Issue 24

Page 1

3 | VM24 Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

No wonder so many smokers (and doctors for that matter) think that vaping is

A smokefree Britain will never be achieved as long as smoking and vaping are treated

So let’s allow vaping in the workplace, shopping malls and on public transport. Then - if Brexit actually ever happens - let’s allow magazines like Vapouround to present the facts to smokers to tackle the ignorance about vaping and then we can finally see

Without sensible measures like these, the government can watch their smoke free projections for 2030 go up in flames.

In other news, this is Vapouround’s fourth anniversary issue and whether you are reading this for the first time or whether you have been with us from day one, thank you

This is a great industry, with great people and great products. Let’s push harder than ever to get that message across to smokers.

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Director David Turner Director Pom Kaila Managing Director Paul Caplin General Manager Abida Razaque Assistant Editor Gordon Stribling Journalist Phoebe Fuller Finance Director Joanne Stubley Accountant Kris Worton Finance Executives Anna Difusco, Lauren Pilliner & Mollie Smith Marketing Manager Katie Loomes Digital Marketing Manager Josh Tysoe Web Developer Aadil Popat Events Coordinator Zeahna Young Marketing Executive Jill Shah Sales Supervisor Steve Culf Sales Executive Ali Shah Sales Executive Tom Slack Sales Executive Baz Bassra Sales Executive Ashley Potter Design Manager Hayley Parker Creative Director James Parnell Lead Graphic Designer Connor Dimberline Graphic Designer Victoria Smith Graphic Designer Ayaz Arshad Design Support Lucy Booth
Products in this magazine may not be used, bought or reviewed by any individual under 18 years old. Vapouround does not support the use of e-cigarettes and devices for individuals under the age of 18 years old; by reading this magazine, you are indicating that you are over 18 years old. Vapouround does not endorse the inappropriate application or misuse of nicotine, smoking or product abuse of any form. We do not claim that e-cigarettes and nicotine devices will help cure smokers’ nicotine addiction and as such, we cannot take responsibility for any effect products advertised in our magazine may have on users’ nicotine consumption. There is no guarantee that products in this magazine including e-cigarettes and nicotine devices will stop you smoking. The opinions in this magazine are solely those of the writers. Vapouround takes no responsibility and rejects all liability for third party reviews or opinion pieces by external agencies. All trademarks, registered or otherwise of products in this magazine are the property of respective owners. To use trademarks, please contact the company directly, who will advise you further. BEST VAPE MAG TWO YEARS RUNNING Thank you for your continued support Officially the
Patrick Griffin - Editor patrick@vapouround.co.uk VAPOUROUND
7 | VM24 WARNING: This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance. The alternative for adult smokers. JUUL.co.uk Laura smoked for 10 years, and switched to JUUL in 2018. Designed for adult smokers. Not for sale to minors. NOT FOR SALE TO MINORS: This is an age-restricted product and age verification is required at sale. TM and © 2019 JUUL Labs, Inc. All rights reserved. TO BECOME A JUUL STOCKIST CONTACT UKSALES@JUUL.COM
8 | VM24 NEWS FEATURES Short Fills New Zealand Embraces Vaping European Tobacco Concerns San-Fran E-cig Ban Beverly Hills Bans Tobacco Nicotine Testing for US Students Gateway to Delinquency? E-cigs Save Lives Vaping Entrepreneur Diary of a Vaper Daddy’s Vapor Ask the Scientist The Vape Debate Victor Mullin column ENDS Conference In Depth False Alarm GP’s Shock Survey CBD - The Future of Vaping? Negative Media Coverage Closed Pod Systems Vaping Industry Forecast Happy Birthday to blu Vaping 9 to 5 4th Anniversary: Infographic 4th Anniversary: Never Stand Still 4th Anniversary: Now v Then Banking on Success The Future of Squonking Scott Gottlieb Joins Pfizer The Greatest Vape No Canada! Reality Check Vype Launch New Pocket Rocket US Studies Go Against the Grain 10 14 18 23 24 28 30 32 36 40 44 50 54 58 62 64 68 69 72 73 76 80 84 88 92 96 100 104 110 116 120 124 128 132 ISSUE 24 / AUGUST
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SHORT F ILLS

Quids in

Smokers who switch to vaping could save £780-a-year on top of the health benefits of quitting fags.

University College London scientists found that smokers spend around £1,200-a-year on the habit while vapers spend just a third of that at £417.

On average the 859 people surveyed smoked six cig arettes a day, so the savings could be even higher for heavier smokers.

Lead author Dr Sarah Jackson said: “While savings will vary across individuals, we estimate that ex-smokers switching to e-cigarettes or NRT spend about £13-15 less per week than the average smoker.”

Kruti Shrotri, Cancer Research UK’s tobacco control manager, said: ‘Quitting smoking is the single best thing a smoker can do for their health and e-cigarettes are one of the many tools that can help.

“With a more affordable price tag, it’s an alternative option for smokers looking to quit and make savings.”

No flavour of the month

Estonian vapers will now have to go DIY after a ban on non-tobacco flavours and domestic sales came into effect on July 1.

The regulations were brought in to prevent youth access to vaping products.

The European nation was already subject to the TPD. These new additions to the Tobacco Act are reminiscent of Finland, where candy and fruit flavours are prohibited. E-liquids were already subject an excise of €2/10ml, which has led to many vapers to cross the border to Latvia to pick up supplies.

UK vape first

Retailer ECigWizard has launched the UK’s first NHS hospital vape shops.

The company, which has worked alongside NHS smoking-cessation clinics for the past four years, opened stores at Sandwell General Hospital and Bir mingham City Hospital on July 6.

It said: “If there was any doubt in your mind about vaping as a healthier alternative to smoking, may we have the absolute pleasure to announce that we have just opened two stores inside two amazing NHS Hospitals.”

Head of retail Joe Lucas said the company was “ex cited” to be assisting both staff and patients on their

Loophole closed

The Dutch, it would seem, have had their fill of vape manufacturers getting around TPD e-liquid restrictions. Short-fill e-liquids are now effectively illegal in the Netherlands after the ‘shake and vape’ bottles were brought under the country’s TPD regulations on July 1. E-liquid bottles are now restricted to the 10ml maximum size, regardless of their nicotine content.

The rapid rise of short-fills has concerned regulators across Europe. It’s likely that worries about the quality and consistency of nic-free e-liquids will lead to similar restrictions elsewhere in the months and years to come.

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Two pages filled with short vape-related stories and research making news from around the world.
NEWS

Getting personal

JUUL has launched its first UK ad campaign which features testimonials from former adult smokers who are all aged over 30. The 12-week campaign is running across 10 cities with high smoking rates and uses five different adult ex-smokers who had struggled to quit smoking over periods ranging from eight to thirty-five years.

They all successfully switched to vaping using the closed pod system and the company hope that by using real people in their campaign, other smokers will be encouraged to follow suit.

Dan Thomson, Managing Director of JUUL Labs UK, said: “The ex-smokers featured in our testimonial campaign share their personal stories and the role that JUUL has played in helping them transition away from combustible cigarettes.

“As someone who smoked for 20 years, I am incredibly moved by this campaign and excited about the potential it offers to inspire large numbers of the UK’s 7.4 million adult smokers to follow their lead.”

Ban smoking say Chinese

There is increasing public support for tobacco control in China with more than 90 percent of people supporting the banning of smoking in the workplace, according to a new survey.

Despite an increasing number of cities having local regulations on tobacco control, national legislation is still lacking in China.

Around 95 percent of respondents also favoured banning lighting up in hospitals, schools and on public transport while eight out of ten supported a tobacco ban in restaurants.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention also reported that smoking rates are also slightly down with smokers accounting for 26.6 percent of the population aged over 15down from 27.7 percent in 2015.

Zhi Xiuyi, vice-president of the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control, said much work needed to be done in order to achieve the government target of bringing down the percentage of adult smokers to 20 percent by 2030.

Pregnant mums: Vape…don’t smoke

Expectant mothers are being urged to vape during pregnancy as a less harmful alternative to smoking.

The Royal College of Midwives says quitting smoking is amongst the best things a woman can do to protect her baby’s health through pregnancy and beyond.

It says one in ten mums-to-be in England are smokers at the time of delivery with some parts of the country reporting one in five women who smoke throughout their pregnancy.

The RCM says smoking “significantly increases” the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, sudden infant death and birth abnormalities.

It said expectant mums “should continue to vape during pregnancy if it is helpful to quitting smoking and staying smokefree,” and added: “Based on the available evidence on e-cigarette safety, there is no reason to believe that use of an e-cigarette has any adverse effect on breastfeeding.”

The RCM also wants to see comprehensive stop smoking support services made available for pregnant women

Missing the point?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called for a “complete prohibition” on e-cigarettes in a newly-published white paper.

India has 100 million adult smokers and around 13 percent of the country’s 720,000 annual premature deaths are tobacco-related.

The ICMR said a vaping ban would be “in the greater interest of protecting public health.”

It labeled e-cigarettes as “gateway” products for new tobacco addiction and posed “a substantial threat to the country’s tobacco control laws and ongoing tobacco control programmes.”

The Council also claimed that e-cigarettes had a “negative impact upon public health.”

Professor K Srinath Reddy, who chaired the ICMR expert group said: “Marketing a product like e-cigarettes, with a high potential of harm from addiction and health risks, is unwarranted as a tobacco control measure.”

The tobacco industry in India employs 7 million people and brings in around two percent of annual tax revenues.

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New Zealand health ministry embraces vaping to help smokers quit...

but

neighbouring Australia

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health has launched a ‘Vaping Facts’ website as part of the country’s bid to go smokefree by 2025.

The website promotes the message that vaping is considerably less harmful than smoking and can help smokers quit.

It includes factual videos that compare smoking to vaping and breaks myths about e-cigarettes such as the dangers of nicotine and the likelihood of developing ‘popcorn lung.’

Associate health minister Jenny Salesa said: "In New Zealand, 5,000 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses. While vaping products are not harmless to health, they are much less harmful than smoking.

"The benefits of a smoker switching to vaping include reducing the risks to their health and the health of their children, reducing the likelihood that their children will become smokers, and a lot more money left in the pocket.”

The public information campaign was developed in collaboration with the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) and an expert advisory panel.

Ms Salesa hopes to introduce the Smokefree Environments (Vaping) Amendment Bill to parliament at the end of the year.

The new website falls within wider legislation designed in partnership with Māori women. This group has the highest smoking rate in the country at 32.5 percent compared to 13.8 percent in the overall population.

Ms Salesa said: "One of the things we're encouraging is to have our ‘By Māori for Māori’ providers and our ‘Pacific for Pacific’ providers to sit down and co-design how to get people to quit smoking.

"What we also know is that when Māori women co-design these initiatives it is actually much more successful in assisting them to stop smoking.”

Research published in the New Zealand Medical Journal in December 2018 found that five times

still lags far behind

more Māori citizens would need to quit smoking each year for the country to meet its smokefree 2025 goal.

While harm reduction advocates expressed their support of the new initiative, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation argued that traditional nicotine-replacement therapies should not be overlooked.

The new campaign served to highlight the gulf between New Zealand’s progressive approach to harm reduction and that of its neighbour.

Professor Colin Mendelsohn of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of NSW and chair of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA), said:

“The progressive, evidence-based approach to vaping in New Zealand is a harsh rebuke to Australian regulators who are increasingly out of touch.”

Australia has some of the strictest tobacco regulations in the world and in 2012 became the first country to introduce plain packaging.

It is illegal to obtain liquid nicotine in Australia without a prescription from a medical practitioner so vapers need to import their e-liquid from abroad if they want to vape without their doctor’s approval.

However, data revealed last year by ATHRA and a group of medical and public health experts showed that rates of smoking decline stalled in Australia between 2013 and 2016 while continuing to drop in the UK and Canada.

ATHRA director Dr Joe Kosterich said at the time: “These jurisdictions have moved to these other forms of people using nicotine that doesn’t involve people smoking cigarettes and their rates of smoking are declining.

“The difference between them and us is they’ve adopted these new technologies and we haven’t.”

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CUTTING OUT

COULD ALMOST ERADICATE LUNG CANCER

Launched on World No Tobacco Day in June, the WHO’s European Tobacco Trends Report 2019 highlights the significant public health concern that tobacco represents in Europe.

With 209 million smokers, equating to 29 percent of global tobacco use, Europe has the highest rate of tobacco use by far.

And the four noncommunicable disease groups related to tobacco - cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory disease - are the leading causes of death and disability in the continent.

The WHO’s report found that 27 percent of European cancer deaths in 2018 resulted from tobacco use, with almost nine in ten of those deaths caused by trachea, bronchus and lung cancer.

What this means, the WHO has said, is that 90 percent of lung cancers could effectively be avoided if tobacco use was cut out completely.

The report also shed light on the health disparities between men and women, owing to the difference in numbers between male and female smokers.

Tobacco use among women is low in Europe but steadily on the rise. The WHO wants countries to “design gender specific policies” to both reduce high usage levels among men and reversing these increasing trends among women. An increase in tobacco use - or a much slower decline

- among women has been observed in the Russian Federation, Georgia, Croatia, Czechia, France and Greece. The report says: “The tobacco industry is specifically targeting women as a potentially lucrative future client group through diverse forms of marketing […] Increasing and strengthening actions to address these issues will be required to reverse the trends in these countries.”

This difference in use between men and women accounts for staggering health inequalities, with 41 percent of cancer deaths in Europe affecting men compared to only 10 percent for women. Noncommunicable disease mortality as a whole is also four times higher for men than for women, with 28 percent and 7 percent respectively.

Despite these heavy burdens on health, tobacco use continues to decline globally. The WHO report shows that estimated male-specific smoking prevalence decreased with a median decline of roughly 1.5 percent each year, in Europe.

The report specifically praised the UK and Irish governments for the work done to help smokers quit.

It said: “Ireland, United Kingdom (Scotland), Finland and the Netherlands have declared their intention to achieve tobacco-free societies by 2025, 2034 and 2040, respectively. This offers great encouragement to other governments in the European Region to accelerate implementation of tobacco-control measures. They have

18 | VM24
Nine out of ten lung cancers could be avoided by eliminating tobacco use, according to new research from the World Health Organization
NEWS

public health, sustainable development and human rights on their side.”

However, years of life lost due to cancers showed little to no change between 2010 and 2016.

The WHO suggests that this could be the result of the chronicity and lag-time of cancer development, as well as the “limited effectiveness” of treatment for some of the most aggressive smoking-related cancers, such as trachea, oesophagus and lung.

Over the past 15 years, member states of the WHO European Region have agreed on several policy frameworks, such as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), to address these devastating effects of tobacco.

The WHO has set a target for a 30 percent reduction in tobacco-use by 2025 through the implementation of the WHO FCTC and other such frameworks.

But it says that, although progress has been seen in countries implementing these frameworks, the levels are so far insufficient if their target is to be reached on time. “Eleven countries would reach the target by 2025 and another 16 would be near to achieving it. While positive, this level of progress means that half of the countries of the WHO European Region will not reach the target for tobacco-use prevalence reduction,” the report says.

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Tobacco use represents an important public health issue worldwide, but particularly in the WHO European Region, where the highest levels of tobacco-use prevalence have been reported.
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LOOMING SAN FRANCISCO E-CIGARETTE SALES BAN BRANDED

“INSANE”

stores but it will also be illegal to deliver a vaping product bought online to a San Francisco address.

City supervisor Shamann Walton said: “We spent the ‘90s battling big tobacco, and now we see its new form through e-cigarettes. I’m not going to put profits of big tobacco over the health of our children.”

However the decision has been described as “insane” by a leading doctor who specialises in public health.

Dr Michael Siegel from the Boston University School of Public Health, said: “[The Board] apparently thinks that it is in the interest of the public’s health to ban much safer e-cigarettes while allowing deadly cigarettes to remain on the shelves.

Move

would ban the sale of vape products but leave the traditional cigarette market untouched

San Francisco will become the first US city to ban e-cigarette sales, both in shops and online.

Mayor London Breed said she supported the move, saying it was necessary in order to protect San Francisco’s youth from becoming addicted to nicotine.

She said: “There is so much we don’t know about the health impacts of these products, but we do know that e-cigarette companies are targeting our kids in their advertising and getting them hooked on addictive nicotine products.”

The new law says “no person shall sell or distribute an electronic cigarette to a person in San Francisco” unless that product has undergone an FDA premarket review, and so far not a single product has done so.

Not only will this prevent all vaping products being sold in physical

“From a public health perspective, this is the most insane piece of legislation I have ever seen.”

Local store owners say that they could be forced out of business by the ban.

Carlos Solorzano, CEO of the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of San Francisco, said: “I’m outraged. The Board have no idea how this is going to impact small businesses and our employees. We must fight this.”

Georgetown law professor Eric Lindblom, a former DEA tobacco control official, said it was “a mistake” to focus so heavily on e-cigarettes. He said: “One of the big tragedies of e-cigarettes is that policymakers have taken their eye off the ball, and the most important thing is to reduce smoking. The best way to do that is through direct anti-smoking measures.

Meanwhile Juul, the largest e-cigarette company in the US, which is also based in San Francisco, wants city residents to decide on any vape ban instead and says the age limit should be 21.

Juul spokesman Ted Kwong said: “This full prohibition will drive former adult smokers who successfully switched to vapor products back to deadly cigarettes, deny the opportunity to switch for current adult smokers, and create a thriving black market instead of addressing the actual causes of underage access and use.”

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NEWS

BEVERLY HILLS BECOMES FIRST US CITY TO BAN (ALMOST) ALL TOBACCO SALES

Tobacco and e-cigarette sales to be banned in petrol stations, stores and pharmacies…but Arnold Schwarzenegger’s favourite “character-defining” cigar lounge wins exemption.

Beverly Hills has become the first US city to ban almost all tobacco sales after councillors voted unanimously to do so. The ban, which comes into effect from January 2021, will apply to convenience stores, petrol stations and pharmacies but hotels and three posh cigar lounges have been granted exemptions.

It will include vaping products, cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products but officials bowed to pressure from high profile figures including Arnold Schwarzenegger to allow cigar bars to continue to sell tobacco products.

Mayor John Mirisch said: "The ban reflects the values of our community. We are a city that has taken the lead on restricting smoking and promoting public health. Somebody has to be first, so let it be us.”

While supportive of a ban, former California governor Schwarzenegger argued that cigar bars should be exempt and that officials should ‘recognise the difference’ between clubs like the Grand Havana Room and retailers selling e-cigarette pods.

Schwarzenegger wrote: “The Grand Havana Room, which I have been a member of since its inception, provides a treasured home away from home. “It is unthinkable that the city might adopt a policy that would intentionally or unintentionally cause the closure of this

character-defining institution.”

Dr. Richard Shemin, chairman of cardiac surgery at UCLA, also fought for the cigar bar exemption and praised officials for taking ‘a very responsible approach that tried to find the right balance.’

City officials have come under fire from tobacco and vape product retailers for favouring cigar bars over other types of retailer.

Thomas Briant, executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, argued that the ban would unfairly impact upon the gas stations and convenience stores who rely on tobacco products for a third of their sales.

In an interview with CBS News, Briant said: "When you remove those in-store sales, the profitability is no longer there.

”We believe this will cause convenience stores in Beverly Hills to layoff employees and likely close their doors."

There are just 28 businesses with Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Retailer Permits in Beverly Hills, with convenience stores, pharmacies and gas stations accounting for the lion’s share of vape product retailers.

The city already prohibits smoking and vaping on public rights-of-way and within a 20-foot buffer zone of open-air dining areas, as well as in multi-let residences.

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NEWS
25 | VM24
Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

US SCHOOL PUPILS TO FACE RANDOM DRUGS TESTS FOR…NICOTINE

Children as young as 12 are being asked to consent to random nicotine testing in order to take part in after-school activities. Education officials in Fairbury, Nebraska, say nicotine testing is needed to combat a “drastic increase” in the numbers of schoolchildren vaping.

Pupils must consent to the new tests in order to take part in activities such as competitions between other schools, cheer leading or sporting events.

Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Grizzle said: “Vaping and smoking, in our view, are reaching epidemic proportions. We hope to help students to resist the temptation to experiment with these products.”

He said the past year had seen an increase in disciplinary action being taken against children for both vaping and smoking, with a fourfold increase alone at the district’s junior-senior high school where around 60 percent of the 387 students take part in extra curricular activities.

Testing for substance abuse already takes place at Fairbury schools but this will be extended to include nicotine from next year and will apply to pupils aged from 12 to 18. The district is also considering installing sensors in school restrooms and locker rooms to detect vaping and smoking. Students will be selected at random for the tests which will take place up to nine times during the school year.

Adding nicotine to the substances abuse tests will add an additional $900 to Fairbury’s annual $4,000 testing budget. Mr Grizzle said: “We don’t want to punish kids. We want to give them a reason to say ‘no’ to peer pressure.

just a way we can deter kids from potentially being addicted to nicotine. Since smoking and using vaping products

against our policies, it makes sense to include that.”

Pupils who test positive for nicotine will be asked to attend mandatory educational seminars and face 10 day suspensions from school activities while repeat ‘offenders’ could be banned from attending extracurricular activities for a year.

In 2002, the Supreme Court approved random drug testing for high school students, ruling that the need to keep drugs out of school outweighed privacy considerations.

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“This is
are
Teen vaping ‘epidemic’ blamed for the move being introduced by Nebraska school district - By Phoebe Fuller
NEWS
“We don’t want to punish kids. We want to give them a reason to say ‘no’ to peer pressure.”

UK -

When it comes to teenage vaping scare stories, the contrast could not be any more stark.

The US is supposedly in the grip of a teenage vaping epidemic and hardly a week goes by without yet another scare story making the headlines. We are told that teenage vapers, some as young as 15, are being sent to rehab for nicotine addiction while a recent report in the New York Post highlighted a survey which linked vaping to teenage delinquency.

The study, conducted by the University of Texas and San Antonio, concluded that teens who vape were more likely to steal and commit violent crimes while an online search for “teen vaping epidemic” returns many thousands of results.

Yet here in the UK, teen vaping hardly seems to be anything other than a relatively minor blip on the radar.

According to YouGov research commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) fewer than one percent of 11-18-yearolds in the UK vape once a week or more.

The annual survey on youth vaping habits in Great Britain found that vaping was largely confined to current or ex-smokers93.8 percent of never-smokers had not tried vaping or were unaware of e-cigarettes.

The survey found that 0.8 percent of the never-smokers used e-cigarettes, 0.1 percent vaped more than once a week while not a single one of them vaped daily.

ASH chief executive Deborah Arnott said: “Smoking prevalence among children and young adults in Britain has fallen substantially since 2010, which doesn’t indicate that vaping has been a gateway to smoking.

“And to date there is little sign that vaping is the “super-cool” phenomenon among young people here that it is said to be in the USA.”

The report also found that just over half of never-smokers tried e-cigarettes just to see what the experience was like; 10 percent vaped because they liked the flavours and just 0.5 percent did so because they thought vaping looked ‘cool.’

John Dunne, director of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said the new findings disproved that vaping was a gateway to smoking.

He said: “Vaping actually helps people to switch as it is 95% less harmful than smoking and recent research has shown that vapers are three times more likely to quit than those who don’t vape.”

30 | VM24
USA -
TEENAGE VAPING COULD BE THE ‘GATEWAY TO DELINQUENCY’
THREE QUARTERS OF 11-18 YEAR OLDS HAVE NEVER TRIED OR ARE UNAWARE OF E-CIGARETTES
NEWS

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ASH GUIDANCE CALLS ON LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO REDUCE SMOKER NUMBERS

Stop-smoking services should o er vape starter kits and ‘clear and accurate information’ on use and health impact, expert says

A leading stop-smoking charity has joined forces with the UK’s first tobacco control programme to produce a guidance document for local authorities aimed at achieving a ‘smokefree generation.’

The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Fresh guide highlights the harms of smoking to individuals and families and outlines how local authorities can help reduce smoking rates to five percent.

Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies at University College London (UCL), said that while e-cigarettes have helped reduce smoker numbers, they have only served fill the vacuum left by dwindling local stop-smoking services.

Professor West said: “E-cigarettes are very important. Our research suggests that they’ve probably contributed to between 50 and 100,000 additional ex-smokers a year.

“That hasn’t had a huge impact on prevalence because essentially it’s mitigated the loss that we’ve seen from the fact that we’ve lost a lot of stop-smoking services.”

Stop-smoking programmes are an ‘essential service’, particularly within disadvantaged communities, the guidance says. However, of the five percent of smokers who successfully quit each year, just two percent do so with the help of stop-smoking services compared to 41 percent who quit with an e-cigarette.

Only 30 percent of smokers in England make at least one attempt to quit each year. It would take until 2043 to reduce smoking prevalence to five percent.

But if 50 percent of smokers were to attempt to quit each year, the target could be reached by 2029.

Professor West believes that e-cigarettes are a ‘very costeffective pharmacotherapy tool’ that should be adopted as part of local authority stop-smoking programmes. He said: “We have to think how best to use e-cigarettes. I think there’s two ways.

“One is to make sure that smokers have clear and accurate information about their health impacts and how best to use them as a cessation aid but also to provide starter kits for smokers who want them.

“There is research just published which shows that this can give better results in a stop-smoking clinic than with licensed nicotine products.”

A cross-sectional survey of almost 20,000 quit attempts published in May revealed that vapers were 95 percent more likely to successfully quit smoking than those who went cold-turkey.

Traditional nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) such as patches and gums had a quit rate of just 34 percent.

“E-cigarettes are very important. Our research suggests that they’ve probably contributed to between 50 and 100,000 additional ex-smokers a year”
32 | VM24 NEWS
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Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

business different to everybody else’s, it’s very simple: our tobacco flavours won prizes when they were in vape shops and they’re second to none. Everyone wants our tobaccos, yet we offer them at the lowest price possible to every customer so then they can sell them at whatever

business model and now, touch wood, all the contracts are in place and all the orders are in.”

This year, it’s estimated that the company will turnover £8million and Stephen expects this to double next year, based on new contracts with large scale distributors across

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FEATURE

the UK and Europe.

“What we’ve done differently to everybody else is we’ve taken our product to the mainstream, we’re not your typical e-cigarette company that wants to supply to vape shops,” Stephen says, “For us, those shops are declining and currently we supply to the top retailers in the country.”

These retailers include Poundland in the UK and Eurogiant in Ireland and Superior E-Liquid has also just signed a fiveyear contract in Europe with a distribution company that have never sold a bottle of e-liquid, but their first order was for £500,000.

This approach, Stephen says, is what he owes his success to – keep it simple, keep it mainstream and, above all, provide a product that you believe in. He says: “My interest is very, very simple and that is to take

this to where it morally should be, and where it should be is to people who smoke conventional cigarettes and are trying to get off them for a far better option. Vaping is a far better option.”

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“WHAT WE’VE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO EVERYBODY ELSE IS WE’VE TAKEN OUR PRODUCT TO THE MAINSTREAM, WE’RE NOT YOUR TYPICAL E-CIGARETTE COMPANY THAT WANTS TO SUPPLY TO VAPE SHOPS.”

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Equipped with simple single button three-stage variable wattage adjustments, this small and sleek device allows on-the-move tuning options, for vapers who favour flexibility. The on-board K1 Plus tank benefits from a specially designed magnetic quick-release collar, which provides fast and hassle-free tank removal, meaning filling and servicing the K1 Plus is super-simple.

The K1 Stealth is precision manufactured to evoke a premium feel, which further enhances the stealthy size and shrunken stature of this eye-catching kit. The machined mod body is available in a stylish raw aluminium colour, or partially anodized black, which has exposed silver aluminium machined edges. This is one seriously avante-garde device, for vapers who relish functionality, convenience and style, all in one premium kit.

Resisting the charms of this ultra-convenient Aspire kit is difficult, especially when you consider that the entire device measures 67mm in height and just 39mm in width. Making this tiny beast disappear in one hand is simple. Your stealth vaping desires are now a sharply focused reality, powered by the K1 Stealth kit.

