day interpreter onsite service if needed To participate in the industry summit forum and the interactive activities with free entry.

If you are from E cigarette distributors, vapor agents, vapor shops, FMCG channels like shopping mall centers, supermarkets, chain stores, online shops, vape KOLs home and aboard, you are the one we are looking for!

The countries of registered overseas individual buyers and delegations to list a few as below:

THE

VAPER SHOP

UK | SATURDAY 20 MAY, 2017

A week before the Vaper Expo UK – The Big Weekend, the Vapouround Bus drove to the Vaper Shop UK in Birmingham. This also marked the day TPD regulations came into full effect so the Vapouround team were looking forward to seeing TPD compliant vape merchandise in store.

The Vaper Expo UK is Europe’s biggest vaping exhibition to take place in Birmingham. Organisers of the show decided to launch their flagship store earlier this year in April to serve vapers in the vaping community.

We arrived bright and early to be welcomed by friendly staff at the vape shop. Store colleague, Tom Wilson, was busy assisting vapers and smokers all day: “The store’s been really busy today. We’ve had a lot of people asking us about the Vapouround Bus and we’re encouraging everyone in store to check it out.”

The Vapouround Bus received a lot of visitors including Cuts Ice. They decided to join us for the fun event.

“THE STORE’S BEEN REALLY BUSY TODAY. WE’VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING US ABOUT THE VAPOUROUND BUS AND WE’RE ENCOURAGING EVERYONE IN STORE TO CHECK IT OUT.”

For some of the regular vapers of the store, it was their first visit on the bus and they absolutely loved it. Workers from a local fish and chip shop who are also avid vapers decided to stop by on their lunch break.

The Vapebox was popular amongst many vapers. Customers from the vape shop wanted to stop by and sample e-juices before purchasing them from the store. We didn’t only receive visits from vapers on the bus, but also, smokers. Ex-smokers in the area were looking to switch from smoking to vaping and with the cigarette trade for a free starter kit we have onboard, the friendly Vapouround team helped smokers switch to vaping.

Tom from The Vaper Shop UK managed to spare a few minutes of his busy day to tell Vapouround some of the store’s best qualities:

“We launched only recently in April but already we’ve noticed a high demand in vapers and smokers coming to the store to get the best kind of vape gear. We’ve noticed that we get more smokers who are new to vaping and being an ex-smoker myself who is now fully committed to vaping, I can help advise others and get them the right equipment they need.”

We’re always happy to answer any questions and if you want to know more about getting the Vapouround Bus to your area or store, then contact either David Turner or Jorgie Shaw on 01332 650239.

Alternatively, they can be reached by email: dave@vapouround.co.uk jorgie@vapouround.co.uk

Product Size: 95.0x52.0x24.5mm

Material: Aluminium Alloy

Power Range: 1.0~200.0W

Temperature Adjustment Range: 100~315℃/200~600℉

Input Voltage: 6.4~8.4V

Output Voltage: 1.0~7.50V

Working Pattern: POWER/SS/Til/Ni/TCR/TFR

Atomizer Resistance: 0.08~1.00Ω/0.08~3.0Ω

Working Temperature: -10℃~45℃

Thread: 510 thread

Screen Size: 0.91’’OLED black and white screen

The Komge s200 is a lightweight 200w box mod. The device has a small LED screen on the front panel. On the side there is a large fire button, plus/minus buttons and a micro USB charge port. The buttons have a nice press that have no sticking or rattling and there is nice chrome detailing around the corners of the mod. The device comes in a variety of visual designs that are printed on. The battery casing is a plate that’s held by magnets housing two 18650 battery ports.

Personally I think the mod is very cheap feeling and has very minor visual appeal. The mod is very light and has a hollow feeling.

The device has a multi-press menu function that allows channeling between power mode, TC modes and curve mode. This is quite flexible in the various modes and all seem to work perfectly well (as tested on both RBA and a sub-ohm tank.) TC mode has a variety of material-specific options ideal for most custom builds. Power output mode works as the usual wattage mode that has the variable range of 1-200w.

The only other function is a 5 press off/on system. The limited functions are not too bad due to the great reliability of the current modes. The main power output is efficient enough for a large subohm tank and doesn’t put too much strain on the batteries either. One small nag is that the battery doesn’t feature a live battery display which is ideal when vaping to such a high wattage.

Overall the Komge has quite a cheap look and feel. Some designs on the case mask this and they actually look really nice. As the aesthetics may put you off don’t let it! The device is very reliable with a glitch free system. It has a high wattage range and if you need a lightweight device then this is for you. Personally I require weight in my mod but some hate that, so this one is ultra light but still quite big and square.

Pick one up and give it a go. I could honestly say you wont find a basic device like this that has its wattage. Totally fool proof.

Dimensions:

Material:

above

Maximum Output Current: 60A

Resistance Range: 0.1-3.0Ohm

Input Voltage Range: 6.4-8.4V/9.6V-12.6V

Voltage Adjust: I-V level

PROS

High

The Tesla invader looks nice. It has a powerful look about it, like a tank and, to be fair, the build seems solid. There is no screen just a large plastic fire button with a nice solid press and a small LED light strip. Above the LED on the front is a 1-5 point potentiometer. The device is heavy and very comfortable in the hand. I don’t think I have held a device that is so solidly built as this.

The device has two battery covers as standard, capable of housing two 18650 batteries or three. With the adjustable battery housing the maximum wattage differs from 240w-360 depending. The housings have vent holes to prevent over heating and the device also has multiple usage protections such as over puff protection.

The device doesn’t have a USB port so battery charging has to be external.

The potentiometer is very effective and reacts instantly when increasing the voltage. The only problem with this is the efficiency as its hard to turn and there is no accessory to help this, just your rigid nail.

Running through the settings with an RBA and a low resistance tank and the limited settings cover all areas and requirements.

The vape production is perfect when using this device and if its slightly weak then twist the potentiometer on the front to crank it up a bit. This gives an unprecedented experience.

I would always start low and build up wattage when using this device to avoid coil burn and other unwanted problems.

Personally, the device works best with a RBA as once you find your preferred setting the usability is efficient enough to never change the device until you re-coil your tank. When building coils an alternate device is ideal to be able to check the resistance prior to use.

MEGA

• Size: H.60xW.39xD.24.5mm

• Wattage Range: 5-80w

• Input Voltage: 3.2-4.2v

• Output Voltage: 2.6-8v

• Atomiser Resistance: min 0.2 Ohms

• OLED Display

• Internal 20500 Battery: 1750 MAH

• Temperature Control: NI, TI, SS

• V3: Fast charging capability

PROS

This mod is small and compact.

DESIGN

USABLILITY

The Mega Volt is a very small piece of tech. This is quite amusing due to its overzealous name. It has a matte black and chrome mixed detail. The front panel has a large ovular fire button accompanied by two smaller buttons. The device has a micro USB adapter on the underside of the mod and a small OLED screen and 510 thread at the top. All in all it’s a very simple and smart looking mod.

This little mod is quite comfortable in hand but can be a bit small for larger hands. The main fire button is in an ideal location for maximum comfort. It is very ideal for an event that requires discrete holding or a small carrying case.

This mod is compatible when using an atomiser, sub ohm atomiser and RBA’s. To power on it’s the standard five press system. The functions are a simple selection system that is accessible by pressing the fire button three times rapidly. This menu allows for power mode (soft, standard and powerful selectable by fire button & minus button) and temperature mode. The temperature mode is more efficient via RBA’s and allows a selection of C* of F* display then a material selections of TI, NI, SS.

To change the variable wattage it requires to press the fire button and plus button together, this changes in 0.1 increments. A function on the main menu is to turn off auto power adjust setting. I found switching this off is better for a consistent vape although the constant power drains the battery quicker.

Charging the device is very quick and the battery lasts for a respectable duration. The display shows a low battery symbol when drained and also a battery charging sign when connected to a power source. Another interesting function on the Mega Volt is the reset button at the underside of the mod. A function I rarely see but perfect if the device starts to misbehave.

As a whole this mod packs out some impressive power for such a compact device. I found no glitches with this mod and the simple interface makes the small OLED screen understandable. It is a very simplistic device but with a nice clean image. This mod is ideal for someone who is more for the usability than impressions. Small, sleek and very user friendly.

This e-cigarette is a very simple pen design. It has a matte black colour and royal gold details that really emphasise a classy look and feel. The shape is square and very comfortable in the hand. The device features a single fire button that has LED indicators. The Genesis is charged using the micro USB pin on the back face of the pen.

The e-cigarette has a lid perfect for protecting against leaking or dust and residue build up in the drip tip when carrying. The device is a top fill system that is accessible with a press and twist action. The tank on the genesis is built in and has 1.5ml capacity and a max fill line displayed in the tank window. This limit should not be exceeded or this prompts leaking.

