E-cigarettes appear here to stay: So put that in your mod and vape it

In the laboratory of the California Vaping Co., Dakoda Collins mixed up one of his signature potions. Wearing a surgical mask and gloves, he carefully measured out colorless, liquid nicotine from a plastic jug.

He drew the nicotine into a fat syringe, then shot it into a large glass beaker of amber fluid, where it would be swirled with an industrial-strength immersion blender and gently heated.  Collins, 26, makes high-quality e-liquids, the fluid used in electronic cigarettes. This batch was a custom flavor, Cut Strawberry, made for a local chain of vaping stores. The room smelled like a bakery full of delicious, slightly chemical treats.

Last month, Oxford Dictionaries lexicographers announced they'd chosen "vape" as 2014's wordof the year. My family Christmas card is based on the word of the year, so I needed a tutorial. Collins was happy to be my guide.

To vape is to "inhale or exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device." The vapor, often nicotine-infused, is produced by heating a liquid made with propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, two solvents widely used as food additives.

The vapor is not hot; there are no harsh chemicals or tars. Your hair and clothes don't reek.

Despite the fact that the vaping industry is estimated to be a $4-billion business in the U.S., it has the feel of a slightly underground, countercultural enterprise. Advocates say this is because vaping is a grass-roots, consumer-driven phenomenon that has not been co-opted (yet) by major tobacco companies.

As sales of tobacco cigarettes have steadily declined, e-cigarettes have boomed in popularity. Wells Fargo Securities analyst Bonnie Herzog has predicted that, in 10 years, vapers will outnumber smokers.

Though the FDA is studying e-cigarettes and has proposed banning sales to minors, the industry is, essentially, unregulated. And despite adearth of research on secondhand vapor, dozens of cities, including Los Angeles, and a handful of states have banned e-cigarettes from public places.

If we are talking about nicotine versus cigarettes, nicotine is far less harmful.- Dr. Neal Benowitz, UCSF professor

No one claims that vaping nicotine is actually good for you, but many doctors say it is far less dangerous than smoking cigarettes. Nicotine is highly addictive but is not considered a carcinogen.

"Nothing is good to inhale other than air," said Lou Ritter, 52, a pro-vaping former smoker who founded the American E-Liquid Manufacturing Standards Assn. in Sedona, Ariz., to promote safety and uniform standards. "But the problem with tobacco is not nicotine."

Dr. Neal Benowitz, a UCSF professor of medicine and nicotine expert, agreed. For the most part.

"Despite the fact that the vaping industry is estimated to be a $4-billion business in the U.S., it has the feel of a slightly underground, countercultural enterprise. Advocates say this is because vaping is a grass-roots, consumer-driven phenomenon that has not been co-opted (yet) by...

AFFABLEMAN

"If we are talking about nicotine versus cigarettes, nicotine is far less harmful," he told me. But nicotine is not totally benign. There are concerns about its effects on the cardiovascular system, on diabetes, on wound healing and on pregnant women. Some researchers suspect nicotine may have adverse effects on the adolescent brain.

Still, Benowitz said, "if you say, 'I am going to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking,' I think that's a perfectly reasonable way to go. But you should also totally quit regular cigarettes."

Collins, a former DJ, discovered vaping when he was in rehab in Florida a year and a half ago. He'd landed there after his increasingly self-destructive drinking habits were exacerbated by his short-lived hard-cider business. Florida was too hot for cigarettes. He took up vaping.

When he returned to California, he helped his entrepreneur father, David, transition from smoking to vaping. They considered opening a store, but so many were popping up, it made more sense to make shops their customers, not competitors.

Last year, with financial backing from his father, Dakoda Collins founded California Vaping Co. in an industrial park. The company now sells to stores in 20 states and eight countries.

"Smokers trying to quit," Collins said, "I got the recipe for them."

As I chatted with Collins, a customer wandered in to buy some White Mango, a popular flavor.

Lee, 61, who did not give her last name for privacy reasons, is a program analyst at Qualcomm. After smoking for 40 years, she was inspired to give up her pack-a-day-plus habit by a vaping colleague who quit smoking.

