British Lords joins the pro-vaping forces

Matt Ridley - the man we can thank for this
debate in the House of Lords

As I said yesterday, the fight against deadly regulations by the EU and FDA have turned into a full scale war. We've been aware that in the UK the government has been quite positive to vaping and not been that afraid to say so publicly either.

In December 2015 David Cameron became the first world leader to endorse e-cigarettes. He told a packed House of Commons that they were "a very legitimate path" which had helped a million people in the UK to quit tobacco smoking (http://100thousand.com/).

But now it seems British politicians have taken this some huge steps further and fully joined the pro-vaping forces in this war. In a debate in the House of Lords the EU TPD was, as Christopher Snowdon puts it, savaged. I think the transcript, video and summaries of the debate says it all so I'm not going to comment any further, and to be honest I'm a bit lost for words... in a good way.

Political support for the TPD among Westminster politicians has close to disappeared. All that is left is the legal shell (Ashtray blog)

You can find a summary, note and transcript on the Ashtray blog, and Christopher Snowdon has also published the transcript and taken the time to highlight some of the best parts and added a couple of comments. I recommend reading the whole thing through as it is indeed some of the most enjoyable reading I've done in quite some time. There is also a video of the debate available on youtube. I've picked out a couple of my favourite quotes below. 

Thankfully—and my noble friends will know how painful it is for me to say this—the European Parliament voted down the folly of exclusive medicinal regulation, but it did not vote down the rest of Article 20 of the tobacco products directive which, in that wonderfully undemocratic way, is now being forced upon us. The truth is that these regulations were scripted in Brussels by pharmaceutical companies desperately trying to protect the sales of their widely unloved nicotine replacement therapies. What we have before the House is still a piece of legislation that is not fit for purpose. When even the Department of Health says that it risks increasing smoking, we know that we are facing a moral responsibility as legislators to review this in great detail. It most certainly should not just be nodded through.
- Matt Ridley

Nevertheless, we ended up with this directive. It was a messy compromise and it is very badly worded, but it is a lot better than it could have been had we not campaigned on it. My noble friend Lord Ridley is quite right to point out the somewhat murky role of various pharmaceutical interests in the production of the directive. When I asked questions in the Commission and the Council—it seemed to me self-evident that these devices were brilliant for reducing tobacco smoking, which I thought was what we all wanted—I asked why they were even in the directive in the first place, given that it is called a tobacco products directive and e-cigarettes are not tobacco products in any sense of the word. The answer I received many times was that this was argued for by the pharmaceutical industry, which would have an awful lot to lose if e-cigarettes supplanted or replaced nicotine patches and gum. I do not know the truth of that, but it seems that it was very successful in getting what it wanted.
- Martin Callanan (who was an MEP at the time the TPD was created)

This is truly a terrible piece of legislation, and I plead guilty for the part I played in helping to produce it in the first place. However, it is not too late to undo some of that harm and to help encourage the taking up of e-cigarettes and, consequently, a reduction in tobacco consumption. Instead of trying to restrict e-cigarettes, the Government should in fact be trying positively to encourage them.
- Martin Callanan

I certainly hope that enforcement will be more Italian than traditionally British, if I may put it that way.
- David Prior (Health Minister)

As I said, I'm a bit lost for words, but I believe a big thanks to the British is in order. From the trends I've seen in the UK lately, I suspect, and I hope this is not the last time I send a big fat THANK YOU across the North Sea. Again, I encourage you to read the whole transcript or watch the video... there is a lot of goodies in there.

The fight against draconian e-cig regulations just turned into a full scale war!

In my last post I encouraged vapers not to give up and keep on fighting the TPD and FDA deeming regulations with all means available. This is by no means over, and as Steve from the excellent Steve K's Vaping World pointed out yesterday: The Vaping industry isn't dead yet! Neither are the vapers, I might add ... every single one of us is still alive and kicking. Actually that's what this is all about: Staying alive, both figuratively and literately.