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DIARY OF A VAPER

I got into vaping towards the end of 2012 because I was diagnosed with oral cancer as a result of smoking.

At that point, I’d been smoking for about 14 years and I usually smoked at least one pack of Camel Lights a day.

I was 31 when I was diagnosed with cancer and it was a wake-up call for sure, but even then, I couldn’t quit cold turkey and I still smoked for a few months after receiving the news.

Vaping is what finally got me to look for a way to quit, so I bought an e-cigarette from a gas station and it was just enough to intrigue me, so I looked into it further and finally went into my first vape shop.

I never imagined that it would lead me to where I am now. I’m definitely the type that gets really into stuff, especially

hobbies, so once I saw the online and YouTube communities and the different, cool devices, I just got more and more into it and eventually decided to start making my own videos.

Even though it was the health side of things that pushed me into vaping, the hobby side made it easier and I think that helps a lot of other people too. So, right now, I’m using my new RDA, the Passage RDA on the Carbon Topside Dual.

People obviously get into vaping for their nicotine fix but it is a technology industry as well, people get really into the devices and collect them. I think the fun aspect helps people to stay off the cigarettes and that’s what it did for me.

As far as my future in the industry, I have tried over the last year or two to get more into the advocacy side of things. I’ve joined the VTA, which is an American trade association and I plan on staying in the industry as long as I possibly can.

FEATURE 40 | VM24
With Matt Culley from Suck My Mod (YouTube)

CUBID CBD MOVEMENT

Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

ASK THE SCIENTIST Batteries and how they work

E-cigarettes work by rapidly heating up an e-liquid to transform it into an aerosolised vapour which can then be inhaled. Metal coils, which are typically used as heating elements, can reach temperatures ranging from 110-185°C (when fully wet) and one or more batteries are used as an energy source.

A battery is a device which stores chemical energy that can then be converted into electricity. At the basics, batteries consist of two electrodes, an anode, cathode and electrolyte. The anode is usually carbon and the cathode a metal oxide and between them is the electrolyte which is a substance that allows the flow of electrical charge between them. The electrodes are separated by a polymer sheet which still allows the movement of ions through the electrolyte but prevents the electrodes coming in contact.

In order to produce electricity, you must have somewhere for electrons to flow. During the discharge of electricity such as powering an e-cigarette, a full external circuit is made. The anode releases electrons and ions from the electrolyte, while at the same time, the cathode accepts electrons, completing the circuit.

Lithium ion-based batteries are the mainstay in powering e-cigarettes, where Li2+ ions control the chemistry, producing current.

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The cathodes of these batteries consist of various lithium transition metal oxides such as Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC), while the anodes are most often made from graphite, a form of carbon.

When first produced, these batteries are in a state of discharge, all the lithium ions are located at the metal oxide cathode, and the battery has no ability to produce current and therefore needs to be charged through the application of an external power source. During this process lithium at the cathode undergoes a reaction called oxidation, where the lithium loses some negatively charged electrons. An equivalent quantity of Li2+ will move into the electrolyte and migrates towards to anode, were they become embedded in the porous structure of the anode in a process called intercalation, along with electrons in a process called reduction. During discharge/powering of a device, oxidation occurs at the anode, where lithium ions become detached and travel back towards the cathode through the electrolyte. During this process, electrons are released from the anode and in turn flow through the wires of a connected device and provide an electrical current.

When the cathode becomes saturated with lithium ions the reaction then stops, and must therefore be recharged once more, through the application of an external current moving the Lithium ions back to the anode.

Between the cathode and anode is the electrolyte which usually, in the case of a Li-Ion battery, consists of a solution comprising of organic solvents and lithium salts. As the electrolyte solution already contains lithium ions, they do not have to make a complete journey from cathode to anode and vice versa speeding up the process.

Why does the battery life decrease over time?

Over time, physical and mechanical changes occur to the electrodes, diminishing their capacity. The anodes can chemically react with electrolyte solvents such as dimethyl carbonate. When a battery is new, reactions occur between the graphite and organic solvents of the electrolyte forming a layer called the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) which consists of lithium oxide and lithium carbonates. This prevents further side reactions occurring, while remaining permeable to lithium ions. However, during charge/discharge cycles new sites become available for reaction at the anode, resulting in a process which continuously reduces the capacity of the battery through the increasing thickness of the SEI layer. The cathode can also undergo similar degradation through the formation of a restrictive layer which is enhanced under high temperatures called electrolyte oxidation. Other processes that can diminish the capacity of a battery include thermal decomposition of the electrolyte.

As such, rechargeable Li-ion batteries have a limited life and manufacturers often state an estimated life expectancy on batteries after which they should be replaced.

About the scientist:

Anode (-) Cathode (+) Electrolyte Li+ Li+ Li+ e e e Anode (-) Cathode (+) Electrolyte Li+ Li+ Li+ e e e BATTERY CHARGING BATTERY DISCHARGING 51 | VM24
Dr Richard Cunningham has a PhD in medicinal chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast where he also worked as postdoctoral researcher for a number of years before working in the US at the Mitchell Cancer Institute in Alabama. Among his areas of expertise are organic synthesis, nucleosides, nucleotides, cellular biology, vitamins, aminoglycosides, drug delivery, phosphorous chemistry and chemical analysis. He is now the director of quality at Liquid Sciences LLC in the UK.
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THE VAPE DEBATE

Should vaping be banned in public?

Dame Sally Davies, England’s Chief Medical Officer, wants vaping banned in public and recently told a Commons Select Committee that she was fed up with people ‘wafting vapour’ over her in the street. Martin Cullip, chair of the New Nicotine Alliance, takes the opposite view and explains why he wants to see vaping opened up into more places than is currently allowed.

YES! Dame Sally Davies, addressing the Science and Technology Committee:

“E-cigarettes are clearly much safer than tobacco smoking and they have become a much-liked way of stopping smoking. “If they help people stop, I would like people to use them and I would encourage the NHS smoking cessation services to work with that as a way of stopping smoking.

“But how should we treat them as a general usage issue? I have concerns that we don’t know their long-term side effects and I would therefore like us to be careful.

“My personal view is we should treat e-cigarettes like we do tobacco products, so I would not have them smoked (sic) in public places. I hate it when I walk past someone and they waft vapour over me.

“We want people to live in clean air so why do we let them smoke in pubic places and waft it all over us?

“I don’t mind if in the privacy of their own houses or gardens, [people] continue [to use e-cigarettes] I just don’t want us to set an example to children of them being smoked or used publicly, I don’t want that pollution and I don’t want it put over as a cool lifestyle because it’s an addictive product. Why introduce a new addictive product? We’ve got enough.

“We want e-cigarettes available for people to stop smoking and I don’t mind if in the privacy of their own houses or gardens, they continue. I just don’t want us to set an example to children of them being smoked or used publicly. I don’t want that pollution and I

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FEATURE

NO! says Martin Cullip, chair of the New Nicotine Alliance. He told Vapouround:

“It’s nonsense, I think vaping should be allowed in much more places than it is now. If you’re not going to fully allow it on public transport, there’s no reason why trains can’t have a carriage where you’re allowed to vape and the fact that it’s banned on platforms is just absurd. I think it’s because there’s a misunderstanding that vaping is like smoking but, of course, vaping is completely different, and people don’t understand that.

“It’s about education: having people understand what vaping is and what it’s about and, if they did understand, they’d maybe be a bit more permissive. A lot of people think vaping is cloud chasing, but I’ve made the point regularly that for every person surrounded by a big cloud like that, there are probably 40 to 50 other vapers that nobody even notices. That’s a message that the industry needs to get across. So, instead of adverts with people blowing big clouds, just show what most vapers are: older people who used to smoke, who use vaping to quit smoking.

“It’s just a matter of image and vapers themselves maybe being a bit more considerate. I’ve got sub ohm devices, but I tend to use them at home, I wouldn’t take them out in a pub or anything. I’ve been to sporting events with hundreds of people in queues and

then just one person blows a huge cloud and you’ve got up to 200 people thinking “Oh my God, is that vape? I don’t like that!” So, I think it’s just about vapers being more considerate, the industry putting out the right message and, over time, hopefully the public will understand what vaping really is.”

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THE NIGHTMARE SCENARIO… IS NOW PLAYING OUT

The “San Fran Vape Ban” has become a hot topic of discussion on both sides of the Atlantic. As we have covered in the news section of this magazine, lawmakers in the Californian city have voted to ban all e-cigarette sales (both online and offline) in order to prevent children becoming addicted to nicotine. But as Victor Mullin argues, this could be the first move in the ultimate nightmare scenario for the world’s vapers.

Imagine waking up one day to discover that your local council has voted unanimously to ban e-cigarettes from being sold within the boundary of your city or town.

We are not talking about a tax hike, a flavour ban or a ban just on e-liquids…but a flat out, full on ban on EVERYTHING. At the end of June, that’s what the San Francisco board of supervisors passed in an unanimous vote. At the time of writing this is waiting to be rubber stamped by the Mayor of San Fran to make it into law but she has already gone on record as supporting the ban.

About two years ago, in one of my Watts UP vlogs, I played out a “nightmare scenario” in a 30-minute long “what if” storyline. Many said it wouldn’t go down that road for the United States but San Francisco is on the cusp of proving them wrong.

The road leading to this is there for everyone to see. An

58 | VM24 FEATURE
Why what is happening in San Francisco today could spread like a virus throughout the world

over-reliance on advocacy groups and not enough individual advocacy towards local representatives is one side of it.

The other side is the actions of certain companies in the US when it came to marketing during their early days of trading.

The whole “teen epidemic”, which was shot down here in the UK as having no evidence, was something else which played into the hands of the San Francisco lawmakers.

So, what’s this got to do with the rest of the world? In short: A lot.

San Francisco is in California, and California as a state is anti-vaping and has been for a long time. If San Fran manages to pass the bill in full, (and every indication is that it will) the first domino will have fallen, and then it’s just a matter of time before the others come tumbling down.

First San Fran, then Los Angeles, then the entire state of California. As any US resident will tell you, what happens in California on a state level, eventually spreads across the rest of the states.

Whether the mayor of San Francisco passes this or not, in the long term it doesn’t matter because the fact remains that a growing number of cities within the state of California want to do the same.

All it takes is one city to pass the legislation, and the benchmark is set, whether it happens now with San Fran,

or later with another city, it’s now not a question of “if”, it is a question of “when?”

But don’t think for one moment that this is just a problem for the west coast of the USA. It is a problem for us all. If California falls, it will spread to the rest of the country within a year or two and then possibly beyond, so we are looking at a massive effect on the rest of the world of vaping.

Here in the UK, things are not looking too rosy either. With a US e-cig company targeting vape shops with false claims of Challenge 25 as a standing law that they must abide with, to a trade organisation backing up those claims, a growing number of vape shops across the UK are feeling like their own industry is out to get them, and this is not a good feeling to have when you walk into work first thing in the morning.

The sunshine of California may seem a distant thing to us folks in a usually rain-soaked UK, but the fact is with the UK leaving the EU at some point this year, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee will be sitting down to rework the laws to do with e-cigarettes.

Now would be the time for your shop to join an organisation like IBVTA, or the New Nicotine Alliance. The more voices backing them up, the less risk you will have as a vape shop of battening down the hatches…after the ship has flooded to the point of sinking.

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The annual Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) conference took part over three days in London and covered subjects including regulation, testing methods, science, health and consumer concerns.

It brought together more than 120 delegates from many sectors of the industry and is widely recognised as Europe’s leading science-based conference.

Held at the Amba Hotel, Marble Arch, it attracted attendees from testing companies, regulators, industry advocates, leading manufacturers and top scientists and it is regarded as the premier event for thode who want to keep abreast of regulatory and scientific developments within the industry.

As well as focusing on delivering powerful and relevant content, it has a special focus on networking both at the event itself and online via a dedicated ENDS conference app.

A huge amount of ground was covered during the conference and it would be impossible to mention everything which happened over the course of the event.

The articles which follow cover some of the main topics which were discussed.

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Pictures by Owen Tetley

FALSE ALARM

Constantly talking

about flavour bans and youth vaping “plays into the hands of anti-vaping alarmists”

Constantly talking about e-cigarette use by youth in the UK is “a trap laid by the worst anti-vaping alarmists,” the ENDS conference was told.

New Nicotine Alliance Chair Martin Cullip said there was “no science” behind the scare stories and dismissed the debate about child-friendly flavours as a “moral panic manufactured by our enemies.”

He said: “When people go on about bubble gum or candy cotton flavours they should be ignored.

“If you react and explain how you’re striving to eradicate the problem you’re just cementing in the minds of the public and legislators that there is a problem. There is not a problem.

“Where is the evidence that flavour causes kids to start vaping or that a flavour ban would prevent them doing so? There isn’t any. Who decides what qualifies as a kiddy flavour anyway? If it’s simply a flavour that they chose to use more than adults then there will always be something that’s a kiddy flavour.

“Dancing to the tune of anti-vapers creates a stick that they will forever be able to beat you with no matter what you do.

“We don’t want to get to the absurd position like in the US where backsliding and naive appeasement has allowed anti-vaping activists to even describe apple mango and cucumber as kiddy flavours.”

The NNC chair also criticised media pictures of vapers always blowing huge clouds of vapour as this image was very off-putting to the public and not at all representative.

“This is what is leading to vaping being banned just about everywhere. It’s obstructing progress, turning smokers from switching and feeding those who want to shut the industry down.

“This perception of vaping is the real problem, not youth vaping and not flavours. For every huge vapour cloud that someone sees there are are probably another 40 or 50 discreet vapers they don’t see and this is the message we need to get across.

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ENDS CONFERENCE
“We have politicians doing brilliantly for vaping but they’re fighting a losing battle against misinformation and ignorance.”

“We need to emphasise that there is nothing to fear about vaping and that cloud chasing represents a tiny subset of vapers.

“The public need to know that considerate vaping is overwhelmingly how most people use their devices and we must change the narrative to make it absolutely clear that vaping in public is not illegal.”

He called on the vape industry to set aside money to fund a social media campaign to inform the public that vaping is not tobacco and it is not illegal to vape where smoking is banned.

Mr Cullip said the Public Health England statistic that vaping is 95 percent less harmful than smoking should be repeatedly quoted until the public finally understood the message.

“Keep quoting it because every time you do, some ideological vape hater has to spend their time bleating to an echo chamber about how it should be ignored.

“So use your customers and your social media channels to keep pumping out that message and also talk more about how the vast majority of vapers don’t go blowing out huge clouds of vaper.

“Stop advertising funky graphics and big clouds. Use older people in the messaging and make the products overall more attractive to adult smokers and turn kids off them.

“We have politicians doing brilliantly for vaping but they’re fighting a losing battle against misinformation and ignorance.

“Changing this narrative is how we move on and normalise vaping in society but we will not do this if we keep playing the playground of our enemies.”

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pharmacists and dentists who attended her educational talks about alternatives to smoking.

She told the ENDS conference: “Twenty percent of healthcare professionals still think that nicotine in cigarettes is carcinogenic and this is because messages from the media reach them before any scientific evidence reaches them.

Dr Patwardhan also found that less than half (46 percent) of the healthcare professionals she spoke to knew that electronic cigarettes were used in the 2018 Stoptober campaign.

She said that UK healthcare professionals were so ill-informed about vaping that 29 percent of them would not recommend an e-cigarette to cancer patients who already smoked.

In addition, more than half of dental nurses who took part in her survey, believed that electronic cigarettes were as harmful or more harmful than cigarettes.

Dr Patwardhan also said that many healthcare professionals were unaware that Public Health England supported the use of e-cigarettes and called for more funding to educate them about modern alternatives to cigarettes.

She said more needed to be done to help the UK’s seven million smokers quit if the government was to meet its plan to see its first smoke-free Generation by 2025.

The GP blamed the lack of knowledge about quit smoking methods

among health care professionals on the way the UK has tackled smoking cessation advice.

“Nearly a decade ago a lot of funding was provided for stop smoking services in UK, with specially commissioned stop smoking services set up to do the job.

“Now that funding for stop smoking services is reducing, healthcare professionals are expected to suddenly know everything about all they have missed in the decade.”

The doctor said there was a “mismatch” between funding and national health goals for a smoke free UK and said more funding was needed on a national level to help smokers quit. She said health care professionals needed “to be empowered with evidence-based, up-to-date knowledge and skills” to help patients quit smoking and called for more funding, to help them do so.

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ENDS CONFERENCE
“Empower healthcare professionals with evidence-based, up-todate knowledge and skills to help patients quit smoking.”

CBD - THE FUTURE OF VAPING?

CBD is everywhere right now. Once you would never see a CBD company at a vape expo but these days it is hard to find a vape expo without a CBD element.

It is not addictive, it is not associated with any health-related problems and it does not get you high.

Antonin Cohen, director of compliance ACTIVE, the first European trade association for CBD and terpenes products, said the vaping sector was the traditional route for many companies to enter the CBD market.

He said there was a growing market for vapers who wanted to put nicotine totally behind them and switch to CBD instead.

Mr Cohen told the conference: “I really believe it’s important for companies making CBD e-liquids to focus on smokers and vapers.

“We should not accommodate the non-smoker and non-vaper, at least at this stage, until we have more studies into the effects of CBD.”

He said the high cost of CBD was a limiting factor right now but said prices would fall as more companies brought out CBD products.

“CBD is still about 200 or 300 times more expensive than nicotine. That’s why CBD e-liquids are much more expensive. I believe, over time, CBD will get cheaper and once CBD e-liquid is at the same price and nicotine e-liquid a lot of people will switch from nicotine to CBD.”

Referring to the potential of the CBD market, he said: “I believe that CBD vaping may actually be the future of vaping.

“I will say cannabinoid vaping is the next step for the vaping industry. Nicsalts are the focus of today’s vaping industry and they do a fantastic job helping people go from smoking to vaping, but what is the next stage?

“Maybe the next stage will be to use vaping as a real medical device to deliver compounds, that could be natural compounds like cannabinoids. So that’s a really long term vision.

“E-liquids may contain different types of cannabinoids to target symptoms related to anxiety or pain. However in order to make this type of claim, is very important to make the relevant studies and show the data to the regulator.”

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“Once CBD e-liquid is the same price as nicotine e-liquid a lot of people will switch from nicotine to CBD.”

TACKLE NEGATIVE MEDIA COVERAGE ABOUT VAPING?

Answer: Ignore it, says Dan Marchant from the UKVIA

It is infuriating when the media get something wrong about vaping and we feel compelled to comment just to set the record straight.

Next, someone else will challenge the response and before long we are involved in a protracted back-and-forth exchange of views.

Dan Marchant, co-founder of Vape Club and founding member of the UKVIA told the ENDS Conference that this was exactly the wrong thing to do.

increasing the advertising revenue of those media outlets so they keep putting out more and more bad news stories, we keep engaging, and their return on investment keeps going up.

“So next time you see a report like this ignore it, do not interact with it, don’t comment on it and don’t share it.

“Once media companies realise they are not making so much advertising revenue, they’re not going to be interested in printing it.

“Maybe then we will start to see the real news stories, the facts and the positive side of our industry being reported much more often and these are the stories to share, comment on and like.

“This would do a huge amount to change the perception among smokers that vaping is so much worse for us than smoking.”

He also called on the vaping industry to “keep up the pressure on the regulators” to ensure that vaping products were of the highest quality and safety but which were also the most effective to help smokers quit.

He said the EU 20mg nicotine strength limit made it hard for heavy smokers to switch, even if they were using nicotine salts while restrictions on tank and bottle sizes had done nothing for product safety but made vaping a less attractive alternative to smoking.

Mr Marchant was particularly critical of advertising restrictions, saying they served to prevent the industry informing smokers about the harm reduction benefits of vaping.

He told the conference that industry standards must continually be reviewed and raised to ensure quality and safety saying: “We need to ensure that everybody can trust us from the public to the regulators and the policymakers.”

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ENDS CONFERENCE

THE ADVANCE OF CLOSED POD SYSTEMS

Smoore research boss explains the huge amount of testing which goes into product development

The director of R&D at Shenzhen Smoore Technology told the ENDS conference how their state-of-the-art research facility was temporarily halted…by a train.

Dr Zhiqiang Shi heads up the team of scientists, engineers and technicians working with some of the most cutting-edge analytical equipment in a new lab which was built to his exacting specifications.

The research and testing carried out at the facility ensures that the pods can be designed to give the best end-user experience while meeting all regulatory standards.

Extensive research and testing also allows the pod designers to work out complex air flow characteristics, improve e-liquid taste, eliminate dry hits and come up with leak-proof designs.

The facility was shielded against external vibrations but Dr Shi and his team soon discovered that the electromagnetic radiation generated from nearby subway lines was interfering with their highly sensitive equipment.

Dr Shi said: “We needed to spend another $50,000 to retrofit the room which shows how serious we are in establishing a state-ofthe-art research and innovation centre. We see the work that we do on R&D as critical for the sustainable growth of our company.” He said investing so heavily on research allowed Smoore to lead the way in the development of pod systems by using the latest materials and innovative designs and added that by making R&D such a priority was what set Smoore apart from the competition.

Smoore is best known for its ceramic heating systems which are more efficient and provide more consistent atomisation of e-liquids than traditional cotton and wick systems.

Dr Shi said that meticulous attention to design characteristics of pod systems was essential to provide “a safe and satisfactory nicotine

experience for the end user” while also ensuring that the e-liquid taste was not compromised.

He said Smoore would continue to focus on technology and innovation as it looked to design and produce new pod systems. When it came to pod systems, he said it was vital that they safely and efficiently delivered nicotine while also faithfully reproducing the e-liquid flavour and said Smoore worked to exceed regulatory requirements and always keep innovating.

“We are working on the next generation of atomiser technology,” he said, “which is not limited to porous materials but includes ultrasonic atomisation and microwave induction heating.”

Looking to future production methods he said long manuallyintensive assembly lines would increasingly be replaced with more automation and the design process would have to take account in future changes in production methods.

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We are working on the next generation of atomiser technology which is not limited to porous materials but includes ultrasonic atomisation and microwave induction heating.”

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VAPING INDUSTRY FORECAST: BREXIT AND BEYOND

Pablo Cano Trilla, the Head of Legal Analysis at ECigIntelligence told the ENDS conference

BREXIT:

I think this is going to happen and depending on whether or not there is a No Deal Brexit then the British authorities will be able to regulate outside of the TPD or not.

To me, aside from the fact that Britain is the most important country in Europe in terms of the vaping industry, the impact of Britain leaving the EU is worth considering. Right now we have the EU evaluating its taxation policy and perhaps we will also have a TPD3 in the EU, but with Brexit, the UK will not be sitting at that table.

This means that countries which have been quite negative about this category will have no balance from the UK which will not be able to counter that with the positive public health messages about the industry.

EU REGULATION:

We know that the European Commission is gathering information and data as part of a tax evaluation review and then there is the TPD3 but it is too early to make any predictions here.

We anticipate more debates and perhaps restrictions on flavors at a member state level but I don’t think that is going to happen at EU level. I think more nicotine-free products are going to be regulated in more countries to try to close the loopholes around nicotine-free products and the current TPD.

The youth prevention debate that has very much taken hold in the US is already reaching Europe. I have already seen some member states having that debate and this is a potential danger for the industry based on what happened in the US.

We could see the introduction of plain packaging regulations for e-cigarettes where the packaging would be green with no marketing elements and a very boring font giving the name of the product. At least a couple of countries, Netherlands and Finland, are looking to introduce this as part of their national health plans in the next five to ten years.

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ENDS CONFERENCE
what he thinks could happen next in the global vaping industry

Tobacco 21, where only those above 21 years of age will be allowed to buy electronic cigarettes, is already in ten States and it will be introduced in more. Both the Democrats and Republicans support this so I think this could actually become the standard throughout the US. I think we will also see more taxes and flavour bans at city levels throughout the US.

LATIN AMERICA

Latin America has always been one of the worst regions in the world to operate for this industry but this may be changing. Both Chile and Mexico have Bills before their parliaments to lift vaping bans so we will have to watch what happens with these developments.

CBD E-CIGARETTES

These are super trendy right now with many companies in this sector. In Europe if you add CBD to nicotine-containing refills then this is a tobacco product and you now have to comply with the TPD . If you mix CBD with a nicotine free product then, generally speaking, you’re going to be regulated as a consumer product. This is not always the case because several European countries are already regulating nicotine-free and nicotine-containing liquids as the same product.

Interestingly the TPD contains several provisions that could be a risk for CBD. One of them is that you are not allowed to imply that your product is healthy for the user but wellness claims are often associated with CBD products. If regulators starts making that link then that could be a risk.

Another risk is that the TPD says you are not allowed to use any harmful elements apart from nicotine in e-liquids. Is CBD harmful?

No. However it is an extract of cannabis and in conservative countries that could be an issue if people argue that CBD comes from cannabis and cannabis is harmful.

You are also not allowed to introduce anything apart from nicotine which is addictive. Again CBD is not addictive but I wouldn’t be surprised if a country was to argue that we cannot be sure because we don’t have enough data yet.

So if you are using CBD, be aware of the risks and try to anticipate possible concerns and try to produce data in to show that that’s not the case.

As for the rest of the world then it must be judged in a case by case basis but the general trend is that it is either banned or unregulated. That is how it works in general.

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These products many contain nicotine
is a
substance
Warning:
which
highly addictive

blu celebrated its tenth anniversary with a special event in London and vowed to keep innovating to improve the lives of smokers worldwide. Speaking at the anniversary celebration reception in London, Imperial Brands CEO Alison Cooper said it was important to provide smokers with the right devices to allow them to take back control. She said: “With myblu we will continue to innovate to improve the experience for smokers as we build the blu brand and get smokers into that blu experience in markets across the world.” The closed-pod myblu system now sells in 11 countries and blu have given them a bold new look by adding blue, gold,

purple and red devices alongside the classic black pod-mod design. Australian entrepreneur Jason Healy, who launched blu in May 2009, said: “It is great to see how the blu family has grown to be a brand which has remained true to its core principles, with the right people and the right ideas to keep moving it forward.”

Richard Hill, CEO at Fontem Ventures and Group Commercial Director for blu, said the brand had been a pioneer in the sector since its launch and would continue to improve and innovate. He said: “It is a fantastic privilege

Get your voice heard. To add your voice to the “Vaping is not tobacco” campaign you can sign the online European Citizens’ Initiative petition to get new vaping regulations. The petition calls on the European Commission to take vaping out of the Tobacco Products Directive and replace it with better regulation to help adult smokers make informed choices.

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Entrepreneur Jason Healy, who founded blu 10 years ago, was among guests at London birthday bash
FEATURE

to take what Jason has created and build on it. As we go forward we are taking the brand right back to the principles that Jason founded right from the start to give smokers real choice to enjoy nicotine on their terms.”

The anniversary event also featured representatives from the “Vaping is not tobacco campaign” which has launched a European Citizens’ Initiative petition to demand regulatory change for the vaping industry from the European Commission. Richard added: “We need to start a real dialogue between smokers, citizens, governments, regulators and health organisations to get some facts on the table about vaping because vaping has no tobacco and is not tobacco.

“We want a science-based, fact-based dialogue to lobby European governments to introduce proper, well thoughtthrough vaping regulation to best benefit the smoker.”

Simply go to the vapingisnottobacco.eu website, click on the link to the online petition

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“It is great to see how the blu family has grown to be a brand which has remained true to its core principles”
and encourage others you know to do the same.
Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

VAPING 9 to 5

Can you vape at work? Some workers can but others can’t. Surely it is time to end the confusion and allow vaping in the workplace?

The smoking ban in England came into force in July 2007, making it illegal to smoke in enclosed public spaces, including offices and other company buildings. However, e-cigarettes are not covered by smokefree legislation, so it’s up to organisations to draft policies on letting staff vape ‘on the job’.

Public Health England recommendations remind businesses that e-cigarettes are exempt from the smoking ban, yet many privatelyowned companies still include vaping in their smoking policies. By failing to make any allowances for their vaping employees, companies deprive their staff of a nicotine fix for hours at a time, or – for those that at least permit ‘vaping breaks’ – subject staff to sharing smoking areas, where they’re forced to breathe in secondhand cigarette smoke.