"I noticed he no longer stunk," she said. "And he was not so winded on hikes anymore."

She vapes three times a day. Walking her dogs in her hilly Del Mar neighborhood is no longer a struggle. "I feel a whole lot better," she said.  The last time she tried a cigarette, she said, she was repulsed.

To vape, Collins uses a $300 rectangular brass modular device — a "mod" — that fits comfortably in his hand. During my visit, he vaped a low-nicotine version of Bandit, meant to evoke a flavorful tobacco, with notes of caramel and toasted almond. It reminded me of my father's pipe, a favorite childhood smell.  Collins was pleased when Oxford conferred its imprimatur on "vape."  "I was just really stoked," he said. "I thought about all the people who said this was just going to be a trend. It's pretty obvious that we are here to stay."

He took a long pull on his mod and exhaled. For just a moment, he disappeared behind a cloud of thick white vapor.

Writer: Robin Abcarian

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Copyright © 2014, LosAngeles Times

Stay up to date with the vaping industry at www.vulcan-vapor.com

'Vape' lifestyle under scrutiny

By Brittany Woolsey / Long Beach Register

History: The first e-cigarette was patented in 1963, but in 2003, Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik invented a more sophisticated version of a nicotine-based e-cig.

What it is: A tobacco-free smoking alternative, like nicotine patches or gum, that provides an experience similar to smoking. Because the "smoke" is water vapor, vaping can be done indoors.

How it works: Devices come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. The main tube that holds the battery and e-liquid, or "juice," usually is called a mod or pen. The battery heats the juice to create an inhalable mist.

Ingredients: Vegetable glycerin; propylene glycol (found in many pharmaceutical and personal care products); flavoring; and nicotine, ranging from 0 to 18 milligrams.

Customers: In Southern California, you must be over 18 to purchase an e-cig product and to vape, but that is not the case in all states. Some consider it a smoking cessation product, but existing regulations do not allow for that to be officially advertised.

Price: Costs vary for starter kits but can be as low as $15. On average, juice and cartridge refills cost $10 to $20.

Source: casaa.org, esmoking101.com, totallywicked-eliquid.com

Melissa Williams relaxes at Genkivape in Lakewood. Williams has been vaping for six months in an effort to quit smoking.

Tony Borriboonratana said he was a smoker for 10 years before he discovered electronic cigarettes.

He had tried everything, he said, from the patch to meditation, to try to quit.

E-cigarettes and vaporizer devices, or “vapes,” work like cigarettes, in that they contain nicotine but are missing the tobacco. They don't produce smoke, supposedly making them less harmful to users' bodies.

“It wasn't just something that helped me quit; it helped me replace cigarettes with a healthier alternative,” he said. “I could still have my cake and eat it, too.”

Now, Borriboonratana works for Vape Revolution in Cerritos, a shop that claims to be one of the first of its kind to open in Southern California and one of the biggest in the nation.

Despite the growing trend of e-cigarettes and vapes, which have different levels of nicotine – from 36 milligrams to none – many cities in the greater Long Beach area are cracking down on them, passing moratoriums and regulations.

Cerritos recently passed a moratorium on new e-cigarette and vape shops, and Lakewood is looking to pass regulations on where the items can be used.

The city of Long Beach doesn't have any moratoriums or concerns about the devices, City Manager Pat West said.

HEALTH WORRIES

Cities that are taking action say they are placing restrictions on the devices to allow more time to research the potential health risks and benefits of e-cigarettes, and the Food and Drug Administration hopes to release its findings about the potential risks soon.

While FDA results were expected by the end of October, FDA spokeswoman Jennifer Haliski said further research is needed to assess the potential public health benefits and risks of electronic cigarettes and other devices. E-cigarettes use nicotine cartridges, while vaporizers use water and flavored oil.

“The FDA intends to propose a regulation that would extend the agency's tobacco product authorities, which currently only apply to cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco to other categories of tobacco products that meet the statutory definition of tobacco product,” she said in an email.

Amber Lee, spokeswoman for Vape Revolution, feels it is unjust to group e-cigarettes and vapes with tobacco products, citing that users of such devices want to stay away from tobacco completely.