The bottom line is you have some time before you won’t be able to buy stuff any more.  So there’s no need to panic or horde just yet.  It’s also very likely that there will be some lawsuits and legal challenges thrown at the FDA which may also stall the process.

We still have some time before the draconian regulations hits us with full force, and as Steve here predicted; there will be legal challenges and this will end up in court before this is over. He was quite right about this ... yesterday the first legal challenge was official: Nicopure Labs Challenges the FDA’s Deeming Rule. I don't think it will be the last legal action we see either. On Guide To Vaping you can read that An army of advocates is rising and the message posted by all the big US vaping organisations on facebook on Monday:

Today, CASAA, SFATA, AEMSA, AVA and NBS have formally announced their coalition to pursue legal and legislative strategies now that the FDA’s final deeming regulations have been released.
 
The coalition will continue working to determine the correct litigation strategy and legislative actions.
 
We will be informing the vapor industry and community of next steps, deadlines, PR objectives, and grassroots efforts.  Organizations interested in participating should contact coalition partners.
 
Please feel free to contact any of the organizations listed above for more details in the coming days.

No doubt the industry will fight back. It is an industry that is fighting for it's right to exist, and when fighting for your life you will fight fiercely.

As vapers and consumers there are also things we can do to help out. Steve has some suggestions:

Consumers, it’s not time to leave this all up to the vendors either.  

While lobbyists and lawsuites do fuel the political engine.  So do voters. Let your lawmakers know you aren’t happy.  But be civil.

I suggest making actual phone calls or writing to every elected official you can vote out of office. Explain what vaping means to you, and how important it is as a political issue. Be polite and sincere. Use your own words, not a form letter.

But writing letters and calling elected officials is not the only thing we as vapers can do. As I've said earlier, spreading information and educating the public is one of the most important tasks in this fight, and lets not forget about recruiting new vapers. More vapers means more stories to be told, more manpower to educate the public and politicians and more voices to tell the truth about vaping and exposing the lies we're being told... and the people behind them.

Speaking of lies... in my previous post I said that it's time to get the heads rolling. I do believe certain people have reason to be quite nervous today, as today it is finally time for the world premiere for Aaron Biebert's documentary, A Billion Lives. Promoting and spreading the news of this film is also a great way for us vapers to help out. The fight against the draconian e-cig regulations that the EU and FDA wants to use as their weapon to kill vaping just turned into a full scale war. As vapers and vaping advocates we're all soldiers, and our weapon... is truth. I for one, have really been looking forward to this, and I can barely wait to watch it:

 

Don't stop fighting the FDA deeming regulations and EU TPD!

Just a week or so after the Royal College of Physicians released their report backing e-cigarettes and vaping, urging governments and regulators to "Promote e-cigarettes widely as substitute for smoking", the EU Court of Justice ruled that the TPD is valid, will be enforced and thereby making sure that the EU will not follow RCP's advice. Yesterday, just a couple of days later, the FDA released their new deeming regulations that basically will ban vaping as we know it in the US and hand the remains of the market over to Big Tobacco. Since I read about it yesterday, an image has been developing in my head of the ANTZ holding the arms of a guy called "Smoker" or "public health" on his back while Big Pharma commands the EU and FDA to take turns punching him in the face. Big tobacco stands on the side with a big grin on his face, cheering and rubbing his hands. Any cartoonists reading this... feel free to draw it up and publish it widely. The last days, the EU and the FDA has shown us very clearly that this is not about health at all, it's all about the money. Either that, or their incompetence have reached levels I did not think was possible for human beings. I'm not sure which one is most frightening.

