Vape Horizon manager Alix Steeves says almost a third of her customers are not previous cigarette smokers.

Vaping is no longer for ex-smokers.

Shops selling electronic cigarettes have popped up all over Edmonton, and while the devices were initially marketed to help people quit inhaling tobacco smoke, they’re now attracting a new breed, according to some.

Alix Steeves, who manages Vape Horizon near Whyte Avenue, said about 30 per cent of her customers were never previously hooked on nicotine.

“So many other people are doing it, they think it’s cool,” she said. “Just like smoking used to be how many years ago – it used to be the cool thing to do. And now vaping is.”

Industry insiders say the vape trend is growing in Edmonton, and Steeves said her store’s main demographic is men in their mid-20s.

The e-cigarette industry has adjusted to its shifting customer base, designing bigger and more elaborate devices.

“They’re not mimicking cigarettes anymore, they’ve completely turned the tables and turned it into a whole different thing,” Steeves said.

Many vapers describe the craze as a lifestyle.

David Hurlburt, who manages Vapour Choice in West Edmonton, said the vaping community shares a bond comparable to that of a goth or heavy metal subculture, and Edmonton vape shop owners meet regularly to discuss trends and legislation.

“I’ve never seen another group become so close knit, in many ways, as vapers have in such a short period of time,” Hurlburt said.

He explained that for many users, their e-cigarette is not a mere accessory but an extension of their personality.

While a quiet, introverted person might buy a discrete device that produces little vapour, someone who is more ostentatious would go the opposite route, “like he’s trying to create his own weather system with the clouds that he’s producing."

Hurlburt said vape shops seem to be especially popular in Edmonton compared to other cities.

While the economic downturn has hurt many businesses, his is booming – something he attributes partly to the rising cost of cigarettes in Alberta.

(The Post was Reprinted From metronews.ca, Read The Original Post here >> http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2016/06/15/vaping-trend-grows-in-edmonton.html )