Table of Contents
- WHAT NICOTINE STRENGTH SHOULD I VAPE?
- INTRODUCTION
- WHAT TYPE OF SMOKER ARE YOU?
- WHAT NICOTINE STRENGTHS ARE AVAILABLE?
- WHAT NICOTINE TYPES ARE AVAILABLE?
- WHAT ARE THE BEST STRENGTHS FOR VAPING?
- HOW CAN SMOKERS REDUCE NICOTINE LEVELS?
- DOES NICOTINE STRENGTH AFFECT THE TASTE OF THE E-LIQUID?
- HOW DOES NICOTINE STRENGTH AFFECT VAPING TECHNIQUE?
- HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH IS THE CORRECT VAPE DEVICE FOR YOU?
- WHAT NICOTINE STRENGTH SHOULD I VAPE - CONCLUSION
- REFERENCES
WHAT NICOTINE STRENGTH SHOULD I VAPE?
For adult smokers looking to switch to vaping, it is a good idea to start on a higher nicotine strength. The maximum nicotine level for sale in the UK is 2.0% nicotine liquid or 20mg of nicotine per ml of liquid. If you are not a smoker we recommend don’t start vaping, or using a nicotine free liquid to avoid a nicotine addiction.
INTRODUCTION
*2024 Update - SMOKO Now offer a range of nicotine strengths for the new SMOKO VAPE POD!
Nicotine used in E-Cigarettes is a chemical made in the Nightshade family of *plants* that functions as a defence mechanism to discourage pests from eating the plant (a natural insecticide). When ingested by humans - whether smoked, chewed or inhaled - the chemical acts as a stimulant, which is ‘a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body.’ (1)
Nicotine strength is referring to the concentration of nicotine in our e-liquids or ‘vape juice’, and this is represented as a unit of milligrams per millilitre, or as a *percentage of the overall mixture*. If you are giving up smoking using a vape device, getting the right nicotine strength will help you stay off the ciggies!
WHAT TYPE OF SMOKER ARE YOU?
When looking to make the switch from smoking to vaping, it is well worth considering your normal nicotine intake; this will help guide your choices on starter kits for the device that best suits your needs. If you are a heavy smoker, you are likely to need the higher nicotine strengths on offer to satisfy your cravings, and you need to consider the ratio of Propylene Glycol to Vegetable Glycerin (PG VG) as this affects your vaping experience - like the throat hit and the amount of vapour produced (2). The light smokers among you would get away with lower nicotine strengths to tackle the cravings, and social smokers would do well to use 0% nicotine liquids to avoid risk of developing an addiction.
WHAT NICOTINE STRENGTHS ARE AVAILABLE?
There are plenty of e-liquids on the market containing different amounts of nicotine, here in the UK the legal maximum strength for e-liquids is 2.0% (20 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre) which is considered ‘high strength’. High nicotine liquids are generally found in electronic cigarettes - these liquids shouldn’t be used in the sub-ohm devices due to the throat hit, and the sheer volume of vapour they produce. For the light smokers, lower nicotine strengths are available, all the way down to 0.3% (3mg per ml) from 2%, and for those looking to eradicate nicotine from their bodies there are also nicotine free liquids available!
WHAT NICOTINE TYPES ARE AVAILABLE?
Do you know you can make your own vape juice? For those who would like to customise the strength and flavour of your e-liquids, the option is available to you! Using nicotine shots - bottles of pure, unflavoured nicotine - added to ‘shortfills’ - bottles with 0% e-liquid - you can adjust the nicotine strength in your vape juice to suit your specific needs.
When adding nicotine, there is another choice here: to use the common form known as ‘freebase’ nicotine, or to use ‘nic salts’. Liquids made with nicotine salt achieve a higher nicotine concentration whilst maintaining a smoother throat hit. This does mean that you can mix your own liquids to a nicotine strength over and above the 2% (20mg) legal limit for retail in the UK.
However, as a leading e-cigarette and e-liquid brand that has been operating since 2012, we would always recommend using a pre-made e-liquid that is registered with the MHRA and complies with the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) laws in the UK and Europe. (3)
WHAT ARE THE BEST STRENGTHS FOR VAPING?
For those smoking 20 cigarettes a day (or more) the best starting point is the higher strength (2%) liquids in lower powered devices. Particularly with a 50/50 PG VG balance, the nicotine craving is addressed, the throat hit achieved, and the habitual movement carried out (4), ticking all the boxes to address all aspects of the smoking addiction. E-cigarette units may have a vent that can be covered to increase the density of the vapour, so even the heaviest of smokers can achieve a satisfying vape experience.
Anyone smoking everyday but consumes less than 20 cigs per day, it is still a good idea to start on the 2% strength, but the approach to using the device and how often the device gets used can be adjusted. If the nicotine strength still feels too high, then dropping to 1.8% nicotine strength may reap the desired results. Over time, dropping to the lower nicotine levels on offer is a great way of weaning off tobacco products.
