If a restaurant served you food that smelled bad or looked moldy, you would approach the manager about the health impact of substandard food but in the vapor industry, many consumers forge ahead without making vendors accountable for the vapor products they sell.

As vendors we should (and ultimately must) adhere to a minimum set of standards to protect the consumer, we need to protect our youth from using vapor products and we need all vendors to embrace responsible business practices and stick to them.

There are ways for you, as a consumer, to protect yourself. Get to know your vendor and their business practices.Many vendors are great to chat with, exchange family stories and shoot the breeze with, but this is more than that - your priority is to be informed, not be friends.Next, know your vendors quality testing practices. Do they enforce safe practice standards? Can they teach you to use the products?If they can’t, chances are they lack the quality and safety practices you deserve to keep you safe and protected.

Batteries, Mods And Units

If not manufactured properly there can be inconsistencies and quality issues with some e-cigarettes.From leaks to voltage inconsistencies to fire hazards, there are many potential issues.Questions to ask your vendor include:

• Do they test their equipment prior to selling?Do they throw them, drop them, and overcharge them - all for YOUR safety and quality assurance?
• Are they purchasing their batteries from a reputable manufacturer?Does it have reverse battery and overheating protection, thermal monitoring and amperage limits?

Stick to doing business with vendors that sell authentic units with these safeguards. Request testing procedures, safety tests and specifications on the unit. Find out what type of certification your inner core battery passed. Look for certifications in the store indicating they are a certified vendor from a reputable organization or have official reseller certificates.

E-Liquids

Inhaling an e-liquid without checking test results and verifying quality production standards, such as an enclosed germ-free production environment is vital to ensuring your vapor experience is positive and safe.Questions to ask your vendor include:

• Do they test for nicotine content? For diacetyl or acetyl propionyl? Chances are they currently have liquids that contain some impurities and they should be able to inform you of which ones they are and the potential risks.
• Do they have a COA (Certificate of Analysis) on their nicotine, vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG)?
• Should you use vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol? PG has many properties make it superior for nicotine and flavor delivery. It has a track record and long history of being a safe delivery inhalant in the medical field. It has been safely used in nebulizers, breathing treatments and for other medicinal purposes for many years. It has properties that can improve lung function and properties that can hinder impurities from growing.

VG does not carry flavor as well as PG and is a thicker substance, which can clog and burn out your atomizer much faster. Some vendors’ use a mix of PG and VG with higher amounts VG because it is sweeter, doesn’t require additional sweeteners and provides increased vapor production.

A 70% propylene glycol and 30% vegetable glycerin mixture produces plenty of vapor, has a safe track record in certain medical products, carries flavor well and saves you a little cash and time. It is a personal preference, but it is important to understand the differences.

Your goal should be to find a vendor that can educate you and keep you up to date on this evolving market.Many times vendors have been given poor information and pass it on to consumers, so verify the information your receive through independent resources.The race to better flavors, higher vapor production and MOD creation has increased tremendously, but we must never lose sight of the need for safety, education and adherence to quality control standards.

Vapor products present a unique opportunity to individuals looking to switch to something without the risks of combustible tobacco products.These products have the potential to eliminate the harms tobacco smokers have suffered but poor quality; inadequate safety features and loosely mixed liquids could have a detrimental impact on you consumers, and the industry at large.Stay informed!