This pen is clearly for start up vapers and an ideal vape for beginners. The simplicity allows the user to get used to vaping problem free. At the tip of the Genesis there is a airflow hole that is adjustable by twisting the tip. By twisting fully closed this allows for a mouth to lung vape which imitates the standard style of smoking. The closed air vent has good air resistance enough to be able to inhale an adequate quantity of vape. The open air flow is also good enough to adhere to the most experienced vapers inhale.

The pen has a short charge time (fully drained) of roughly 2 hours. This is visually shown by a change in the LED from red to blue. Surprisingly this mod has a 0.4Ohm resistance which allows good flavour and paired with an impressive 1500MAH battery, produces good vape clouds.

The mod doesn’t have a visual menu but has functions such as resistance identification mode that detects the current ohms of the coil. The device runs on multi press systems and also has low-voltage, short-circuit and over-discharge protection.

As a whole this is a very basic piece of kit but it is very good for a simple pen. The device is reliable and the coils keep for a good period of time. For a smoker that is ready to begin the life changing journey of vaping, this is where to start. Not only is the vape production adequate the design of the device is very smart too. Vaping definitely begins with Genesis.

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

• 0.12ohm

Just wow, It’s a beastly tank to say the least. It’s a similar design to the TFV8 by Smok but the tank has more girth. The structure of this tank is solid and it has a powerful look about it. Even the drip tip is ultra wide but does come with an adapter for the common drip tip.

Similar to its predecessor TFV8, this tank has a bevelled pattern around the brim. The difference is the TFV12s bevels are angled giving a feeling of power. One noticeable difference Is the airflow vents are huge, roughly 30% larger than previous models.

The hinge system is still the same which has become a signature for the Smok tanks. Overall the mod looks like the TFV8 on steroids.

The TFV12 kit comes with three very powerful coils all with different coil structures capable of a variety of wattages.

Using the V12-T12 coil head I could really test the full capability of my 350watt box mod. I found that the coil was most efficient at 160 watts although it kicked out amazing clouds at 300watts. The reason I would stop at the 160 mark is because the flavour is at its fullest. When pushed higher the clouds are incredible but the flavour becomes weaker.

When using the both the V12-x4 and the V12-Q4 I would stick to around 120w for the same reasons. The flavour and cloud production is optimal and I can say by experiencing all three coils the TFV12 is a ‘BEAST’.

I have never experienced such intense flavour and power coming from a tank. The Device has a large 6ml juice capacity but this doesn’t stick around for long. The tank is a guzzler, but for good reasons, its so so tasty.

One thing I noticed with this mod is after a few hits it gets extremely hot. I would say this is a caution to chain vapers; Although the dangers are low due to its High temperature, explosion proof glass.

Overview:

The mod is huge and full of power capable of extreme wattages. The design is bold AND assertive, a tank to big to miss. The flavour production is very impressive and I am unsure if other sub Ohm tanks can match it. When my juice became low the mod did leak some juice out of the large bottom air flow vents but this only occurred once after a lot of intense use.

I seriously cannot fault this tank, The heat is a small concern but expected from a tank that is capable of the large wattage ranges. Congratulations to Smok Tech with this one.

- All-in-one design

- Dimensions: 129mm by 50mm by 9mm

- 9ml built-in Skyhook RDTA Tank

- Wattage Output Range: 6-220W

- Voltage Output Range: 0.35-8V

- Min Atomizer Resistance: 0.06ohm

- Temperature Range: 200-600F

- Supports Ni200 Nickel, Titanium, and

Stainless Steel Heating Elements

- Premium Stainless Steel Construction

- Enlarged 0.96 Inch OLED Display Matrix

- Highly Intuitive

PROS

Efficient all-in-one design.

CONS

Battery

DESIGN

USABLILITY

The Skyhook has a beautiful design. Its an all-in-one 220w device. It has a similar look and face to the ever popular Smok Alien but gives you that inch more in one place. At the top of the device is a 9ml capacity built-in tank that is fillable by a screw capped drip hole. The e-liquid level is visible through a tank window on the side of the device. The device comes pre-installed with an RDTA tank.

The device has a black body with a gold detail. The fire button is a trigger on the side with both +/- buttons on the front below the OLED screen. The device also has the usual micro USB port capable of charging the dual 18650 batteries and for receiving updates. The only downside to this device is the push and slide battery door at the bottom of the mod which I found to be very awkward at times.

The screen and interface is identical to the Smok Alien which I reviewed in previous issues. The screen displays volts, ohms, amps, mode, PCB, puff count and a seconds counter. If the device is fired up for 12 seconds it will automatically stop firing. The device has a pre-set save so you won’t require constant adjustments. By pressing the fire button and plus simultaneously you can switch between mode specifics. Fire button and minus allows you to access the quick menu for the modes.

The whole menu and settings can also be accessed by a three press on the fire button system. This is where you access modes, display settings and puff settings.

The device is comfortable in the hand and very easy to use.

The built in RTA is ideal and produces beautiful flavour and is capable of a single side build or bi-builds. The tank has nice big air holes that push the flavour and vape production to the max. With the dual pre-built fused Clapton coils the wattage can be pushed too and this produces thick warm clouds.

The Skyhook is a coil-builders dream device that is definitely user friendly. The build plate isn’t the biggest though so the huge builds will have to take a seat with this one.

Overall the Skyhook looks great, features some of the best functions and menu systems on the market and produces some brilliant clouds.

• Output Wattage: 5w to 80w

• Suitable atomizer: 0.05 - 5 ohm

• Temperature Range: 100C’-315C’/200F’-600F’

• Battery: 1 x 18650

• Dimensions: 93 X38X22.5mm

• Casting: Zinc Alloy, Aluminium Alloy and Carbon Fiber

• Thread: 510 thread

• Display: 0.91’OLED

• Standby Current: <35A

• Voltage Range: 0 - 8.5 v

• Output mode: Smart VW/VT (Ni200, SS, Ti, TCR) BYPASS, CCW, CCT

First note to make is that this set up comes beautifully packaged with a high spec tech box.

The Tarot mini has a tall slender shape that features a stained glass effect on two sides (a variety of colours and patterns are available). The mod has a four hexagonal button system on one side. A fire button, unmarked plus and minus buttons and a small peculiar button right at the bottom of the face. On the left decorated side this is a plate that covers the battery housing. It’s a solid build with a firm magnetic grip.

This mod has a respectable 80w maximum output which is common for the single 18650 battery device. The mod has a nice slim OLED screen with a tidy interface. The only visible features are battery, ohm read, voltage and wattage read and a mode symbol.

The modes on the device are smart VW mode, CCW, bypass mode and a variety of temperature control modes. Its clear that this mod offers everything that you could possibly need. That isn’t all because this brilliant kit comes with a super smart Veco tank. The tank doesn’t look anything special but combined with the mod it produces beautiful flavour. The tank has a very important function that allows you to extract the coil even when the tank is full. This is a incredible feature that prevents potential juice loss.

Running through the functions of this mod it is powerful and glitch free. The interface is very simple and user friendly using mainly three press and press and hold systems. The set up for custom modes is very clear and simple to use but the display is a very small visualisation. The mod has all circuitry protections and charge protection. So very safe and regulated.

The mod is comfortable for the hand and its slender shape makes it ideal to carry around. The fire button is solid and causes no stick or jams just reliable firing.

This mod is brilliant overall, a perfect for a step up from basic vaping but also ideal for experienced vapers too. The tarot mini is perfect for any type of vaper whether you require an instant hit that phases out or a softer hit that inclines the custom temperature and wattage modes cover this.

Personally I feel this kit is quite special and really pushes good hardware for a reasonable price range. The mod is customisable and works well with other tanks and RBA’s too. So for a small piece of kit it’s generally great.

It’s a Lighter! Oh wait! It isn’t, it’s the Aurora kit from Vapouresso. This Little e-cig looks just like the classic flip lighter. Its has a twistable nozzle and a clear glass window to show the e-liquid level. The fun thing about this device is there are literally no buttons. It is simply a suck and go system. Flip the lid, twist the nozzle and suck!

The Aurora has a small capsule that slots into the device’s main body. With this capsule you can remove the drip tip from the top. This is more of a pipe nozzle. At the bottom of the capsule is where you change the coil. The device takes CCELL coils and they are tiny. These coils screw onto the internal lower capsule. This is also where the device is filled.

Of all the mods that I have seen this little guy blew my mind. No battery to remove, no screen and no buttons. Chargeable from the micro USB slot but the battery life on the Aurora’s 800mah cell lasts long.

When vaping two little lights come on either side to indicate this. Without the capsule in, airflow will make these flash. For such a small internal chamber the device gives a commendable amount of vapor but is not a cloud machine, but enough to enjoy. The flavour produced by the Aurora is quite subtle but still very nice. The clouds are smooth and cool and really imitate the sought after mouth to lung experience.

As a whole the kit is ideal for zero fuss and a basic vape experience. Perfect for somebody who isn’t tech savvy that wants a simple device. With a certain hand held position the Aurora has more of a pipe feel. It just feels classy.

