The Unwarranted Fearmongering That Surrounds E-Cigarette Use

*RTS Vapes does not offer any medical advice. This is an opinion based post

Just the other day I was looking for some e-cigarette studies to read, and first search result from Google was a recently updated post from the American Lung Association®. The title of this post “American Lung Association Statement on E-Cigarettes”, I was intrigued. I began reading and the more I read, the more aggravated I became. While some of the statements cannot be refuted, the lack of any data being provided and zero references given immediately turned me off to the post. So I resumed my hunt for a peer-reviewed, scholarly work (the only kind recognized in the scientific community). The next article I came across was a review article in the Journal for Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety titled “Safety evaluation and risk assessment of electronic cigarettes as tobacco cigarette substitutes: a systematic review” written by Konstantinos E. Farsalinos and Riccardo Polosa. This is a very thorough review published in April 2014 that goes into length about the article selection process for articles that were included in the review. It has everything that a good article should from analytical data to over one hundred references. In this post I will touch on just a few of the points from the review regarding the safety of e-cigarette use.

In 2013 the World Health Organization stated that there are nearly 6 million deaths annually as a direct result of tobacco cigarette use, with a predicted death toll of 1 billion in the 21^st century. A 1992 report from the EPA revealed that a conventional cigarette contains more than 4000 chemicals and carcinogens present in the smoke emitted. Then in 1993 a study by Pryor and Stone revealed that each puff from a cigarette contained more than 1 x 10¹⁵ free radicals. If you are having trouble visualizing what that number looks like, let me help: 1,000,000,000,000,000. One fallacy that is being promoted by Big Tobacco and physicians is that nicotine is a carcinogen. According to the World Health Organization – International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2004, nicotine is not classified as a carcinogen and does not promote lung disease. Nicotine intake through Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) has been demonized in the eye of the public by the media, even though it has been shown that nicotine intake may have beneficial effects in treating some disorders. Studies that have shown this beneficial effect are:

Disease Studied	Author(s)	Year the Study was Published
Parkinson’s	Nielsen et al.	2013
Depression	McClernon et al.	2006
Dementia	Sahakian et. al.	1989
ulcerative Colitis	Guslandi	1999

Another public fear is that electronic cigarette users will overdose on nicotine. This very unlikely for vapers since three different studies by Farsalinos et al. 2013, Nides et al. 2014, and Dawkins and Corcoran 2013 have all shown that the amount consumed and actually absorbed is quite low. In 2013 a study done by Etter et al. tested 20 e-liquids and found that the actual nicotine levels were off by about 20 % above and below the labeled amount. I believe the root of this problem goes back to some nicotine suppliers not testing the strength of the nicotine that they are selling to the customer to ensure accuracy and quality. That is why here at RTS Vapes we test every batch of flavorless liquid nicotine before the product is bottled to ensure that it meets the US Standard for Weights and Measures. With that said, this goes back to the studies mentioned before that it is unlikely to overdose because vapers much like smokers self-titrate their nicotine intake. For example I vape all day at 3 mg/mL, but if someone gives me a bottle that is 6 mg/mL I notice that I do not pick up my mod as much throughout the day.

Going back to the post that sparked this blog post, they talk about tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), formaldehyde, and benzene trying to scare the public without even giving a reference. A study done by Cahn and Siegel in 2011 reported that the amount of TSNAs were similar to those found in pharmaceutical NRTs. The best study done on TSNAs in e-liquids was performed by Kim and Shin in 2013. They evaluated 105 liquids and found that on average the liquids contained 12.00 ηg/mL. The daily exposure to these chemicals by smokers (with an average of 15 cigarettes per day) is estimated to be up to 1800 times higher when compared to e-cigarette users.

There is so much more information in the article that I cannot relay in a blog post, so please give the article a read and post in the comments below with your thoughts or questions.

By: Joshua Sheffield, Chemist at RTS Vapes

*RTS Vapes does not offer any medical advice. This is an opinion based post

Vaping Etiquette

     Finally! It’s Friday, I’m off work, and I am walking into one of my favorite Happy Hour location to meet up with some friends for a drink. I love this bar because they have great food, drinks, and most of all they are Vaping friendly. I know their policy because I asked on one of my first visits. So there I am, listening to one of my friends talk about their week at work as I take a pull from my gold colored xPro M36. Suddenly, I hear, “Um excuse me!” I turn to the woman to my left who is clearly irritated. Once she has my full attention she says to me “Don’t you know you can’t smoke in here?!” At first, I am caught off guard but my mind quickly recovers and is coming up with many responses to this woman’s rhetorical question.  I decide to take the high road and simply say “I apologize if my vapor bothered you. This bar does not have a ban on indoor vaping but I will respect your space and I’ll vape outside”. This encounter from my weekend provoked a lot of thought about the perception of public vaping.