A lot of people have commented on the two cases, which are indeed public health disasters bordering to political genocide, so I'm not going to go into the details on how these draconian regulations will shorten the lives of millions. However, I've found some good posts and articles for you below. I've written about the consequences of over regulating earlier and Clive Bates have summed up the unintended consequences of these regulations: Harmful and negligent to ignore unintended consequences of e-cigarette policies

On the TPD:

• The EU’s new rules for vapers: this is Brussels at its most petty and pointless (Christopher Snowden in the Spectator Health)
• Regulators and the compliance fallacy – buying 99% nicotine e-liquid from China (Clive Bates)
• What is wrong with the Tobacco Products Directive for vapour products? (Clive Bates) 
• Health? Yeah, Right (Dick Puddlecote)

On the FDA deeming regulations:

• FDA deeming regulation on e-cigarettes: an effective ban on most (and on most effective) products (Dr. Farsalinos)
• The FDA’s Vaporous Thinking About E-Cigs (Wall Street Journal)
• FDA E-Cigarette Deeming Regulations are a Disaster for Public Health (Michael Siegel)

It doesn't look very good for vaping right now I have to admit. Well, actually, for the lucky ones that have already made the switch it's not the end of the world. We've known about this, and expected these regulations for a while now and most of us will be able to continue vaping. It might mean that we have to turn to the thriving black market that undoubtedly will rise and shine brightly now, but we'll manage. For current smokers and future generations however, this last week has been a complete disaster. The regulations will cost a lot of people a lot of years of living, but who cares? I mean they never new that their governments deprived them of a better life so they won't be complaining about that right? Well, that's were we as vapers should prove the EU and the FDA wrong. We need to make sure that everyone knows what has been going on. We need to make sure that future generations will grow up knowing that we put an end to the tobacco epidemic. And we need to make sure the heads start rolling in certain organisations. Because they will, eventually, if we manage to expose to the world what their real motives are. A great way to start helping out is to support and promote Aaron Biebert's upcoming documentary "A billion lives". Sign up for their newsletter, pay attention to their facebook page, and start mentioning their movie everywhere where vaping or e-cigarettes are the topic of discussion. The EU and the FDA have now thrown a couple of hard punches our way, but there is no reason to give up now. This gives us even more reason to fight on, or start fighting if you're not there yet! "The tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds"... and we'll grow through concrete and break their castles apart I might add.

Review: Defiant tank by Council of Vapor

After reviewing the Mini Volt from Council of Vapour some 2-3 weeks ago I started looking into their other stuff. They do have a tank that goes with the Mini Volt, often referred to as the Mighty Mini Volt Atomizer, that's sold in a kit with the mod. However, they also have a pretty new tank, that looks almost the same, the Defiant, that comes with a new ceramic coil head. Now, there has been a bit of fuzz about ceramic or coil-less atomizers lately. The Altus tank is one example that is marketed as coil-less tank, and has gotten some mixed reviews, with ramp-up time being an issue for a lot of people. The coil-head made for the Defiant, however, is a completely different system, with ceramic acting as a buffer between the cotton and a what looks to be a pretty normal coil. Actually, I think C.O.V. explains how this coil works best themselves in their video. When I talked to Ramzy from damping.no about his experience with the Defiant he was quite enthusiastic about the flavour, so I had to get one and try this for myself.


In the box

• The Defiant tank
• 2 x 0.5 ohm ceramic atomizer heads (1 in the atomizer)
• User Manual
• Spare pyrex tube and o-rings

Specifications

• Diameter: 22 mm
• Height: 48 mm with driptip (37 mm without)
• Stainless Steel
• Top filling
• 3.1ml juice capacity
• Pyrex glass
• Airflow control
  

Look and feel

I think the Defiant looks pretty damn cool to be honest. Matches my red Efusion pretty well with those double red o-rings on top, and it's a great match for the little Mini Volt mod. It is indeed a small tank as well, making the capacity of 3.1 ml of juice pretty impressive. It's made from stainless steel, making it solid, giving it some weight and making it feel really solid and well built.

In use

The first thing that happened when I filled the tank was a major leaking issue. And by major I do actually mean major. I left it to soak for a bit, not really paying attention to it for like 10 minutes and half the tank was empty and I had juice all over my mod. So I took it apart (which I had not done before I filled it), cleaned up the mess and refilled it. Since then it has behaved very well. I mean I have had some minor leaking issues, but that's just a drop or two coming out of the airflow holes after filling and then putting it in my pocket or whatever without vaping it first. So, apart from the initial leaking I've had no problems with it. Talking to Ramzy about it he had exactly the same problem. My guess is that either it wasn't properly screwed together and tightened when I got it, or it might just be that these ceramic coil do overwick a lot if it hasn't been used before. I do suggest you take the tank apart, clean a bit and put it properly back together before you fill it for the first time though. As I said, the tank has behaved very well since then and as long as you're aware (which you should be by now) it's not a problem at all. If anyone have some insight on this issue, please don't be afraid to leave a comment and enlighten us.