For Andrew Allison, head of The Freedom Association’s Freedom to Vape Campaign, there is a very simple solution to this conundrum:

“What would be good is if companies maybe just had a vaping area. Surely there must be little spaces in most offices where people can nip away to the side, well away from their colleagues?”

As many smokers-turned-vapers have noticed, the physical and mental demand for nicotine can often be stronger when using an e-cigarette. This means that allowing vaping in the workplace is a pertinent issue for many vapers.

Andrew says: “A smoker gets an instant nicotine hit and then it gradually wears off, whereas a vaper needs to constantly top the nicotine up, so you’ve got staff who are feeling uncomfortable, they’re feeling a little bit agitated. “All they need is to vape for a minute or two and they’d be better so, in many ways, allowing vaping in the workplace would improve the productivity of the employee because they’re much more

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FEATURE
- Andrew Allison

This was something that Sven Hughes considered when he started his company, Verbalisation, eight years ago. He has always allowed his staff to vape anywhere in the building, including at their desks, because he believes it’s a sensible alternative to cigarettes.

He says: “I think it’s backward if companies don’t allow their staff to vape. E-cigarettes are a modern alternative to combustible cigarettes which are an age-verified pleasure, and I don’t think it’s an employer’s place to sanctimoniously dictate and curtail people’s pleasures.

“My job is to create a conducive working environment where everyone enjoys themselves, enjoys their work and feels as though they can be themselves in the office; if they are a vaper then part of being themselves is to vape in the office and I’m fine with that.”

Unfortunately, it would appear that Sven’s way of thinking is very much in the minority as, out of ten companies on the The Sunday Times Best Companies list that Vapouround contacted, none were able to confirm that they allowed staff to vape while they work.

The same can be said for local councils, which are large employers in many UK towns and cities.

A Freedom of Information request by The Freedom Organisation found that most councils treat vaping as smoking and Andrew

- Sven Hughes

thinks this hinders other companies from implementing forwardthinking policies as they’ll look to their local council for guidance.

He says: “As councils are the lead for public health in their areas, if they took a lead then I do firmly believe other companies would follow. But, if businesses look online to see what the council are doing in their own offices, then we’re not going to get very far forward.”

PHE says that it’s “never acceptable” to make vapers use smoking shelters and have called for policy makers to “make clear distinctions between vaping and smoking.”

In line with these recommendations, businesses in the UK would benefit from implementing separate vaping policies allowing staff to vape at work; especially as PHE found that there’s no evidence of harm to bystanders from e-cigarette vapour.

PHE says: “To maximise the number of smokers switching to e-cigarettes, vaping should be made a more convenient, as well as safer, option.”

For Sven, the evidence speaks for itself, and he’s one of many provape voices that would encourage other businesses to implement policies that work towards harm-reduction for their employees.

He says: “Employers should at least be open minded enough to trial vaping within their office and see how it goes.”

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“I don’t think it’s an employer’s place to sanctimoniously dictate and curtail people’s pleasures.”
VAPOUROUND FOURTH ANNIVERSARY INFOGRAPHIC
the last four years we have been keeping you informed about all aspects of the vaping industry, both at home and abroad. We have had a lot of fun doing so and it would be impossible to sum up everything that has happened over the 24 issues we have produced. During that time we have covered a lot of ground as this infographic shows. So take a look at the numbers below…and if you find our missing suitcases then let us know! PRODUCTION HOURS WORDS PRINTED VAPER EXPO SHOWGUIDES PRODUCED COUNTRIES VISITED JUICES REVIEWED HARDWARE REVIEWED 167 88 | VM24
For

TOWNS AND CITIES VISITED

VAPOUROUND AWARDS GIVEN OUT

BLOG POSTS WRITTEN MILES TRAVELLED ON THE BUS SUITCASES LOST 89 | VM24

ADVERTISERS
These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance
Warning:

NEVER STAND STILL

Our fourth birthday gives us a chance to reflect on the rapidly-evolving vape industry

Over the past four years, Vapouround has grown from a small UK magazine to a truly global brand, spanning print media, streaming video, liquids, hardware and more.

To say that a lot has happened during this time is a huge understatement and we could fill an entire magazine on that subject alone.

Even looking back at the last 12 months shows just how fast things continue to evolve in the world of vaping.

As the UK has smashed the 3 million vaper milestone, a slew of UK studies has reaffirmed the effectiveness of e-cigarettes at helping smokers quit. One found that vaping was twice as effective as traditional nicotine-replacement therapy, another, three times more effective.

The studies have further legitimised e-cigarettes as a smokingcessation tool rather than a recreational ‘tobacco product’, as deemed by the FDA.

Meanwhile in America the ‘youth vaping epidemic’ narrative shows no signs of abating. This has deepened the gulf between the EU and US markets and serves as a huge reminder of the vastly different regulatory regimes on either side of the Atlantic. We need regulation in the industry but for the vaping sector to flourish this regulation needs to be proportionate and evidencebased.

The explosion of CBD within the vape industry presented us with an unmissable opportunity. We launched Vapouround CBD (now The Cannavist) which took us back to our consumer roots. The

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4TH ANNIVERSARY

and legal cannabis and the lives forever changed by the plant.

Our Spanish magazine, Vapouround Español, goes from strength to strength and has grown to accommodate the entire Spanish-speaking industry, helped by our ongoing media partnership with Vape South America.

One of the biggest hindrances to the UK industry are the restrictions on advertising vape products to smokers. We would undoubtedly save many more lives by encouraging smokers to vape instead, if only we could get the message across to them.

However we are seeing vaping products in more major supermarkets and convenience stores up and down the country and Sainsbury’s has also begun displaying e-liquids in the health section.

More recently we have seen an upsurge in vape companies, especially Big Tobacco companies, taking full advantage of billboard advertising (which is still allowed) to increase public awareness of their products.

While the move to make vaping more mainstream is to be welcomed, the growth of the convenience market will present new challenges to the traditional vape stores which will have to work harder to retain customers and attract new ones.

We believe there will always be a need for the expert advice that can only be obtained by a specialist vape establishment and vape stores may need to make better use of this fact to distinguish them from supermarkets.

Speaking of expertise, Vapouround has partnered with VapeTube.

on all things vaping. The partnership has allowed us to support the streaming community that has become a vital and vocal force in advocacy and beyond.

Our first mod Aether made in partnership with Ultroner has flown off the shelves over the past two months, thanks in no small part to glowing reviews from A-list UK and international YouTubers including Tony B, Vaping With Vic and Vaping Bogan.

Vape royalty came out in force at the fourth annual Vapouround Awards. The night was the biggest and most glitzy event yet, with all the major industry players out in force.

We also picked up the ECigClick award for Best Vape Magazine/ Publication for the second year running and we couldn’t have got there without the tireless work of our growing team. and, of course, our army of loyal readers, advertisers and supporters.

Looking forward, we can see that the industry continues to move at a rapid pace and emerging markets in Asia and Africa stand to benefit as more and more public health bodies, governments and tobacco-control advocates embrace vaping’s harm reduction potential.

But we must not be complacent. The PMTA deadline, flavour bans and media misinformation all threaten to undo the gains that the harm-reduction initiative has made.

It’s never been more important for us to champion our industry and challenge the forces that threaten its survival.

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products
Warning: These
many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance
Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

VAPOUROUND ANNIVERSARY THEN v NOW

A lot has changed since the first issue of Vapouround was published in July 2015. Let’s have a look at how Vapouround has evolved and revisit some of the big stories from Issue 1.

STAFF: THEN 10 v NOW 30

We have had to triple our magazine workforce in four years and that’s not even taking into account all of our other business interests and the work done off-site. We’re proud to say that a core of six has been here since the very beginning. Paul, Joanne, Hayley, Connor Leech, Katie, and Patrick, take a bow!

MAGAZINES: THEN 1 v NOW 4

Vapouround is now a globe and industry-spanning operation, with a dedicated magazine for the Spanish-speaking market, the UK’s first CBD publication and, of course, the Vaper Expo showguide. We have also produced show materials for numerous international vape and CBD events.

SPECIALIST JOB ROLES: THEN 5 v NOW 20

Launching a print magazine in 2015 was a bold move. But it didn’t take long to pay off. The rapid growth saw us create new job roles and hire a team of digital specialists to develop and maintain our growing online presence.

VAPER EXPO VISITORS: THEN 1,800 v NOW 20,000+

The inaugural Vaper Expo was a special occasion, but we never could have anticipated the impact the event would have. Four years on, Vaper Expo UK has grown to become one of the key “must attend” shows on the international vaping circuit.

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MOST POPULAR STARTER KITS: THEN STICK/EGO DEVICES v NOW POD SYSTEMS

We talk to a lot of vapers and business-owners about their vaping journey and we’ve lost track of how many started with the eGo-style devices that were all over Issue 1. But now pod systems rule the roost, reflecting the increasing accessibility of vape technology.

Expert vape shops were a relatively new phenomenon back in 2015. But in the years since they have played a pivotal role in rejuvenating the high street and have helped fill the gap left by diminishing stopsmoking services.

BOTTLES: THEN 30-60ML v NOW 60ML

It’s testament to the ingenuity of our industry that we have actually gone full circle with bottle sizes, with 60ml short-fills largely replacing TPD-compliant 10mls. It will be interesting to see if the UK eases restrictions to allow larger-sized nicotine-containing bottles post-Brexit.

‘A BILLION LIVES’

Issue 1 featured an advert for the A Billion Lives documentary and invited readers to sign up for updates. In the years since, Aaron Biebert’s documentary has become a vital tool in every vape advocate’s debating arsenal. We can’t wait to see Aaron’s ‘You Don’t Know Nicotine’ documentary when it lands in 2020.

“WHY WE SHOULD TAKE ACTION ON THE TPD”

Totally Wicked issued a call to action in Issue 1. And while many remain frustrated by the regulations, the regulatory approach taken by the UK has made us the envy of the world.

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Celebrate four years of Vapouround We’re giving all our loyal readers a FREE vape mat. Just pay P&P Order your free mat at VAPOUROUND.CO.UK/SHOP T&Cs APPLY*

parent smokers more likely to take it up.

Jim McManus, director of public health at Hertfordshire County Council has proposed an initiative that would see free e-cigarettes offered to smokers accessing food banks in the area as part of its Tobacco Control Strategic Plan. The report reads: “Smoking is the main cause of preventable illness and premature death in England and in Hertfordshire, and has a greater impact on lower socio-economic groups, causing a widening gap in health inequalities between the better and the least well off, with some groups dying 16-20 years earlier than the general population.”

100 | VM24 FEATURE

In May, Vapouround got to see how such a program would operate when the Vapouround bus was invited to Montrose Court in Stapleford, Nottingham.

Councillor Richard MacRae helps operate the Stapleford foodbank which is open to everyone and stocked up with surplus food donated from local supermarkets.

As we quickly found out, the foodbank provides more than just food. It acts as a beacon to connect the community with their councillor who can offer them support for a host of issues that may have otherwise not been addressed.

“Some people perhaps haven’t got adequate footwear, so I connect up with another organisation called Shoe Aid and we go and get shoes and trainers and footwear,” Richard said.

“There’s another organisation called Share Wear. Someone might turn up without a jacket or the clothes that they’re wearing are falling apart. But every now and then I get collections for them. It’s got to be a two-way thing. I support them and they support me.”

A 2017 report by The Trussell Trust and Oxford University revealed that respiratory problems were the most common illnesses experienced by people accessing foodbanks, second only to mental illness (itself a high indicator of tobacco-use.) This is backed up by research from the British Heart Foundation which found that cases of lung cancer and COPD were considerably more common in lowincome areas.

While some communities have access to stop-smoking support, the number of services are dwindling. And as numerous recent surveys have shown, e-cigarettes are far more effective than traditional nicotine-replacement therapy at helping smokers quit. Plus, they are considerably cheaper than combustible cigarettes. For Richard, parking the bus beside the foodbank was a no-brainer. He said: “The food is crazy. People are just hungry. What we said is, if they cut down on cigarettes and get a vape, it’s a lot cheaper, for one thing. Then there’s the health side of it. “That's why we targeted it at the food bank and the

surplus food thing. It just made sense to be there for that.”

It proved to be a deft move. Despite only being parked up for a few hours, the Vapouround team dished out at least 20 starter kits and provided advice to countless smokers who may not have seen the bus if it was parked in the town centre.

Feedback after the event was overwhelmingly positive. The plan is to return later in the year, perhaps in the evening to reach those who work during the day.

There are now over 3 million vapers in the UK but that figure shows signs of plateauing. Meanwhile, low-income communities continue to smoke at a much higher rate than the rest of the population.

Foodbanks present an opportunity to get e-cigarettes into the hands of those less likely to seek them out, further contributing to public health and potentially affecting significant social change.

“It was nice to see people come out because, as you said, they come out with other issues,” Richard said.

“They come out and realise there’s a councillor there. I can raise this, that and the other and they can get the food. It was a win-win for everybody.”

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“ “

THE FUTURE OF SQUONKING?

SX MINI X CLASS. ONE OF A KIND.

Squonking has been around since 2010 but it’s only become a mainstream staple of vaping in the last couple of years. Since their inception, squonk mods have incorporated a bottle in the chassis of the device, which is squeezed by the user, feeding e-liquid to an atomiser on top. SXmini, one of the leading high-end chip makers, is on a mission to change this.

Their new X-class device, powered by the SX650J chipset and ESS driver, feeds e-liquid to your atomiser via a motorized pump in the mod. The combination of sophisticated chipset and pump opens the door for all kinds of auto-squonking functionality, the question is, does this feel like the future of squonking?

The fit, finish and construction of the X-class is great, as one would expect from a premium device and the stainless steel, zinc alloy and carbon fibre construction is sturdy and luxurious. The large colour TFT touch screen is more than a match for Evolv’s DNA C counterparts and from top-to-bottom the X-class is in keeping with the rest of SXmini’s premium offerings.

Despite being a rather large and heavy dual battery device, the X-class is very comfortable to use, with a clever shape and button placement, allowing for easy thumb firing in either hand. A four millilitre polycarbonate cartridge is found where the squonk would usually sit and it is very easy to pull out, refill and re-install without mess so there are no problems here.

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The new flagship SX650J board is more comprehensive than anything SXmini has previously released. Preheat, TCR, temperature control, novice, ambient temperature compensation, and ESS settings are all here to configure. Even for advanced users, this is a lot to take in. I had to consult the user manual to get to grips with menu navigation but there is also Bluetooth pairing and the SXmini app makes life easier.

Temperature control works flawlessly out of the box, but you can now incorporate TC with the ESS driver, to automatically feed e-liquid to your coils as they become dry.

Most people will likely be using the X-Class in wattage mode, where you can adjust the pump speed to compensate for different power levels. There is a balance to be struck here between pump speed, power output and wicking. At first I thought it would be an annoying extra consideration but, in practice, there is margin for error, so you won’t be fiddling for hours in order to get good autosquonking results. In single coil atomisers, running at 45W, with slightly shorter than usual wicks, I found setting the pump to 70 results in a constantly saturated wick.

In dual coil atomisers, typically running at 75W or more, you’re going to need to set the pump to the full 100 and use shorter wicks than usual, which are thinned out at the ends, akin to how you might wick an RTA. Make no mistake, you are relying somewhat on capillary action when using this device. When using a traditional squonker, you can press the bottle as hard as you

like, forcing large amounts of e-liquid onto the deck. With the ESS driver, small bursts of liquid are pumped up each time, so the wicks do need to do their job efficiently.

Unfortunately, there are limitations to the auto-squonk system. No matter how I wicked my RDAs, I could not get the auto-squonking to keep up with particularly power-hungry builds, running at 90W and above. When using this level of power, I would have to use the manual pump feature intermittently to supply the coils with additional e-liquid. I feel a firmware update, allowing for additional pump speed would remedy this limitation and this should be quite achievable.

There is some vibration from the motor, which can’t be heard over the sound of dual coils firing at 75W, but it can be felt in the hand. The motor does also impact the battery life of the device but not drastically so by any means.

I cannot deny the boldness and pure innovation of the X-class. This is an entirely new experience. The ability to vape my favourite RDAs, without re-dripping or squonking is very satisfying, even if it’s not something I feel compelled to do all the time.

The technology here is not perfect but the X-Class is an exciting device which I hope is the first step in paving a new way for squonking enthusiasts.

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RDA

Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

ANGER AS SCOTT GOTTLIEB JOINS PHARMA GIANT PFIZER LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER QUITTING FDA

Leading democrat Elizabeth Warren says he should reconsider new post and step down. By Gordon Stribling and Patrick Griffin

It would be fair to say that Scott Gottlieb was not considered to be a friend of the vape industry by the time he stepped down as Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

By the time he quit the post on April 5, after just under two years, he had built up a fearsome reputation as a harsh critic of the vape industry. News website Vox said he was the “most aggressive anti-tobacco FDA leader in years” while the New York Times described him as the man “who fought teenage vaping.”

Gottlieb spearheaded the FDA’s crackdown against tobacco and vape products, regularly spoke about America’s “teen vaping epidemic” and was a harsh critic of the tobacco and e-cigarette industries.

The NY Times also reported that the Gottlieb-led FDA “approved a record number of generic medicines, new drugs, and medical devices,” adding: “He led the agency into unusual territory, calling for lower drug prices and speaking out about the opioid crisis.”

Announcing his departure in March, Gottlieb cited family reasons for leaving, saying he wanted to spend more time with his wife and children.

However, less than three months after he left the FDA in April, he joined the board of directors of Pfizer, one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies.

The ‘revolving door’ between the FDA and Big Pharma is wellestablished. In the past 38 years, all but one departing FDA commissioner has ended up working in the pharmaceutical industry.

However many eyebrows were raised that the man who was so critical about tobacco and vaping should become a director of a company which makes a number of smoking-cessation products including Champix/Chantix and Nicotrol.

The potential for Gottlieb to directly profit from competitors of an industry he had been so critical of in his past role has left a sour taste in the mouths of many in the vaping world and beyond. Just days before the announcement, Gottlieb wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal that laid out the two potential regulatory pathways for vape companies to get their products approved in the US.

The first option is the costly and cumbersome PMTA process - some estimate that it could cost as much as $1million for a single component to be analysed, tested and approved - and the other is the Over the Counter (OTC) pathway to secure market approval.

Vape products for OTC medicinal use would be treated like nicotine patches and gums but would be subject to much stricter

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“ “

safeguards. This would put vape businesses in direct competition with pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer.

Both the OTC and PMTA pathways are heavily weighted in favour of Big Pharma and Big Tobacco and its pharmaceutical arms. Few, if any, independent vape companies have the financial clout or regulatory experience to get their products approved.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is pushing for legislation that would prohibit pharmaceutical companies from hiring former government officials so soon after leaving office, was highly critical of Gottlieb’s new career choice.

She told him in a letter:

“This kind of revolving door influence-peddling smacks of corruption, and makes the American people rightfully cynical and distrustful about whether high-level Trump administration officials are working for them, or for their future corporate employers.

“You should rectify your mistake and immediately resign from your position as a Pfizer board member.

“Doing so would send a strong and necessary message to the American people about the importance of government ethics and the integrity of current and former federal officials.”

When Gottlieb announced on Twitter that he was “honored to be joining the board of directors of Pfizer” many of the replies expressed outrage and anger.

Typical comments included: “Never, ever voice an opinion on e-cigs again,” “You should be embarrassed and ashamed that you threw the vaping industry under the bus to enhance your own career,” and “Thank you for answering why you have been so antivaping when the rest of the world supports this life-saving tech.”

Many other comments were just as critical and some were abusive and personal but one theme was constant and the phrase “conflict of interest” cropped up multiple times.

Gottlieb was not phased by any of the criticism and defended his record at the FDA saying: “I feel very confident about my record at the agency…I acted in the interest of public health and public interest.”

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This kind of revolving door influence-peddling smacks of corruption

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114 | VM24 COVER STORY

the Greatest Vape

The tobacco bans in US prisons came into force in April 2006 amid concerns about second-hand smoke and prisoner welfare. But while this may have made prisons healthier, it didn’t necessarily make them safer.

Jamie Mosley, who works as the jailer for Laurel County Correctional Center in Kentucky, witnessed the impact that the ban was having on his inmates and colleagues. He told Vapouround: “The number one contraband problem in every correctional setting is not drugs, it’s tobacco. And because prisoners lack the ability to get much in the facility, it creates lots of conflict, fights and assault-type situations.”

Jamie wanted to develop a product that would combat these issues he noticed surging in his prison, so in late 2012 he created Crossbar: an e-cigarette for prisons.

At the time, there was no commercially available product suitable for a correctional setting, because existing products could easily be made into weapons or used to start fires.

Jamie says: “Initially, the primary concern was the casing: most retail products had a metal or plastic casing and, being that I operate a correctional facility, I have an understanding of the types of objects that simple materials can be formed into, to create dangerous weapons.”

The second thing that Jamie had to be wary of when developing Crossbar was the battery size and power, so that it couldn’t be used as an ignition source.

The result of these safety and security considerations was a cig-a-like made of soft, pliable plastic that housed a microprocessor which stopped the coil from heating any longer than two and a half seconds. In other words, a prison-proof e-cigarette.

Despite these rigid design constraints, Jamie was keen for his product to rival commercial e-cigarettes in terms of quality and materials.

He says: “We wanted to make sure that we were developing a very high-quality product from an ingredients standpoint and making sure we were minimising the risk of many future health concerns.

“So, using pharmaceutical grade nicotine and understanding issues of synthetic reservoirs versus natural cotton reservoirs that are non-organic and could have been exposed to pesticides. We wanted our product to exceed that which would be available to the typical retail consumer.”

Crossbar was an immediate hit with inmates and guards alike. It allowed prisoners to consume nicotine while also proving its worth as an incentivising tool for good behaviour, whereby prisoners were more likely to keep their living areas clean if they knew they could otherwise be denied a Crossbar.

Jamie says: “It’s almost astonishing how quickly the inmate population becomes calmer when they have the product

HOW A SPECIAL ‘PRISON-FRIENDLY’ E-CIGARETTE IS HELPING COMBAT THE VIOLENCE SPARKED BY THE TOBACCO BAN INSIDE US CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES… AND IT COULD SOON BE HEADING TO THE UK TOO
116 | VM24 FEATURE

really developed on behalf of the inmate.

“It was developed on behalf of the facilities to combat the tobacco contraband issues that exist, but also to create a revenue stream that would allow facilities to participate in more inmate welfare programmes or rehabilitation initiatives.”

Crossbar has been so successful that 33 US states now offer the e-cigarette in their prisons. What’s more, it’ll soon be available in the UK and across Europe, Jamie has obtained EU certification and is working on making sure the e-cigarette is TPD compliant. “We’re very excited, especially for in the UK to be able to offer this product to facilities across the water,” Jamie says.

Like most of the US, all closed prisons in England and Wales also operate smoke-free policies.

A Prison Service spokesperson told Vapouround: “Prisoners have been given support in quitting smoking if they need it, including vapes, e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement therapy.”

And Prison Service guidance suggests that over 33,000 prisoners per week are buying vaping products that are available for purchase in prison canteens.

But Ryan Harman, advice and information service manager at the Prison Reform Trust, says that he’s heard concerns about the high cost of e-cigarettes in prison.

When bans first came into place, some inmates struggled to adapt to vaping.

Ryan says: “The amount some inmates would spend on an electronic product and the speed in which they’d use it, compared to tobacco, was problematic.

“They’d use up their allowance quickly and have nothing left for the week. We’re talking about a population that has a very small amount of money to spend, so value for money is really important to them.”

Ryan says that the Prison Reform Trust’s position on the prison smoking ban is that prison “as much as possible, should reflect what is available in the community.”

He adds: “Ideally, we would like to see people still have that choice of whether to smoke or not, but we appreciate that it is a complicated issue and people need to have the freedom to not be passive smokers.”

“THE NUMBER ONE CONTRABAND PROBLEM IN EVERY CORRECTIONAL SETTING IS NOT DRUGS, IT’S TOBACCO.”
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Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

Canadian government officials are being swept up by America’s teen vaping panic

Whether America’s so-called youth vaping crisis is an epidemic of nicotine-addiction or mass hysteria depends on who you ask. But whatever the facts may be, there’s little doubt that it’s having repercussions beyond the nation’s border.

Until recently, Canada’s approach to vaping regulation was more in-line with the UK than neighbouring America. The Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) of 2018 included explicit guidelines to allow adults to switch to less-harmful products while restricting youth access. But fears of a USlike ‘epidemic’ have shifted the discussion.

“I hear stories from my own kids about more kids vaping at school,” Edmonton Councillor Michael Walters said.

“It’s not like I’ve done extensive research but from just talking to teachers, there is a concern that more and more kids are doing it and we can certainly see it.”

Walters called on city and higher levels of government to bring in tighter advertising restrictions to limit youth exposure to products.

A recent study from the British Medical Journal (BMJ) galvanised the simmering uncertainty among politicians and certain tobacco-control groups.

The most widely publicised statistic from the survey of Canadian, American and English teens was a 74 percent

increase in the number of young Canadian vapers over the past two years.

One important qualifier that the headlines did not address was that just 0.6 percent of Canadian youth never-smokers vaped more than 15 of the past 30 days.

Of course, 0.6 is a slightly bigger number than 0, and most vapers would agree that any level of underage non-smokeruse is too much.

To address the ‘surge’ in teen-use, British Columbia (B.C.) health minister Adrian Dix plans to introduce new provincial restrictions.

Dix said: “B.C. also stands ready to introduce its own initiatives should federal action be delayed. Obviously, it is our preference to work with other jurisdictions and the federal government on joint action.

“In addition, we will be working with youth across B.C. to establish youth-led efforts to curb vaping among young people.”

Advocacy group Rights 4 Vapers addressed the BMJ study and the ensuing political fallout in a statement that drew officials such as Dix to the regulations already in place to limit teen access to adult vaping products.

Academic research adviser Dr Chris Lalonde noted that sale

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to under-18s is already prohibited (it’s important to note here that respondents to the BMJ survey included 19-year-olds), plus there are restrictions on promotion, advertising and types of flavour and packaging-design that could appeal to children.

Dr. Lalonde asked: “Is this single set of data enough to justify the hasty introduction of more draconian regulatory measures that could simultaneously reduce the appeal of these products to adult smokers that rely on vaping to reduce or quit smoking?”

Dr Lalonde also noted that there has been a rise in both alcohol and marijuana-use among teens, a statistic that politicians swept up by the social panic de jour seem unaware of.

While Canada’s vaping industry may be opposed to further regulation, the government has recently proposed one initiative that many advocates agree is a good move which would bring the country’s regulation closer to that of the EU’s TPD.

On June 21, health minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor launched public consultations to strengthen the labelling and packaging requirements on vaping products to make it easier for adults to safely store and use but harder for children to access vaping products.

If amendments to the TVPA were passed, manufacturers

would be required to include a complete list of ingredients, a nicotine-concentration statement and warnings about the addictiveness of nicotine.

Packaging would have to be child-resistant and include a toxicity warning and guidelines of what to do if the contents are swallowed. The consultation will run until September 5.

The health minister said: “As part of Canada’s Tobacco Strategy, we are looking at innovative ways to help reduce nicotine addiction and the harms associated with it.

“These proposed regulations will protect Canadians, especially young children, from nicotine poisoning, and help adults who choose to vape make informed choices about their health.”

The challenge for politicians and vaping activists now is to address legitimate, though, some would argue, overstated, fears about teen nicotine-use without taking reactionary measures.

Professor David Hammond from the University of Waterloo summed it up nicely. He said: “What the government and public-health authorities need to do is find some balance to allow adult smokers to have access to these products, without creating a new generation of nicotine users.

“We haven’t got that balance right yet.”

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Most people would surely agree that encouraging children to take up either smoking or drinking is a bad thing. And while the vaping community actively encourages smokers to switch to e-cigarettes, it would be difficult to find anyone who would encourage children to take up smoking or vaping. Yet when it comes to reality TV, one series above all othersCelebrity Big Brother - has been blamed for encouraging young people to smoke.