The design is unique to anything that I have ever seen and with multiple graphics and colours available it is universal. On the usability front it is a device that is good at what its designed for, mouth to lung vaping. If you expect anything more from the device, then this isn’t for you. The

JUICE REVIE W S

Signature Menthol

This smells cold. The menthol is very potent from this little juice.

On the inhale I was caught of guard because it was just so so icy! So for this one I will drop down from the dripper and head for my high resistance tank.

Inhaling with a tank, the menthol flavour instantly reaches the taste buds and cools the mouth and throat. This is a smooth hit which makes the cool inhale pleasant.

On the exhale the cold sensation eases and becomes a general menthol taste. The aftertaste is very dim but refreshing.

Scent 2/5 | Flavour 3/5

Signature tobacco

Raspberry Thumb Print

This e-liquid has a strong scent of raspberry with a slightly crumbly biscuit edge to it. It’s a sweet smelling vape and has a desserty edge to it.

On the inhale a subtle fruity flavour comes through and this is then edged with a sweet biscuit flavour.

The hit is very soft and smooth but comes with a massive cloud. On the exhale the raspberry becomes more defined and takes the stage. It is sweet and juicy with a sugary kick which is till edged with a biscuit blend that excites the taste buds. The vape doesn’t have much of an aftertaste but it is most definitely very moreish indeed. Scent 4/5 | Flavour 4|5

This premium e-liquid has an earthy tobacco blend scent. It smells somewhat sweet to how I’d expect a tobacco to smell.

On the inhale, a subtle toothsome, almost nutty taste brushes the tongue with a tobacco overtone. This is followed by a really smooth warm hit. It is surprisingly sweet for a tobacco.

On the exhale, a richer tobacco taste is present finished with a sweet earthy undertone that lasts through to the aftertaste.

The cloud production of this e-liquid is thick and smooth with zero harshness. Overall a really great vape. This tobacco is one that gives a little more to the vaper. Earthy and sweet. Scent 3/5 Flavour 4/5

Fizzy Cola

This juice has a straight cola kick. It smells sugary and strangely enough I can smell that fizzy sour sugar. I’m very intrigued.

On the inhale I was instantly greeted with a fizzy sensation on my tongue and throat. The hit was smooth but warm. The cola flavour starts very calm but becomes more intrusive to the taste buds on the exhale.

The cola is more similar to the little jelly sweets than the drink. I’m impressed that the fizzy taste really comes through. It’s a sweet vape that really gets the mouth watering. Very sugary but very delicious non the less.

Scent 5/5 | Flavour 4/5

Fav’ Juice: V-juice – Yoda

JAmes PArnell JAmes PArnell

Fav’ Mod: Asmodus - Minikin v2

My palette: Fruit and Sweets

Nilla Mint

This e-liquid smells super refreshing. A subtle blend of peppermint with a sweet hint of vanilla pods.

On the inhale the vape starts sweet with a tasty vanilla touch, this is then freshened up by a cool peppermint taste.

The hit is very smooth and slightly cool. Even when fully inhaled a sweet note is left on the tongue.

On the exhale the sweetness subsides and the peppermint becomes more present. This leaves a sweet cool feeling in the mouth. This vape is a summer supreme its beyond refreshing, forget brushing your teeth. (p.s still brush your teeth)

Scent 4/5 | Flavour 5/5

Long Ben’s Blend

This e-liquid has a very strong tobacco scent. This vape is so rich and potent with a sweet hint that teases the senses. Firstly, the vape gives a sweet note of vanilla with a rich tobacco overtone. The vape has a smooth hit that leaves a subtle rough sensation in the throat. The weird thing is that I’m sure I get chocolaty notes. It’s quite peculiar.

On the exhale the tobacco blend really mixes with the sweet vanilla undertone to make a really pleasant mix. The flavour is perfectly refined and gives a fresh cigar imitation. The aftertaste is earthy and sweet leaving a lasting note on the tongue. A damn good tobacco flavour.

Scent 4/5 | Flavour 5/5

REVIEWS

AMENTHOL

A nice and basic menthol flavour that delivers a great throat hit and certainly doesn’t hold back on the cold factor. This is a seriously cooling, refreshing liquid, any menthol lovers out there will definitely appreciate this liquid. 4/5

BLACKBERRY SABBATH

Blackberry is a flavour that is quite often overlooked in the vape world in my opinion, so it’s nice to see it on display so proudly in this juice. The thing I love about this liquid is how authentic the blackberry tastes. It is warming and slightly sharp but with the correct levels of sweetness that produce an awesome fruit e-liquid. Highly recommended. 5/5

TOBACCOMEN

I’m not the biggest fan of tobacco e-liquids but I can certainly appreciate a well crafted one like Tobaccomen. It’s a luxuriously rich and dark tobacco blend that although I couldn’t vape all day, I could certainly see this as a lovely evening vape. 4/5

MINT MESSIAH

A fresh mint flavour with a hint of menthol. This is a great palette cleanser, I can definitely see this juice curing any kind of vape tongue you may be suffering with. Like Amenthol it’s a refreshing and cooling liquid that’s very easy to vape and even easier to recommend to you. 4/5

ADAM’S APPLE

Apple’s a tricky flavour to get right, sometimes it’s too sweet, other times too sharp, but every now and again you find an e-liquid that gets it right. Adam’s Apple is that liquid. If you like apple in any way, shape or form, get this juice asap! 5/5

SINFUL STRAWBERRY

A simple strawberry flavour. It’s not gonna blow your socks off but sometimes you just wanna take things back to basics with a sweet, ripe and fruity juice. Summertime in a bottle! 4/5

Kilo - Dewberry

This little juice has a beauty fruity scent. It is an aromatic mix of cherries and sweet honey dew. When aired for a moment you can smell a creamy edge.

To begin with, there is a light blast of berries mixed with a creamy undertone. The vapour is clean and smooth with a minor hit.

On the exhale a sweet melon flavour blends with the berry flavour to produce a smooth fruity vape. There are hints of watermelon edging in slightly, which then gets finished perfectly by a creamy outro. Overall this is a beautiful vape that’s mouth-watering. Definitely an ADV.

Scent 5/5 | Flavour 5/5

The Milkman – Crumbleberry

The scent screams raspberry crumble. Mainly a vivid raspberry but with a slight cakey hint.

On the inhale its quite a mellow raspberry flavour that brushes over the taste buds. The hit is smooth and mellow.

On the exhale the raspberry intensifies and mixes with a flaky pastry undertone. The vape is mainly fruity but on occasion you get a pleasant heightened hit of cakey crust.

It’s a beautiful vape but after vaping for a while it has the potential to get sickly due to its sweet nature.

Scent 4/5 | Flavour 5/5

Cream Puff Factory – Blueberry

This e-liquid has a straight forward blueberry scent with a creamy mix.

On the inhale there is a light creamy flavour that progresses with a slight hint of blueberry.

The vape production of this is colossal, that’s also benefited by zero harshness. Definitely a vape to fill the lungs with.

At the point between full inhale and exhale the blueberry taste intensifies and becomes super sweet. On the exhale more of a creamy pastry flavour blends with the blueberry to create a perfect desserty hit.

Very very sweet overall but definitely a nice treat.

Scent 3/5 | Flavour 4/5

Ruthless – Rise on ice.

The first thing that comes to mind with this fragrant e-liquid is a cherry and berries fruit drink.

Woah! Somebody get your boy a blanket this is an ice cold juice. Totally menthol in the beginning. Super icy but with a smooth hit.

On the exhale the flavour starts to come through with a vengeance. It is a tropical flavour. Starting with a sweet mango. The mango then blends with lychee note that sees the vape out leaving a pleasant aftertaste. Even after a few minutes I can feel the icy tingle in my throat. This is an experience that you must have. It’s a good vape but more specified for menthol lovers. Scent 4/5 | 4/5

Modus – Pablo

Initial thoughts of the smell was that its citrus/limey. When glazing my fresh wick it was evident that it was grapefruit. So strong and fresh.

On the inhale It is a straight grapefruit flavour. This is a refreshing juice, id say most suited for a summer day. The vapour production is thick and smooth.

On the exhale the strong grapefruit flavour is still persistent. I’m impressed with the mimicry of this e-liquid the flavour is mastered. Towards the end of the exhale the vape gets a sugary note that really sweetens things up.

Hats of for mastering the flavour but for me it has too much of a bitter edge.

Scent 3/5 | Flavour 4/5

ANML – Reaver

My first thoughts on the scent is pineapple, blended with a sweet berry essence. It also has a creamy note too similar to a smoothy.

On the inhale the juice gives a creamy pineapple flavour. It is sweet and smooth. I’m loving this one! On the exhale the soft pineapple blends with a strawberry flavour. This creates an almost banana note but on a creamier level.

Overall this is a tropical dream. I’ve been waiting for that perfect vape for a while and this gets my reviewer’s star for a must have.

Super sweet and furiously fruity. I can definitely say this is an all day vape.

Scent 5/5 | Flavour 5/5

REVIEWS

All these bottles are supplied in 30ml and in 3mg of nicotine with childproof caps in high quality and no leaks.