I do like the top filling on this tank. To fill it you unscrew the driptip section and you'll be able to pour juice into the tank from whatever type of bottle you have. I'm sure with a bit of patience you'll be able to pour from a cup. I like that since I don't really have to bother cleaning a needle-tip bottle for my e-liquid to be able to fill the tank. However, you can't use a standard driptip on this tank, there is no adapter for it that I'm aware of. For me, it's not a problem, as I really like the one on there. It's pretty wide, and it does have those honeycomb holes that works like spitback protection that you see in other C.O.V. tanks (Vengance, Phoenix and the Mighty Mini Volt tank as far as I know) as well. It also allows you to add some extra air from the driptip through those tiny holes all around the driptip. To do this you remove the rubber piece that goes around the inside of the driptip. It looks like these solutions are used by C.O.V. on the Mighty Mini Volt, the Vengance and now the Phoenix tank as well, and I guess the reason for this is that it works really well. Personally I keep the rubber ring in place as I like the heat of the vapor as it is. Actually I always close airflow on the driptips on tanks where it is available. With the C.O.V. solution to this you only get to either open or close the airflow on the driptip, which for some people might not be sufficient, but again... it's all a matter of personal preference. I do like the tiny holes around the tip though, but that's just because it makes the tank look cooler, nothing else.

The airflow control on the bottom is pretty good. You can't twist it all the way around, which there is no need for actually. Twist it clockwise all the way to have it fully open, and all the way counter-clockwise to close it all off. It's loose enough to be twisted easily, and tight enough so it doesn't go adjusting itself by accident.

This tank comes with a 0.45 to 0.5 ohm ceramic coil-head (well two of them actaully). As far as I know this is the only option designed specifically for this tank. It is, however, interchangeable with the coil-heads from the Mighty Mini Volt tank and the Vengance, so you do have the option of using normal 0.2 or 0.8 ohm heads. Which is a good thing if you plan to use this tank with the Mini Volt. Then you will need the 0.8 ohm heads as 40 W is, in my opinion, not enough power for the 0.5 ohm head that comes with this tank, and it would probably drain that battery in no time. So not too many coil options on this tank. I think C.O.V. should consider giving us some more options, mainly with higher resistances for lower wattages. I'd wish for a 0.8 and maybe even a higher ohm ceramic head (1.2 maybe). More on that below.

Performance

Now, for the most interesting part I guess. As I said, Ramzy was pretty enthusiastic about the flavour from this tank. I'm just going to jump straight to the point here: The flavour is amazing. It really is. I mean, for me it's competing with some of my rebuildable tanks, maybe not all the way up there with the Steamcrave Aromamizer (my current favourite I guess) and the Goblin mini, but certainly not far behind. I get a feeling that the ceramic coil system gives you cleaner flavour, and a lot of it. Before I tried this one, my favourite tank among the sub-ohms with pre-built heads was the Zephyrus, or maybe the Aromamizer with the pre-built heads. The Defiant, with the 0.5 ohm ceramic head, beats them both.

C.O.V. says the ceramic coils will vape best at 40 to 75W of power. I'd say it needs at least 50W, with 60W being the sweet spot with the juice I'm currently using which is a 60/40 VG/PG juice. At 70W it starts to taste a bit funny, although its not the usual burnt cotton dry hit you've probably tasted before. I guess you can run it on higher wattages with other, thinner juices. 40W however, does not give me the vapor production I'm after at all. This is why I'm calling for more coil options as well. I think the ceramic system plays a big role in creating the fantastic flavour, and I want to be able to use that with my Mini Volt, but currently I can't.