The Channel 5 series, which gained a cult status during its seven year run, is accused of giving so much prominence to smoking that its 2018 series alone is is responsible for 47 million tobacco impressions – separate incidents seen – to children under 16. The findings come from a University of Nottingham study published in the Journal of Public Health which concludes that tobacco and alcohol use is commonplace in British reality television shows.

The researchers measured depictions of alcohol and tobacco products on 112 episodes of Celebrity Big Brother, Made in

REALITY CHECK

Study finds that cigarette and alcohol references are common in UK reality TV shows

Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex, Geordie Shore, and Love Island, aired between January and August 2018.

They counted the number of one minute intervals which contained tobacco and/or alcohol imagery showing actual use, implied use, tobacco or alcohol-related materials, product-specific branding and estimated viewer exposure to the imagery on screen.

The survey team combined audience viewing figures with population estimates to determine overall and individual impressions by age group for each of the programmes being shown.

The report said: “Tobacco content appeared in 20 episodes and almost all (98%) of this content occurred in a single reality TV series, Celebrity Big Brother. This included actual tobacco use, inferred tobacco use, and tobacco paraphernalia. Tobacco branding was not present.

“When all the data was combined with audience viewing figures and population estimates, the researchers estimate that the episodes delivered 214 million overall tobacco impressions, including 47 million to children under 16.”

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Breaking down the tobacco references found on Celebrity Big Brother showed the following:

• Cigarette smoking (actual use) was seen in 55 percent of episodes

• Inferred tobacco use (typically people holding, but not seen smoking, a cigarette) was seen in 62 percent while tobacco paraphernalia (predominantly cigarette packs) was recorded in 45 percent of episodes.

The research found that there was no actual tobacco branding seen in any of the Celebrity Big Brother episodes in the series.

There was no tobacco content at all in Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex and Love Island and only a small amount of tobacco paraphernalia shown in two episodes of Geordie Shore.

In contrast, alcohol content was seen in all five of the reality TV series studied with actual alcohol use shown in every episode of Made in Chelsea and Geordie Shore.

Lead author Alexander Barker said: “Starting to smoke or drink

alcohol at a young age is a strong predictor of dependence and continued use in later life.

“Given that seeing alcohol or tobacco imagery in the media promotes use among young people, this study therefore identifies reality television shows as a major potential driver of alcohol and tobacco consumption in young people in the UK.

“Tighter scheduling rules, such as restricting the amount of content and branding shown in these programmes, could prevent children and adolescents from being exposed to the tobacco and alcohol content.”

The report concluded: “Viewing figures for reality TV programmes have increased substantially in recent years, especially among pre-teen and teenaged viewers.

“Although the Ofcom Broadcasting Code states that tobacco and alcohol content ‘must not be condoned, encouraged or glamourised’ in programmes likely to be widely seen, heard or accessed by under-eighteens, our study suggests that this guidance is not being observed in practice.

“Further measures may therefore be required to protect under-18s from tobacco and alcohol content in reality TV programmes.”

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This study identifies reality television shows as a major potential driver of alcohol and tobacco consumption in young people in the UK. “

The power of CBD.

the-body.info
4/5 October 2019 Cologne
Exhibition

Vype launch new “pocket rocket” ePod at Silverstone British Grand Prix weekend

If you plan to formally announce a new product in the fastmoving pod mod market, then the Silverstone motor racing circuit is an ideal choice of venue.

British American Tobacco (BAT) did just that when it launched the new Vype ePod during the British Grand Prix weekend last month.

BAT was at the world famous British motorsport hub as part of its global partnership with the McLaren Formula One team.

Nigel Hardy, head of next generation products, described the closed system category as a significant growth driver and added: “Pod mods are reframing the landscape.

“Consumers are focusing on enjoyment, satisfaction and simplicity which is a sign that the category is maturing. Taste and sensory evaluation is becoming more important. Our products need to fit into the lifestyles, rituals and routines of our consumers and this all needs to be underpinned with trust and quality.

“Consumers are now using a repertoire of different flavours and they want to be seen with certain brands and certain products.”

Since the Vype ePen 3 was launched a year ago it has become “the biggest and fastest selling pod mod in the UK” but Nigel hopes the new ePod will do even better.

He said: “We have a very exciting new product, a little pocket rocket, that we

believe will continue to drive the vaping market in the UK and which offers flavours which will bring a fantastic sensory experience to our consumers.

“There is a demand for well-designed, small, smart products. At the heart of our vaping strategy is Vype and our ambition is to be the most preferred and most trusted vaping brand in the world.”

Nigel said BAT’s association with McLaren had highlighted the need to move quickly and constantly innovate to take full advantage of market trends.

He added: “What you start to see now is the evolution, change and pace of development as technology, innovation and a better understanding of consumer needs starts to drive the direction, look and feel of vaping products and platforms.”

Nigel said the UK vaping market was the second-biggest in the world outside the USA and said it was vital that vape companies continued to deliver the products and flavours that the market demanded.

The new Vype ePod features ceramic heating technology, magnetic cartridge connection, a puff-activated delivery system and a powerful battery. Vype ePod cartridges come in five nicotine salt flavours including tropical mango, chilled mint and golden tobacco.

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FEATURE
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Video sharing for the Vaping Community! Reviews, Tutorials, Vlogs and much more!
Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance
These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance
Warning:

US STUDIES GO AGAINST THE GRAIN OF SCEPTICAL NARRATIVE

The American scientific and public health community remain sceptical that e-cigarettes help smokers stay free from tobacco. However, a new study led by a Harvard medical professor has provided the first long-term population data demonstrating the effectiveness of e-cigarettes among American smokers.

The team from Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Tobacco Research and Treatment Center analysed the data gathered from the first three years of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study.

The same individual representatives of the population are questioned every year. This allows the researchers to track how the tobacco habits of more than 8,000 people have changed.

The investigators measured how likely a smoker was to quit and stay tobacco-free, either by going cold-turkey or through daily or non-daily e-cigarette-use.

The researchers found that smokers who used e-cigarettes every day reported a much higher rate of prolonged abstinence from tobacco (11 percent) than the cold-turkey group (6 percent).

E-cigarette users were also no more likely than the other group to relapse to tobacco-smoking.

Nancy Rigotti, MD, senior author of the paper and director of the

MGH Tobacco Research and Treatment Center, said: “Smokers who plan to stop smoking should still be encouraged to first use FDA-approved therapies rather than e-cigarettes. “But this study suggests e-cigarettes may be helpful for some smokers who are not able to quit with these existing treatments.”

Interestingly, regular e-cigarette users who did not vape every day were no more likely to stay abstinent than the cold-turkey group.

Sara Kalkhoran, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said:

“This finding suggests that smokers who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking need to use them regularly – every day – for these products to be most helpful.”

The study is the latest published or conducted within American shores to contradict the narrative which suggests that most vapers continue to dual-use rather than switching altogether.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year found that e-cigarettes were twice as effective as nicotine patches and gum at helping smokers quit tobacco.

And in July, an FDA study concluded that 200,000 more US smokers could have switched to e-cigarettes in 2015 if dual users had been better informed about their relative safety.

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VAPOUROUND ON TOUR

At last, the much-awaited second instalment of Vape South America in Colombia was upon us. My love of expos has somewhat dwindled, due the fact that I have spent 50 percent of the last four years in an expo hall. So rarely now do I get excited at the prospect of spending two or three days walking around expos or manning a booth for this amount of time. This being said, Colombia is very special to us as Vapouround is the main media partner for this expo. We attended the launch of this show last year and what a great event it was. This is the reason we were so excited to return.

Colombia is beautiful, with some amazing scenery and very friendly people. There are whispers about how it is a dangerous country but we never experienced anything remotely off-putting.

So we arrived in Medallin where the expo was based, after roughly 24 hours of travelling. We were tired and manged to get some rest before setting up our booth on build day. When we arrived at the venue in Medellin, we saw a massive banner outside the expo hall with our logo on it. It never gets old seeing our branding and logos on a building thousands of miles from home.

We walked into the main expo hall, and wow, what a great job the organisers had done and how this show has evolved from year one. There was probably double the number of

exhibitors, the expo had many fantastic-looking booths and I could tell that people had really made the effort on this one. There seemed to be a massive influx of American exhibitors compared to the year before and I think they could see the massive potential of this emerging market.

Old favourites like Daddy’s Vapor, Charlie’s Chalk Dust, Arc Distribution and Diamond Vapor were amongst those waving the American flag. International representation was at an all time high too, with Red Liquids, Dinner Lady and Riot Squad being among those representing the UK while Smok, Vaporesso and Asmodus were all showing off their hardware direct from China. There was a great mix of brand new companies from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Chile all popping their proverbial exhibition cherries.

The expo was separated into two halls. One negative was the hall with the main stage could get too loud, especially when something was happening on stage. The other side seemed more quiet and relaxed and I was surprised to see that the show build was still going on well after the show had opened.

All in all, the expo was a total success, great business was doneW and the place was full of consumers as well as business owners and shops. I’m excited to return to Colombia for part three of Vape South America.

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THE HALL OF VAPE

Heading into the Hall of Vape in Stuttgart, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect as I had never been to this show before but had heard so much about it.

It didn’t take me long to discover that this was everything it was cracked up to be…and more. This event took place over two cavernous halls with one centred on hardware and the other full of companies selling e-liquids.

Separating hardware and juices in this way is a really good idea, particularly so at a show of this size where there was a lot less hunting around for a particular company. For me this was a huge plus and is something which makes total sense. This show followed the conventional pattern for a three day event with the first day reserved for business-to-business attendees and the other two days open to consumers.

Hall of Vape was a great show to do business - all of the exhibitors I spoke to were very happy with the event and I made a lot of good contacts there. Many of the exhibitors here were actively seeking new networking opportunities and it was clear that a lot of business deals were being discussed at the show.

Most of the time I am office based, so I enjoyed the opportunity to see people face-to-face and also to introduce myself to some of the biggest names within the vape and CBD industry, with the likes of GenCanna and Phat Juice.

I came across a variety of different personalities, cultures and backgrounds at the Hall of Vape and as an added bonus, I got to test some of the tastiest vape and CBD flavours from around the world, with honourable mentions to Ripe Vapes and their VLC flavour and also the excellent juices by CBD BlissW.

The second day was Saturday and it saw both halls swarming with vape enthusiasts from all around the globe. The show was packed with so many vape fans that I often had to struggle to get around. I don’t think I have seen a show quite so busy and, as a result, the atmosphere was electric.

The energy levels were off the scale and there was this intangible buzz in the air, a buzz we were all feeding off, exhibitors and consumers alike.

Sunday was a little quieter than Saturday but it was still a very busy day and I spent a lot of time chatting with exhibitors. The general consensus was that the event went exceptionally well.

This was a hectic, non-stop, high-octane vape adventure and I know that many companies reported selling out their stock which is always a good sign at a show.

For me, not only was the Hall of Vape an eye-opening experience entrenched with business opportunities, but it was also a cultural experience which I very much enjoyed.

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SPANISH VAPERS ARE A PASSIONATE BUNCH AND IT’S BY NO MEANS A SMALL COMMUNITY.

Spain is a wonderful place to be a vaper right now. There is so much happening and there are some great quality vape exhibitions across the country. It really has become Europe’s rather unlikely vape hub.

I say unlikely because earlier this year, a Spanish public health study found the national smoking rate among adults in the country is going in the wrong direction – it’s headed back to where it was pre-vaping, when the smoking ban was introduced.

The drug consumption survey noted that 34 percent of the population smoke every day compared to 32.8 percent when the anti-smoking legislation was introduced in 2005. Nevertheless, Spanish vapers are a passionate bunch and it’s by no means a small community, even if it is yet to make a dent in the smoking rate.

Last year’s Vapexpo show in Madrid was such a success, the attendance levels blew our team away. It was certain we would return as exclusive media partner to the June 2019 event.

Show organisers Juanjo and José Miguel are two of a kind

and they staged a fantastic event. They’re incredible at what they do, not just around this show but for the wider Spanish-speaking vape trade.

They listen to feedback, they have a good time, but they are also highly respected individuals who work hard steering the Spanish vape community towards success.

They mix and mingle among business owners and newbie vapers and make sure there is a healthy equilibrium, satisfying what the vape community expects while also tending to the needs of the vape trade coming to town for the weekend.

They’re passionate about this show in an unforced, natural

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of Spanish. We knew from 2018 that everyone at this show speaks the native tongue, so this time we came armed with our Vapouround Español translator, Andreea Mirela Enoae. We arrived to a steady queue of devout vapers as the line spiralled down the street and around the corner with people eagerly waiting to go through event security.

The response Vapouround Español received across this entire weekend from clients, whom at this point we consider friends, was beyond belief. This show was ideally situated on the expo calendar for quality catch-ups with the gang at Vampire Vape, Riot Squad, Daddy’s Vapor, Dr Frost, Vape Distribution and Red Liquids. It was also a chance to see

On Sunday morning, the show was open exclusively to the trade and I thought this was a great idea. From a sales point of view, you could start talking to people on Saturday and close deals by lunchtime Sunday. It also meant Sunday had more of a relaxed vibe where you could walk comfortably around the show and if you did, you’d have seen Vapouround Awards pride of place on several stands, like Firehouse Vape for example. To us, that’s such a sense of community. Vapexpo Spain has become a landmark show for the Spanish vape scene and long may it continue.

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“THE RESPONSE VAPOUROUND ESPAÑOL RECEIVED ACROSS THIS ENTIRE WEEKEND FROM CLIENTS WHOM AT THIS POINT WE CONSIDER FRIENDS WAS BEYOND BELIEF.”

ASH confirms: there’s no UK teen e-cig epidemic

Asubstantialmajority of British children have never even sample d an e-cigarette, new survey data shows, although it is a regular pursuit for a small minority, and more popular among older te enagers.

15.4% of British minors aged 11 to 18 have tried vap ing, almost unchanged from 16% last year, al though the proportion of current vapers has increased from 3 4% to 4 9% according to new figures from the anti smoking advocacy group Ac tion on Smoking and Health (ASH).

These figures, however, conceal dramatic differ ences between age groups.

Older children are much more likely to have tried vaping or to be current vapers. For example, 26.7% of 16 to 18 year olds have at least experimented, against just 8 5% of 11 to 15 year olds

Perhaps most notably, for current vaping the preva lences are 9% and 2 5% respectively, meaning that young people between 16 and 18 are significantly more likely than the adult population as a whole to vape (with adult prevalence at about 6%, according to ECigIntelligence research)

As in the US, this is likely to be interpreted both positively by those who see youth vaping as an avoidance of smoking and negatively, by those who fear it will lead non smokers to use of com bustibles.

However, few young British vapers are never smok ers. Only 5.5% of those who have never smoked have

About ECigIntelligence

tried vaping, and just 0 8% are currently vaping, the large majority of them less than weekly

Although the number of never smoking youth who vape has increased slightly over time a trend also noted earlier this year in an evidenc e review by Public Health England ASH remains relatively sanguine, observing that “not a single never smoker reported vaping daily”.

And, suggested ASH chief executive Deborah Arnott, although monitoring should continue, it seems unlikely that vaping by British minors has provided a gateway into smoking, which has declined appreciably in the last decade.

“To date,” Arnott added, “there is little sign that va ping is the ‘super cool’ phenomenon among young people here that it is said to be in the USA.”

Indeed, some of the ASH research’s most signifi cant findings, given the ever heightening concern over youth vaping in the US and the recent arrival of the widely blamed Juul product in the UK, relate to the reasons that never smokers decide to vape

Most of them (71%) said they simply wanted to try it; 11% were following the example of other people; 10% were attracted by flavours; and only 0 5% said it was because vaping looked cool.

By contrast, while simply trying vaping is the most important attraction for current and former smok ers as well, they were also more attracted than never smokers by flavours. Price and availability play little role in encouraging any groups to vape.

Juul had the highest brand awareness among the survey group as a whole, although unprompted re call was still low.

ECigIntelligence is the leading provider of detailed global market and regulatory analysis, legal tracking, and quantitative data for the e cigarette, heated tobacco and combustible alternatives sector worldwide Customised research and consultancy are also available

We offer tools to navigate the complex market and regulatory landscape through inde pendent, analytical and actionable data insights, in depth country reports, regulatory trackers and legal analysis. We also publish CBD Intel.com for the European CBD sector.

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INTERSTEAM BERLIN

ARENA BERLIN, JUNE 14-16

Berlin is a vibrant city where counterculture thrives. The street art, culinary options, nightlife and architecture are all uniquely notable and the vape scene is no exception. InterSteam Berlin provided the ideal backdrop to dive further into Germany’s vape culture, with many remarkable brands in attendance.

Our friends from Cloud Island had a lot to show, including products from Country Clouds, Immortal Mods, Drako Mods, and more. Particularly spectacular e-liquids at the stand were the range from The King’s Custard and The King’s Creams.

Nameless Mods had a brilliant display and took home the award for Best Hardware at the expo. The company also noted that their soon-to-be-released Unthroned mod, currently in the prototype stage, will feature a constant contact switch, which promises to be an instant favourite. Also on display was Anonymous Coils, whose handmade coils are beautifully packaged in individual presentation tins. One of the most interesting things about this expo was the

number of exhibitors who were using their powers for good, not just within the vape industry, but also to aid Germany’s arts and cultural communities.

One such company, Wrong? E-liquids, donate one euro of every sale they make to local arts and culture charities in Berlin. Their e-liquids, which use no sweeteners or artificial flavourings, include many delightfully unique and quirky pairings, including “Cunnilingus,” a bergamot, peach and grape blend; “Open Sesame,” a cacao and sesame seed blend, and “Berrylyn Monroe,” a mix of wild berries and apricots.

Another company doing wonderful things for the German vape community was Wanna Vapor whose main mission is to help smokers quit. They have 80 flavours in their range but generally encourage smokers to try a tobacco flavour to begin with as they start their vaping journey.

The quality of their liquid has been the key to their success over time, but the effort they put in to helping people quit smoking through vaping has clearly helped them stand out as a brand.

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Other noteworthy brands included Barehead E-Liquids, whose Weird Vibes lemonades made a huge splash at the show. Both the Berry and Thyme Lemonade, as well as the Mango and Basil Lemonade, which also took an award at the show, were two of the flavours that stood out most to me.

Harmony Hemp’s CBD range was a major favourite, as well, offering a plethora of delicious, high-quality CBD vape liquids, as well as disposable vape pen cartridges.

In all, Berlin’s vape scene is clearly thriving, and it was refreshing to see so many brands working towards a better future for their community. The people involved were genuinely positive and welcoming, and the unique flavour combinations I experienced were truly unlike any other market I’ve experienced in the world thus far. I definitely can’t wait to go back for the next expo.

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STEAM SHOW MEXICO

CENTRO CITIBANAMEX. JUNE 14-16.

international vape event, which was celebrated in Mexico City from 14-16 June.

It was a great show from start to finish, from the way it was organised to ensuring that the exhibitors were well looked after and made to feel at home.

Special care was taken to ensure that every visitor was able to live the vaping experience to the highest level. It was a really excellent event indeed.

The show opened with a business-to-business day where the exhibitors presented their brands and their business ideas and many partnerships and collaborations were discussed at the event.

Shows like this are ideal venues to make new business partnerships and it was clear that people took full advantage of the opportunity to do so. This day was attended by 1,000 people so it was very successful indeed. The following days were fully accessible to the general public, with a record of 4,000 visitors and this level of attendance added to the overall sense of experience for all concerned.

Stage dynamics, gifts from exhibitors, the long-awaited

The winners were the following:

Best Fruit - Fcukin Flava Best Menthol – Smoking Bullet Best Dessert – Dream Drip

Best Beverage – Vampire Vape

Best NicSalt – Pacha Mama

Best Tobacco – CEN

Best Shop – Vapeland

Brand Launch – LKDO

In the end more than 75 national and international exhibitors took part and more than 150 brands were represented. I am looking forward to the next edition of Steam Show Mexico 2020, which will undoubtedly be a fascinating experience and will surely have new surprises.

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Cloud Chasing contest and many other surprises took place during the show where there was never a dull moment because so much was going on. The announcement of the Steam Awards was one of the activities which was met with great expectation.
EVENTS
These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance
Warning:

VAPE ISRAEL 2019

TEL

AVIV. 27-28 JUNE, 2019.

Israel’s first ever vape show, Vape Israel, proved to be a wonderful event that opened our eyes to the budding vape scene in Tel Aviv. Held at Expo Tel Aviv, and organised by our friends, the Samuel brothers, the lively show was supported by both locals and companies from afar. Interestingly enough, a large number of exhibitors were from California and I enjoyed catching up with them.

I first visited Ripe Vapes, who have been supplying premium e-liquids to vape connoisseurs since 2013. Based in Camarillo, California, their “handcrafted joose,” as they call it, boasts a truly sophisticated presentation. Their flagship VCT flavour, a full-bodied Vanilla Custard Tobacco has proved so popular that there is now VCT Strawberry, VCT Coconut, a VCT Bold tobacco flavour, and my personal favourite, VCT Chocolate.

They also have several other unique fruit and dessert flavours in their range and all flavours are now available as 20mg salts to comply with many international standards. I spent a good amount of time speaking with the team at Prophet Premium, another elite Southern California brand. Owner Jeff explained that the name came from the idea that the word “prophet” symbolises something higher and better so it was no surprise to learn that Jeff’s biggest joy is to serve both his employees and customers.

From the Prophet Premium line, the entire range is spoton, but personal favourites included Strawberry Cupcake, Pineapple Burst, and Blueberry Lemon Drops. From their TRPCL line I highly recommend the Aloha Gummy and Mango Mania flavours.

Other brands of great interest were also in attendance. BLVK Unicorn had a brilliant display, true to their form as marketing masters and their flavours are just as masterful. The FRZN line is a must if you fancy menthols, particularly the Mango and Lychee flavoursW and if you like creamy flavours, their Milk Box range is fabulous.

Marina Vape had their new Alternativ line to display, which is a candy menthol range. You can’t go wrong, but Alpha, an apple and grape blend, and the Beta, a peach and green apple blend, are particularly tasty. Kick had their devices expertly paired with the range from Dr. Vapes, and their display was as beautiful to see as it was enjoyable to vape. Finally, Elysian Labs featured their Potions range, an homage to Game of Thrones, and paired these with the Dragon Egg Ion by Cloud On, for a combination that would make any fan geek out.

In all, it was a truly memorable show, and we look forward to returning to Tel Aviv for the next one.

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EVENTS
| VM24
These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance
Warning:

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VAPE KOREA EXPO

JULY 5-7. KOREA INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTER (KINTEX)

This was my first visit to South Korea so I was unsure about what to expect.

I had thought the streets would be crowded with people and traffic and imagined having to fight my way through the hustle and bustle to get around.

However what I found was almost exactly the opposite. There was an amazingly quiet and calm environment with hardly anyone around. The shops didn’t open until 11am and even then there were still few people to be seen.

Vape Korea Expo was held over three days at Kintex Hall 7 and I was surprised to discover that vaping was not allowed inside the exhibition hall.

You could vape the e-liquids at test stations at the stands but that was the extent of it. While walking around the show it was a no vape zone and the only places vaping was allowed was in the designated smoking areas.

So for the first time in six years I was back among the smokers and my clothes smelled of other people’s secondhand tobacco smoke for three days.

None of this is the fault of the organisers of course, as their hands were tied. E-cigarettes are treated as tobacco products in South Korea and there is no vaping or smoking allowed in public places.

This was not a massively busy show, especially on the business-to-business day but this did allow for a relaxed atmosphere to speak to exhibitors.

Thankfully things picked up during the next two days with consumers eager to try out new products and win prizes. When exhibitors were holding competitions to give away prizes there were huge lines of people waiting to try their luck.

There seemed to be a lot of confusion among exhibitors over whether or not they would be allowed to sell products containing nicotine and a lot of exhibitors did not bring any sales stock at all.

It was great to see some established brands such as Vampire Vape, Dr Vapes and ZAP! represented in South Korea along with an up-and-coming UK pod company Airscream. This wasn’t the biggest show on the international vape circuit, there were around 150 companies from 20 countries which certainly shows that there is an appetite for vaping in the country.

It was good to see vaping represented in a country which is so pro-smoking and if regulators come to realise that vaping is not the same as smoking then that would be a huge step forward.

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EVENTS
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Warning: These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance

VAPE BARCELONA

JULY 6-7

A vape show in Barcelona? ¡Sí, por favor! Jason Monti and his crew at Vape Conventions definitely know how to pick locations for expos. This was their first show in Barcelona, a glorious backdrop for a vibrant vape scene and it was fantástico. I caught up with friends old and new and had an enjoyable and educational time.

The heart of this industry, and the reason we all have delicious flavours to vape, is the flavour house, and Reka is one of the best there is. Every flavour house has its strength, and Reka’s is unique and exotic flavours. Their chemists take great pride in making solutions for innovative flavours and secret recipes with originality. Reka’s next stops on the trade show circuit are Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, so be sure to catch the number one flavour house in South Asia if you’re there!

I also spent a good amount of time speaking with the team

at Arc Distribution, who manufacture Burst, Slammin’, Lips & Drips, and more. Owners, Ryan and Travis, wanted to create a safe, top-quality product that consumers would love, and design a company built on community, family, love and trust. Arc and Burst have done very well in Europe and their next focus is Latin America, spreading the love to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay. Their newest addition to Burst is their Salts Collection, with four flavours in 25 and 45 mg, and be sure to watch for Burst Exotics coming soon, which will include exotic fruits from around the world.

I also very much enjoyed testing the range at Jucce. The company launched in October 2018, with high-quality, clean fruits and then released their second line, Juccier, in February, which focuses on fruits, candies, and menthols. Their unique Tobacco won Best Tobacco at the Vapouround Awards in May, and for a new brand in the vape industry, their track record is quite impressive. Their company

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EVENTS

infrastructure is strong and they clearly know what they’re doing. With so many accomplishments already, I can only imagine their future will be bright.

Finally, I spoke with my dear friend, Joe Brown, the V.P. of Sales at Daddy’s Vapor and Twist E-Liquids about their massive international growth and constant innovation. They have a presence at pretty much every expo in the industry and through word of mouth, from handshake to handshake, they create a personal and personable experience for Twist fans around the world. Next on their docket will be more flavours in salt nicotine, as people have responded quite positively to what they offer now, traveling to new markets, such as IndiaW and acquiring companies to add to their already vast distribution base.

Vape Conventions put on a great show, and we are looking forward to round two of Vape Scandinavia in Copenhagen with them in September.

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Tasty cheesecake and currant dessert.

corn, covered with a fabulous Catalan cream and butter.

Fabulous Bronte pistachio cream with a unique taste. Aromatic and strong flavour due to the cultivation and climate of Sicily. This union gives this liquid a unique and unrepeatable taste.

Liqueur cream with an excellent lemon taste. For those who love citrus flavours. lopliquids.eu

cream, mixed with liquorice stick.

A thirst-quenching
layer of strawberry ice with a soft vanilla filling It’s a mix that turns your day upside down with a melon and watermelon fusion that together make it a real pleasure. To complete this tasty aroma, is the papaya, which will leave you amazed.
Lemon-flavoured ice
Delicious pop
Enjoy a sweet, caramelized apple and savour all the goodness of pecans wrapped in a splendid cream. WARRIOR PISTACHIO CREAM THRILL FRAGOLONE ICE CREAM LIKE LEMON LIMONCELLO CREAM COKE AND POP APPLEPECAN

SCATUSCH

A sweet, fresh and inviting blend of green apples and juicy strawberries.

Juicy mango and mandarin to bring you a taste of summer and freshen you up.

A mouth-watering combination of lemon and cola. Quench your thirst and vape it now!

COLIME BLACK SOUL SPLASH SHADOW HAVANA PERIQUE LATAKIA

The English mixture characterizes all its substantial, smokey and sweet taste, but its peppery note makes it unique and special.

Latakia is a tobacco belonging to the “FIRE CURED” class. It is a tobacco used in many mixtures, mainly in those for pipes. Its typically smoked aroma characterizes its intense and aromatic taste and releases many notes, from the scent of leather to the scent of floral.