Social smokers, or very light smokers, that enjoy the experience but are concerned with the long term effects of nicotine and tobacco consumption, then the low end of nicotine strength liquids may come into play, or even nicotine free e-liquid. These are most often used with the sub-ohm devices, as the low nicotine strength is slightly compensated by the volume of vapour, allowing for safe vaping all day.
HOW CAN SMOKERS REDUCE NICOTINE LEVELS?
Smokers looking to quit tobacco or cigarettes are encouraged to start with high nicotine liquids, this is one of the ways to make sure the craving is tackled to prevent a relapse back to cigs. Having made the transition, users can look at switching to a lower nicotine concentration, and over time can adjust the nicotine levels lower and lower until they feel comfortable with very low level nicotine (0.3%), or nicotine-free liquids! Again, the device is likely to play a part in deciding precisely how strong an e-liquid you should go for… Are you after big clouds of vapour? Go low nicotine in a high powered device. Do you need that throat hit but don’t want to be walking through vapour clouds like a slow-motion action hero on set? Go high nicotine in a low powered device.
DOES NICOTINE STRENGTH AFFECT THE TASTE OF THE E-LIQUID?
Higher nicotine levels in an e-liquid does generally lead to less flavour, and also a harsher inhale as most are made with freebase nicotine, so bear in mind your smoking habits when choosing the strength of your liquid. Mixing liquids yourself and using nic salts could be a great route to keeping higher level nicotine liquids while maintaining the flavour! This does mean buying the constituent parts and putting the time in to mix it yourself - those looking for a simple, easy, convenient alternative to smoking may consider this too time consuming.
HOW DOES NICOTINE STRENGTH AFFECT VAPING TECHNIQUE?
The style of vape unit is going to be the biggest dictator of your vaping experience. Different units require a different approach, and deliver a different experience, so it helps to know some of the more obvious differences before spending money.
Low powered devices, like a typical e-cigarette, use what we call ‘mouth to lung’ (MTL) inhalation - this is where you take a drag on the electronic cigarette into your mouth, and then inhale the vapour. This works best for high nicotine liquids, as the higher nicotine levels give more of a ‘throat hit’, and the modest amount of vapour delivered is appropriate for that experience. (5)
The other technique is known as ‘direct to lung’ which is often used with the sub-ohm/mod devices, and this is when you inhale directly from the device into your lungs. At low nicotine levels this is absolutely fine, but higher nicotine liquids increase the throat hit - so when coupled with the large amount of vapour produced, this can lead to a harsh vaping experience.
A great general rule to follow as a beginner would be to use low nicotine (0.6% and below) on the more powerful units, and the higher nicotine levels on the low powered units. As you become accustomed to the device, you may well adjust your device and/or liquid to suit your needs!
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH IS THE CORRECT VAPE DEVICE FOR YOU?
The amount of nicotine in one cigarette is around 10-14mg (6), and smoking absorbs around 1-1.5mg into your bloodstream, and some of the chemicals in cigarettes boost the effects of nicotine in smoking too! Vaping isn’t quite this efficient, but it is much friendlier to your body. *Newer devices are improving the nicotine absorption levels, though the effects still aren’t as immediate as smoking a cigarette* - this means buying newer devices is a great way of maximising your chances of quitting smoking.
An e-cigarette will produce a small amount of vapour with a high concentration of nicotine. This is the least expensive option for quitters, as a small amount of your liquid is needed to satisfy that nicotine craving. Batteries and refills for e-cigarettes are also inexpensive, and simple units to use and troubleshoot.
With the high-powered devices, they produce a large amount of vapour but with a low concentration of nicotine, so someone looking to give up smoking would need to use this more regularly than an e-cigarette. It will cost more, as more liquid will be used overall to satisfy the same nicotine craving, not to mention the other parts you can change on these units - it can be costly to keep running and much more complex to fix than your average e-cigarette!
WHAT NICOTINE STRENGTH SHOULD I VAPE - CONCLUSION
The current evidence suggests that using a high nicotine strength is the best way to start vaping in order to successfully get away from tobacco cigarettes. This means most smokers should start at the legal maximum of 2.0% here in the UK, and when you are looking at cigarettes in the rear-view mirror you can consider reducing your nicotine strength if you desire!
So if you are an adult smoker looking to quit smoking cigarettes using an e-cigarette or vape starter kit, SMOKO is a great solution!
*2024 Update - Now you can try the SMOKO E-Cigarette for free when you purchase a box of E-Cigarette refills!
REFERENCES
(2) Propylene Glycol in Food: Is This Additive Safe?
(3) E-cigarettes: regulations for consumer products
(4) 7 Ways to Help Curb Hand-to-Mouth Addiction
(6) How much nicotine is in one cigarette?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Written by Dan Overgage
Dan Overgage is a former smoker of 10 years until he became a client of SMOKO E-Cigarettes. Dan started working with SMOKO 5 years ago after successfully quitting using our e-cigarettes and works across our Customer Service and heads up our content creation and research with a strong focus on all things quitting smoking. During his tenure with SMOKO, Dan has written countless blogs and consults with countless clients every day to help them to stay smoke-free.
