Here’s a quick guide to choosing the strength of your e-liquid

1. Moving from smoking to vaping? Here’s a quick guide to choosing the strength of your e-liquid… ibreathe.co.uk/blog/moving-from-smoking-to-vaping-heres-a-quick-guide-to-choosing-the-strength-of- your-e-liquid Knowing what nicotine strength to go for can be a bit pot luck. Luckily, there are a few easy steps you can take to help choose the right strength for you. Firstly, what is ‘Nicotine Strength’? Nicotine strength information can be found on the label of any E-Liquid. The information will be presented in one of two ways: in milligrams (mg) or as a percentage. Each tell you the same thing, the concentration of nicotine within the E-Liquid per millilitre (ml). For example, if a 10ml bottle of E-Liquid contains 10mg or 1.0% nicotine, that means 1% of the contents is made up of nicotine. As a rule of thumb, heavier smokers will want to opt for higher nicotine content in their E-Liquid. However, this isn’t the only factor that will influence your choice. Choosing your strength the easy way… The simplest way to work out the nicotine strength that’s best for you is by taking the number of cigarettes you would smoke and converting it. Here’s a rough guide: 1 to 5 a day 0.6% (6mg/ml) 5 to 15 a day 1.0% (10mg/ml) 15 to 20 a day 1.4% (14mg/ml) More than 20 a day 1.8% (18mg/ml) 1/3

2. Obviously, this is a simplified conversion, and everyone’s different. But ultimately, if your plan is to transition from smoking to vaping, pick a nicotine strength that will give you the best chance of achieving this. Throat Hit! When vaping first came about there was limited a limited choice of nicotine strength. However, this has all changed in recent years with vapers now being able to control even the finer details like ‘throat hit’ with their vapes. Controlling the level of throat hit is as simple as turning up your output wattage and changing your atomizer head resistance. The higher the resistance, the longer the atomizer heats up producing less vapour. The lower the resistance, the quicker the atomizer heats up, producing more vapour. More vapour, more throat hit. And choosing the right atomiser makes all the difference when it comes to maximising that throat hit. A 1% nicotine strength E-Liquid will deliver a bigger hit on a sub-ohm atomizer than it would on a higher resistance atomizer head. It’s important to strike the right balance between atomizer and nicotine strength. Get it right and you get a great vape. Vaping Technique There are two main techniques when it comes to vaping, and neither of them have the nicest descriptions! They are mouth to lung (MTL) and direct lung (DL). MTL is the standard inhale that most vapers opt for. You simply draw the vapour into your mouth and inhale. Much like when a cigarette is smoked. DL is a more direct route whereby the vapour is inhaled directly into the lungs, without holding any in your mouth. DL vapers tend to stick to a lower nicotine content E-Liquid due to the heavy throat hit and the amount of vapour produced. Stay low is the key – 0.0%-0.3% is recommended – as anything higher could become ‘uncomfortable’! Adjusting your Nicotine Levels to stop Smoking For many, the goal of vaping is to completely cut out smoking. Therefore, you’ll need to find a nicotine level which doesn’t leave you wanting a cigarette. The ‘crave’! If you find you still crave a smoke after vaping, then it’s a good move to to ‘up’ the nicotine level of your e-liquid a little and find the right balance. If you choose a nicotine that’s a touch too high, simply reduce the amount you vape or switch back to a lower level. 2/3

3. Common symptoms of using a nicotine level that is too high include headaches, dizziness, mild nausea and coughing. If you find yourself experiencing any of these, just cut back on your levels a bit. Once you’ve got your head around all that, picking a nicotine strength isn’t too hard is it? The key points to remember are: Aim to replace cigarettes altogether Low resistance atomizers require lower nicotine levels Direct lung vaping requires lower nicotine levels And finally, find a balance that suits you Happy Vaping! 3/3