A tobacco from Louisiana. The main characteristic of this tobacco is its aromatic note. It is robust and at the same time, fruity.

It is a tobacco of German origin. It belongs to the “DARK AIRED CURED” class and is a dark tobacco with a substantial and slightly sweet taste.

Dark blend tobacco. This tobacco combines the aromatic taste of rum and chocolate, giving it a unique and intense flavour.

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LONDON’S FIRST EUROPE CBD EXPO EXCELS

EXCEL, LONDON. JULY 12-13.

The Europe CBD Expo, hosted by London Canna Group, made its debut July 12-13 at London’s ExCeL, where thousands of CBD enthusiasts flocked to see what this international event had in store.

It offered a packed speaker schedule, ample business opportunities and a sprinkling of celebrity.

The expo was a playground for the who’s who in CBD, and the emerging market experts from around the world who are making strides in medicinal cannabis research.

The Europe CBD Expo was a celebration of the legal cannabis community which this country, and London specifically, had been crying out for.

We took the time to speak to a wide range of people at the event and this is what they told us:

How did you find the business-to-business day?

“It was kind of a blur, but we got great feedback and I think this expo has really clashed worlds together that really need to be

together at this point in time. It was great to see the innovation and see the industry growing and booming in such a way.”

- Louis Christodoulou, HERBL

“Really good, I think we sold between 35 and 40 machines, so we had a tremendous show. We only had three members of staff and two machines and at any one time we’ve had 15, 20 people at the stand.”

- Mike Phelan, Coffee Boss

What did you think about consumer day?

“We were positioning ourselves as that voice where people can come and get advice on CBD in a way they can use in their everyday life. We were most excited about getting some feedback on the products, we can all talk to retailers, but it is the end user that we really want to know how it affects them.”

- Alexandra Lee, Naturalis London

“There were all sorts of weird and wonderful people interested in cannabis, I got chatting to some and they were amazing

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EVENTS

characters. I think what was most interesting to me, certainly from a commercial perspective, is that London as a city has noticed CBD.”

- Alan Horton, Ambience CBD

What was your favourite thing about the Europe CBD Expo?

“Meeting the companies and the people involved in the industry. There has been a lot of excitement and buzz around the industry and people are very passionate about their products.”

- Paul Holmes, Hall Analytical

“The best part of the event was seeing how ready the world is to embrace the CBD revolution and the incredible innovation that it is unleashing. The expo was a truly momentous event. B2B day went by in a flurry and the excitement over the booth’s theme was absolutely wonderful.”

- Alex Snider, Plants Not Pills

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On a warm and sunny day in Manchester , the Vapouround Bus stopped off to visit Vlad and the gang at Vampire Vape . With so many people out and about enjoying the weather, the bus was jam packed all day and visitors loved fi nding their favourite fl avours at the onboard vape station. We may even have had some famous faces onboard, as bands pulling up to the nearby O2 Academy couldn’t resist taking a peek. As always, the Vampire Vape guys were fantastic hosts and Vlad was more than happy to squeeze into the driver’s seat for a few pictures. All in all, a hugely successful day with plenty of people leaving the bus well informed and with a goodie bag to boot.

174 | VM24 24 May 2019 – Vampire Vape, Manchester

We arrived at Cut and Vape in Derby on a typical – wet – British summer’s day. The weather didn’t dampen spirits though and we met Nathan Ward, 29, who loved having the chance to climb aboard and test some e-liquids, his favourite being Strawberry Queen Sunrise Smoothie. This was our second visit to Cut and Vape, which is owned and run by Andy, who was more than happy to have us visit again. Andy says that having the Vapouround Bus parked outside has been a great way to draw people’s attention to his shop, but also to the wonderful world of vaping.

25 June 2019 – Cut and Vape, Derby

Oh, we do love to be beside the seaside and where better to have an evening vape meet than right next to the beach? It was a balmy evening in Bournemouth and more than 100 people climbed aboard the Vapouround Bus to enjoy the atmosphere. The Paradox shop was so busy that the bus resembled a real lounge, with people enjoying the music and making great use of the test stations; a “vaping party bus” according to some. It wasn’t just vaping enthusiasts who came to spend the evening though, we had a few people pass by who decided they’d take the plunge and hand in their tobacco for a free starter kit. We also spoke to Phill Vincent , 43, who’s been vaping for two years, he’s saved money since quitting smoking and was impressed with the Vapouround Bus for encouraging other people to quit, too.

176 | VM24 EVENTS 28 June 2019 – Paradox, Bournemouth

Another hot day and people were fl ooding the I Love Vapes store to take advantage of their fantastic offers. The bus was no different, non-stop all day with passers by stepping inside to bag a free starter kit, a goodie bag and to try some juices. We’re thankful to the I Love Vapes guys for encouraging their customers to come and have a look around, too. We met Brian Mann , 42, who’d been smoking for 30 years and decided this was the day he’d give up smoking, so he handed in his last packet of cigarettes. Brian was grateful to Vapouround for offering him a product that could change his life and he’s excited to turn his health around for the better, so that he can spend more quality time with his young son.

177 | VM24 29 June 2019 – I Love Vapes, Eastleigh

Back to Bournemouth again, this time to visit The British Vape Company on a warm and pleasant Sunday. It’s always nice to have people waiting for us when we arrive and, as soon as we parked up, we had a steady fl ow of people eager to see what was onboard. The atmosphere was very relaxed, perfect to end the week and a welcome change from the manic, hustle and bustle of the previous few days. Most of the people who came to see the bus had successfully switched from smoking to vaping already, but that didn’t stop anyone from gratefully leaving with a goodie bag. Thanks to The British Vape Company for such a warm and friendly welcome.

178 | VM24 EVENTS 30 June 2019 – The British Vape Company, Bournemouth

Could we really have come to Bournemouth without paying a visit to the one and only Johnnie Lovell ? No, of course we couldn’t! As always, we were treated to a warm welcome, great coffee and an hour or two of endless entertainment from the man himself. BH Vape was looking as quirky as always, with eye-catching décor and an absolute mass of vaping goodies lining the walls.

179 | VM24 30 June 2019 – BH Vape, Bournemouth
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GEMM KIT

DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 85mm*25mm

• Battery capacity: 2900mAh internal cell

• Power output: Three power settings, 4.2V maximum.

• Charging: Micro USB

DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS

• Construction: Steel, PCTG

• Dimensions: 42.55mm*25mm

• E-liquid capacity: 2ml

PROS

CONS

• Gemm tank driptip

Construction, fit and finish of the Gemm mod is best in class for internal cell stick mods. Seams are kept to an absolute minimum and the white metallic finish on our review unit is superb. The Gemm stands out from the crowd and feels very premium in the hand. The firing button has a satisfying, tactile response which is markedly better than other devices in its class. There’s just one button, which powers the device on or off and allows the user to cycle through three levels of power output. Freemax state that this corresponds to 40W, 60W and 80W but this will depend on the resistance of the atomiser on top, so you’re not restricted to coils that can handle mid-high wattage. Battery life is going to entirely depend on your choice of atomiser. Using an MTL tank, with a 0.9ohm build at medium power, I can easily get two days’ worth of vaping out of the Gemm on a single charge. With the bundled mesh tanks, battery life is greatly diminished of course, since you will be running the internal cell at 60W-80W most of the time. Under these conditions, I found the Gemm to last between 3-5 hours before being depleted. This is perfectly acceptable given the compact size of the device. I found the Gemm to charge from flat to full in just under 2 hours, which is well within acceptable limits considering the 2900mAh cell. The disposable Gemm tanks included in the kit have the potential to be great. Both the single and dual mesh coils on offer here produce fantastic flavour, with huge clouds of vapour and great coil longevity. The PCTG tank section is robust, easily surviving test drops with no signs of failure and both the airflow control and top fill seal are well implemented.

There is an issue, however. The built in drip tip has rather thin walls and heats up very quickly, especially at the highest power setting. I found I could only take a few vapes at a time before either Gemm tank became too hot to use comfortably.

I’ve been using the Gemm mod with a Kayfun built at 0.9ohms for the most part and on the medium setting it provides a consistent vape with amazing battery life, in a compact package.

In summary, the Gemm mod is without doubt the best built internal cell stick mod I’ve had the pleasure of using.

The Gemm tanks could well be the best disposable subohm tanks out there but Freemax do need to solve the hot drip tip issue to realise this potential.

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• Great build quality • Great battery life • Minimalist looks
overheats quickly
REVIEWS
REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES

ELEAF TANCE MAX

DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 101mm*31.2mm*20.5mm

• Weight: 87.5g (4ml)/90.0g (2ml)

• E-liquid capacity: 4ml/2ml (TPD edition)

• Battery capacity: 1100mAh internal cell

• Charging: USB

PROS

• Great build quality

• Long battery life

• Good coil performance

The Tance Max is Eleaf’s latest flagship release and the construction, fit and finish are all excellent. This is a solid AIO pod, which is rattle-free and has a premium feel to it. The device is large for a pod system but is in keeping with the footprint of other AIO pods with similar battery capacity. A single button both fires the device and turns it on and off. The 2ml/4ml pods slide into place easily and are held securely by magnets seated in the top of the device. The uniquely-shaped mouthpiece is very comfortable, something which is all too often overlooked by manufacturers.

A small sliding door reveals a generous fill port large enough to prevent any overfilling or airlock issues. The door makes a good seal on the pod and I’ve not experienced any leakage during testing, which is quite rare for any refillable device.

The coil assembly base and airflow control ring allows the user to dial in the draw, all the way from traditional tight MTL to a restricted lung hit. Many pod systems fail to provide a range of airflow options but the Tance Max achieves a true MTL experience with either coil. I found airflow to be very smooth across all MTL settings, with a slight turbulence wide open, but nothing that greatly impairs the experience.

The Tance Max is compatible with Eleaf’s GS Air coil fitting. Bundled with the device are GS Mesh and GS Air S coils. The first is a tiny 0.6ohm mesh coil that produces top tier flavour with warm vapour. This coil can easily be used in MTL or restricted direct lung vaping. Due to the lower resistance, this coil will draw more power from the internal cell but I still got almost a full day’s use on a single charge.

The second coil is a 1.6ohm round wire build and produces a marginally cooler vape but still with excellent flavour and is great for a tight MTL experience. Battery life is improved with this coil and I was easily able to get through a day on one charge when filled with 20mg/ml nicotine salt e-liquids. Both coils have commendable longevity, with the mesh coil lasting just a touch longer in my experience. The Tance Max is a fantastic option for any vaper in search of a small device with good battery life, vape quality and construction, while the wide availability of GS coils is a great bonus. As pod AIO systems go, this is currently the pod AIO system to beat.

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REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES
186 | VM24 # Release your inner vApe kingkongvapejuice.com kong@kingkongvapejuice.com Exclusive launch discount: 10% off on all orders with code kong10 First 100 customers will be entered into our first prize draw CONTACT US FOR EXCLUSIVE AND UNBEATABLE WHOLESALE PRICES

The Compact is Logic’s answer to the rising demand for closed pod systems in the European market. This is starting to become an incredibly competitive sector, though, so is it worth checking out?

Construction, fit and finish of the Compact are great for such an affordable device. It features a plain but nicely-designed metallic chassis, with clean minimalistic lines and no gaps or visible flaws in construction. Pods slide into place with a light magnetised connection. It’s not the strongest I’ve seen but is certainly functional and hasn’t caused any problems during testing.

This is a draw-activated device and I would describe the airflow as a moderate MTL experience. It’s not as tight as some but is also not as loose as many modern MTL kits have become. The vape experience is solid here, with a rapid ramp-up time, decent flavour production and a satisfying little cloud of vapour with each puff.

Battery life is exactly what we have come to expect from an internal 350mAh cell, which means half a day of use per charge for the average vaper, likely less for those who opt to use the low nicotine strength pods that Logic offer.

Performance is good, then, but the Compact does not exist in a vacuum and even the shelves of convenience stores and supermarkets where a device like this is often found, are now a fiercely competitive battleground of vapour products.

When compared to other widely distributed closed pod systems, the Compact unfortunately falls a little short. Though it’s not a bad choice by any stretch of the imagination, when it comes to flavour production, nicotine satisfaction and cigarette emulation, there are better choices on the market.

There’s one other flaw that makes the Compact a tough sell – proprietary charging. A moderate user will almost certainly have to charge any small closed pod device at some point in the day and the Compact has a three pin charger that you’ll inevitably have to carry around because of this. The vast majority of other pod systems use standardised micro-USB charging, which saves you from having yet another cable to remember. I simply cannot fathom why Logic made this decision.

Fortunately, with the resources available to Logic, these issues are very easily solved. Changing the design to incorporate micro-USB charging and releasing updated pods, preferably with nicotine salts and improved coil technology, would put this system on a par with anything else out there right now. However, until then, the Compact feels a little outdated.

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SPECIFICATIONS PROS CONS • Battery Capacity:
E-liquid
• Good build quality • Decent performance • Wide availability • No Nicotine salt option • Proprietary charging Logic Compact
DEVICE
350mAh •
Capacity: 1.7ml
REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES

Disposable systems are an interesting phenomenon. Despite what some may think, you can trace them back to cigalikes such as the original Njoy, from a time when using your own e-liquid was highly unusual. With the rise of nicotine salts and improvements in coil technology, they’ve started to pop up again.

The VEIIK Micko is as simple as vaping can possibly get. No re-filling, no charging: simply open your sealed Micko unit and start vaping. The experience of opening the box, pulling out a Micko and immediately having that first vape is as close to the experience of smoking as you can get. This is a tight MTL draw, much more restrictive than the majority of modern pods and this too should be very familiar to long-time smokers.

Flavour and vapour production are both impressive for such a slender unit and throat hit is fantastic, too. Even the EU edition 20mg/ml devices provide a satisfying kick to the throat that emulates smoking convincingly. The higher strength units even more so, which is great for new vapers in markets outside of the EU. Despite the tiny, one-time use 310mAh internal cell I found each Micko to last a day and a half with moderate use. My only real concern with the device itself are the decals which almost entirely cover each unit such that once removed from the packaging, the Micko looks startlingly like a coloured crayon. I feel this is something that should be fixed on future batches and it could be done very easily

We can’t talk about closed systems without briefly mentioning the available flavours, so here’s a run down of those I tested:

Blue Ice: A simple candy blueberry and ice blend, it has moderate sweetness, mild tartness and an intense icy kick. Nicely balanced and unpretentious.

Lychee Ice: A stand-out lychee flavour, with an intense icy kick. No joke, this is one of the most authentic lychees I’ve ever vaped and I would love to be able to use this flavour in open systems.

Orange Soda: This is an incredibly punchy orange and ice flavour. Orange is hard to get right in e-liquid and this one tastes exactly like the world’s leading orange flavoured soda. Impressive.

Mung Bean Ice: Something I’ve never seen in vaping before. This is a flavour popular in Asia, slightly savoury and very nutty, with a cool kick of ice.

Lemon Citron: More mild than most citrus flavours. To me this tastes like a blend of lemon and grapefruit, with an icy kick. This is mellow but very pleasant and I would not be surprised if it was one of the more popular flavours.

Mighty Mint: The simplest of all the Micko flavours. This is a natural mint with an icy kick. I think this is a fantastic starting point for almost any smoker or new vaper.

In summary, the Micko is the best disposable system I’ve tried. It vapes wonderfully and emulates a cigarette accurately. It’s not without it’s flaws, though. Due to its disposable nature, I do not see it as a permanent solution but more as a bridge to vaping for smokers, or for specific applications such as travel or events. All VEIIK need to do is re-think the decals on their devices and then it’s really as good as a disposable can get.

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SPECIFICATIONS
CONS
DEVICE
PROS
• Dimensions: 106.5mm*10.5mm
Battery
(non-rechargeable)
capacity: 310mAh internal cell
Great cigarette emulation
Great flavour selection
Decent
for a disposable
Questionable decals on device
• Resistance: 1.8oHms • Pod capacity: 1.5ml •
run time
Micko
REVIEWS
REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES

Construction, fit and finish of the PALO is good. The metallic body is lightweight and sturdy, with minimal seams and nice tolerances. The top airflow ring is firm, but grooves cut into the sides allow for easy adjustment. The button has a satisfying tactile click, with a minor rattle but nothing that’s a cause for concern. Simplicity is key with any AIO device aimed at new users and Vaptio have done well in this case. The tank section is intuitive, with a child-resistant push-andturn top-fill and simple top-loaded coil assembly. There’s no power adjustment to speak of, just five clicks to turn the device on or off and a traditional press and hold to fire. The small top fill ports require slight caution during refills, but provided you do not try to dump e-liquid into the tank too quickly, the process is mess free.

Vaptio offer two coil options. The first is a 1.2ohm MTL coil. On a full charge, this provides a warm vape and the airflow ring allows you to adjust all the way from a tight traditional draw at one extreme to a more modern loose MTL fully open. Airflow is very smooth and flavour production is good. I found bright fruit blends to work best here, as deeper flavours such as desserts tend to get a little muted. Coil longevity was quite impressive, though, lasting 10 refills of moderately sweet e-liquid before a significant decline in performance was noticed. The second option is a 0.6ohm direct lung coil head offering a touch more airflow when fully open, with substantially more warmth. This allows for a very restricted direct-to-lung experience, with good flavour and respectable vapour production. It could also withstand 10 refills before its performance declined drastically.

Vaptio say the PALO is equipped with a 1500mAh internal cell, though I have some doubts about this. Using the 1.2ohm coil, with 20mg/ml nicotine salts, I was consistently able to get just shy of a day’s use on a single charge but I would expect a full day’s use from a 1500mAh cell in this context. Using the 0.6ohm coil with 6mg strength e-liquids, I found the device to last between 3-4 hours of moderate use. The device takes just over an hour to charge from flat to full, which is well within acceptable limits considering its run time.

In summary, the PALO kit is a solid choice for new vapers who want the option of trying different styles of vaping.

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CONS
• Slight button rattle

The Gala is Innokin’s first traditionally-styled pod system and the construction, fit and finish are all great. It is slightly larger than other miniature pods and boasts a full metal chassis which is remarkably solid. It’s a unibody design and its replaceable pods press-fit firmly in to place, with no rattle or unwanted movement. The Gala comes in a wide variety of finishes and our “retro” style review unit’s paint job has already stood up to some abuse without issue.

This is a draw-activated device, with no buttons or power adjustment and the only user customisation is an LED strip that runs up the body of the device. Tapping the Gala five times activates seven colour “light show mode” and one can also set a preferred colour by tapping and shaking the device.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with this but as a joyless curmudgeon, I disabled the LED strip to optimise battery life and ensure that no one gets the impression that I might be fun at parties.

Battery life is about what you would expect from a 500mAh internal cell. Using 20mg/ml nicotine salt e-liquids, I was able to get through just over half a day of vaping on a single charge. Charging is slower than I would like, though, taking a full hour from flat to full.

Innokin provide two re-fillable pods with the Gala Kit. They’re filled via a rubber seal at the bottom of the pod and I’ve had no issues here with leaking or e-liquid overflowing. The first is a 0.8ohm ceramic pod. It provides a loose MTL draw, with moderately warm vapour and good flavour production considering the size of the device, falling just short of best-in-class. The second is a 0.5ohm Plex3D mesh pod and to my surprise the vape experience is near identical. Vapour is ever so slightly warmer on the mesh pod but I was only able to notice the difference when using it back to back with the ceramic coil.

Coil longevity is the only notable difference between the two pods. I was able to run ten re-fills of moderately sweet e-liquid through the ceramic coil before it needed to be replaced, whilst both Plex3D coils I tested lasted just six. Since there’s no real benefit in vape quality with the mesh pod, the ceramic coil comes out on top purely due to longevity

In summary, the Gala is a perfectly serviceable device and boost to charging time and further optimization of the Plex3D coils for lower power output would make this one of the best traditional open pod systems on the market.

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PROS •
• Great build quality • Simple user experience • Good longevity of
Charging: Micro-USB, 0.5A charging
ceramic coils
CONS • Slow charging • Full potential of
not reached in this application
Plex3D

PROS CONS

Construction, fit and finish of the Suorin Edge are great. Coming in at just 24.7g fully assembled, this is one of the lightest pod systems on the market, yet it feels solidly put together. The e-liquid cartridge and battery sections both slide into place with a satisfying magnetic click and the tolerances are on point. Aesthetically the Edge is Suorin’s most elegant device yet, with clean lines and a decidedly modern, understated silhouette.

The USP of the Edge is its removable battery system so that you don’t need to replace the whole device when the batteries wear out and you can keep spare batteries with you as back-ups.

A concession is made for this functionality, though and that is the cell size. In order to make the system modular, the internal cell is just 230mAh, which admittedly is the smallest we’ve seen in any vaping device. You do get two cells with the kit, for a total of 460mAh capacity as standard and they do charge very speedily, from flat to full in under 30 minutes but the small individual size must still be noted. During my testing, I found each cell to last between 2-3 hours of moderate vaping, using 20mg/ml e-liquids. This will vary hugely depending on personal vaping habits and e-liquid strength, but 4-6 hours run time with the two included cells is respectable, if not outstanding. Of course, the option to purchase more cells is there, so it’s difficult to fault Suorin on this metric.

This is a draw-activated system, with an on-off button on the side.The pods are refilled via a rubber seal on the side, which has not presented me with any leaking or filling issues during testing.

Vape quality on the Edge is good. It’s a tight MTL draw and flavour production is good with moderately warm vapour and a discrete cloud with each puff. I recommend bright fruit blends for this system, as deeper desserts seem to be a tad muted. I found each cartridge to last 6-7 refills before needing to be replaced, which is on the lower end of coil life but still within acceptable limits.

This is a solid open pod system and I expect more modular upgrades down the line.

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Charging:
USB-C charging
0.5A
• Good build quality • Modular cells • User friendly • Coil life could be improved • Currently available replaceable cells are very small REVIEWS
www.joyetech.com www.wismec.com

DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS

• Battery capacity: 350mAh internal cell

• E-liquid capacity: 1.5ml pre-filled pods

PROS

• Great nicotinesatisfaction

• Prior spit-back issues fixed

• Very compact

Pod systems have become ferociously popular over the last 18 months but closed systems in particular haven’t quite caught on in the EU, compared with the US market. This is likely due to the 20mg/ml nicotine strength limit, which makes the job of providing full satisfaction from a tiny device a tall order. myblu had a slightly shaky start, with intermittent spitback issues and no nicotine salt option but the newlyimproved pods and Intense flavour range aim to set the record straight. Construction, fit and finish of the new myblu device remains unchanged, save for new colour options and it remains a competently put together closed system with a pleasant satin-style finish. This is a device aimed at newcomers, with buttonfree operation, intuitive pod installation and a micro-USB charging port. Even the most technologically averse, life-long smoker can easily pick this device up and start vaping. Vape quality is also substantially improved from the original iteration. They feature the same moderately tight MTL draw and warmth but the draw is much smoother and I’ve not encountered a single instance of spit-back or flooded coils in the eight pods that I have depleted during testing. This is essential for a closed system and I’m very pleased to see that blu have made such a dramatic change. Nicotine delivery from the new Intense pods is also a marked improvement. The 18mg/ml strength, which will be most suited to those transitioning from cigarettes, provides a satisfying, but light throat hit and near immediate satisfaction. You can also vape each pod right to depletion without noticing any drop off in terms of flavour production, which is fantastic. Battery life is about what you would expect from a 350mAh internal cell. Used as a primary device, with 18mg/ml intense pods, I found a charge to last about half a day. The device charges from flat to full in approximately 30 minutes, so this is well within acceptable bounds.

I’d be remiss to evaluate a closed system without briefly running through some available flavours, so here are my impressions of the new Intense flavours that I sampled:

Tobacco: A mild, beginner-friendly tobacco blend. There’s a substantial sweetness to the mix with what appears to be a honey note, along with mild tobacco aroma that may be familiar to Virginia smokers. This doesn’t include the darker, smoky notes that some tobacco blends have, which is likely to maximise breadth of appeal.

Blueberry: A very simple but well-executed blueberry flavour. It’s a touch sweeter than the real thing with a slight sharpness and florality. This flavour had a stronger throat hit than the others but not to the extent that it was tiresome.

Strawberry Mint: A simple but pronounced fruit mix which leans more towards a sour candy strawberry but with no sickly artificial off notes. The mint component is more natural with a moderate mentholated kick, too.

Menthol: This is a traditional mix of peppermint and spearmint with a soothing mentholated finish. I’ve yet to find someone who didn’t enjoy this flavour. Easily vaped for extended periods without becoming boring. In summary, the improved myblu is a compelling closed-pod system that provides a faultless experience for new vapers and smokers who wish to move away from tobacco. With blu’s wide availability, affordable price point and ease of use, it’s very hard to make a legitimate case against the device, naysayers be damned.

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REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES
REVIEWS

DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 93.5mm*53mm*27mm

• Weight: 107g

• Power output: 5W-220W

• Battery capacity: 2x external 18650 cells

• Charging: 2.5A Micro-USB quick charging

• Display: 0.91 Inch OLED

With the continued growth of the pod market, dual 18650 mods have fallen somewhat out of favour, so have Vaporesso managed to continue their run of compelling fully featured mods with the Gen? In short, yes they have. Construction, fit and finish are sublime. A super sturdy battery door, flawlessly executed spring-loaded battery contacts, a gorgeous texturised finish and tactile buttons make this device a pleasure to use. In fact you could be forgiven for assuming that the Gen came with a much heftier price tag.

• Great build quality

• Best mainstream chip on market

• Aesthetically pleasing

PROS CONS

• A little tall

This Gen features the new Axon chip and a decidedly old school 0.96’ monochrome display. The Axon chip offers all the features of the Omni Board 4.0 and then some. A dedicated mode button allows for easy access to a whole host of settings. Variable wattage, temperature control and power curves are all on offer here and, unlike most mods, they are all contained within one sub-menu.

We now also have access to Pulse, Eco and Smart TC settings. Pulse mode seems to be the front runner in Vaporesso’s marketing of the Gen chip and for vapers who enjoy large amounts of power, I can see the appeal. When vaping low resistance atomisers above 90W, I noticed a slight boost in the consistency of power delivery when using this mode. Vaporesso claim that Pulse mode re-checks power output every 0.02s while vaping and from my use of this feature at high outputs, it does seem to make a difference.

Eco mode, used to soften the power output to extend battery life, is a fantastic feature and though I found one set of batteries to easily last me through an entire working day of moderate vaping (at 75W), Eco mode can push it even further. Smart TC is what really blows me away, though. Here the chip tries to detect your coil material and possibly even suggest a temperature but these features have never worked properly in my experience…until now

This Smart TC offering is unlike any I’ve tried before. The Axon chip accurately and automatically detects any SS316L or Ni200 coil I’ve put on it and even gives a fantastic TC vape right off the bat, with no further adjustment. Furthermore, when I attempt to fool the chip with non-TC coils, it detects those too and automatically puts the device in to pulse mode. I’m honestly floored that it works at all and delighted that it works so well. This is a game changer for those who wish to try temperature control vaping, without all the fiddling that is usually required.

I have only one gripe with the Gen and that is in a market flush with tiny dual battery devices this one is quite tall at 93.5mm but I think many vapers out there will easily overlook. In summary, the Gen is undoubtedly Vaporesso’s best full fat mod yet, even among a string of recent fantastic releases. If I was an engineer at Evolv or SXmini, I would be feeling rather nervous right now.

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GEN REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES

EHPRO RAPTOR

DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 25mm*48.7mm

• Construction: Stainless steel, glass, resin (drip tip)

• E-liquid capacity: 2ml (standard), 4ml/6ml (bubble glass, increased capacity with single coil)

PROS

• Good build quality

• Fantastic flavour

• Smooth airflow

• Outstanding coil life

Mesh subohm tanks are a bit like pizza – even when they’re not great, they’re pretty damn good. You can pick virtually any mesh tank off the shelf and get a vape experience that could only be dreamed of a couple of years ago. In recent times, Freemax, Horizontech and Uwell have been the front runners when it comes to mesh performance but now a new player has entered the game. Horizon Vape Distro and EHPro have teamed up to bring us the Raptor Tank, so can it stand toe-to-toe with the market leaders?