Matata

You open the bottle and your mind thinks “Hmm grape.” Now in my opinion grape is a tricky flavour to get right. No one apart from the odd few have got it right. It’s either way too sweet or very sickly. So I wicked up my coil and dripped it right on there. Boy was I surprised! The awesome people at Twelve Monkeys, I don’t know how you’ve done it but you have surely smashed it. Finally, a grape flavour that’s not too sweet and not too sickly! To inhale it, it’s like the best grape I have ever tasted but wait there’s more, did I mention there’s apple too that was a perfect surprise; apple and grape. The exhale is an awesome sweet with a taste of sour apple and my god, it’s amazing the two flavours complement themselves perfectly to make one awesome e-juice. Like most of my reviews I’m using a mech mod with a dripper and the throat hit is perfect, just enough to satisfy my craving without overpowering the taste. If I’m completely honest, I’ve vape like half of this bottle whilst reviewing this juice because I loved it so much. 5/5

Mangabeys

First of all, the name catches my eye instantly; Mangabey. For those who are unfamiliar with this word, please allow me to enlighten you. Mangabey is a type of monkey from the tropic islands so without even opening the bottle, I knew it was going to be a tropical mix of some kind. My first thoughts were “Well that can’t be right.”

Usually, tropical mixes smell very sweet with some kind of banana but no I was wrong it was creamy mango and I was in love immediately. As soon as you vape this you get a very smooth creamy mango with a sweet pineapple taste that dances on the tip of your tongue.

The exhale is more sweet with the guava mixing in with the pineapple to make an awesome tropical vape that drifts your mind away to sunny beaches, palm trees and cheeky monkeys. But then my wick gets dry and I am back in my office and I can hear the rain pitter pattering on the window, so I sit back in my chair and drip some more and my mind wanders off to the tropical island.

This juice is amazingly smooth, creamy and sweet all at the same time, top marks once again Twelve Monkeys, sweet and creamy with a perfect amount of throat hit. 5/5

Kanzi

This juice Is a lovely mix of strawberry and watermelon that deserves much praise. The vape you inhale from this juice is just awesome! It’s very fruity and refreshing, the watermelon is predominant in there although with a perfect amount of strawberry mixed in on the inhale. The exhale, however, gives you an added fruit just a little touch of kiwi will leave your mouth watering and while your tonsils will still be buzzing from the strawberry it will leave you very satisfied. Yet again, I cannot think of a single reason why you should not buy this juice it is simply perfect in my eyes and with that being said, I will always carry a bottle in my personal stash since the throat hit is so smooth and a great flavour overall. Twelve monkeys have done it again and made a juice that is simply divine! Top marks guys, keep up the good work 5/5

“Usually, tropical mixes smell very sweet with some kind of banana but no I was wrong it was creamy mango and I was in love immediately.”

REVIEWS

Verdict – Strawberry Limeade

This juice has a very sweet limeade smell. There is a fruity edge but the lime scent is too overpowering to tell.

On inhale the hit is very cool and fairly smooth, there is a slight harsh edge but that just adds to the citrusy experience. It starts lightly with the lime and gives a tease of strawberry.

On the exhale the lime flavour strengthens and lasts to the absolute end. The strawberry is more of a subtle undertone that comes and goes throughout the vape.

On occasion a slightly fizzy sensation is evident too.

It’s a nice juice with a slight cold edge.

Scent 3/5 | Flavour 4/5

Mega E-liquids - Blueberry Crumb

On first impression I get a blueberry scent that blends with a warm cakey note.

On the inhale a juicy blueberry is evident. You can actually taste that its quite saucy. The hit is actually super sweet with no harshness at all.

The flavour develops on the exhale and turns into more of a pastry/pie. You can really get a sugary vanilla crust from this vape. It’s a dessert lover’s dream. The sweet blueberry sauce and the crumbly pastry are a match made in heaven but caution is that is deadly sweet.

I like the smell and the flavour but in moderation.

Scent 4/5 | Flavour 5/5

Pomberry is an unusual sweet berry smell, with essence of pomegranate. It smells like a fresh fruit smoothie. I’m intrigued by this fruity scent.

Upon inhale a sugary blueberry taste comes through. It is masked by a strong cool menthol hit in the airways.

The flavour develops on the exhale by mixing a subtle juicy pomegranate undertone that blends perfectly with the berry flavour.

When vaping over a period of time, the berry is more evident of a blueberry taste. The vape becomes a nag with the menthol too but the flavour does not get tiring. A sound vape overall, just I feel the menthol gets too much.

Scent 5/5 | Flavour 4/5

Upon inhale this e-liquid hits you with one of the favourable pineapple tastes I have yet tried. It is without the usual bitter after tone too which comes as a delight.

The flavour then develops and cools into a fresh menthol when it passes the back of the throat and it is quite refreshing. This does not change the flavour at all and allows a sugary pineapple aftertaste that lasts on the tongue when exhaling, definitely a tasty vape.

This e-liquid surpassed my expectations and is perfect for those hot summer days, so get stocked up. Scent 5/5 | Flavour 4/5

pineapple scent. This is a really unusual scent for the ever-expanding vape world.

Upon inhale a sweet strawberry taste sided with the usual cool menthol.

When exhaled something magical happens. The e-liquid develops a sweet pineapple overtone mixing with the soft subtle strawberry flavour. This e-liquid is just right for my palate. As a whole, this vape doesn’t get boring and would see you through any day, if you can cope with menthol that is.

scent 5/5 | Flavour 5/5

HORNY POMBERRY

REVIEWS

Bat juice

This juice has a sweet fruity scent, almost like a blackcurrant squash. Bat juice has a complex blend of sweet berries. This is very subtle on the inhale giving a blackcurrant and cranberry overtone. On the exhale the berry flavour intensifies and then finishes off nicely with a slight cooling on the throat and lungs. The hit of this e-liquid is very smooth and the vape as a whole is really good.

The element I like most about this juice is that it is a sweet menthol. No harsh hits and no bitter aftertaste. This is an all round great fruity vape. 5/5

Exotic Tropic

The scent of this e-liquid is a fruity mixture. It smells very similar to tropical fruit juice but with an overtone of mango.

On the inhale I was instantly hit with a tropical flavour. It has a overtone of mango to begin with. This then develops into a blend of mango, papaya, oranges and a hint of ripened kiwana (horned melon). That banana-esq note really finishes the fruity mixture to perfection. This is a sweet complex blend that is easier to get key tones like mango when vaped from a freshly-wicked coil. A very nice vape from start to finish. The smoothness is as impressive as the vapour production. I found that it works best at 65 watts. I really love this.

Bravo Thor juice! 5/5

Pegasus

This e-liquid has a vanilla, biscuit scent with a creamy undertone. This smells mouth watering. When first vaped the only taste I got was sugary vanilla. Then I went for a second hit. Upon inhaling there is a long lasting sugary pastry flavour, like a soft sponge or butter pudding. Then this pastry flavour develops with a creamy vanilla flavour, this has the taste of custard that really complements its predecessor.

As a whole, the vape tastes like an authentic British pudding with custard. It is a pleasant vape but be wary that it is rather sweet so can be a bit too much after a while.

Perfect for the dessert lovers and sweet toothed enthusiasts! 4/5

Ares

This e-liquid smells like a sweet strawberry ice cream. The strawberry is the stronger tone and then there is a soft creamy undertone to finish off the smell.

On inhalation the flavour of soft cream fills the mouth. It is soft and sweet but very flavoursome. This is like digging into fresh strawberries and cream.

On exhale there are nice vanilla undertones that complement the creaminess of the taste. This juice is very dessert oriented and perfect for the people with a keen sweet tooth. This e-liquid stood the test of time and is vape-able for days. As far as dessert flavoured e-liquids go, this is perfect and not sickly at all.

I would definitely recommend this! 5/5

I am not very keen on the smell of this e-liquid, it has a strong sweet cough syrup scent. This tastes just like Black Jack sweets. It starts sweeter and ends more on the bitter-sweet side. If you like black jacks this is definitely for you.

I found this e-liquid very overpowering. The flavour is very strong, enough to blow your mind if you like that kind of thing. The hit on this e-liquid has a harsh edge but the flavour remains throughout.

I’m not the fond of this e-liquid and found that the hit and flavour is funny and stubborn a bit like Jack Black himself. 3/5

Hades

This e-liquid oozes with berry scents. It smells delightful. My nose is blessed with an overtone of strawberries kissed with a note of blackberries, raspberries, cranberriesand blueberries. On the inhale this e-liquid is very sweet. It has a nice overtone mixture of strawberries and blackcurrant which is soft and lasts until the exhale. The exhale sees a savoury nut flavour blend with the sweet fruits. To finish off the vape a subtle cinnamon note comes in as a surprise.

Overall this is a tasty vape. This one is for the unique dessert vape hunters, it isn’t like a vape I’ve tasted before.

