How To Vape Safely

There have been enough news stories over the years that have painted vaping in a negative light. For those new to the vaping world, it can raise a few questions of safety.

While it is important to remember that vaping is not risk-free, it has been widely recognised as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes – 95% less harmful according to Public Health England.

With that said, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you are vaping safely. Below we will run through our top tips for staying safe on your vaping journey.

Choose a Sensible Device

Choosing a device that suits your skill level will help avoid any accidents on your vaping journey. Pod kits and vape pens are a simple way to start your journey, and don’t open you up to the risks associated with bigger mods, and especially rebuildable kits.

Rebuildable devices require you to actually make your own vape coils. This is the territory of committed hobbyist vapers, and should generally be avoided unless you feel like you have the knowledge to use on safely.

If you get the resistance wrong and fire up a poorly built coil it can lead to extreme overheating or worse. Best case scenario you will burn out the wick and ruin your vaping experience, worst case scenario you could actually cause an explosion as the device will overload.

All that can be avoided by simply choosing a device that uses standard coils, made in a factory to proper specification. Most modern kits like those in the EDGE Range, come with a whole host of safety features too, from temperature control to emergency cut-offs that are all designed to keep you safe on your vaping journey.

Remember that even pre-built coils can be burned out if you crank the wattage up too high on a device that allows you to customise the output.

You can learn more about different vaping device sin our blog, Which device is right for me?

Safe Charging

Recharging your vape kit is a daily necessity, and it is vital that you do it safely. The best way to do this is to refer to your devices user instructions – they will often provide guidance.

If they do not for any reason, then the best advice is to stick to using the cable that comes with the device – you must be very careful when using wall sockets and plugs.

Most vape chargers are USB cables, if you stick it in a USB plug, ensure it has variable power control built-in. If you do not you risk overloading the device battery which can lead to fires if left for long periods of time.

Some devices come with overcharge protection, but you must confirm this in your devices manual. Cheaper or older kits may not have this feature, meaning you should take note of how long the device has been on charge.

Choose A Trustworthy Brand

Whether E-liquids or devices, opting for a brand you can trust is a good way to stay safe on your vaping journey.

E-liquids produced in the UK are held to very strict safety standards. Not matter if it’s 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, or 18mg – we must submit every product to the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) before they can be approved for sale.

To get there approval we must be able to prove we have followed the letter of the law, down to the last ingredient. We carry out toxicological analysis no every product to ensure that even when heated up, no nasty chemicals are present.

You should always be able to see the full ingredients list on the carton and label, as well as all appropriate hazard warnings and symbols. If any of this information is missing, avoid the product for your own safety.

Choose an Appropriate Nicotine Level

It can take a little experimentation to find a vape that suits your taste and needs. If you are satisfied with a lower strength like 3 or 6mg, jumping to a 20mg nic salt for example is not necessary and is likely to give you a very mild nicotine overdose.

This can result in headaches or nausea. In most cases it will pass, but don’t tempt fate – stick to a mg strength that satisfies your cravings. The same applies if you are vaping a higher strength to keep your cravings at bay – suddenly dropping down strengths can cause you to vape far more than before, which is not ideal.

Check out our blog, managing your vape behaviour, to learn more about this aspect of the vaping journey.

Store Your E-Liquid Safely

Finally, if you like to buy a few bottles at a time then you are likely to be storing them as you work your way through them. The same is true of any bottle you have on the go – be careful where you store them.

The best bet is to keep them out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperatures. This can lead to adverse reactions such as the nicotine turning very dark, or the flavour over-steeping. While neither of these issues will cause you any harm, they will make your vaping experience unpleasant and is a waste of e-liquid that you spent your hard-earned money on.

If a bottle has been open for a while, it is good safe practice to check it for any foreign bodies before continuing to use it, and also ensure the cap is always placed back on properly – it will keep it clean and also prevent any leaks!

Nicotine has natural antibacterial properties which means, especially at high strengths, it is unlikely that you will face any microbiological issues, but this does not mean it wont over-steep or turn brown as we have warned above.

Learn more about why e-liquid turns brown in our blog.