According to Reuters, complaints of electronic cigarette-related injuries have jumped over the past year (as of 2014) in the USA. There’s now been 50 – yes FIFTY – whole complaints made to the Food and Drug Administration.
In a country with a population of 314,000,000 this equates to 0.0000002%, no wonder they are very scared.
E Cig dangers need to be taken seriously but at the same time are a rare occurrence as long as you don’t do anything you are not supposed to with your vape device/battery.
Of these 50 the following are included:
Plus a complaint from a man who, it later transpired, had built his own electronic vaping device and knew very little about electricity or Ohms Law.
Given the evidence from scientific experiment debunking claims that the notion of passive vaping exists, what could explain the reactions people had?
Psychosomatic: they wanted to feel that way so much, they were in such fear that they effected symptoms.
They were ill: it is possible they were genuinely ill only thought to blame it on the e-cig rather than consider they had contracted a disease.
But what about the exploding battery?
It’s probably best we give you some tips on how to avoid these “dangers”…
Battery Safety
The little tubes that power our vaping devices are made in exactly the same way that the batteries work in your cellphone, laptop and iPod.
Batteries bought from responsible vendors are no more dangerous than those in your tablet computer.
Like dangerous dogs, battery accidents are the result of ignorant handling.
They are little chemistry labs – it is vital you:
- Do not get them wet
- Do not over-discharge them
- Do not over-charge them
- Only use a suitable recharging device approved by you vendor
- Do not use a charger that is not intended for use with your e cig even if the USB cable is compatible.
- Do not re-use it after it has suffered a short and got hot
- Do not buy cheap, go for quality
- Get battery wise – Read our ‘Know your volts from your ohms’ guide.
- Learn more about batteries with our E Cig Battery Guide
E-Liquid Tips
Some people can experience side effects from vaping such as dry throats from some e juices, some people get dehydrated quickly – although neither of these are serious they can lead to minor ailments like headaches.
Vaping too much can lead to nausea and headaches; this is the first sign of overdoing your nicotine intake and your body’s way of getting you to stop for a while.
Some flavors are oil-based; these should be avoided as they are not safe for vaping although these are few and far between nowadays.
- Do not use e-liquids containing diacetyl (TPD in the UK now requires all e-liquids to be tested so it doesn’t contain diacetyl)
- Only buy juice from trusted vaping vendors
- Keep a bottle of water on the go while you vape
- If you continually get headaches from vaping then try cutting down the nicotine content in your liquid.
Further Reading – Check out our e-liquid guide here
How To Store Your E liquid
Every vaper should have a box in their house where they can store juices out of the way of little hands, mouths and away from pets.
Nicotine is a poison if taken in enough quantity and the smaller the person/animal the less you need to have an adverse effect.
Although the dangers posed by e-liquid may be over-played in the media it is still basic common sense to protect those precious to you as you would with sharp knives and bottles of bleach.
How To Avoid Dry hits
Although it is nothing to worry excessively about, a dry coil is not something you want to be vaping on. There is initial research to indicate that heavy metals are released during dry hits where the coil is over-heating.
When you have first filled a clearomiser or tank allow a few minutes to pass before vaping so that the wick can do its job.
You can speed the process up by doing some dry pulls (sucking on the drip tip without firing the battery).
Find out the reasons your vape tastes burnt here.
Cuts
Scissors, knives and wire can all cause pain to bare feet and paws.
If you are experimenting with building your own coils than having a magnet on the table makes a simple and safe method of collecting any off cuts of wire that can otherwise cause discomfort.
Further reading: Check out our beginners guide to RDA’s
Avoiding Leaks From Tanks and Clearomisers
The life of a typical replacement head can be anything from 1 week to 4 weeks depending on use.
The greatest cause of a clearomiser tank dumping its contents is down to an old head not being replaced.
Keep a source of tissue or toilet paper close to hand to mop up spillages and dispose of them in a bin to prevent pets from getting hold of them.
Also be sure to check the following:
- When refilling be sure your coil hasn’t unscrewed from the base slightly. Just re-tighten before replacing the tank.
- Check that O rings are not damaged
- Check connections are secure ie: that the base of the tank fits well with the tank.
- PG heavy e juice is ‘thinner’ than one that is higher in VG. Maybe try a juice that has more VG.
- Don’t put any e-liquid in the centre hole (chimney) on any tank. Be sure to drip down the inside of the tank you are using.
For more in depth information read our vape tank problems and solutions guide here.
Want more information on the research carried out on e cigarettes? Click the link.
Always take care of your batteries