Nicely unique! 4/5

REVIEWS

Cherry Lemonade

The scent of this e-liquid is just wow. A very fizzy smelling cherry. It smells very sweet and refreshing.

On the inhale a very cherry taste comes through, it has a very juicy taste but it’s a very straightforward flavour.

The hit is smooth and tasty and the cloud production is colossal. This is definitely a dripping juice.

On the exhale the juicy cherry mixes perfectly with a sugary lemon. This is just divine if you’re a cherry lover as this will blow your mind and your taste buds. Overall this e-liquid had me from the get go. There are no flaws to this.

Scent 5/5 | Flavour 5/5

No more no less.

When first inhaled a refreshing watermelon hits the throat. The flavour is crisp like biting into a ripe watermelon. The hit is nonexistent at first but then leaves a coarse sensation on the throat.

On the exhale the e-liquid becomes a lot sweeter and a candy flavour becomes the dominant one but still leaves enough watermelon to finalise the juice with a lovely aftertaste.

The sweetness gives a boiled sweet vibe that becomes quite moreish. Although a lovely flavour this wouldn’t be my ADV.

Scent 4/5 | Flavour 4/5

smell. I’m unsure if I’m keen on the smell of this juice as it is just too sugary for me. When I first inhaled this e-liquid I was very shocked. Its really good. The juice tastes just like a home-made cookie. It is sweet as if its been coated in caster sugar.

The hit is smooth and as the flavour develops you can even taste the slightly overdone edges. What an experience.

On the exhale the cookie taste heightens and surprisingly it isn’t too sweet overall. I’m getting notes of a creamy butter too that blends with the cookie and gives a nice finish to the juice.

Overall it has an authentic homemade taste and that’s quite a rare occurrence. Definitely a must try!

Scent 3/5 | Flavour 5/5

Raspberry Candy

Super sweet raspberry notes. It smells just like raspberryade fizzy drink. It has almost a fizzy tone to the smell. Absolutely mouth-watering.

On the inhale the raspberry is very subtle but a fizzy sugar flavour tickles the taste buds giving a sweet sensation.

The hit is very smooth, no sign of harshness. The nice vg/pg ratio gives nice smooth clouds with a thick aesthetic.

On the exhale the magic happens! The raspberry flavour becomes very potent in a sweet juicy way. This then blends with an undertone of sugar that compliments the already sweet fruit taste. This fades out to a very berry aftertaste.

Top marks for this one it’s a must try in my opinion. You need this in your life.

Scent 5/5 | Flavour 5/5

Strawberry Custard

This has a very creamy strawberry scent with a slight vanilla undertone. It has a milky edge to it too which is very similar to a strawberry yoghurt.

The first thing that greets the taste buds is a sugary note that smoothly goes down to the lungs.

On the exhale the strawberry flavour comes through and it is delicious. It tastes milky, like more of a strawberry milkshake flavour. As the exhale finishes a vanilla note blends with the strawberry and this gives the vape the custard flavour.

It’s a pleasant little vape. This I could definitely ADV. It’s not too sweet and has that sweet fruity edge that makes it sheer ambrosia.

Scent 4/5 | Flavour 4/5

Vanilla Custard

The smell of this e-liquid is really lovely, It has that traditional custard scent that takes you back to childhood puddings.

On the inhale the flavour is very subtle. It’s a calm powdery vanilla flavour.

The flavour becomes slightly bitter on the exhale at first but then sweetens up to a smooth creamy vanilla flavour.

The taste isn’t too bad but I believe its more for an acquired palate.

The aftertaste is really pleasant and sweet and lasts for half a minute. This is what makes the vape quite moreish.

Scent 4/5 | Flavour 3/5

REVIEWS

Patriot’s Brew

This is a slowly-brewed blend of fine tobaccos that accumulates to create a boldness that can be hard to come by with e-liquids nowadays.

Whilst it is certainly an acquired taste, you can easily tell that the tobacco constituents are created with the utmost care and are put through a rigorous selection process, before reaching our tanks/RDAs.

The Patriot’s Brew boasts some of the finest tobacco flavours, and there is an ever so slight touch of vanilla bean, which helps complement the flavour as a whole. It is not sweet nor sickly, but I felt it just helped add a new dimension to this juice. As you vape it, more flavours emerge with an expertly executed side note of a fiery alcohol that really gives the vanilla bean a run for it’s money. The contrast makes this a very interesting vape, that will pleasantly surprise you. Being a maximum VG e-liquid, the production of cloud was intense and gratifying, and, made the whole experience wonderful. 3/5

Sweet Carolina

Sweet Carolina is a one of a kind blend of dulcet tobacco and a myriad of other interesting flavours that are sure to excite the taste buds.On opening the bottle, a fragrant and slightly perfumey element met my nostrils and I was immediately intrigued.

When vaping, you get a warm and almost nutty taste to this liquid on the inhale, and despite not being a fan of tobacco e-juices, I found it to be rather pleasant and inviting. There is also a unique take on a certain sweetness to this e-liquid, namely a citrus honey. To me, it tasted like a mild tartness of an orange, mixed with an all encompassing, sweet, honey. This, in itself, was amazing, as I have never come across such a distinctive set of flavours. It could’ve turned out wrong, but ended up so right in reference to the quirky elements of Sweet Carolina.

What I found to be another pleasant thing about this one of a kind e-liquid, was that the tobacco is smooth and rich, without becoming too overbearing or pungent. One can really appreciate the carefully concocted notes of flue-cured tobacco, and it doesn’t taste

artificial at all. It almost smells like apricot, and is intensely earthy.

On the exhale, a wonderful sensation begins to unfold, and all of the separate components of this liquid start to blend together, giving you the chance to sit back and admire the craftsmanship behind Sweet Carolina. 4/5

Red Lemon

First up from Hangsen is Red Lemon. A sweet and tangy blend of cola and sharp lemon. The two flavours complement each other nicely and it’s a refreshing blend that’s inoffensive without ever really blowing your socks off. The cola is quite artificial tasting as you would expect but the lemon is citrusy enough to offset that, creating a juice that’s just average in my opinion. 3/5

Ginger Secret

Ginger Secret combines three strong, powerful flavours into something that I found intriguing but in the end just too overpowering to vape a lot of. The first thing that hits you is the spicy, earthy ginger flavour and it’s quickly followed up by cooling mint before the tastebud assault concludes with sharp lemon. In my honest opinion there’s just too much going on here to ever really allow me to enjoy Ginger Secret, but it’s certainly an interesting juice that I’m sure some people will love. 2/5

Rhubarb and Custard

Last up from Hangsen is Rhubarb & Custard, a flavour I’m sure many of you have vaped before. Although not original, it’s a nostalgic type of liquid that I like to revisit every now and again. Hangsen have produced a decent version here, the sharp and tangy rhubarb giving way to the sweet and creamy custard, it really is a classic. That being said, there’s nothing here to separate itself from other similar juices, but as a standalone product it’s a tasty and addictive vape. 4/5

REVIE W S

PicNic by JAC Vapour

PicNic is a revolutionary way of creating DIY e-liquids. It allows you to customise the flavour strength as well as the amount of nicotine. At first, I wasn’t so keen on the flavours, but after letting them steep for about a week and a bit, they were delicious.

I mixed together all of the essential components to these e-liquids, and used the provided ‘Nic Shots’ to make it have 3mg/ml of nicotine.

Fluffy Nut

PEACHES

Fav’ Juice: Little Havana - Miami Drip Club

Fav’ Mod: Rig v2

My palette: Desserts

Fluffy Nut is a sweet and creamy peanut butter based flavour that encompasses a wide range of tastes that actually work really well together. There is a definite smoothness to it that is very appealing and unique.

The peanut element to this e-juice comes across as wholesome, earthy and has a little touch of sweetness right on the exhale.

I also picked up on something light and fluffy that is not unlike freshly whipped cream.

Personally, I found the balance between the almost savoury notes of peanut and the undertones of smooth, sweet cream, was perfectly executed.

What I liked most about this juice was the fact that all of the flavours worked really well when combined. The only negative was having to let this juice steep for a while, although that is to be expected with any DIY-style liquids. 4/5

Real Raspberry

After the slightly heavy taste of Fluffy Nut, this raspberry flavour was a welcome and refreshing sensation that made my mouth water.

The raspberry flavouring in this liquid reminded me of a raspberry candy, but was light and could also come across as tasting similar to a raspberry lemonade.

It was sweet, but not overly so, and it was extremely revitalising to experience.

The flavour is simple but effective, and is not quashed by unnecessary elements that would complicate and possibly even damage the delicate fruitiness of the e-liquid.

Overall, it was tasty and I could see myself using this as an all day vape, only if the bottle was bigger! 4/5

Verylicious

Verylicious is (surprise surprise) a mixture of sweet yet tart berries – but with a touch of sour green apple and a slightly minty bubblegum exhale.

Before I even opened the bottle, there was a fantastic aroma of juicy fruits that met my nostrils, something that, in itself, really gave me a great first impression.

