How do Vaporizers Actually Work?

Why smoke when you can puff on a vaporizer or e-cig? It’s not exactly a trend—it’s becoming mainstream and is among the gadgets college students own. And a lot of people have questions about whether vaporizers really work. This article will examine the issue.

E-cigs have earned quite the reputation lately from all sides of the field. Some people believe they are excellent alternatives to cigarettes, while others think they are the same thing or even more dangerous. It’s hard to get objective facts when you’re dealing with three highly biased sources: the FDA (backed by pharmaceutical companies), the tobacco industry and the e-cig companies themselves. So without getting into all the rhetoric, let’s talk about the science and technology of what e-cigs and personal vaporizers actually do.
First, vaporizers are the larger and customizable devices, whereas e-cigs and e-cigars are usually smaller units that do not allow for as much customization. No smoke is involved at all with a vaporizer, nor any tobacco. Rather you have an electronic system, powered by a battery, that heats up e-liquid.

First there is the cartridge and atomizer parts, which are sometimes combined for efficiency and called cartomizers (there is also a larger tank with certain models),

The job of the atomizer is to heat and vaporize the liquid, while the cartridge stores the liquid. The battery is what provides the power and it is typically rechargeable. The atomizer connects to the cartridge/cartomizer and then the e-liquid is ready to be vaporized and inhaled. When you inhale, the battery sends a charge of power to the atomizer and this starts the heating process, ending in vaporization.

As you can see from How Stuff Works, the way e-cigs and vaporizers are designed differs in mechanism from cigarette smoking.

The benefits are:

• Flavored e-liquid, can mimic real cigarettes or have fruity dessert flavors
• Are better for cost-efficiency since you only vape when you want
• Can be customized for throat hit, power, and so on
• No odor, no smoke or tar
• They may be able to help you reduce your smoking addiction or reduce it

Now here’s where it gets tricky, because you can’t actually say that vaporizers are “healthier” for you, since nicotine is still a threat. However, studies consistently show that vaping is less dangerous that smoking, since tobacco smoke contains many more harmful particles than a vaporizer. A balanced report on the safety of vaping comes from Science News, which explains some pros and cons of vaping.

It is important to research the company you work with as well as their vaporizer models, just to be sure they are transparent about what is contained in the e-liquid. Some companies are doing very well at keeping all the extra additives to a minimum, and using mostly nicotine content—the same nicotine used from FDA-approved medical solutions like nicotine gum and nicotine patches.

If you have an interest in reducing your smoking, saving money on smoking, or quitting smoking altogether, vaporizing may be a wise decision. You can also create e juice at home by reading DIY e juice tutorials. Furthermore, some hobbyists simply like vaping more than smoking, as they feel it is smoother, purer and has many more flavors that are appealing than cigarettes.