Smokecignals in Slidell lined up a progression of vape models from the most basic to most advanced. From left to right: Ego Starter kit, Ego One, Eleaf istick kit, Sigelei 75 Watt temp control, Reuleaux RX200, PWM pulse with modulation (variable voltage) box mod. (Photo by Tana R.H. Stevenson)

With half a dozen vape stores that have popped up in Slidell, the natural questions for a lot of folks is - what exactly is vaping and how is it different than smoking?

Acetone, acetic acid, ammonia, arsenic, benzene, butane, cadmium, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hexamine, lead, naphthalene, methanol, nicotine, tar and toluene. No, this isn't an awful attempt at reciting the scientific table. These are a few of the chemicals found in cigarettes.

According to the American Lung Association, there are nearly 600 ingredients in cigarettes, that when burned create more than 7,000 chemicals. At least 69 of these chemicals are carcinogens or poisonous.

Vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine and flavoring. This is a typical ingredient list for e-liquid, also known as vape juice, that you find at one of the half dozen vape stores in Slidell. Many of these liquids are made at home by vaping customers, in-house at vape stores or manufactured by premium e-liquid companies. They are predominantly distributed by customer-driven small businesses. This is not the same industry as the closed-cartridge e-cigarettes found at gas stations.

Shawn Ryan of Smokecignals in Slidell mixes his "My Bloody Valentine" vape juice, a blend of strawberry, honey dew and pear. It is mixed in a sanitary room with stainless steel fixtures and single-use measuring tools. (Photo by Tana R.H. Stevenson)

"E-cigarette vapour contains a far less extensive range of toxins, and those present are typically at much lower levels, than in tobacco smoke," noted a report from the British Royal College of Physicians. The report estimates vaping to be 95 percent safer than cigarette smoking.

One Slidell resident said vaping has moved him away from a less healthy habit.

"[Vaping] stopped me from smoking cigarettes," Aaron May said. "It costs just as much."

May has been vaping for several years. He said he smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years.

"Got to be better for you than cigs. I took so many more drags when I smoked," May said. "I probably take half the amount of drags that I would with cigarettes."

There are differing conclusions on the safety of using vaping to quit smoking. But first, how exactly does it work?

I visited three of the vape stores in Slidell to find out more. The delivery systems are quite varied; anything from a small pen-like device to large boxes with cylinders on top. The vapor that is exhaled is denser and more cloud-like than cigarette smoke.

Shawn Ryan of Smokecignals in Slidell explained how it works. Most devices run on 18650 batteries. There is a power button and you can set your power up and down. The battery heats up a coil with resistance wire, and there is e-liquid soaked in cotton that vaporizes. "You aren't burning anything," he said.

Vape e-liquid comes with nicotine in increments of two or three, typically from 0 to 36mg/ml, but can be higher. This measure is the amount of nicotine in milligrams, for each milliliter of e-liquid. Smokers can start high and lower their nicotine levels gradually.

DeLisa "D" Maddux of Eve Vape Shop and Lounge said that it works for her customers.

Eric Frichter of Esmokevapors Vape Shop of Slidell sets up a new vape unit for Tim Reimonenq. Reimonenq came from Folsom to get a starter vape kit, because this is where his cousin came to quit smoking. (Photo by Tana R.H.Stevenson)

"For the last year and a half we hardly sell anything more than 12mg/ml," she said.

There are thousands of flavors to choose from, each with varying nicotine levels. There are tobacco and menthol flavored e-liquids for those who like the taste of cigarettes. For those who don't, there are a few broad categories of flavors to choose from including candies, desserts, fruits, foods and beverages.

The vapor from these liquids usually smell like they taste. Critics worry that the marketing of flavors will entice young people to start vaping, and that the flavoring is not regulated by the FDA.

Eric Frichter of Esmokevapors Vape Shop of Slidell, said vape stores are required to be licensed with the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, following the same cigarette ID laws that requires customers to be at least 18 years old to purchase vape products.

Ryan said much of his customer base is older people that have been smoking for 30 to 40 years and were never able to get free from cigarettes. Ryan was a smoker for 20 years.

"I tried the gum. I tried the patches, but they only worked for a short amount of time," he said. 

After making the switch to vaping Ryan said, "The smell of cigarette smell is disgusting to me now, and I don't have it on my hands anymore."

So is this a safer alternative to smoking?

Lynn Reimonenq came from Folsom to Esmokevapors Vape Shop of Slidell to get a starter vape kit. She has three children, and she wants to limit their smoke exposure as she tries to quit. (Photo by Tana R.H.Stevenson)

"I've converted a lot of smokers over the years, and that feels good," Ryan said. "These people are so ecstatic about quitting."

Although he added, "It's not safety, it's harm reduction."

The American Lung Association says the claims that e-cigarettes can be used to help smokers quit is unproven. The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has not approved any e-cigarette as a safe and effective method to help smokers quit.

While the U.S. federal government does not approve vaping as an alternative to cigarettes, the British government agency Public Health England (PHE) says electronic vaping is a safer alternative than cigarettes. The report says, "While vaping may not be 100 percent safe, most of the chemicals causing smoking-related disease are absent and the chemicals which are present pose limited danger."

There are no studies yet to determine the long-term risks of vaping relative to those of sustained tobacco smoking.

"We were designed to inhale oxygen," Maddux said.

But she's decided, "If you're going to do one [vaping or smoking], I'd rather see it be vaping."

(This Post was Reprinted from nola.com. Read the Origianl post here >> http://www.nola.com/community/st-tammany/index.ssf/2016/06/vaping_stores_has_become_a_gro.html)