When vaping, again, the berries are the most prominent flavour, and then you get a wellrounded tangy apple. Right on the exhale is when you can expect the bubblegum, followed by some seriously impressive clouds.

I enjoyed the intensity of the fruit flavours in this e-liquid, coupled with an ever so slightly minty bubblegum, which made Verylicious a true pleasure to try. 4/5

Avalanche

I have given up on hating menthols, as all of the ones I have tried recently, were actually very pleasant.

I like fruity menthols and Avalanche doesn’t disappoint. If anything, the menthol is smooth, cool and refreshingly mild. It is paired with a fruity mixture of berries and grape – together they really bounce off one another and are extremely palatable.

The juiciness of this liquid was flat out revitalising and none of the different flavour components were too potent, allowing the final product to be just perfect. Being a high VG liquid, vapour production was just as expected –big plumes.

Overall, I really enjoyed trying Avalanche, and would definitely recommend it to menthol fans, however it would also appeal to a wider audience due to it’s remarkable potential to be an ADV. 4/5

Pink Haze

Pink Haze is essentially a pink lemonade flavour, but with a twist. You get a full on hit of sour citrus on the inhale, and as you hold the vapour in your lungs, the taste of tropical fruits becomes more apparent.

This juice is possibly the most refreshing e-liquid that I have tried recently – and I have tried quite a few.

The citrus notes really bring this juice to life and it is perfect for a hot summer’s day, although I don’t see why it couldn’t be an all year round favourite.

The fruitiness makes your mouth water and satiates your need for that energising taste only Pink Haze can offer.

Pink Haze was my favourite flavour out of these three, and I would love to try any others by Doozy Vape Co, because if these three are anything to go by, then they will be truly something special. Fantastic juice. 5/5

C IL Porn

Based in Ripley, Jordan Whitehead is passionate about vaping and coil-building. In this issue, he shares his story on how he became involved with the coilbuilding phenomena which has now become a passion.

At 16 years old, I joined the Royal Navy. I was smoking for five years but realised I needed to quit. I gave the e-cigarette a go but couldn’t quite keep up with it. Eventually, I was doing both.

Being in the Navy, you come across different characters and it wasn’t until I met a knowledgeable vaper that I learned so much about vaping and was finally able to successfully quit smoking.

What I loved about my first mod was that I could charge my phone with it too. After a year of vaping, I brought an RBA because I was always fascinated by coils and I wanted to know how to build one. It wasn’t until another year that I bought the right equipment to start building coils.

After watching numerous YouTube videos on how to build Clapton coils, I loved the process of it and challenged myself to coil-build. Once I joined a social media group online, I met Dwayne Rambo who helped me with making advanced builds by using different techniques. He taught me everything I know about coil-building.

When I was new to coil-building I began to post pictures of my coils on social media.

From drills, pliers, wire cutters, to clamps, lighters, and hot glue, I use a range of house tools to create my coils and sell them at Laid Back Lounge in Ripley. I’ve only been coil-building for five months now but it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Look out for the next issue we could be featuring you! Keep on hash-tagging your images with #vapouroundcoilporn and we may get in touch to run a feature or use your cool coils in a collage. Good luck!

PimpMod My

summer rainbows

It is a given that we want our vaping devices to work well - functionality is something that we take for granted these days. However we also want them to look great too and these eye-catching devices are certainly really good looking. These rainbow effect designs are simply stunning and will certainly stand out from the crowd. Move these devices around in your hand

and the surfaces appear to gradually change colour in a most pleasing way. It is a similar effect you might see on the surface of a soap bubble, mother of pearl shells or even butterfly wings. Crystals of the metal bismuth also show the same striking multi colour effect, known as iridescent refraction, due to oxidation on its surface. We think these devices look great at any

time of year but they certainly have a very summer-like feel to them and are great as the days get longer and the temperature rises.

The only problem with these devices is that you may have to wrestle them out of someone else’s hand when you want to use them because your friends will certainly want to check them out for themselves.

VAPOUROUND The Quiz

1. Over the past few years, electronic cigarettes (ECs) have become one of the most… a - commercial flops of all time b - under-regulated industries in existence c - preferred alternatives to conventional cigarettes d - talked about passing fads of a generation

2. Three things which make e-cigarettes popular among smokers are their… a - appearance, taste and use characteristics b - tobacco concentration, taste and appearance c - filter tips, long life batteries and ease of use d - colour, size and smell

3. Based on a survey done on March 2016, 29% of U.S. smokers tried electronic cigarettes to do what? a - blow huge clouds b - impress their mates c - quit smoking d - boost their self-confidence

4. In 2015, Public Health England and other UK medical bodies estimated that electronic cigarettes were how much less harmful than conventional cigarettes? a - 12% b - 25% c - 89% d - 95%

5. Which of the following statements is true? a - Conventional cigarettes are the least harmful nicotinecontaining product while electronic cigarettes are far more harmful b - Conventional cigarettes are the most harmful nicotinecontaining product while electronic cigarettes are far less harmful

6. When considering the risks of using e-cigarettes which of the following statements is true? a - e-cigarettes have been shown to be completely safe b - e-cigarettes have been shown to be considerably safer than conventional cigarettes c - e-cigarettes have been shown to be completely unsafe d - there is currently no data on the relative safety of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes

7. The 2017 study “A Comparative Health Risk Assessment of Electronic Cigarettes and Conventional Cigarettes” found that: a - the use of electronic cigarettes presents a lower risk to health than the use of conventional cigarettes b - the use of electronic cigarettes presents the same risk to health as does the use of conventional cigarettes c - the use of electronic cigarettes presents a greater risk to health than the use of conventional cigarettes d - it is impossible to compare the health risks of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes because the two systems are so different to each other.

8. The same study as mentioned in Q7 also found that: a - electronic cigarettes are likely to be of high health risk to the user b - electronic cigarettes are likely to be of low health risk to the user c - electronic cigarettes are likely to be of medium health risk to the user d - electronic cigarettes are likely to be of severe health risk to the user

9. The above study’s main conclusion was that: a - Using electronic cigarettes to replace conventional cigarettes as nicotine delivery products could lead to hundreds of lives saved and minor reductions in the burden of many smokingrelated diseases b - Using electronic cigarettes to replace conventional cigarettes as nicotine delivery products could lead to millions of lives saved but play no part in reducing the burden of many smoking-related diseases c - Using electronic cigarettes to replace conventional cigarettes as nicotine delivery products could lead to millions of lives saved and significant reductions in the burden of many smoking-related diseases d - Using electronic cigarettes to replace conventional cigarettes as nicotine delivery products could lead to significant reductions in the burden of many smoking-related diseases but it was impossible to put a figure on how many lives could be saved.

10. There is limited data available on the long-term health consequences of using e-cigarettes because: a - electronic cigarettes have not been around long enough to allow long-term data to be collected

harmful than tobacco

THESE HANDS WERE MADE FOR

You have to hand it to these vapers…they do like their vaping gear.

Most vapers are former smokers but when was the last time you saw a poster posting a packet of fags and a disposable lighter online? Never probably.

Vapers are different. They are passionate about vaping and eager to share with the world what they are using whether that be their latest mod or new favourite e-liquid (or both.)

Many thanks to everyone who submitted their hand-checks for this edition and maybe we will see one of yours in a future magazine.

The Riot Squad stand at the Vaper Expo was pretty intense. Scottish theme, Bagpipes the whole lot. Heres a glimpse of the bold Iron Bruise Marketing. See if you can spot the ten differences between the two pictures. Good luck!

A COSMOPOLITAN CONCOCTION

With ingredients from all over the world, Eco Vape’s e-liquids are turning heads and grabbing

awards

E-liquids are one of the most competitive frontiers in the vape industry, and the main means by which countless companies can distinguish themselves in such a busy marketplace. Companies compete with both themselves and one another when it comes to mixing. The search for that one perfect flavour is never quite over for the vaper, nor are the attempts to create it. So, things get competitive, and every award counts. There’s a story behind every e-liquid, but few end products combine as many worldly ingredients or win as much acclaim as this one. Since enjoying great success in the perfume business, Brett and Rob have since become heavy hitters in the vape industry through Eco Vape, which is about to enjoy a tremendous expansion into new production facilities in Alfreton. Eco Vape brought out the cheekilytitled “Milf’s Milk” – this sub-ohm friendly juice comes 90% VG, and its flavour provides an exquisite combination of rich custard cream and sweet strawberries, a British standby that never gets old, no matter how old we get. Milf’s Milk won the award for Best Custard Cream at Vape Jam, and is doing so well it’s been re-entered for the next one and has also been entered into this weekend’s Vapouround Awards. And its accolades prove Eco Vape aren’t just going for provocative names, but unique ingredients. Brett and Rob have been all around the world in search for the widest possible range of ingredients for flavours they can personalise and customise to their hearts’ content.