Construction, fit and finish are all great. Machining of the stainless steel parts is on par with the best subohm tanks out there, with no sharp edges or poor threading in sight. Tolerances are good, too. The top fill mechanism isn’t the firmest I’ve seen but it’s not too loose by any stretch of the imagination and the airflow control ring strikes a nice balance between ease of use and sturdiness. The black painted finish on our tester unit is both durable and evenly coated.

The Raptor is quite minimalistic by subtank standards which makes the tank a good fit for a wider variety of mods.

Its seagrass fibre mesh coils are cross compatible with all Horizontech Falcon fittings. While Falcon and Falcon King coils are among the very best when it comes to flavour, the Raptor coils absolutely wipe the floor with their Falcon counterparts.

Flavour production from both the single and dual mesh heads is top tier, unmatched, even. Using a single coil, on 60-65W of power, with the airflow 1/3 open produces flavour intensity I’ve not experienced before from a mesh tank. Airflow is smoother than the competition, too, likely owing to the triple inlet design on the bottom of the coil. I found the sweet spot of the dual mesh coil to be 75W, with the airflow 2/3 open, which results in the same flavour performance, albeit a warmer vape and increased vapour production. With the control ring fully opened, there’s too much air for either coil, in my opinion, but those who prefer a cooler vape have that option available.

Coil longevity is outstanding. I ran 90ml of moderately sweet e-liquid through each coil before noticing a substantial decline in vape quality. Those using e-liquids with little or no sweetener will likely see even more impressive results.

I’m so impressed with the seagrass fibre coils that I would recommend any Falcon Tank owners to switch over without question.

In summary, the Raptor Tank is quite possibly the best mid-wattage mesh tank on the market, with its excellent flavour production, smooth airflow and outstanding coil longevity. The fact that it’s cross-compatible with Falcon coils is a great bonus, since you’ll always be able to pick up a spare coil in a pinch without sacrificing too much performance. This is the new gold standard for subohm vaping.

196 | VM24
REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES
REVIEWS

FEELM

1.2ml • Charging: Micro-USB

If you’ve been paying attention to the closed system pod market lately, you may have noticed a name popping up on several devices – FEELM Technology. FEELM have an unusual business model compared to other Chinese manufacturers in that they do not sell final products themselves but instead licence their coil technology to other firms. In this review we will be taking a look at their sample kit, which is a proof of concept rather than something that’s available to purchase. Construction, fit and finish of the FEELM sample kit is fantastic. It’s a slender metal chassis with a satin finish, similar to other closed pods on the market, but this one feels decidedly more premium and solid. A magnetised connection at the top secures pods firmly in place, with no unwanted play. There’s no flex in the body and aesthetically this is as industrial and modern as they come, to the point that it’s the first pod device I would pick, if looks were the only metric. The pods themselves are very well put together. They feel more firmly sealed than any other closed device I’ve tried and small details such as the bottom airflow diffuser are perfectly lined up. Neither of the pods that I sampled showed a single sign of leakage or condensation, which is both unusual and commendable.

FEELM recently updated their proprietary coil technology and we discussed this in our recent review of the HEXA V2.0, which utilises the new design. On the sample kit, though, it’s slightly different. This is a tighter draw than the HEXA, with an airflow diffuser at the bottom of each pod. For me, this actually makes it closer to the experience of a traditional cigarette, which will be a huge plus for new vapers, or long term smokers looking to make the switch.

The FEELM coil technology heats up quickly and has the smoothest draw out of any closed pod system, bar none. This may sound like a bold claim but vaped side-by-side with other leading pods, the difference is noticeable. Flavour production is also fantastic for such a low power device. This will, of course, depend on your pre-filled flavour of choice but both the sample kit and recently reviewed HEXA V2.0 produce some of the punchiest flavour experiences available to closed pod users.

Battery life meets the expectations I have for a 350mAh internal cell, meaning approximately half a day’s use for the average vaper on a single charge. Charging from flat to full takes around 45 minutes, which is entirely acceptable. With such a satisfying quality of vape, I would like to see a larger celled device compatible with FEELM coils, though. A “box pod” design with a 650-1000 mAh cell would be fantastic and easily designed.

In Summary, the FEELM sample kit is like that annoying kid at school – really good at everything with no apparent flaws.

I’d like to see pods with this tighter draw and airflow diffuser made available for the HEXA V2.0, as I feel this would improve an already compelling closed pod. FEELM clearly have a very solid platform here and I look forward to future applications of the technology.

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DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS • Battery Capacity: 350mAh • E-liquid Capacity:
Technology closed pod sample
CONS • Great build quality • Most accurate emulation of a cigarette to date • Very smooth draw • Pods not yet widely available REVIEWS
device PROS

• Power output: 5W-200W

• Battery capacity: 2x external 18650 cells

• Charging: 2A USB-C charging/proprietary charging base

• Display: HD colour touch screen display

Asmodus have long been one of the leading producers of premium vaping hardware. The Minikin series has been their flagship range since early 2016 and the Minikin V2 remains a staple in vape shops nearly three years after its first release. The long-awaited Minikin 3S is finally here, so how does it stack up?

Construction, fit and finish is gorgeous. The Zinc alloy frame with carbon fibre accent is incredibly sturdy and feels more than a match for previous Asmodus releases. Seams are minimal, with tight tolerances and once batteries are installed there is no play in the door whatsoever, making for a reassuringly robust device.

As is tradition, Asmodus have completely changed up the form factor with the new Minikin and in my view, it’s their best design yet. The new free-form shape favours left-handed use but this is a concession that has to be made if you want to achieve great ergonomics. The rounded back-end and grooved sides result in a mod that fits into the hand perfectly, with the thumb falling naturally on the large firing button, making this is the most comfortable dual battery device I’ve used to date.

The new GX-200UTC chipset features wattage, power curve, preheat, eco, TCR, TFR and temperature control settings, along with some user experience options such as an accelerometer, haptic feedback, password and fingerprint locks. The touchscreen controls, which were a tad sluggish on earlier models, are now very snappy, and menu navigation is intuitive.

Power output is instant and though there’s still room for improvement when it comes to out-of-the-box temperature control, the TCR function works well for those who wish to fine-tune their TC experience.

The now-legendary battery life of the GX series boards remains in place and I found two 3000mAh cells to easily last a day and then some at 60W, which is very impressive. The only other chipset that gives me such longevity is the DNA 250C, customised for low voltage cut-off, so if battery life is a high priority for you, this device should absolutely be on your shopping list.

There’s really only one stumbling block and that’s the fingerprint scanner which is temperamental at best. After much effort, I registered a fingerprint but could not get it to reliably unlock the device, which led me to disable the feature entirely.

Overall the Minikin 3 and 3S is built to last, performs like a champion and is extremely comfortable to use. A strong contender for best fully featured mod of the year, so far.

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DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS
Construction: Zinc alloy + Carbon fibre
• Great build quality • Fantastic ergonomics • Great chipset
PROS CONS • Poorly implemented fingerprint scanner
Minikin 3S
REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES

PRIV N19 & NORD 19

PRIV N19 SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 71mm*27.5mm*20.2mm

• Construction: Zinc alloy

• Weight: 103g

• Battery capacity: 1200mAh internal cell

• Power output: 5W-30W

• Charging: 0.8A Micro-USB

NORD 19 SPECIFICATIONS

• Dimensions: 51mm*19mm (height including drip tip)

• Construction: Stainless steel, glass

• Weight: 29g

• E-liquid capacity: 2ml

Zinc alloy construction, fit and finish are all excellent. Seams are minimal, tolerances are on point and the material choice gives the device a robust weight for its size.

There is slight button rattle but nothing that is noticeable during normal use. Tiny mods of this kind usually feel a little flimsy in the hand, but that’s not the case here, the PRIV N19 is solid.

This is a very stripped back, beginner-friendly user experience. The main button powers the device on or off and fires the device. A dedicated power selection button cycles between minimum, soft, normal and hard settings, which translates to a minimum output of 5W and maximum of 30W, depending on the resistance of your atomiser.

• Solid build quality

• Tried-and-tested coils

• Great battery life

PROS CONS

• Airflow design should be improved

The choice to not incorporate a tank or pod into the chassis of the mod has allowed Smok to maximise cell capacity in a small frame. The 1200mAh rating appears to be accurate, since the device consistently endured over a day’s moderate vaping on the medium setting with Nord MTL coils. This should be more than enough run time for most people and the 0.8A charging keeps down time to a minimum - charging from flat to full in just over an hour.

The Nord 19 tank is a great idea, though could be improved. I must give props to Smok for sticking to their Nord coil fitting. These are tried-and-tested coils, which are widely available and come in a variety of specifications.

Top fill and coil installation on the Nord N19 tank is user-friendly and mess-free. My only complaint is with the airflow design. Airflow is controlled via a ring at the bottom of the tank and there’s far too much of it. The triple cyclops style inlets are excessive for a tank that’s designed for low wattage vaping. With the airflow completely closed, you’ll get a moderate MTL draw but a traditional tight MTL experience is not available. Wide open, the Nord N19 tank provides a slightly turbulent restricted lung hit draw, which is odd considering the output of those tiny Nord coils. I would encourage Smok to rethink the airflow design on future batches, perhaps using individual round holes instead of open slots.

In spite of the imperfect airflow, I think the PRIV N19 is a fantastic starter kit. The device is well built, has great battery life for its size and the bundled tank accepts coils which are known to be good performers. The coils are also already widely available, which is always of vital importance to new vapers. I hope Smok continues to build upon their Nord platform, as doing so creates a more streamlined experience for everyone involved.

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REVIEW BY BENEDICT “NED” JONES
REVIEWS
201 | VM24

IVG CLOSED POD

• Dimensions: 121mm*19.3mm*10.6mm

• Battery capacity: 450mAh internal cell

• E-liquid capacity: 2ml

• Coil resistance: 1.4ohm

• Power output: Bypass

• Charging: Micro-USB

DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS PROS

• Battery life

• Large pods

• Low weight

• Cannot vape new pod immediately

IVG is one of the most prominent e-liquid manufacturers in the UK and the IVG pod - a closed pod system, featuring some of their most popular nicotine salt flavours - is their first foray into the hardware market.

This is a lightweight system, nicely put together and the construction, fit and finish are all good. Pods press-fit into the battery compartment securely, with a small amount of play, but nothing that will be noticed during normal use.

A single button on the back of the body acts as on-off switch and also powers the device and I found the mouthpiece, very different to other closed pod systems, to be very comfortable.

IVG have chosen a slightly unconventional route when it comes to their pods. Unlike most other closed systems, the IVG pods utilise the maximum 2ml capacity and have a unique anti-leaking system. Upon installing the pod into the device, the battery connector presses into the bottom of the pod, pushing the seal and revealing wicking ports. This is extremely effective and there was not a single drop of leakage on any of the pods I received for testing. However, when first installed, the coil inside the pod is totally dry and you must allow time for it to saturate before vaping.

As every other closed system on the market is pre-saturated, IVG will need to clearly tell users that the coil needs time to saturate when new pods are installed. As I did not receive the final retail packaging on the review unit, I don’t know how this will be explained.

Vape quality is good with the pods giving a smooth, moderate MTL vape with slightly cool vapour and more airflow than a traditional MTL experience.

With the 1.4ohm coil and 2ml capacity, there was just over a day’s worth of moderate vaping with a single pod which is commendable. Battery life is better than other closed systems and I found the device to last over half a day’s vaping on a single charge. The cell charges from flat to full in around 45 minutes and can be used while charging, keeping downtime to a minimum.

The system launches with four of IVG’s most popular nicotine salt flavours - Tobacco, Blue Raspberry, Mango and Berries on Ice. With IVG’s huge repertoire, I predict this pod will have the widest flavour selection of any closed system. In summary, this is a solid closed system with good battery life, large pre-filled pods and inconspicuous weight.

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REVIEW
CONS
REVIEWS

LEMON SICILY

Percentage used and VG/PG ratio of mix: 3% at 70/30

If you have any experience mixing e-liquids, Flavour Art Lemon Sicily should need no introduction. In the four years that I’ve been mixing, this flavouring has reigned supreme as the most authentic and potent natural lemon. It brings an intense bright zest, mild citric sweetness and great tartness to any blend. It’s versatile too, being useful for bakery profiles such as a lemon curd pie or simpler fruit mixes such as home-style lemonade. Simply put, if you’re looking to create a lemon-based profile, or even just want to add an extra tang to more subdued fruit mixes, Flavour Art Lemon Sicily should absolutely be in your arsenal.

FOREST MIX

Percentage used and VG/PG ratio of mix: 4% at 70/30

Another of Flavour Art’s most well-loved fruit concentrates. For a long time in e-liquid mixing circles, when someone asks for a great mixed berry flavouring, they are often directed towards Flavour Art Forest Mix (known as Forest Fruits in some markets). This is a fully-saturated blend of blackberry, blueberry and raspberry with mild strawberry notes. Although carrying a pleasant sweetness, these berry notes all come across authentically, so this concentrate is not limited to candy mixes. The deeper notes of blackberry and blueberry provide some earthiness to any fruit mix, making Forest Mix a great choice for bakery profiles, too. This flavouring also excels in single flavour mixing, so there’s really no reason to omit this from your repertoire.

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Percentage used and VG/PG ratio of mix: 2% at 70/30

Cheesecake will always be a difficult profile to nail. Flavour Art’s rendition offers a simple and convenient way to get your cheesecake blend up and running with minimal fuss. This is a traditional cheesecake, with solid dairy notes, robust graham crust accent and a very mild tang that you would expect from cream cheese. When combined with FA Fragola, a dash of FA Cookie and a generous helping of FA Custard Premium, you have a very competent strawberry cheesecake mix on your hands. You can replace the Fragola with practically any of Flavour Art’s fruits to create a fruity cheesecake mix of your choosing. Great for newcomers.

SOHO

Percentage used and VG/PG ratio of mix: 6% at 70/30

Soho has long been praised by tobacco flavour enthusiasts and for good reason. This is a versatile tobacco that does not bully other flavours and can slot into almost any mix. This is certainly on the sweeter end of the tobacco spectrum, with mild notes of caramel, mixed nuts and light tobacco leaf. If you’re looking to put a tobacco twist on your favourite fruit or bakery mix without weighing it down, Soho is a fantastic option. It also excels at sweetening heavier tobacco blends that make use of Flavour Art’s most potent tobaccos, such as Perique or Dark Vapure. My favourite application for Soho is in RY4-style mixes, though, since it pairs so nicely with Flavour Art’s Caramel and RY4 flavourings.

PEACH ICED TEA

Percentage used and VG/PG ratio of mix: 3% at 70/30

Peach Iced Tea is perhaps one of Flavour Art’s more niche offerings. The main note here is a mildly sweet, authentic peach. For the most part, it comes across as a natural fruit but it does carry some candy-like sticky body too. This is complemented by a rich black tea note. This is one of the most authentic tea flavours on the market and the combination perfectly recreates the experience of commercially available iced teas that are popular across Europe. In my view, Peach Iced Tea is best used in single flavour mixes but advanced users may benefit from mixing it with FA White Peach and a touch of Polar Blast for increased vibrancy.

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LEMON MERINGUE PIE

VG/PG Ratio: 80/20

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

The top note here is a bright, authentic lemon curd. It brings moderate citric sweetness to the mix, along with some mild tartness. This is supported by a cream base, which brings in further sweetness without muting the lemon top note and there is also a very mild hint of meringue in the profile. The mix is finished with a light bakery base, which adds some texture and also helps to create a layered effect, so it doesn’t feel one dimensional. A simple, well-balanced lemon meringue profile that will please many dessert fans.

CHERRY SLUSHY

VG/PG Ratio: 80/20

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Cherry flavours have always been tough to get right so how does this one fare? The top note here is a nostalgic, sour candy style cherry. It brings plenty of sweetness to the mix, along with light tartness and sticky body. There are some slight medicinal notes, but nothing off putting and they certainly don’t dominate the profile. Curiously, there doesn’t seem to be any coolant in the mix, which is unusual for a slush profile but it doesn’t feel like it’s missing. Overall, I feel this blend is best described as a sour cherry candy and it does a great job of portraying that.

BLACK RAZZ

VG/PG Ratio: 80/20

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

A simple blackberry and raspberry blend from the No Frills line. For me, the blackberry dominates. It’s fairly sweet, with sticky texture and a good helping of floral notes. Rather than being a candy blackberry, it comes across as a more authentic portrayal, which is quite uncommon. The raspberry element is quite subdued but does support the blackberry with additional sweetness and some mild tartness. The blend is finished with a light dose of flavourless coolant, which does a good job of cutting through the heavier blackberry notes and ensuring it does not overstay its welcome. An unusual but very enjoyable fruit blend.

CAKE

VG/PG Ratio: 80/20

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

This is as simple as a dessert profile can get. The top note is a sweet confectionary vanilla supported by a rich, fluffy cake base, highly reminiscent of yellow sponge cake. This bakery element provides the mix with substantial mouth-feel and an aftertaste that lingers for a while after vaping. The profile almost perfectly emulates tray bake cakes with vanilla frosting. I found Cake to be slightly sweeter than other No Frills offerings but still well within all day vape territory for dessert fans.

RASPBERRY CRÈME BRULEE

VG/PG Ratio: 80/20

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

The top note here is a punchy, jam-like raspberry. It brings some syrupy sweetness to the mix, along with moderate tartness and sticky mouthfeel. This is supported by a moderate cream base which tempers the sweetness of the top note and adds some good volume to the mouth-feel without overshadowing the top note. I would expect some slight egg or custard notes from a crème brulee profile but I’m not really getting those in this case. The result is a creamy baked raspberry profile which is nicely balanced, if not entirely true to the description.

BLUEBERRY SLUSHY

VG/PG Ratio: 80/20

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

Another nostalgic slush profile from the No Frills range. The top note here is a bold blueberry that straddles the line between candy and natural fruit. There’s a candy sweetness here and plenty of sticky body, but also a deeper sweetness, slight earthiness and potent floral aftertaste that you would expect from a more natural portrayal. I like this, since it gives more dimension to what might otherwise be an overly simple profile. There seems to be a very mild coolant in the mix here but it could just be the sensation of the heavy florals on the back end of the profile, so I can’t be sure. An interesting, well-rounded blueberry profile.

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VAPE SYNDROME

The Lunatics

MANGO BANANA

Mango is definitely the main attraction in this creation by Vape Syndrome. The mango flavour in this juice is very sweet and candy-like and it is very prominent on the inhale. There is a pleasant, yet very subtle, banana flavour when exhaling. As with most Malaysian juices, there is koolada present and I did find this a little to be a little strange pair ing for banana. Overall, this is a decent mango and banana mix. While it didn't blow me away it was certainly enjoyable nonetheless.

MANGO GUAVA

Guava seems to come around every summer in the vape world. It's a hard flavour to get right and by pairing it with mango, Vape Syndrome are on the way to something very tropical. It feels like there is something missing from the overall mix though. While they are definitely on the right track with this juice I feel there is something missing and it could do with some finishing touches. It's not an unpleasant flavour by any means but I think it could be elevated to something much more special by adding another fruit flavour into the mix.

GRAPE MANIAC

Grape Maniac! I'm not too sure what maniac is supposed to taste like but I've vaped many grape flavours and this one is pretty decent. The inhale is packed full of grape goodness, along with a small amount of cooling. The fla vour develops a floral taste on the exhale which balances everything out quite well. This is a nice grape vape offering from Vape Syndrome and if you like grape flavours then one is most certainly worth checking out.

MANGO PINEAPPLE

Another tropical offering from the guys at Vape Syndrome. Mango and Pineapple are two flavours that work very well together and this juice is no exception. The mango is the prominent flavour in the mix, backed up by a generous amount of tangy pineapple. This is a juice I can see being quite popular during the warmer months. It is kept cool and refreshing with the addition of koolada and the amount they have used lets the flavour shine through without being overpowering. Give me a warm, sandy beach and I could vape this all day.

CAFETO

VG/PG Ratio : Not stated

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Diamond Mist describe Cafeto as a creamy coffee blend. The top note here is a mild, sweet coffee. This is quite unusual for a coffee e-liquid, which usually carry some rather strong roasted notes. The coffee quickly gives way to a sweet vanilla and cream base, which are the more prominent elements of this mix for me. There are hints of authentic dairy cream but this does come across more like a coffee-based dessert, rather than a blended coffee drink. The result is a mellow dessert profile that can easily be vaped all day. A well-executed blend from Diamond Mist.

BICCY BACCY

VG/PG Ratio : Not stated

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Diamond Mist describe Biccy Baccy as a blend of tobacco, biscuit and cream. The top note here is a mild, sweet tobacco. It’s bright, with a pleasant nut and honey aroma, with traces of darker notes, leading me to believe that this is a Virginia blend. This is supported by a subtle vanilla cream, which adds some volume to the mouth-feel of the blend, whilst complementing the sweet tobacco top note. The profile is finished with a moderate biscuit base, which supports the darker sweetness of the tobacco, whilst adding an almost grainy texture to the body of the mix. This is an intriguing and rather moreish dessert tobacco blend.

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LOP FLAVOUR – PISTACHIO CREAM

VG/PG Ratio: Chosen by user

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

It’s not often we see pistachio taking centre stage in an e-liquid profile, so is this one worth checking out? Many nut blends end up taking on an ambiguous nutty flavour that can’t really be identified. This is certainly not the case for Pistachio Cream. The top note is a deep, mildly sweet authentic pistachio that’s immediately recognisable. The top note is supported by a light cream base that adds volume to the mouth-feel and gives a boost to the blend’s sweetness, without muting the pistachio flavour. This is a simple, but very well executed, dessert profile that should be a crowdpleaser.

LOP FLAVOUR – THRILL

VG/PG Ratio: Chosen by user

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Thrill is described as a blend of melon, watermelon and papaya by LOP Flavour. The top note here is an authentic watermelon. Unlike many of it’s peers, this is completely free from the candy tartness that we often associate with watermelon and instead has a juicy mouthfeel, light sweetness and subtle rind flavour. This is supported by what seems to be a cantaloupe melon, which adds further sweetness to the mix, with a slightly more tropical connotation. The blend is finished with a moderate helping of papaya, which adds some sticky body, deeper sweetness and slight earthiness without dominating the more delicate melon top notes. This is a unique and vibrant tropical fruit mix, ideal for warmer weather.

LOP FLAVOUR - LIMONCELLO CREAM

VG/PG Ratio: Chosen by user

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Limoncello Cream is described as a liqueur dessert by LOP Flavour. The top note here is a distinctly boozy lemon. It has some citric sweetness and plenty of sticky body but also plenty of natural zest and the moderate bitterness that you would expect from an authentic limoncello. This is supported by a moderate cream base that adds some sweetness to the mix while smoothing out what otherwise might have been a stronger throat hit. This is another very simple dessert from LOP but tastes incredibly true to life.

KABEE – SHADOW

VG/PG Ratio: Chosen by user

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Moderate

Shadow is described as a dark tobacco blend, with rum and chocolate. The top note here is a rich, authentic dark rum. It brings a decadent dark sweetness to the mix, along with a slight additional bite to the throat hit, supported by a moderate chocolate base. This bolsters the rum’s sweetness while adding some dairy body to the mouth-feel. Chocolate is very tough to portray in e-liquid but this is very convincing. There is a noticeable dark tobacco note which makes a very nice pairing with the dark sweetness of the rum and chocolate. Shadow will be an acquired taste but is very well put together.

KABEE – COLIME

VG/PG Ratio: Chosen by user

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

Kabee describe Colime as a blend of cola and lemon. Cola e-liquids have always been difficult to produce, but this case, the cola top note tastes quite authentic. It’s fairly light but accurately portrays the flavour of the beverage rather than the candy, with moderate sweetness and slight sticky body. This is contrasted with a more prominent lemon note. This is akin to a homestyle lemonade rather than a candy, with plenty of citric sweetness and slight tartness that cuts through the cola note. The blend is finished with a moderate dose of cooling that imparts slight menthol flavour without interfering with the mix too much. A light and refreshing beverage profile.

KABEE – BLACK SOUL

VG/PG Ratio: Chosen by user

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Moderate

Black Soul is described as an English tobacco blend with a unique peppery note. This is, without doubt, one of the strangest tobacco flavours I’ve tried. There are hints of light, sweet tobacco but something much darker is dominating the mix. It could be, but I cannot be sure, since there is a strong pepper note running throughout the profile. This is something that I do not enjoy and will certainly not be for everyone, but if you’ve been in search of a bold, peppery tobacco blend with moderate throat hit, this could be the one.

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SWEET CURRANT

Percentage used and VG/PG Ratio of mix: 7% at 70/30

Once in a while a new flavouring is immediately met with hype in the mixing community. Capella’s Sweet Currant is such a flavour. Blackcurrant has always been a popular choice in e-liquid mixing but the majority of concentrates on the market are unforgiving, with a level of potency that end up dominating mixes. Sweet Currant is more mellow but still packs a serious punch. Between 2-4% in a mix, Sweet Currant adds acidity, earthiness and a mild berry flavour to any fruit profile. It can also be used lower in the mix to give other fruits a baked connotation. At 5% and higher, it becomes the star of the show with a deep sweetness, excellent body and tart aftertaste. The fact that it can be used for such a wide variety of purposes makes Sweet Currant an essential tool to mixers.

SWEET MANGO V2

Percentage used and VG/PG Ratio of mix: 5% at 70/30

Another classic Capella fruit, reimagined. The original version of sweet mango can be found in countless commercial e-liquids as it provides a punchy, bright mango profile. At higher percentages, though, the original formulation does start to bring some off notes to the mix, tasting over-ripe. I’m happy to report that this problem has been solved in Sweet Mango V2. This is a similar profile but with slightly reduced earthy notes and increased tartness. It’s spot on to what you would expect from a mango soda, which makes for a versatile tropical flavouring that can be dropped in to a variety of fruit medley mixes.

JUICY PEACH V2

Percentage used and VG/PG Ratio of mix: 4% at 70/30

Juicy Peach V1 is among Capella’s most popular flavourings and this new iteration is very similar to the original, with a strong presence of bright candy like peach, good tartness and a mildly sticky body. Where it differs is mostly throat hit, for me. Many people report sensitivity to the original Juicy Peach, causing a strong throat hit that can become offputting. This has been completely eliminated in Juicy Peach V2, which pleases me greatly, since the profile is perfect for summery recipes that call for some stone fruit. Juicy Peach V2 can be dropped into almost any fruit mix with great results but also works fantastically in candy profiles and desserts. Juicy Peach V2 combined with Capella’s Vanilla Custard V1, Graham Cracker and French Vanilla makes for a simple but moreish summer dessert.

RHUBARB

Percentage used and VG/PG Ratio of mix: 3.5% at 70/30

Rhubarb is an inherently niche flavour but it’s nice to see Capella trying their hand at it. This is quite unlike other rhubarbs I have tried. Where competitors’ offerings provide a candied rhubarb akin to the traditional British sweets, Capella’s is much more natural. This flavouring brings a moderate tartness to any mix, along with a deep baked natural rhubarb. I can see this being useful as an accent to bring more acidity to less vibrant fruit mixes, or as a more central flavour in confectionary profiles. Rhubarb strikes me as a flavouring best suited to advanced mixers.

SWEET CANDY

Percentage used and VG/PG Ratio of mix: 0.25% at 70/30

A new flavour enhancer from Capella. Where additives like Capella’s Super Sweet are “one size fits all”, Sweet Candy should be treated as a more specialised tool. Capella state that this enhancer contains sucralose, stevia and vanillin. With such strong components, less is more. The vanillin isn’t overly noticeable and mostly works to smooth out rough edges of your mixes. The sucralose and stevia combination provide a substantial “sugar lips” effect and give a dramatic boost to the sweetness of any mix. Unlike Super Sweet, this enhancer gives a distinctive candy connotation, which makes life slightly easier for new mixers who want to create candy profiles. This will almost certainly be finding its way into countless commercial blends in the near future but for home mixers I recommend an absolute maximum of 0.75% as it will significantly mute flavours past this point.