     Just a few weeks before this exchange I was at another watering hole and I was vaping outside while some of my friends were smoking analogs. A group of nearby smokers started inquiring about my mod, eJuice, and general vaping questions. I informed them that I worked in the industry and actually made my eJuice myself using the products that we sell at RTS Vapes. They asked for my business cards and a few have since contacted me to place an order. I found it perplexing that I had two completely different reactions about my public vaping. However, the more I thought about it I began realizing that there really is an etiquette that should be practiced when vaping.

     I think one of the main reasons I had varied responses was because in the first situation I was vaping indoors. I believe that one should always ask both the establishment and those nearby if they mind if you vape. Although the establishment may not have an issue with vaping indoors it is polite to take an individual’s concerns into consideration especially while in a restaurant or bar. You see, your Fruit Fusion Fantasy eLiquid may taste and smell great to you but the person next to you who is enjoying a Ribeye may not find the two to be a pleasurable combination. 

     Another polite gesture is to be conscientious of where and how you blow your clouds. A public place is generally not a stage for an impromptu cloud competition. Try to take small drags off your ecig to reduce the amount of vapor that is exhaled. Also, when you are in a crowded place or talking to someone direct your cloud downwards or to the side to avoid blowing vapor in someone’s face.

     Be polite but be informative. If someone addresses your vaping as harmful or concerning this is your opportunity to share your knowledge about the benefits of vaping. This industry is still very new but research so far has indicated that there are not health risks associated with second hand vapor or even first hand for that matter. Ultimately there are enough naysayers who already have their opinions about the industry. By being respectful and practicing vape etiquette we are able to show those who may be opposed that Vapers are an informed, polite community who are dedicated to a healthy alternative to smoking. 

By: Bethany Stinar, Sales Representative

Trade Show Trailblazing

Trade Show Trailblazing

For a little over a year I have been fortunate enough to be a part of a booming and exciting industry. The variety of products, the energy, and the success of a young generation in a new industry are a few of the reasons why I love my job. I have had the opportunity to experience events that bring all of these factors under one roof. The experience, knowledge, connections and opportunity that come from traveling to tradeshows for the vaping community has been invaluable.

This year my sales team and I have traveled to Las Vegas, Miami, Chicago, Houston, Chattanooga, Phoenix, and Winston-Salem for industry tradeshows. Each show has had its own unique atmosphere. Houston and Chattanooga had car shows in the same venue which was unexpected but it brought group of people to the shows which may not have come on their own. Every show has a number of giveaways which is a great way for companies to get their name out there to people who may not have previously known about them or purchased their products. There was a “cloud competition” at every show which provides an interactive way to get everyone at the show involved and excited. These venues are packed with aisles upon aisles of vendor booths. Each booth is different from the one before it. Seeing the hard work, dedication, money, and creativity that each company pours into these events is evident as you make your way through the crowd. Also, seeing an entire convention center filled with vapor clouds is quite the sight.

As the Customer Service Representative my favorite aspect has always been getting to meet our existing customers. Because we are an online vendor our methods of communication are limited to phone and email. Getting to meet customers face to face that I have spoken to numerous times was truly a once in a lifetime experience. When we met with these customers we were able to see first-hand how our company has helped their business grow as well as where we may be able to do more business with them. Many of us even met up after the shows for dinner to talk about how to gain more business from each other. Another amazing experience was being at the shows and being approached by people who said “RTS Vapes! I love you guys” or “I order from you all the time”. Being recognized at these events speaks volumes for our company.

I was able to fine tune my sales abilities and build my confidence at this year’s trade shows. Traveling with experienced sales people was certainly to my advantage. At the first few shows I was in the background watching the senior sales staff as they gained new customers and by the last show I was taking the reins on many potential customers. After each show we began following up with our leads and there is no doubt that our presence at these trade shows was not only an amazing experience but beneficial for the company.

Thanks to the company and industry I work with I have been given life skills and unforgettable opportunities that I will carry with me wherever I go. If your company has been on the fence about what you will gain from attending trade shows I hope that this entry has provided some insight into how invaluable the experience is. For a more personal look into RTS Vapes’ tradeshow travels follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Instagram!