“Milf’s Milk is one of our best (and earliest) original flavours, and we’ve actually reformulated it because we always think we can make something better and better,” says Brett. “Now it’s a really strong custard cream flavour that’s fully TPD-compliant, with the best strawberry on the planet. And we know that because we’ve had to go around the planet to get that flavour. It’s not just a locallymanufactured flavour: nobody else can make it. It’s not just one or two ingredients, but a complex mix. And it worked out. The current Milf’s Milk is not only our customers’ favourite,

but mine too.”

Starting up their new production facilities kept Rob and Brett too busy to put their liquids forward as many times as they’d have liked. Now well on schedule and with more to come, Eco Vape are ready to throw their hats back into the ring.

“We’ve only entered our e-liquids into four competitions overall, but we’ve done extremely well every time and won most,” says Rob. “The first competition we entered was the Vapouround Awards, our strawberry milkshake flavour was first runner up; that liquid was a precursor to the Milf’s Milk. Then we entered the Expo Vape in Madrid and won Best Fruit – which is the hardest one to win at any show. Following that we entered Milf’s Milk into Vape Jam and won Best Custard Cream.”

Rob is confident that their successful streak can go on. “We’re looking forward to what can happen at the Vaper Expo in 2017.” And there’s plenty to look forward to beyond

the Expo. Brett and Rob are well-prepared to live in the new vaping landscape created by the TPD, having spent over a year anticipating it and honing their craft in light of its rules. Their creations are cosmopolitan, their consumer base growing globally.

“We’ve got 410 products registered for TPD screening with the MHRA. Every flavour we’ve made in the past has been scrutinised by at least 20 vapers.

There are seven eco vape shops holding our products, with three Eco Vape franchise shops for a total of ten. Plus we supply vape shops in the UK and 15 other countries and we continue to send flavours all over the world to be tested in different contexts; China will have different tastes to Japan, Norway, Sweden or Russia. We consider the feedback we get from every country.”

Keep on the lookout for Eco Vape during your time at the Expo, and be sure to try these flavours out yourself. This is a liquid that’s earned its prominent place in the market.

From

to e-liquids, Eco Vape are about to seize their second throne.

perfumes

Watch this space. Eco Vape’s newest project may soon be one of the centrepieces of the British vape business. Their new e-liquid facilities in Alfreton’s Cotes Park Industrial Estate are incomplete, but already humming with potential. Excessive hype is the bane of any industry on the grow, but there is no exaggeration behind the possibilities posed by Eco Vape’s vision; and there are few burgeoning ventures in vaping as promising as this 65,000 square-foot campus. Founders Brett and Rob certainly aren’t lacking in confidence.

“It’s going to look like Imperial Tobacco, but for vaping” says Brett. “We’re putting the finishing touches on the biggest e-liquid facilities in the UK.” Rob shares his enthusiasm:

“When we say the biggest e-liquid facilities in the UK, we’re not saying it in jest: it’s going to happen. We’ve got the building, we’ve got the money. It’s only a matter of time. We don’t waste money: every penny we make goes into growing this business. We started late and had a lot of catching up to do, but

we’ve caught up now and have more to offer than most of the biggest companies.” Brett and Rob also work in the perfume business as importers, wholesalers and retailers. They have found the addition of e-liquids to be a smooth transition, and a great use of their skills and experience.

“We had a perfume warehouse, buying and selling perfume; importing, exporting and selling all over the country,” says Rob. “If you ever go to a retail trade show – like the Clothes Show in Birmingham – we used to have big stands there, and a microphone and we’d sell bags of perfume for twenty pounds. We were going to shows making ten to twenty thousand pounds a day in perfume.”

Despite lucrative gains, Brett and Rob were dissatisfied with the inconsistency of such shows and sought a more stable business. According to Rob, their first steps to new fortune were found overseas.

“In between major shows, we did markets, wholesaling to market traders. We went to China and designed our own £20 perfume

package. That’s how we made our name in the perfume business. We weren’t buying and selling Chanel No. 5, we were doing our own thing: Dainty and Heaps.”

Dainty and Heaps remains a strong presence on the perfume market, and Rob soon saw

opportunity in a new trend. Next came a rough start with an e-liquid distributor as Rob explains:

“I was setting up a perfume shop in Newcastle with two colleagues who owned five vape shops between them. That evening I met their supplier of e-liquid, and he wanted me to be his distributor. Long story short, Brett and I were mis-sold a distribution. And we ended up with this e-liquid company’s stock which we then sold and opened a couple of e-liquid shops ourselves. The rest is history.” Brett’s experience in perfume packaging design was just what they would need to break strongly into e-liquids.

“Shortly after opening the vape shops, Rob said he wanted to make his own liquids. So he got me to design some packaging and then we went to a manufacturer with our ideas and supplied them. It was easy transitioning from perfume to e-liquids. You can’t print a plain box and get sales in the perfume industry, so we had to study the different folds and cuts of cardboard, the means of presentation; the glass, the flavours; how to make everything more marketable, and we applied it to e-liquids.”

Looking at the new site, it’s hard to believe such a surging business began so small.

“We had only three little office-sized rooms,” Brett says. “One room was for boxing bottles, hand-labelling them with a roller all day then making our own boxes up. We were receiving unlabelled bottles. Then we realised that if we bought our own hand-pump we could buy liquid off our manufacturer instead of vice-versa and fill them ourselves. So we built our own clean room. We did all the filling and capping in our clean room, then did labelling and boxing in another, and used a similar sized room for packaging the end product.”

Eco Vape proved fruitful, with a prolific output that couldn’t be contained. Expansion was inevitable.

“Then we expanded into the warehouse, and built a bigger clean room – 800 square feet, which we outgrew within a month. We couldn’t carry on like that in such a small space. So we built a 1,200 square foot filling room in the warehouse which is what we’re using now. We filled glass, 100ml

bottles, everything. You go into an EcoVape Shop you’ll find nothing but EcoVape Liquids. We produce that much.”

At the moment, Eco Vape are filling between 25,000 and 50,000 bottles a day in the facilities that they already occupy. They want the capability to do half a million a day within the next 18 months, and are on their way to making this a reality. Their expansive ambitions don’t end with e-liquid production, either; Eco Vape has ten shops open with five more on the way.

So, watch out. When Vapouround return to Alfreton, we could be standing in the headquarters of an e-liquid empire.

When we say the biggest e-liquid facilities in the UK, we’re not saying it in jest: it’s going to happen. We’ve got the building, we’ve got the money. It’s only a matter of time. We don’t waste money: every penny we make goes into growing this business.

Alfreton Cotes Park Industrial Estate

WTC LOGISTICS – ONE STOP TRADING AND LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS

From every corner of the world, the vaping market is proving itself by far as one of the leading industries for developing, releasing and improving its unique devices. But let’s not overlook the delicate details: manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers who buy vape related products overseas often require an agent to organise product shipping, and that’s where WTC Logistics step in. WTC Logistics have paved an easier path for business consumers, handling numerous aspects from shipping all the way to delivery, always ensuring customer satisfaction. Saving time and money is vital to all companies which is why WTC Logistics act as the mediator for the vaping industry. Vapouround Magazine caught up with Stuart Mathieson, director of WTC Logistics UK.

VM: Who are WTC Logistics and what do you do?

SM: WTC Logistics have been involved in the vaping industry for over five years now and we have been growing since 2012. To put it quite simply, WTC Logistics act as a mediator between you and your factory for the transportation of your orders, as the first point of call for shipping e-cigarette related products between the UK, USA, and China, made efficient by having 20 offices located all around the world.

WTC Logistics have paved an easier path for business consumers, handling numerous aspects from shipping all the way to delivery, always ensuring customer satisfaction. Saving time and money is vital to all companies which is why WTC Logistics act as the mediator for the vaping industry. Vapouround Magazine caught up with Stuart Mathieson, director of WTC Logistics UK.

VM: Who are WTC Logistics and what do you do?

SM: WTC Logistics have been involved in the vaping industry for over five years now and we have been growing since 2012. To put it quite simply, WTC Logistics act as a mediator between you and your factory for the transportation of your orders, as the first point of call for shipping e-cigarette related products between the UK, USA, and China, made efficient by having 20 offices located all around the world.

With the TPD in place there has been an added focus on assisting more companies in the USA with their e-liquids hence working closely with e-liquid manufacturers who are aiming to sell their products globally. Our involvement is to complete the global supply chain by offering a cost effective reliable service in the USA as well as China and the UK. The whole point of doing this is to make their lives easier. We’ve grown with the industry, to become a reliable partner of choice which has been recognised also by the IBVTA who have recently appointed WTC Logistics UK as their approved logistics supplier which also allows us to offer its members additional and beneficial tailored services.

VM: How did WTC Logistics become immersed in the vape world?

SM: We have offices located across China and one of them had a shipment of e-cigarettes booked with us that needed to be arranged to the UK. Being a relatively new product at the time, we thought it best to do some research into the shipping and market requirements. We found that e-cigarettes were becoming a popular, fast-moving product on the market and we’re proud to have been a part of the vaping industry’s origins. The journey has allowed us to forge strong relationships with

shippers, factories and customers alike which we are very pleased to be a part of.