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TEA SERIES – BLACKCURRANT TEA

VG/PG Ratio: Not stated. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild, with

cooling

Blackcurrant is another profile that has become synonymous with Malaysian e-liquid mixology. Normally we would expect Malaysian blackcurrant mixes to be extremely potent but that’s actually not the case here. The top note is a relatively mild blackcurrant. It’s on the candied end of the spectrum, bringing plenty of sweetness to the mix, sticky body and mild tartness. This is supported by a more robust tea base, which feels like the main part of the profile here. It brings the same aromatic sweetness found in the other Tea Series offerings, albeit slightly more prominent in this particular blend. The profile is finished with flavourless coolant. This is another well-executed fruit beverage profile and the one I would recommend to those who are looking for a more tea heavy profile.

TEA SERIES – APPLE PEAR

VG/PG Ratio: Not stated. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

Phat Juice describe Apple Pear as a blend of apple, pear, tea and ice. The top note here is a punchy soda-style apple. It’s bright and bold, bringing plenty of sweetness to the mix, along with moderate tartness and juicy mouthfeel. This is accented with a more natural pear, which is among the most authentic I have tried. This gives a boost to the tartness of the mix and turns up the dial on the juicy mouthfeel, too. The tea note is very subtle here. It can be tasted on the backend but is certainly an accent rather than a central feature of the profile. The blend is finished with a moderate blast of flavourless coolant. A fantastic fruity beverage vape.

TEA SERIES – MANGO TEA

VG/PG Ratio: Not stated. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

We’ve come to expect great mango profiles from Malaysian e-liquid manufacturers and Mango Tea from Phat Juice is no exception. The top note here is a potent, full-flavoured mango. It brings plenty of earthy, ripe sweetness to the mix, along with a heavy, sticky mouthfeel and mild tartness. Though sweet, this is a very authentic portrayal of Malaysian mango. The tea component of the mix is somewhat subdued but still present. It provides additional earthiness and gives a boost to the naturally aromatic mango top note. The blend is finished with a moderate dose of coolant. This is a simple but outstanding mango profile that tropical vapers will enjoy greatly.

TEA SERIES – RASPBERRY TEA

VG/PG Ratio: Not stated. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild,

with cooling

A simpler blend from the Tea Series. The top note here is a light raspberry. It has characteristics of a candy raspberry, with sticky texture and bright sweetness, but also of the natural fruit, with a good helping of tartness on the finish. This is contrasted with a more prominent tea flavour. It’s what I would describe as an aromatic or herbal tea, with mild vegetal notes, some earthiness and plenty of sweetness. This combination of flavours works very nicely to create an exotic fruity profile that’s quite unlike other tea e-liquids. The blend is finished with a good helping of flavourless coolant, which makes for a simple but well-balanced beverage profile.

THE BERG USA

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30 Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Innevape are a staple brand across the pond and they’re now starting to make a name for themselves here in the UK. The Berg USA is arguably the flavour that put them on the map, so what’s all the fuss about? Innevape describe this as a blue slush profile, which leaves much to the imagination. The top note for me is a moderate candy raspberry which is fairly bright, with plenty of sweetness, sticky body and a good helping of tartness on the finish. A bold candy blueberry complements the top note very well and also brings a deeper sweetness and moderate floral notes which linger after vaping. This is a well-executed and unconventional blue slush style e-liquid.

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ENERGY ICE

VG/PG Ratio: 60/40. Additional sweetener: Moderate

Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling (20mg/ml salt nicotine)

“Energy drink” has always been an elusive profile. What does it mean exactly? The general consensus is some kind of fruit medley and all too often this ends up a bit muddled in e-liquid form. Dr Frost have nailed it, however. Energy ice is a vivid fruit blend that tastes alarmingly similar to the world’s leading energy drink brand. It’s sweet, sticky and ambiguous but very moreish. The profile is rounded out with a moderate coolant which does not interfere with the profile, resulting in a fresh fruit and ice vape that’s likely to be a crowd-pleaser.

APPLE CRANBERRY ICE

VG/PG Ratio: 60/40. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling (20mg/ml salt nicotine)

Apple Cranberry Ice is a rather unusual pairing from the Dr. Frost Salt Nic range. Cranberry is usually a very delicate flavour in the world of e-liquid but in this case it holds its own fantastically against the apple notes. It brings a mild sweetness to the blend, along with a pleasant tartness that lingers on the palate after vaping. The apple is slightly more prominent, lending a bright sweetness to the mix, along with an authentic juicy mouth-feel. In this case, there seem to be notes of both red and green apples, which is a nice change from the heavy green apple candy that has become something of an industry standard. The mix is finished with coolant, which cuts through the sweetness of the blend, delivering a light and refreshing fruit mix that can easily be vaped all day.

HONEYDEW BLACKCURRANT

VG/PG Ratio: 60/40. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling (20mg/ml nicotine salt)

When we think of Malaysia-inspired e-liquids, such as Dr.Frost, honeydew melon and blackcurrant are both profiles that spring to mind. The top note here is a very punchy candy blackcurrant. It brings plenty of sticky sweetness to the mix, along with hints of a deeper earthiness that you might expect from a more natural portrayal. This is contrasted with a much brighter honeydew melon that cuts through the blackcurrant with its mild acidity and notably juicy mouth-feel. The profile is finished with a moderate helping of flavourless coolant. This is a vivid, fully saturated fruit ice profile and has quickly become my favourite among Dr.Frost’s nicotine salt offerings. A must try for fruit fans.

WATERMELON ICE

VG/PG Ratio: 60/40. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling (20mg/ml salt nicotine)

Another simple blend from the Dr. Frost Salt Nic line. The watermelon here is bold but does not carry any of the off notes that are sometimes associated with strong melon flavours. It has a soft sweetness, a mild authentic rind and a generous helping of juicy mouth-feel. This is quite different from other watermelons I have tried, which leads me to believe that Dr. Frost are going to great lengths to source ingredients from further afield than some other manufacturers. The blend is finished with a moderate dose of coolant, resulting in another basic but very well-executed mix.

ORANGE MANGO ICE

VG/PG Ratio: 60/40. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling (20mg/ml salt nicotine)

Orange has always been something of a sticking point in the world of e-liquid. For whatever reason, it’s incredibly hard to get right, without the presence of some serious off notes. In this case, Dr. Frost have done an exemplary job. The top note is a bright soda-style orange. It’s quite a bit sweeter than you would expect from a more natural rendition and doesn’t have much in the way of tartness but it delivers a vivid sweetness that is difficult to find in other orange profiles. This top note is supported by a more subdued mango. Again, this is a soda-style mango rather than a more natural, earthy variety but it does well in this context to support the orange and give the blend some depth. The Icy finish works very well in this blend, cutting through the heaviness of the mango and stopping the orange from becoming overly sweet.

GRAPE ICE

VG/PG Ratio: 60/40. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Moderate, with cooling (20mg/ml salt nicotine)

Grape has always been a divisive profile but love it or hate it, there’s a lot of competition in the market, so how does this one measure up? This is very different from the usual fare. Where most grape flavoured e-liquids take the dark, syrupy concord approach, Dr.Frost’s offering is light, mildly sharp and authentic. This leans heavily towards the flavour of a green grape, which is refreshing. Despite the more authentic flavour, the top note still brings plenty of sweetness and sticky body, making it very accessible. The profile is finished with Dr.Frost’s signature coolant, which works wonderfully in this mix.

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crackers, melted chocolate and marshmallows blended with iced mocha coffee. Initially I thought that there was potentially a lot that could go wrong but, yet again, Barista have nailed it. Here we have a juice with a lot of character. There is a sweet chocolate base that carries a balanced coffee hint, and, as if that isn’t enough, the profile gains a rich golden graham cracker accent. The biscuit and chocolate tones dance on your tongue before being kissed with a sugary marshmallow highlight. This vape exceeded my high expectations and really is a delicious coffee treat. A joy of a vape.

MAPLE BAR DONUT

This is described as a classic golden deep fried donut with an irresistible maple glaze. The donut batter top note is a full-bodied flavour with a sugary accent. This is supported by a maple syrup hint that adds a sweeter kick that carries the simple dough flavour into the realm of sweet delicacies. The donut flavour works really well, and just like the real thing, it goes great with a cup of coffee. This is well-balanced and while some may find it a little on the sweet side, that is what a maple donut is all about so there are no complaints from me here. A real treat.

STRAWBERRY WATERMELON REFRESHER

Strawberry Watermelon Refresher is based on a summer virgin cocktail. The top note is a subtle watermelon dew flavour. A ripe strawberry then blends in, elevating the flavour to its desired punchy profile. The overall profile has a candied accent that emphasises that summer vibe. This juice is neither too sweet nor too bitter and ticks all the boxes for an all-day vape. The flavour is strong but not overpowering and it is smooth on the inhale and the exhale. There is absolutely nothing at all to dislike about this e-liquid - a real winner.

and I can see why. Here Barista has taken sweet green apples added in sharp cranberry and have got the mix just right. Both flavours work together perfectly and I feel that this juice is a just like a wonderfully put together fruit smoothie in e-liquid form. If you are looking for a refreshing green apple vape that packs a sour punch then you will love this. The apple overtone is beautifully complemented by a subtle sweetness that combats that sour tone. The profile is that of a decadent summer spritzer while the taste carries a candied cranberry tone into the aftertaste.

RASPBERRY CREAM DANISH

There is an array of dessert style vapes on the market, but this is one to get those lips around. The base of is a sweet and buttery pastry and it is absolutely delicious. There is an introduction of a raspberry jam note that emphasises its dessert qualities and it is certainly a flavour that dessert fans will enjoy. To top everything off with this e-liquid I found that the profile develops a creamed cheese note which gives it a deep character and pushes it as one of the better desserts on the market.

FROZEN CRANBERRY APPLE REFRESHER

Not all juice combinations lend themselves to producing a ‘frozen’ version while others just cry out for this option. I am pleased to say that Frozen Cranberry Apple Refresher falls into the latter category. This alternative vape experience most definitely complete the profile and it is ideal as a Summer vape. Featuring the exact same flavour concoction as Cranberry Apple Refresher, this e-liquid just raises its game with an introduction of a subtle menthol. The coolness drastically improves the overall profile and elevates the sweet-sour balance making this vape more of an ADV.

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MAJOR SWEETS

VG/PG ratio of mix: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Avoira describe Major Sweets as a blend of dark chocolate, baked apple, blueberry, vanilla ice cream and nuts - a complex and unusual profile indeed. A moderate apple and blueberry medley is the top note. This provides a mild sweetness to the mix, along with an authentic sharpness accented with a realistic dark chocolate. The chocolate also provides further sweetness and a good helping of bitterness, without any syrupy off notes. Neither the ice cream nor the nuts have a substantial presence, likely due to the vividness of the top notes and chocolate base. Major Sweets is an interesting blend but ultimately will be an acquired taste.

CAPTAIN MELONS

VG/PG ratio of mix: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

A more typical fruit profile from Avoira E-liquids. Captain Melons is described as a blend of watermelon, strawberry, blueberry and mint. The top note here is a fresh mint that brings a pleasant sweetness and some mild botanical notes to the mix. This is supported by a moderately-strong authentic watermelon, which boosts the sweetness of the profile, whilst adding a juicy mouthfeel. The blueberry and strawberry components are light accents which provide the mix with some tartness and additional sweetness. This is a well-balanced fruit and mint blend that works nicely as a summer vape.

SUBES BLUT

VG/PG ratio of mix: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

Subes Blut is described as a blend of red berries and coolant. The top note is a vivid candy strawberry. It has plenty of sweetness along with a moderate sticky body accented with what seems to be raspberry. The raspberry bolsters the sweetness, whilst adding a slight tartness. There is at least one other berry in the background but it is subdued and difficult to distinguish from the stronger berry top notes. The profile is finished with a mild minty coolant, which adds a slight botanical twist to the profile and keeps it light. A simple but satisfying summer vape.

Additional sweetener: Minimal

Corporal Baker is described as a blend of apple and lemon cake, mango and cucumber. Calling this profile unconventional would be a massive understatement. Lemon cake dominates the blend. It’s mildly sweet, with a moderate helping of tangy zest and a mild cake base, which gives the profile a fluffy texture. Apple plays second fiddle and pairs well with the lemon top note. If there is any mango or cucumber in the mix, I’m not tasting it, though there is a very mild earthiness that lingers on the palate after vaping. Corporal Baker is an interesting concept but I’m not sure it has been fully realised.

GENERAL FROST

VG/PG ratio of mix: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

General Frost is the simplest of Avoira’s military-themed short-fills, described as a blend of mango and ice. This is certainly one of the more accurate mango blends I’ve tasted. It’s rich, mildly earthy and has a distinctive sweetness. Unfortunately it is slightly less potent than I would personally like, which causes General Frost to fall short of full flavour saturation. The profile is finished with a mellow icy coolant which does not interfere with the mango at all. This is a well-executed mango vape that will please those who prefer lighter flavours.

RAKI

VG/PG ratio of mix: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Raki is an anise-based liqueur that’s traditionally enjoyed in Turkey, Greece and Balkan countries. This is a single note profile, namely a mellow sweetened aniseed, which comes off essentially as a mild liquorice. It has moderate sweetness, sticky mouthfeel and a subtle spiced note that lingers on the palate long after vaping. Much like Marmite, people are either going to love or hate this liquid. As far as simple liquorice blends go, Raki is well done and on the lighter side, making it a good candidate for all day vaping for those who enjoy aniseed.

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#D11 ROUND ICE

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild, with cooling

Described as a frozen blackcurrant ice cream, #D11 Round Ice is certainly an unusual blend. The top note is a vivid blackcurrant. It brings some sticky candy sweetness to the mix but also the authentic depth and mild florality you would expect from the real fruit. Make no mistake, this is one of the best portrayals of blackcurrant I have tasted in e-liquid form. This is supported by a mild, traditional vanilla ice cream. It’s verging on custard with its egg and dairy notes, which sets it apart from many other ice cream style profiles. This creamy base gives the blend further sweetness but does not mute the blackcurrant top note at all. The profile is finished with a moderate coolant that does not interfere with the balance of flavours. This blend took me by surprise with its authenticity and I highly recommend it to fruit and dessert fans.

BLACKOUT

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30

Additional sweetener: Minimal. Throat hit: Mild

VaporArt describe Blackout as a creamy panna cotta blended with caramel. The top note here is a rich, authentic caramel. It brings a moderate dark sweetness to the mix, with plenty of decadent, sticky body and a lingering aftertaste. Caramel often comes across as candied in e-liquids but in this case it’s more reminiscent of the real thing. This is supported by an equally rich panna cotta, bringing a sweet vanilla to the blend, along with a heavy cream base with notable volume and mouth-feel. Though quite simple, this is a very nicelybalanced dessert blend that I’ve really struggled to put down during testing. Though relatively sweet, the profile is quite light for a dessert and does not become overbearing after extended use.

BUTTSTARD

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30 Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

VaporArt describe Buttstard only as a butter cream based profile, which is highly unusual, so how does it vape? The top note here is a mild vanilla. It’s not as sweet or potent as you would expect in a confectionary blend but it is present nonetheless. This is supported by a rich and dense cream base that provides moderate sweetness, substantial mouthfeel and some authentic dairy notes. The profile is fished with a very mild hint of lemon. It’s subtle enough that some may not taste it but it works nicely with the heavy cream to bring a little brightness to the mix. This is a very simple but well-executed dessert blend that works well as an all day vape due to its lack of overbearing sweetness.

MILKSTARD

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30. Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Vapourart describe this as a blend of biscuits and milk. Though simple, this kind of blend is quite difficult to deliver properly without a level of sweetness that precludes it from being vaped all day. The top note here is a bold buttery biscuit with hints of brown sugar, bakery sweetness and great texture. This is supported by a moderately heavy cream base which provides real volume to the body of the mix and contrasts with some of the darker sweet notes of the biscuit. There is still some dairy in the profile but it’s more an accent rather than a main feature. Another simple dessert that’s been done very well. This will be an all day vape for many bakery fans.

SPY

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30. Additional sweetener: Minimal Throat hit: Mild

Spy is a mixed tobacco blend from VaporArt’s Seven Wonders range. This is a complex profile where the top note for me is a light and sweet Virginia style tobacco. It has a mild nuttiness, with some dark sweetness and smoky aftertaste. This is contrasted with a blend of darker, bolder tobaccos. These notes remind me more of cigar-style tobacco, with a heavier smoke note and hints of wood or leather. There appears to be some hint of dark fruit in the mix too, such as raisin or plum but this may simply be part of the tobacco blend. Despite not regularly choosing tobacco profiles, I found Spy to be very enjoyable indeed.

214 | VM24
REVIEWS

WATERMELON KIWI ON ICE

This juice is described as a mouth-watering watermelon paired with a sweet kiwi undertone and they've got it pretty much spot on. The watermelon is definitely the prominent flavour, with a subtle, yet fresh, kiwi backing things up. There is a sweetness present throughout both inhale and exhale, that is pleasant without being too sickly. The addition of a mild amount of koolada helps to keep things fresh and keeps the sweetness in check. This is a flavour that has been done before, sure, however the people over at Juice Locker seem to have found a very nice balance between these two popular flavours.

APPLE BLACKCURRANT ON ICE

I've lost count of the amount of apple and blackcurrant flavours I've tried over the years. This offering by Juice Locker does not disappoint though. It's difficult to say which is the more obvious flavour as the balance between the two is flawless. The fresh apple flavour is very present on the inhale but it very quickly blends with the tart, crisp blackcurrant notes on the exhale. As with the other flavours from the SQZD range, the cooling is a nice addition and fits well with the flavour profile. Overall this is a nice blend of popular fruits that the folks over at Juice Locker have done justice. Not quite my new all day vape but thoroughly enjoyable.

BLOOD ORANGE ON ICE

Wow! The description on this e-liquid just doesn't do it justice. This has to be one of the most authentic blood orange flavours I have had the pleasure of vaping. It's a tangy blend of fresh blood orange and sweet, yet subtle, raspberry with a refreshing coolness that complements the flavours perfectly. The inhale is all about the blood orange, which is a very bold and bright flavour. Then on the exhale, the slight hint of raspberry and cooling take centre stage. There's not a bad word I can say about

VG/PG Ratio: 70/30. Additional sweetener: Moderate Throat hit: Mild

Twist E-liquids describe Golden Honey Bomb as a blend of honey and sweet creamy milk. If you’ve been vaping for a while, you’ll know that this is an ambitious profile because honey is a notoriously difficult flavour to get right in e-liquid. With improper mixing the taste and aroma after vaping a honey e-liquid can be, to say the least, unpleasant. I’m happy to report that in this case they’ve done an excellent job. The honey top note is somewhere between a natural honey and the kind you might find in confectionary or cereal. It has a distinctive aromatic note but also a mild dark sweetness, not dissimilar from caramel or toffee. This is supported by a moderate dairy base that gives the profile plenty of body and a good boost to its sweetness. I found Golden Honey Bomb to be slightly less sweet than other Twist E-liquid offerings, which makes it more of a contender for all-day vaping in my case. This is a unique dessert profile that’s well worth a try.

215 | VM24
These products many contain nicotine which is a highly addictive substance
Warning:
PJ EMPIRE WWW.PJEMPIRE.COM OFFICE@PJEMPIRE.COM HIGH RIDER PREMIUM CONCENTRATE
#VAPOUROUND HANDCHECK By popular demand, #vapouroundhandcheck is back! This is where we feature some of our favourite vape-related photography that has been shared with us via social media. Go and check out the featured creators for regular content just like this. #VAPOUROUNDHANDCHECK – PHOTO CREDITS AND CAPTIONS 1. @The_stockwood_vape_reviews – A brass stacked full Unicorn Mods setup with Candy King Lemon drops. 2. @deanovape – A satburn mechanical mod, with Dvarw 16mm MTL RTA. 3. @deanovape – A Ground Kloud Innovations Cloak V2, with matching MissionVX KRMA RDA 4. @vapekingjat – Knurled black mech mod with Axial RDA. 5. @charliivapes – Rainbow finish Unicorn mech setup with some Mojo E-liquid 6. @themagnificentcooper – A compact Apexmods and Goon setup with Tears of My Enemy e-liquid. 7. @meatlofe24 – Twist e-liquids’ Triple Red from the brand new 360 range. 8. @vaper_m – Two from Dr.Vapes’ Panther series 1. 2. 4. 7. 8. 5. 6. 3. 219 | VM24

Tony B - AKA Vaportrail Channel - has been posting video reviews to YouTube for over five years and has designed several products with major manufactures in his time. We caught up with him to find out more about his process.

Q: When was the first time that you had the desire to design a product of your own and what made you want to do it?

When I got into squonking there were only two or three devices under $100 and they were not very good and the more expensive ones were difficult to obtain. The same goes for RDAs.

When I was approached to work with Vandy Vape, I wanted to do a squonk mod but they suggested I do a squonking RDA first and see how that went.

I had talked with at least 10 companies prior to that who all thought squoking wouldn’t go mainstream and they didn’t think they could sell enough of them, so they turned me down. Well, the Pulse 22 did great, and that convinced Vandy Vape to go ahead and design a mod with me. I wanted to democratise squonking and make it available to the masses by forcing other companies to go down the squonk route and it worked very well.

Q: Your first project was the Pulse 22 RDA, was there a reason for choosing to create a product that was intended for advanced users?

It was hot at the time and it was what I was into. I wanted to design an RDA that I liked that wouldn’t cost over $100. This was perfect for me and became a catalyst for the other designs I’ve worked on since.

220 | VM24
HOBBYIST CORNER

Q: What were the primary challenges of your first collaborative project? Was there anything that could not be realised in the end product?

The biggest challenge was dealing with China. I’m exactly 12 hours difference from Shenzhen and they want to Skype with me from midnight to 2am so that makes it difficult. The language barrier made things difficult too, especially at the start, but my main contact now speaks very good English so that is much easier.

Q: You followed up the Pulse 22 fairly quickly with the Pulse BF mechanical squonker, which was wildly popular. Why do you think this project in particular was so successful?

I think it was because there weren’t any others available that were that affordable, but had the features you saw on a lot of Facebook group mods…which typically cost over $100. This was $40 with swappable panels and was customisable. It had everything needed to kickstart the sqonking revolution that it did.

Q: Many of your collaborations have been with Vandy Vape. What made you want to work with them and how has your relationship with them developed since?

They really were the first to “bite” when I said I wanted to do squonk stuff! I trusted them and it’s been great for me. The relationship is very solid and they’re the best company I’ve seen for customer service from China. They honour their six month warranty and do it quickly. I am free to work with other companies and I have done so, but the way they do business is top notch.

your reviews? Are you ever concerned that it makes you more critical of products, or does it give you a better understanding?

It gives me a better understanding but I don’t let it taint how I do my videos or run my channel. I don’t get over critical and I stay true to how I’ve always reviewed products. I like to describe it as “coming over to your house and showing you the new thing I just got in the mail and how it works.” I’m not a big “pros and cons” guy. I’m not here to talk trash about other companies or their products or base the current video on how I felt about a previous product from them. I’m here to show you the device, tell you what I like and don’t love about it and let you form your own opinion.

Q: Since you started designing products, the practice of collaborations between creators and manufacturers has become much more common. Do you think this is a good thing for consumers?

If the goal is to produce a great product which helps people get off and stay off cigarettes, then that’s good. If a manufacturer has a crap product and some reviewer, who needs money to pay the bills, is willing to put their name on it, that’s not good. I hate when people get all high and mighty and say “that’s just a cash grab.” Well, if it’s totally crap, I guess so but if you’ve actually spent months on a product and really have a passion for why you’re releasing it, that’s fine.

Q: You’ve had the opportunity to attend quite a few vaping events. Which has been the most memorable for you and why?

Q: Now that your name is associated with designing products as much as it is with reviewing them, has it changed how you approach

I like to party quite a bit, and Vegas is always a blast. There was one time at Vape Jam in London where I got to hang out with Ruby Roo, her husband Josh, Jaybo, and Twisted Messes and got enjoy some tourist stuff. I really loved hanging with that crew and loved seeing London.

221 | VM24

Modder’s Profi le Limelight Mechanics

The high-end vaping scene is full of small companies spread across the world. With thousands of discerning customers to service, boutique manufacturers face unique challenges. We talked to Limelight Mechanics founder Dejan Aleksandrovic about what life is like as an independent mod maker.

Q: What attracted you to manufacturing vaping products in the first place?

I used to distribute e-cigarettes in Serbia. At one point I was introduced to the “high end” scene which was at that time down to a few forums. What I encountered was nothing short of amazing. The positive energy there and the sheer will of the people involved to be there for one another was like nothing I have ever seen. That’s when I designed the Purple Orchid followed by the other e-pipes from the Limelight collection. The way I see it is, I make something out of nothing and it makes someone feel good, it puts a smile on a face and makes that someone healthier.

222 | VM24 HOBBYIST CORNER

turing? How have you overcome them?

Being in the environment I am in, Serbia, meant there was only one way I could create a complex product and that is on my own. It’s one thing to make a few custom pieces of anything. That doesn’t require as many technical solutions to be applied to a product as it does in order to actually manufacture one in a batch. What I did is gather a small group of machinists and come up with my own solutions to the problems but also try to apply solutions from other fields to my products. For example, the RAM chip was made thanks to the development in the electronic car industry. I went as far as designing and making my own machines and tools in order to make the products to a higher standard and on a larger scale. The issue with this is that one person has to have knowledge in a vast variety of fields in order to create the products that we have today.

Q: What is the product development process like at Limelight

Mechanics?

Since we do everything in house it’s pretty complicated. Being in Serbia makes it even harder because the environment is such that you don’t really have anyone to work with or ask for advice

on almost any topic. I like to get a good technical solution first, for manufacturing and assembling and then blend it in with the aesthetics. I design the product, find inspiration, apply various solutions to my products, make the tools and even the machines to manufacture them. It’s a painstaking process but with a great reward in the end. It usually takes around six months to completely develop one product, so thinking ahead is the key.

Q: In the vaping industry, products come and go quite quickly. Your Freehand design has been around for almost three years now but seems to be as popular and highly praised as ever, why do you think this is?

The design is relevant. This is simply down to what we feel attracted to naturally and what the designer, in this case me, has incorporated subliminally in the design of a product. Everyone can design a mod with curves, but making sense of those shapes from the point of the beholder is the key to a valid, timeless design.

Q: What does a typical day for the Limelight team look like? Is it difficult to keep up with the demand for your products?

Typically, I organise people to do their part. We make small batches of everything which gives us the freedom to constantly improve. Some days we assemble the mods, on others, we do the clear coat, or sanding or just cut up the blanks but since we are doing custom work, each day is different.

Q: For the last couple of years, the high-end scene has focused heavily on squonking. This year, smaller mods have become more popular again, reflected by your decision to create the fifty/fifty. What do you predict will be the strongest trend over the next 12 months?

Yes, this has been the trend we followed. In my opinion, full size AIO devices will prevail until something new comes along.

