E-Yosi: Is Vaping for you?
Photos: Getty Images
At this writing, there are about 17 million Filipino smokers. Every day, 240 of them die from smoking-related diseases.
Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health—we know that. Our government and various health advocates have stepped up on their anti-smoking crusades. In 2008, cigarette advertisements were banned in all forms of media. Last year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority issued a metro-wide ban on smoking in public places—no cigarette smoke shall be seen or sniffed in public utility vehicles, bus and jeep terminals, loading and unloading bays, pedestrian lanes, overpasses, underpasses, elevators, recreational facilities, food preparation areas, schools, hospitals, and the 100-meter radius surrounding all of these.
Violators are to be fined P500 on their first offense. If you don’t have the cash, it’s eight hours of community service. The message is crystal clear: Go ahead and smoke, but we’ll be a raging bitch about it.
Then along came electronic cigarettes. They’re Sharpie looking devices that emit smoke—but not quite! It’s vapor. Hey, the mall lobby guard is just letting that man puff away in broad daylight! No secondhand smoke in this setting. The most you’d be fined for is secondhand vapor, which is much less vapor you’d inhale as when you’re at a dimsum joint. So it’s safe, right? We investigate.
E-CIG: HOW IT WORKS
1. BATTERY
Electronic cigarettes are usually powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Lithiumion
batteries have a higher energy density compared to other rechargeable batteries, meaning they can store more energy compared with other rechargeable batteries of their size. Its lower self-discharge rate also means that it can keep its power when not in use.
2. NICOTINE CARTRIDGE
The nicotine cartridge is where the nicotine solution (also called the e-juice) is placed. It is
also where the mouthpiece is connected. E-juice. You can buy the e-juice in various fl avors like the traditional tobacco and mint. There are also uniquely Filipino flavors available in the market like adobo and pandan.
The amount of nicotine in the e-juice also varies (zero, low, medium, high, etc.). E-juice is made of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine also known as glycerol, which is also used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food production, among others. It is also used in smoke machines to create foggy vapor.
3. ATOMIZER
When one inhales from the mouthpiece the atomizer is activated. The atomizer consists of a wick mechanism (like in candles) through which the nicotine solution fl ows through to the filament, which is the atomizer’s heating mechanism. It is basically a coil of wires that heats up and turns the solution into vapor.