VM: How are WTC Logistics contributing to the vaping industry?

SM: First and foremost is cost saving. We save companies up to 20-40% on their shipping fees and subsequently guarantee the best prices, independent from the suppliers. Most suppliers will need regular contact to make sure the product is available on schedule. WTC liaise directly with the factories to establish the lead times and departure schedules for our customer’s orders. At WTC Logistics, we take the hassle away from our clients, we like to take a more proactive approach to the process. Instead of our customers having to deal individually with ready dates, delivery, shipping, collection, WTC do it for you as one point of contact, which saves our customers valuable time and money.

VM: What is the most enjoyable aspect of working in the vaping industry?

SM: Having been in the vaping industry for over five years, I would definitely say the people. I’ve been in the freight forwarding sector for many years and I’ve met many different characters and personalities along the way. The vaping industry is one of the latest sectors out there and with that

an exciting new energy. It’s very rare to delve into a new commodity but having found ourselves immersed in the vaping world, we are appreciating that the people involved in the industry are as excited to learn more about this growing industry, as we are.

VM: How has WTC Logistics progressed since its launch?

SM: We’ve seen the market progress and being part of that has brought expansion for WTC Logistics UK too. Initially, there were cartomizers and cig-a-like’s on the scene but once the second generation of the e-cigarette went into production, WTC was able to focus on the wider market and become more involved in shaping the shipping process whilst aiding clients who were looking to become a prominent voice within the vaping industry.

VM: What’s next for WTC Logistics?

SM: With TPD in effect, there’s been a slight shift focus in manufacturing so we’re concentrating on working closely with the American manufacturers. Even with the TPD regulations affecting everyone in the vaping world, WTC aim to continue to assist people through this change.

GOT THE BOTTLE TO PUSH YOUR VAPING PRODUCTION TO NEW HEIGHTS?

Malcolm Little is Managing Director of e-liquid bottle filling, capping and labelling specialists Advanced Dynamics Ltd

Wow, it’s a year since the last Vaper Expo and haven’t we been having a blast? Vaping businesses are springing up everywhere and a market that felt positively embryonic last year is really coming of age. Partnerships between manufacturers and other industry suppliers are springing up all over the place – it’s like vaping has its own Tinder app! So what have you done to grasp the nettle, or grab the bull by the horns? Surely you’ve done something to boost your business to new heights so you can compete with all the other providers? If you haven’t, quite honestly I have no idea how you’re still in business. Stuck with manual filling and labelling? You don’t stand a chance.

OK clever clogs, what should we be doing?

Everyone knows now that the key is to produce juice quickly, it will make the difference between successfully selling it or having the best kept secret. Vastly increased demand and volumes require quicker turnaround times – mixing e-liquid solutions up in your bath at home is a relic of the dark ages.

As a famous politician (might have) once said: automate, automate, automate. Think of the slog and cost involved in hand labelling just a couple of thousand bottles. To meet high expectations and increased volumes, labels need to be applied efficiently, quickly and

accurately every time. Multiply that equation across filling, capping and any other add-ons and you’ve a nightmare on your hands. Don’t worry – be happy, there are affordable automated systems available to improve your efficiency and save your snowflake workers excessive manual effort.

Yeah, yeah, we know that. So what EXACTLY should we be doing?

Don’t get shirty now. The industry is frankly unrecognisable and evolving probably faster than any other sector day by day. What that means is that suppliers are investing massively in creating packaging solutions that not only meet demand from you vaping guys, but are actually pushing the boundaries and inventing new stuff before you even know you need it! Brilliant, eh? We don’t need a crystal ball to tell us that a growing sector needs its suppliers not just to keep pace but to use their experience in filling, bottling, capping and labelling to anticipate trends and keep it fresh and exciting out there. You just need to keep up. C’mon, stick with me!

Ooh, we’re excited now. Give us more.

That’s more like it! So, let’s have a look at labelling. You thought you were up to speed because you got automated? Afraid not. I mean, well done for joining the 21st Century but you’ve got some catching up to do. Automated systems also need to help you meet all those pesky regulations that keep on changing, just to try and catch us all out.

Tactile labelling, for example. You know it can’t be applied to the cap (might get lost - no-brainer, that) so you need a system that can sort out your primary and tactile labelling on the bottle whilst you put up your feet and have a nice G&T – sorry, I meant cup of tea. You’ll want a solution that’s both quick and accurate and has all those nifty features like separate nib and nib-in-cap options. And if this sounds like Greek to you, you REALLY need to do some catching up!

I speak Greek, so that’s OK. What else is big right now?

We’ll keep it English, for the less well-travelled out there. What about an in-machine surgically approved HEPA atmosphere with positive air flow, to provide a completely sterile environment? We love telling folks about that one! For the non-technical, that’s an absolute shoo-in for pharma operations, not to mention food, beverages and of course toiletries. And vaping.

It all sounds expensive…

The honest answer is NO, it doesn’t have to be. Fully automatic filling, labelling and capping systems are cost-effective, space friendly and can fill bottles faster than you can puff an e-cigarette!

50 bottles a minute without breaking a sweat. This stuff is so cool. Once set up, the system can do its thing with minimum human intervention. Investing in a fully automatic solution means reaction times to customer demands can be almost immediate, saving on labour costs and boosting profits – there’s your payback. You could even redeploy those snowflake labourers in a more productive role, maybe making your G&Ts – sorry, I meant cups of tea. Yes, it may be a pretty big capital investment but, if you’ve got the bottle (sorry!), it will pay dividends in efficiency savings and have a huge impact on the bottom line, which in turn creates security in the industry leading to further innovation and even greater choice for vapers. Phew! Lecture over.

No crystal ball, you said, but what do we have to look forward to?

Vaping is huge. And it’s only likely to get even more huge. The massive expansion of shopping options for vapers has dovetailed with a huge selection of e-liquids to choose from. Don’t be caught out – get your stuff out there and be nifty about it. By tapping into the latest packaging technology vaping suppliers like you can maximise productivity and boost competitiveness in an increasingly vaped world. Look out for the very latest technology that will keep you ahead of the pack, and find yourself a packaging partner that is continually pushing the boundaries, inventing the trends not just keeping up, leading the field and giving you the solutions you need to be a winner in this industry.

Want to know more? Give us a call on 01274 731222, or visit ELiquidLabelling.com/ELiquidFilling.co.uk

Sweet Simplicity

UK Vape Supply Ltd have found their niche through a straightforward presentation of classic flavours

Have you ever looked at a e-liquid name so abstract it made you furrow your brow, scratch your head and murmur “what?”

In an industry famed (and rightfully celebrated) for its pageantry and gimmickry, Dai Parry and Patrick Wilson – founders of UK Vape Supply Ltd, sought a simpler path. Every activity has its share of passing fads, but Dai and Patrick have built their City Vape juice range on a firm foundation of favourites that never go out of style.

“We have a mixture of minty, fruity, cakey, creamy and generally sweet liquids,” says Dai, speaking at the Vaper Expo, where visitors vaped the City Vape flavours, such as lemon ice cream waffle, blueberry apple pie and City Berg.

With 30 years wholesale experience between them, including a bar, a nightclub, various shops, and festivals such as Glastonbury, Dai and Patrick know how to spot a business opportunity.

“We saw potential in the arrival of mods and liquids, changed one of our shops to a vape one and saw ridiculous business. We now have retail shops selling three ranges to cover every type of mod and liquid for customer preference. We were amazed to see that despite stocking all major UK and US brands, 90% of juice sales were of our own. We have a complete shop range, a flavour and range for everyone. We’re very passionate about vaping, and equally focused on offering a complete vape juice solution to shops and traders.”

Despite the versatility and range of flavours offered by UK Vape Supply Ltd, City Vape’s straight-shooting minimalism has proven outstanding. This style also extends to the visual side of its marketing.

“With industry foresight, we chose a simpler packaging style. We ditched fancy colours, weird names and dragon-killing unicorns with cartoon lollipops. We put a lot of time and personal involvement into the design of packaging and flavours to give you a unique range that no one else has. Everyone comes back to the simple stuff, and with our easily recognisable look established, all our remaining effort could then go into making the liquids taste as good as possible.”

It hasn’t always been so smooth for Dai and Patrick; two of their favoured flavours began with a potentially disastrous night out. “I had a friend down south who was known as a flavour guru, one of the best. Patrick and I set off down to Summerset to meet him. We got lost, ended up in a small village and ended up getting tipsy on the local cider.” A fortunate mix-up combined with some keen intuition sealed their fate.

“We found a local jam-making shop and soon joined in, boiling strawberries and adding sugar. We were so impressed with the results we made it the official flavour for our strawberry jam liquid. On the way home we stopped off at a McDonald’s, and a friend of ours bought one of their apple pies and said it would be amazing with blueberries on it. Soon we had a blueberry apple pie flavoured liquid.”

Dai and Patrick continue to connect with common taste, carrying out informal market research at their bar, where they host vape nights.

With the fundamentals mastered, they aren’t going anywhere.