“It would upset a lot of people because people who vape would like to have the choice to not have to vape in the smoking area outside,” she explained. “They are Americans who also have the right to not breathe secondhand smoke.”

SCHOOLS TAKE ACTION

Local schools are also cracking down on the devices.

Cal State Long Beach Dean of Students Jeff Klaus said that students are only allowed to use the devices 20 feet away from a building's windows and doors, as with tobacco products.

Jeff Cornejo, principal at Millikan High School, said he sent a letter to parents at the beginning of the school year warning them about the devices and saying they will be confiscated if used on campus. He said the school has confiscated three devices since the beginning of the semester.

“It is a concern because they contain either nicotine or THC oil,” he explained, citing THC as a main ingredient in marijuana. “The difficulty is we can't tell what liquid is in a device, and because of that, we don't want them here on campus.”

Cornejo said he was also concerned about a vape shop that opened within blocks of the school.

“The issue is you're really not supposed to build a liquor store within 500 feet of a school campus,” he said. “It's not a liquor store, but it's the same concept. I believe this one is that close to our north parking lot.”

Gene Valbuena, who works at Vape Street in Artesia, said he thinks the trend of vapes and e-cigarettes is starting to “get out of control” because minors are starting to buy them. This reflects negatively on his business, he said.

“I've heard a lot of stories about schools confiscating the devices from students,” he said. “Now all the fingers are pointing toward us. It's hard to deal with all that stuff while trying to promote an alternative lifestyle.”

Martin Almeida, left, Adrian Leyva sample flavors at the tasting bar at Vape Revolution in Cerritos.

FINDING A BALANCE

Borriboonratana said he agreed that e-cigarettes and vapes shouldn't be used in certain places, like restaurants, classrooms and theaters, to be courteous to others who may not know what the devices are or who would have to explain them to their children.

He said he also agrees with the laws that the items only be available to people over the age of 18. Vape Revolution, like all smoke shops, is required to check IDs upon arrival, and Borriboonratana said he doesn't mind.

“It's not for kids,” he said. “We don't believe anyone under the age of 18 has the maturity to make a decision about in-taking nicotine, even if they choose zero milligrams.”

Likewise, David Joo, owner of Genki Vape in Lakewood, said he agrees with restrictions on where people can use the devices, but he hopes vaping won't be wiped out completely.

“As long as (the council gives) people who are vaping a place they can actually vape, then I do not mind,” he said, adding he would like people to continue to be able to vape inside his shop.

One of the reasons Lakewood is looking at restricting the devices is because of a fear that they could be used for illegal substances, said Community Development Director Sonia Southwell at an Oct. 8 City Council meeting.

Borriboonratana argued that while he's aware people can smoke other items with the devices, the drug issue should be totally separate.

“You can smoke pot out of these, but just like anything else, people buy Zig-Zags (rolling papers) to roll tobacco or marijuana,” he said. “You don't see them banning Zig-Zags or blunt wraps. People have the choice to break the law or not, regardless. At our shop, we don't sell any paraphernalia of any kind.”

Borriboonratana urged lawmakers to continue studying the devices and their benefits before making a quick decision, which would include lumping the products in with tobacco.

“Unless they have a firsthand account of how these devices helped one of their family members or friends, they're not really going to fully grasp how it's helping people,” he said. “Until there's proof that there's tobacco in our actual devices, then there's nothing more you can do.”

***

Temple City adopted an e-cigarette zoning/CUP ordinance that prohibits e-cigarette retailing within 1,000 feet of youth sensitive areas (e.g., parks and schools) among other conditions.

Pico Rivera adopted an e-cigarette ordinance that prohibits the use of e-cigarettes in school campuses, public buildings, child day care facilities, public parks, polling places and retail establishments selling e-cigarettes.

Lakewood is looking to possibly adopt zoning regulations on e-cigarettes.

Cerritos, Seal Beach, Norwalk, Bellflower, Duarte and Alhambra adopted e-cigarette moratoriums to further study the issue.

Contact the write: bwoolsey@lbregister.com, 562-277-8343 (Click to view original article)

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