223 | VM24
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SCOTLAND

VPZ

11 Brandon Parade S Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, United Kingdom, ML1 1RB

Telephone +44 1698 265111

Scotvapes Inverness

2-4 Market Arcade, Academy Street, Inverness, Highland, United Kingdom, IV1 1PG Telephone +44 146 326 2470

VPZ

6 Broad St Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom, AB43 9AU Telephone +44 134 651 3049

The Vapour Lounge 86 Commercial St, Dundee, United Kingdom, DD1 2AP Telephone +44 138 220 4611

Emporium Vapour

11 Dalderse Ave, Falkirk, United Kingdom, FK2 7EF Telephone +44 800 612 7270

Aqua Vapour 33 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH11 2BA Telephone +44 131 629 0900

Dr Vapor 91 Portobello High St, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH15 1AW Telephone +44 131 669 1959

Bean Smoking

67 Hyndland St Glasgow, United Kingdom, G11 5PS Telephone +44 141 334 7284

Pencig

6 Ormiston Terrace Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH12 7SJ Telephone +44 131 334 4604

Totally Wicked

112 Gallowgate, Glasgow, United Kingdom, G31 4EB Telephone +44 141 550 3555

Vaporeyes

335 Victoria Rd Glasgow, United Kingdom, G42 7SA Telephone +44 141 237 9600

Vaporium Glasgow

12 Budhill Ave Glasgow, United Kingdom, G32 0PN Telephone +44 141 387 5939

Ecigarus

28 Quarry St Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, United Kingdom, ML3 7AR Telephone +44 169 842 0068

Barracuda Vape

Unit 6 Loreburne Shopping Centre, Dumfries and Galloway, United Kingdom, DG1 2BD Telephone +44 138 724 7785

NORTH WEST ENGLAND

Ladybird Vapours

5 Princes Rd Ellesmere Port, Cheshire West, United Kingdom, CH65 8AS

Telephone +44 151 355 9999

The Vapour Bar

5-6 New Oxford Street, Workington, Cumbria, United Kingdom, CA14 2NA Telephone +44 190 026 7373

The Crafty Vaper

Unit 1 Cannon Corner, 24 Church St, Accrington, Lancashire, United Kingdom, BB5 2EH Telephone +44 125 423 0600

StateSide Vape

71 Poulton St Kirkham, Lancashire, United Kingdom, PR4 2AJ Telephone +44 1772 686862

The Vapour Corner 78 Lord St Fleetwood, Lancashire, United Kingdom, FY7 6DS Telephone +44 756 145 6592

Up In Smoke 99 Lancaster Rd Morecambe, Lancashire, United Kingdom, LA4 5QJ Telephone+44 152 442 1985

Vapepod

30 Finkle St Kendal, Cumbria, United Kingdom, LA9 4AB Telephone +44 153 973 4408

The Vapour Stop

256 Whitegate Dr. Blackpool, United Kingdom, FY3 9JW Telephone +44 125 369 9086

The Gourmet Vapor Shop 42 Harrison Street, Blackburn, United Kingdom, BB2 2JE Telephone +44 333 344 6555

Just Vapours

11 Clarendon Pl Hyde, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, SK14 2ND Telephone +44 161 964 4638

Vape Street

17 Hazel Rd Whitefield, Greater Manchester. United Kingdom, M45 8EU Telephone +44 161 796 2916

Vape World

226 Ashton Rd Oldham, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, OL8 1QN Telephone +44 161 621 0088

Tutzys Piccadilly Vape Shop

14 Piccadilly, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, M1 4AJ Telephone +44 161 236 9763

Vapour Nation 100 Gorton Road Stockport, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, SK5 6UE Telephone +44 161 442 5532

Cloud Chasers

248 Grange Rd Birkenhead, Merseyside United Kingdom, CH41 2QH Telephone +44 151 649 0283

Bulldog Vapours 282 Park Rd Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, L8 4UE Telephone +44 151 726 9139

Vape Saloon

41 Wallgate Wigan, Greater Manchester United Kingdom, WN1 1BE Telephone +44 194 249 8206

Crystal Vapours 6 Chemical Street, Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside, United Kingdom, WA12 9AT Telephone +44 192 522 1101

EcigWorld 57 Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire East, United Kingdom, SK9 5BQ Telephone +44 162 553 9550

NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Healthier Smoker - Totally Wicked 6 Fowler St, South Shields, United Kingdom, NE33 1NF Telephone +44 191 427 1760

Liquid Lounge Vapour Supplies 19a Olive St, Sunderland, United Kingdom, SR1 3PE Telephone +44 191 447 1171

The Vape Company 2c Leazes Park Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE1 4PF Telephone +44 191 261 9972

Uptons Vapourium 214-216 Chillingham Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE6 5LP Telephone +44 191 265 1011

Vapour Street 194 High St, E Wallsend, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom, NE28 7RP Telephone +44 191 649 8416

Punkmonkey Vape

2 Tyne Terrace South Shields, United Kingdom, NE34 0NF Telephone +44 191 456 8995

Vapour Logic

2 New Market Morpeth, Northumberland, United Kingdom, NE61 1LA Telephone +44 167 050 3966

Galaxy Vape

Unit 2 Kellaw Road, Darlington, United Kingdom, DL1 4YA Telephone +44 132 546 9887

The Electric Cigarette Shop 83 Westdyke Road, Redcar Cleveland, United Kingdom, TS10 2AA Telephone +44 164 296 1323

EciggyUK

86, Market Village, The Galleries, Washington, United Kingdom, NE38 7RT Telephone +44 191 417 6555

Castle Vape

3c Front St Prudhoe, Northumberland, United Kingdom, NE42 5HJ Telephone +44 1661 831580

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First Floor Vaporium

10A Market Place Hexham, Northumberland, United Kingdom, NE46 1XG

Telephone +44 1434 604250

Vapour Blast

88 High St W Wallsend, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom, NE28 8HY Telephone +44 7837 551187

Lunar Vape 100 Coatsworth Rd Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom, NE8 1QP Telephone +44 191 440 2677

Smooth Vapourz

158 York Rd, Hartlepool, United Kingdom, TS26 9DT Telephone +44 7789 692993

YORKSHIRE

Cigara

599 Attercli e Rd She eld, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, S9 3RD Telephone +44 114 243 2662

VapeHQ

11 Manvers Way, Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, S63 7FN Telephone +44 1709 872714

Vapour Boutique 66 Owlerton Green, She eld, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom,S6 2BH Telephone +44 114 327 3933

Optimum Vapes 299 Roundhay Road Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS8 4HT Telephone +44 113 235 0292

Richard’s E-Cigs

11 Upper Millergate Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, BD1 1SX Telephone +44 790 448 3779

Ikon Vape Lounge

11 Market Pl Batley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, WF17 5DA Telephone +44 192 469 4240

Vapour Worx 39A High St Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, HG5 0HB Telephone +44 142 361 0083

Fresh Electronic Cigarettes

4 W Gate Wetherby, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS22 6LL Telephone +44 193 758 8410

Vape Safe 8 Stonegate, York, United Kingdom, YO1 8AX Telephone +44 190 484 8488

Richmond Vape Station

5 Castle Hill, Richmond, North Yorkshire , United Kingdom, DL10 4QP Telephone +44 7464 100993

Moorends Vape Shop 144 Marshland Rd Moorends, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, DN8 4SU Telephone +44 1405 740293

Vapour Workz

17 She eld Rd Warmsworth, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, DN4 9QH Telephone +44 1302 570371

Flava Vape

5 Market St, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, S70 1SL Telephone +44 1226 289581

SMKD Electronic Cigarettes

The Ridings Shopping Centre, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, WF1 1DS Telephone +44 1924 728100

Avid Vapers

46 Savile St Hull, Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom, HU1 3EA Telephone +44 1482 221444

The Emporium Hull

279a Hessle Road, Hull, United Kingdom, HU3 4BQ Telephone +44 1482 221883

JAC Vapour

11 Boar Ln Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS1 6EN Telephone +44 113 245 2509

VapeShop Leeds 229 Selby Rd, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS15 7HW Telephone +44 7873 617767

We Are Vapes 394 Kirkstall Rd Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS4 2HQ Telephone +44 7453 804247

NORTHERN IRELAND

Titanic Vapour 264 Shankill Rd. Belfast, United Kingdom, BT13 2BL Telephone +44 7955 485176

Titanic Vapour 122 Longstone St, Lisburn, United Kingdom, BT28 1TR Telephone +44 7938 476622

The Vape Bar

57 Market St, Lurgan, Craigavon, United Kingdom, BT66 6AR Telephone +44 7803 795587

Vape and Tech 42 Market St Tandragee, Armagh, United Kingdom, BT62 2BP Telephone +44 28 3898 9415

Rude Boy Vaping

4 Du erin Ave Bangor, North Down, United Kingdom, BT20 3BU Telephone +44 28 9147 2097

Vape Hunter 748 Upper Newtownards Rd, Dundonald, United Kingdom, BT16 1RJ

Total Vapour 148 Cregagh Rd, Castlereagh, United Kingdom, BT6 9ET Telephone +44 28 9070 5428

Northern Vape 10 North St Belfast, United Kingdom, BT1 1LA Telephone +44 799 996 6944

Ziggicig

Unit 9 Upper Main Street, Strabane, United Kingdom, BT82 8AR Telephone +44 28 9560 7313

The Electric Smoke Company 26 Irish St, Downpatrick, Co. Down, United Kingdom, BT30 6BP Telephone +44 289 756 2896

Ciggy Point

374 Upper Newtownards Rd, Belfast, United Kingdom, BT4 3EY Telephone +44 28 9543 8867

iVape

27 Railway St Strabane, United Kingdom, BT82 8EG Telephone +44 28 7138 3606

ISLE OF MAN

Totally Wicked

7 Market Hill Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 2BF Telephone +44 1624 616205

Electrovape

The Victoria Mall, Unit P, 2 Christian St, Ramsey, Isle of Man, IM8 2EN Telephone +44 7624 220993

O shore Vapes 11 Castle Street Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2EU Telephone +44 1624 625212

WALES

Ladybird Vapours

42 Henblas St, Wrexham, United Kingdom, LL13 8LP Telephone +44 1978 264919

Ladybird Vapours

35 Station Rd Deeside, Flintshire, United Kingdom, CH5 1SU Telephone +44 1244 810835

Ejuice Couture

232 Victoria Rd Holyhead, Isle of Anglesey, United Kingdom, LL65 1UD Telephone +44 1407 238008

Bangor Vapes

173 High Street Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom, LL57 1NU Telephone +44 7388 344650

North Wales Vapour

27 Madoc St Llandudno, Conwy, United Kingdom, LL30 2TL Telephone +44 1492 330865

Mat’s Vapour Lounge

30 Vale Rd Rhyl, Denbighshire, United Kingdom, LL18 2BU Telephone +44 1745 350274

Celtic Vapours

46 Commercial Rd, Neath, Port Talbot, United Kingdom, SA13 1LG Telephone +44 1639 898220

Barracuda Vape

75 Caerphilly Road Birchgrove, Cardi , United Kingdom, CF14 4AE Telephone +44 29 2062 6722

Switch Xpress 236 Corporation Rd, Newport, United Kingdom, NP19 0DZ Telephone +44 1633 549342

Vapourlicious 40 Terrace Rd Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, United Kingdom, SY23 2AE Telephone +44 1970 358693

VAPE Barmouth

Church St Barmouth, Gwynedd, United Kingdom, LL42 1EW Telephone +44 7400 898088

Topvape1

50 Heol Maengwyn Machynlleth, Powys, United Kingdom, SY20 8DT Telephone +44 1654 703925

Chameleon Vapes 42 Bridge St, Wrexham, United Kingdom, LL13 7HP Telephone +44 7943 609219

The Vape Escape Shop 7b Mold Rd Buckley, Flintshire, United Kingdom, CH7 2JA Telephone +44 7936 469677

Beaum Vape

Unit 3 Ivor House Bridge St, Cardi , United Kingdom, CF10 2TH Telephone +44 29 2037 2687

Vapour Queen 24 Albany Rd Cardi , United Kingdom, CF24 3RQ Telephone +44 7714 191102

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

Trip Hammer 6 Station Rd Poole, United Kingdom, BH14 8UB Telephone +44 1202 738444

Betty’s Vapour Lounge & Co ee House

71 Trelowarren St, Camborne, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR14 8AL Telephone +44 1209 711133

Ecigarus

Pannier Market, Lemon Quay, Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR1 2LW Telephone +44 1872 264177

Flavour Vapour

5-6 Kenwyn Street, Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR1 3DJ Telephone +44 1872 225333

Coastal Haze

11 Strand, Newlyn, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR18 5HH Telephone +44 1736 448050

Phoenix Electronic Cigarettes

4 Harliquin Centre, Paul St, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, EX4 3TT Telephone +44 1780 764585

Hodges Vape Lounge

10 Belgrave Promenade, Wilder Rd, Ilfracombe, United Kingdom, EX34 9AS Telephone +44 1271 269655

AMB Vapours / Totally Wicked 33 Bear Street, Barnstaple, United Kingdom, EX32 7BZ Telephone +44 1271 322999

Potion Vapour

21a Broad St, Ottery Saint Mary, Devon, United Kingdom, EX11 1BY Telephone +44 1392 580008

Vaper Trails

3 St Albans Street, Weymouth, Dorset, United Kingdom, DT4 8BZ Telephone +44 7719 890080

Travelling soon? Find vape stores in 121 countries.

Vape Of Good Hope

18 Fairmile Rd, Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom, BH23 2LJ Telephone +44 1202 484108

Trip Hammer

6 Kings Rd E, Swanage, Dorset, United Kingdom, BH19 1ES Telephone +44 1929 421526

Juicy One of Wareham 2 South Street, Wareham, Dorset, United Kingdom, BH20 4LT Telephone +44 1929 556000

Severn Vape

79 Northgate St, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, GL1 2AG Telephone +44 1452 526062

RedJuice

Unit 7, Neptune Business Centre, Tewkesbury Rd, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, GL51 9DN Telephone +44 1242 312024

Electro Clouds Vape Co 21 High St, Tewkesbury, United Kingdom, GL20 5AL Telephone +44 1684 850222

E-Cigarette Direct Unit 18a Angel Place Shopping Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA6 3TQ Telephone +44 1792 852843

Flavour Vapour

1 The Courtyard, 47 St James Street, Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA1 1JR Telephone +44 1823 275612

Gorilla Vapes

28 Fore St, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA8 2EX Telephone +44 1278 781834

Exmoor Vape

56b The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset, United Kingdom, TA24 5BB Telephone +44 1643 709251

Amesbury Vapourium 22 Salisbury St, Amesbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SP4 7HD Telephone +44 7548 933336

Hazy Trails

19a Station Rd, Tidworth, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SP9 7NR Telephone +44 1980 258081

The Pu n Hut

18 High St, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SN4 7AA Telephone +44 1793 850200

Choice E-Cigs

16 Maryport St, Devizes, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SN10 1AH Telephone +44 1380 698170

Spectrum Vaping 3 Budlake Rd Exeter, United Kingdom, EX2 8PY Telephone +44 1392 927937

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

Cloud Vapers

Unit 20, Regent Trade Park, Barwell Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, United Kingdom, PO13 0EQ Telephone +44 1329 283552

Ecigwizard 75 High St, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK16 8AB Telephone +44 1908 766396

Vapourium

105 Stoke Rd Gosport, Hampshire, United Kingdom, PO12 1LR Telephone +44 239 258 6333

Socialites

Midsummer Arcade, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK9 3GB Telephone +44 845 340 3899

Oxford Vapours

142b London Rd, Oxford, United Kingdom, OX3 9ED Telephone +44 1865 751666

Carmichael’s Vaping

11 Swan Walk, Thame, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, OX9 3HN Telephone +44 1844 216551

Evapo

198 Terminus Rd, Eastbourne, East Sussex United Kingdom, BN21 3BB Telephone +44 7388 995053

Ejuiceology

14 Queens Road, Hastings, East Sussex, United Kingdom, TN34 1QY Telephone +44 1424 547085

ESAUCE

1 Heath Buildings, High Street, Oxshott, Leatherhead, United Kingdom, KT22 0JP Telephone +44 1372 849789

Co ee and Clouds Vape Shop

5c High St, Caterham, Surrey, United Kingdom, CR3 5UE Telephone +44 7955 585740

Cheeky Smoke

4 Coronation Buildings, Ham Road, Worthing, United Kingdom, BN11 2NN Telephone +44 7500 015475

IdealVape

249 London Rd, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, United Kingdom, RH15 9QU Telephone +44 1444 628758

Every Cloud Vape Shop

105a Commercial Rd, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, PO1 1BQ Telephone +44 2392 815342

There’s No Place Like Ohm 7 Northern Buildings, Northern Rd, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, PO6 3DL Telephone +44 7940 057485

Lucid

111 East St, Southampton, United Kingdom, SO14 3HD Telephone +44 2380 636636

Totally Wicked

127e Above Bar St, Southampton, United Kingdom, SO14 7FN Telephone +44 2381 781020

Anglo Vapour 42 Market St, Eastleigh, Hampshire, United Kingdom, SO50 5RA Telephone +44 2380 615692

Steampunk Vape Lounge 18 St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1SN Telephone +44 757 250 0135

The Vapour Room

18 St. Thomas Square, Newport, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, PO30 1SG Telephone +44 1983 716110

Solvape

48A High St, Gillingham, Medway, United Kingdom, ME7 1AZ Telephone +44 1634 855736

101 Vape 34 High St, Gravesend, Kent, United Kingdom, DA11 0AZ Telephone +44 1474 878906

No. 1 Ejuice

50 Guildhall St N, Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom, CT20 1EE Telephone +44 1303 259333

Premium Vapes

72 Northgate, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom, CT1 1BB Telephone +44 1227 780544

WEST MIDLANDS

The Vaper Expo Shop UK 8 Alexandra Road, Halesowen, Birmingham, B63 4DJ

Switch Xpress

58 High St, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS11 0DJ Telephone +44 117 336 1278

VapeClass 384 Filton Ave, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS7 0BE Telephone +44 117 904 9752

The Vapour Hut

70 Regent St, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS15 8JA Telephone +44 117 961 5522

The Vapour Place

86 West Street Bristol, United Kingdom, BS3 3LL Telephone +44 117 939 8665

E-Vapor

58 Union St, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS1 2DL Telephone +44 7473 731198

Black Country Plume 118 Walsall Street Wednesbury, United Kingdom, WS10 9BY Telephone +44 121 448 7245

White Mist Vapours

9 Kings Rd Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B735AB Telephone +44 121 439 1717

Vapes R Us

125 Graingers Ln, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B64 6AH Telephone +44 1384 910844

UltraVapour 68 Long Ln Halesowen, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B62 9LS Telephone +44 121 293 5786

Grey Haze 163a High St Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B12 0LD Telephone +44 121 306 9296

Vape Shack 1a Shirley Rd Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B27 7XU Telephone +44 121 792 9004

Clowdz Coventry

3 City Arcade Coventry, West Midlands, United Kingdom, CV1 1DG Telephone +44 24 7622 5515

Sky Blue Vape Lounge

274 Walsgrave Rd Coventry, West Midlands, United Kingdom, CV2 4BL

Telephone +44 24 7644 0055

Warwick Vapes - Vape & Co ee Shop

13C Smith St Warwick, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, CV34 4JA Telephone +44 1926 257390

VapeHQ 41A The Tything Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom, WR1 1JT Telephone +44 1905 25565

Turtle Vapes 80 Edinburgh Place, Cheltenham, GL51 7SE Telephone +44 1242 702484

EAST MIDLANDS

Vapouround Vape Lounge Derby 3 Market Place, Corporation Street, Derby, DE1 3PW

Vapouround Lounge @ Delboys 35 Roosevelt Avenue, Derby, DE21 6JR

Vapouround Vape Lounge Arnold Unit 2, 4 Croft Road, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 7DX

CBD First by Vapouround CBD 28 Highfield Road, Littleover, Derby, DE23 1DG

Vapouround Vape Shop Draycott 4A Market Street, Draycott, Derby, DE72 3NB The Brews Bros

Suite 3, Garrod House, Manby Park, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 8UT Telephone +44 150 732 8000

Atmos Central 285 Narborough Rd Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, LE3 2AQ Telephone +44 116 225 2824

The E-Cig Shop 26 Chesterfield Rd, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 3QF Telephone +44 1246 472295

The Vapourist Brimington Rd N, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 9AP Telephone +44 800 195 0077

888 Vapour

17 Sheep Market Spalding, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, PE11 1BE Telephone +44 1775 720205

Phoenix Electronic Cigarettes

18 Maiden Ln, Stamford, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, PE9 2AZ Telephone +44 1780 764585

Vapers Place

38 Elizabeth St Corby, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, NN17 1PN Telephone +44 1536 269622

Audacious Vapes

1 Piccadilly Buildings, Sheep Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom,NN16 0AN Telephone +44 1536 628070

Electro Mist

7 The Parade Northampton, United Kingdom, NN1 2EA Telephone +44 7497 593231

Rate and review your favourite stores.

Right Vape

88 Kingsley Park Terrace, Northampton, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, NN2 7HJ Telephone +44 1604 313789

VapeWorks

13 & 14 Market Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, LE11 3EP Telephone +44 1509 231457

NGVape

2-4 West End Arcade, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG1 6JP Telephone +44 115 998 5582

E Liquid Paradise

47 Bramble Dr, Nottingham, United Kingdom, DE22 3AF Telephone +44 115 998 0847

Vape-X

162 Nottingham Rd Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, NG16 3GG Telephone +44 1773 687201

Eco-Vape

82a Seacroft Rd, Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, LN2 2DR Telephone +44 1507 477268

888 Vapour

3 Lincoln Rd Sleaford, Lincolnshire United Kingdom, NG34 8AB Telephone +44 1529 307045

Vapors Mansfield

19a Ratcli e Gate, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, NG18 2JA Telephone +44 1623 237577

VapeHQ

6 The Forum North Hykeham, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, LN6 8HW Telephone +44 1522 687427

Liberty Flights

23 Cornmarket Derby, United Kingdom, DE1 1QH Telephone +44 1332 297052

Vapourbay 74 Outram St Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, NG17 4FS Telephone +44 1623 555750

The Vape Cave

33 Queen St Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, LN8 3EN Telephone +44 7821 794095

Vaping Worx

25-27 Mercer Row Louth, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, LN11 9JG Telephone +44 1507 604350

EAST ANGLIA

RC Vapes

24A St Nicholas St Diss, Norfolk, United Kingdom, IP22 4LB Telephone +44 1379 308090

Peterborough Vape Lounge 5 Wentworth Street, Peterborough, United Kingdom, PE1 1DH Telephone +44 1780 764585

Another Vape Shop 69 Ledbury Rd, Peterborough, United Kingdom, PE3 9RF Telephone +44 7745 631959

Make My Vape 21 George St Luton, Luton, United Kingdom, LU1 2AF Telephone +44 1582 722223

The Vape Guru

32-34 Queensway Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, SG1 1BS Telephone +44 7570 254629

Liberro Electronic Cigarettes

14A High St Buntingford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, SG9 9AG Telephone +44 800 111 4753

Vape and Juice

71 High Street, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom, SS1 1HZ Telephone +44 1702 339 536

Vapeology Lounge

41 Ness Rd Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, SS3 9DB Telephone +44 1702 625581

Urban Vapor 259 Broomfield Rd Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4DP

Telephone +44 1245 255477

The Vape Hut

63 High St Maldon, Essex, United Kingdom, CM9 5EP Telephone +44 7969 759965

Sheppards - Tobacconists and Vape Specialists

15 Eld Ln Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom, CO1 1LS Telephone +44 1206 578201

The Vaping Emporium 10 Northgate St Ipswich, Su olk, United Kingdom, IP1 3BZ Telephone +44 1473 871380

Vvapour

8 Hall Rd Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR1 3HQ Telephone +44 1603 948957

The Alchemists Cupboard 12 Charles Watling Way, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR5 9JH Telephone +44 1603 396906

Hu n Pu

47 Regent Rd Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, United Kingdom, NR30 2AL Telephone +44 7802 693425

Total E-Cig Vape Shop & Cafe 125 High St Great Yarmouth, Norfolk United Kingdom, NR31 6RE Telephone +44 1502 588788

LONDON

Vapouround Vape Shop Canning Town 56-57 Barking Road, Canning Town, London, E16 4HB

Vape Emporium 16 Eton St Richmond, Greater London, United Kingdom, TW9 1EE Telephone +44 20 8940 7111

Vape and Volts 30 Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8AH Telephone +44 2037 583777

Vape Emporium 87 Heath St London, Greater London United Kingdom, NW3 6UG Telephone +44 20 7693 7279

Vape

315 Ruislip Rd E Greenford, Greater London, United Kingdom, UB6 9BG Telephone +44 333 323 7733

D-VAPE SHOP

142 Southwark St, London, United Kingdom, SE1 0SW Telephone +44 7778 727800

Vape Superstore 51 Rupert St, London, United Kingdom, W1D 7PG Telephone +44 2072 874524

Smokin Sin 21 Borough High St, London, United Kingdom, SE1 9SE Telephone +44 7752 505544

UK ECIG STORE

30-32 Fleet St, London, United Kingdom, EC4Y 1BW Telephone +44 2034 754885

VapeHut UK 35 Oxford St, London, United Kingdom, W1D 2DT Telephone +44 7771 557799

Le-Vap 196 Edgware Rd, London, United Kingdom, W2 2DS Telephone +44 7435 094979

Noble Vaping 36 Great Eastern St, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 3ES Telephone +44 2034 870612

Vapester

34 New House, 67-68 Hatton Garden, London, United Kingdom, EC1N 8JY Telephone +44 3030 311020

Vapourcore

274 Old Brompton Rd, London, United Kingdom, SW5 9HR Telephone +44 3333 052822

Tower Vape Shop 111 Abbey St, London, United Kingdom, SE1 3NP Telephone +44 2072 376343

EzCloudz

17-19 Stockwell Rd, London, United Kingdom, SW9 9AU Telephone +44 2077 337641

Peckham Vape 80a Rye Ln, London, United Kingdom, SE15 4RY Telephone +44 7577 580171

House of Vapes

494 Fulham Rd, London, United Kingdom, SW6 5NH Telephone +44 2073 865049

Otherside 261 Portobello Rd, London, United Kingdom, W11 1LR Telephone +44 7802 335476

Hyde Vapes 53 Queensway, London, United Kingdom, W2 4QH Telephone +44 2035 385858

Vapor Works 167 Stoke Newington Rd, London, United Kingdom, N16 8BP Telephone +44 2079 231016

Vape Emporium 87 Heath St, London, United Kingdom, NW3 6UG Telephone +44 2076 937279

CS Vaporizers 9b Perry Vale, London, United Kingdom, SE23 2NE Telephone +44 7399 491451

Vape Shop London 108 Charing Cross Rd, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 0JN Telephone +44 2072 403513

F&S Electronic Cigarettes 114 Newgate St, London, United Kingdom, EC1A 7AE Telephone +44 7592 927485

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Ecigarettes World 3 Wine St Sligo, County Sligo, Ireland, F91 N2XV Telephone +353 873960076

Evapour 7 Market Square, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland, F92 RT26 Telephone +353 74 911 4746

The Ecig Store Bridge St, Cahernamart, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland, F28 HW83 Telephone +353 098 29597

Healthier Smoker Kiosk 1, Tuam Shopping Centre, Trinity Court, Tuam, Co. Galway, Ireland, H5 4YW21 Telephone +353 83 464 5265

Hale Vaping 34 O’Connell St, Limerick, Ireland, V94 A973 Telephone +353 1 253 0594

E-Lixor Vaping 33 Fair St, Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland, P5 1W722 Telephone +353 22 50469

Wicked Vapes 97 Oliver Plunkett St Cork City, County Cork, Ireland, T12 PK2F Telephone +353 21 239 4545

Vintage Vape Rooms 52 Shandon St, Gurranabraher, Cork, Ireland, T23 VP68 Telephone +353 85 223 6230

Pu ‘n’ Stu Smoke Shop 123 N Main St, Youghal-Lands, Youghal, Co. Cork, Ireland, P36 NW58 Telephone +353 24 25576

Hale Vaping 52 High St, Kilkenny, Ireland, R95 T685 Telephone +353 85 713 6523

Smoke Green Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Rathfarnham, Dublin, Ireland Telephone +353 87 352 9111

Madvapes 12 Bunting Rd, Walkinstown, Dublin 12, Ireland, D12 A9Y2

Telephone +353 1 563 9658

VIP E Cigarette

The Mill Shopping Centre, Ninth Lock Rd, Dublin, Ireland Telephone +353 1 475 0000

The Vape Club 8a Coolock Village Centre, Coolock, Dublin 5, Ireland, D05 WY83 Telephone +353 1 430 6666

Travelling soon? Find vape stores in 121 countries.
9.
WARNING: THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS NICOTINE. NICOTINE IS AN ADDICTIVE CHEMICAL.
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