According to C.O.V. the ceramic coils will also enable you to change flavours quite easily, and the coils will last a lot longer than normal coils without the ceramic layer. Just fill the tank with your new flavour and you might have some overlap but it won't take long before you only taste your new flavour. Now actually you can do this on normal coils as well, but what I think they're trying to say here is that the overlap time will be shorter and there should be less gunk building up on your coil. I've tried to change flavour in the tank and it does actually work pretty well. Now I didn't have a really strong menthol in the tank from before though. I usually change the coil head whenever I change flavours in these sub-ohm tanks, but with these coils I don't really see the need to do this... most of the time. Well, to be honest, and I haven't really tried this, but I do think this depends a lot on the flavours you're vaping. Some flavours will stick with you for a long time (like strong menthols) if you don't change the coil.

Taking this tank apart and cleaning it is no problem at all. No sharp edges you could cut yourself on, and none of those inaccessible spots where water tends to get stuck. In other words, easy to keep clean.

It would also be kind of interesting to try out these ceramic heads in the Vengance or the Mighty Mini Volt as well. I haven't had the pleasure to try out any of them yet though, and then C.O.V. have also released another tank, the Phoenix, that looks really interesting, so I'm not sure if I ever get the time to try them. C.O.V. is really putting some nice stuff on the market these days I'd say.

Pros and cons 

+ Flavour
+ Size and capacity
+ Top filling
+ Solid
+ Long lasting coils
+ Price
- Not many coil options

Conclusion

This is the second item I've tried from Council of Vapor, and now I want to try everything they've got. Seriously, the flavour from this tank is fantastic and you should try it. What makes it even more of a no-brainer is the price. Hell, you should just go buy two of them at once.


Thanks a lot to Ramzy at damping.no for making this review possible.

Disclosure:

• All my reviews are my honest opinion even if I am affiliated with the company manufacturing or selling the product. 
• This review does not contain affiliate links.

Juice Review: Zest and Moz by Yogg Lyfe

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed two of the juices from Yogg Life's yogurt based range of e-liquids, the Zabadi and Poz. I was quite happy with them, and have been looking forward to trying out the last two. It was with somewhat fearful joy I opened these bottles and filled my tanks, since they both contain banana, a flavour that in my opinion can easily be done wrong and become quite sickening. If done right, however, it can be fabulous. Let's see.

Moz
Tested on: Steamcrave RDTA (0.3 Ohm Dual horizontal Clapton, 50-60 watts)
 

As Yogg themselves say, the Moz is a bit different than the other three juices in the range, because it's not only yogurt and fruit. It is supposed to be a banana cake in yogurt. Sounds kind of weird to me, but apparently weird works. I can't really say I smell the cake, smells like ripe, sweet banana. Vaping it, however, reveals the cake, and as I said... the cake really works. I'm thinking mostly banana cake, with loads of sweet, ripe bananas and some cinnamon notes when I vape this juice... not so much yogurt. But I guess the yogurt is still there giving it a creamy feeling as well that I can't really explain otherwise. I really liked this one, might be my favourite of the four, and unless you really really hate bananas I'd say it's a must try juice.

Zest
Tested on: Steamcrave V-RDA + Squonker (0.4 Ohm Dual Clapton, 50-60 watts)

In the Zest the banana is accompanied by passion fruit and pineapple aiming for an exotic, tropical flavour. It sure smells exotic and tropical... and tastes like it as well. Pretty spot on and true to the description I'd say. The pineapple is delicious in combination with the bananas and yogurt that kind of makes it a bit more mellow without removing all the sting from it. A really well balanced, creamy and exotic juice that hits its target spot on. My fear of overpowering and sickening bananas in the Yogg range has been proven unfounded after trying these two juices.


Thanks again to UKEcigstore for sending me these juices for review.



Disclosure:

• All my reviews are my honest opinion even if I am affiliated with the company manufacturing or selling the product. 
• The juice was sent to me free of charge for the purpose of this review.
• This review contains affiliate links.