Review: iCare from Eleaf

I remember my first cig-alike... it had an "automatic switch", which meant that it did not have a button but draw activated. This was of course to imitate the smoking experience as much as possible. Some of the battery models back then came in two versions as well so you could choose between the automatic switch and a button to activate the device. I guess this was like 4-5 years ago, and a lot has happened since then. I for one have moved on to a lot more advanced devices, and I usually build my own coils, cause it gives my a much better vaping experience. More vapor and better flavour. Now to me, building coils and changing cotton is just a part of vaping. Sure there are build-decks that can be challenging, I can build more or less advanced coils and can use quite some time to experiment with different devices, but I can also do this pretty quickly if I need to. This all comes from experience and having gone through more and more advanced devices step by step. Different people stop at different points as well. Some move on all the way to making their own super-advanced wires, others stop at clearomizers, while others again think that changing coil-heads in sub-ohm tanks is advanced enough. As long as you're happy with your vaping experience, and thereby manage to quit or stay off the cigarettes, that's fine.

To a smoker wanting to try out vaping as a quitting strategy, however, simplicity is kind of crucial. Of course geeks exists that would jump straight to sub-ohm tanks and high powered regulated mods, but I think that is the exception. For most people, the chances of success will increase with ease of use. I believe that is also one of the main goals of the eLeaf iCare that I'm reviewing today. When I was asked to do this review I thought that "this is not a device for me"... and I stand by that. It's not. But I think it's very important that we don't forget the first time vapers, current smokers looking for a way to quit, so I decided I'll do my best to put myself a few years back and have a look at the device from that point of view.


In the box

• The eLeaf iCare
• 2 IC 1.1 Ohm atomizer heads
• USB Cable
• User Manual

Specifications 

• Size: 30mm*14mm*75mm
• Output wattage: 15W max
• Resistance range: 1.0-3.5ohm
• E-liquid capacity: 1.8mL
• Battery capacity: 650mAh
  

Look and feel

The iCare is a tiny device. Pretty much the size of a cigarette lighter, and it doesn't weigh much more either. It is indeed, like eLeaf say themselves, kind of cute. It has no buttons and no screen, only an indicator light inside the tank to indicate battery status when you activate it or charge it.


In use

This is where I'll try to put myself in the shoes of a smoker that has never tried vaping before. The iCare is indeed quite simple to use. It is however important to read the user manual before you start using it, cause there is a couple of things to be aware of. Alternatively, have someone show you how to use it (unless you live in the US where this apparently is not legal). Once you've learned a couple of things though, it is indeed very easy to use. First thing to be aware of is that little rectangular hole at the bottom of the top cap. This works kind of like a tool to unscrew the pipe and atomizer head from the device when you're filling it or changing coil-heads. Then there is the air-control ring that you need to adjust before you screw the thing together again. You also need to be aware of the Max line and don't fill your tank above that line, or you will make a mess when you insert the pipe and coil into the tank again. Finally, make sure to drip a few drops of juice in the atomizer head before you use it for the first time or it will probably be burned. None of these are particularly advanced tasks... just important to be aware and once you know about them, the device is indeed very easy to use. I do actually believe my mum can handle it (she struggled quite a lot with the cig-alikes I got her cause they needed cartomizers to be refilled), although I think she'd need some explaining cause I highly doubt she'd read the manual :)

Charging and cleaning this is also pretty simple. Charging via a USB cable and cleaning is done by just rinsing in water I guess. Not many parts to clean though, I just poured some water into the tank and shook it a bit, and then rinsed the pipe with water and blew into it to get the water out again.


Performance

To be honest, saying something about the performance of this device when being used to 50W+ vaping and RTAs is kind of difficult. The flavour and vapor production is of course nowhere near what I'm used to. On the other hand, from what I can remember from back in the days when I first started out, the eLeaf is miles ahead of the devices I started out with. It's suited for mouth to lung vaping, which is great for people used to smoking. The flavour isn't that bad... I mean I put some pretty strong tobacco juice in there and tastes pretty awesome compared to a cigarette. Vapor production as well, not that bad and would probably be pretty good if you're a smoker. To get some throat hit from it I guess you need some stronger nicotine e-juice than what I've got right now.

Battery life on this isn't that bad either. The battery is only 650 mAh, but then again, it doesn't put out more than max 15W so it will actually last for a while.


Pros and cons 

+ Easy to use
+ Easy to clean
+ Perfect for smokers looking to quit
+ Small and easy to bring along (about the size of a cigarette lighter)
- User manual could have been better.
- A little gap between the top-cap and the device (on mine at least)


Conclusion

The eLeaf iStick is aimed at smokers wanting to quit by vaping. And I think they've managed to create a device that is simple enough to use, and that performs pretty well for it's tiny size. I don't have any problem recommending this to first time vapers, but I'd also recommend using it with e-juice that has quite a lot of taste and high nicotine content. In fact, I think I'll give my sample to my mum with some 24 mg strong tobacco and see if that does the trick. It's certainly worth the try at only $13.20.

Thanks a lot to Abby at heavengifts.com for sending this device for review.

 
Disclosure:

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

Juice Review: Red Royal'z, Blue Cut'z No. 3 and Drummer'z Cut'z by Midaz N.E.A.T Cut'z

Tobacco seems to be one of the hardest flavours to imitate. I don't think I have come across anyone who have done it yet. Quite a few have tried, and there are quite a few that taste pretty good as well, but they still don't taste like real tobacco. This does not mean that it is impossible to create e-liquid that taste like real tobacco though, but it seems to me that you have to get your flavour from real tobacco. I've mentioned House of Liquid and their legendary El-Toro range and I've reviewed the Black Note range here on the blog. These are both fantastic tobacco ranges that I for one always recommend to people asking about tobacco juices.

Flavours plays an extremely important part in the success story of vaping. Having good flavours that taste nothing like tobacco is important and helps vapers move away from tobacco and stay there. But it is just as important to have good tobacco flavours, because this is often crucial for a lot of smokers to make the switch in the first place. It is very common for successful switchers to have started out with tobacco flavours and the moved on to other flavours. Then there is another thing as well that I've thought of while testing some of these tobacco juices ... even though I've been vaping for a long time now, I still like the taste of tobacco. It's a pleasant flavour. When I was smoking I seldom thought that it actually tasted great, and my taste buds were probably in a coma anyway. So I think I can safely say that I never smoked for the flavour (although some cigarette brands taste worse than others), but when I vape tobacco flavours, at least the good ones, I do. A great tobacco vape is kind of like a good cognac with your coffee after a great meal... and these tobaccos often go well with coffee also.

Anyway, I'm going to try to get to the point here. I was talking to Midaz on Facebook a while ago and he had just gotten the Black Note Notebook so I asked what he thought about it... I think I had just done a review of it back then. He told me "it's good, but you should try these", and linked me too his own range at eciggs.se. I was, and still am, thrilled that we have a Norwegian tobacco e-juice specialist among us :) I wasn't even aware until then (you need to tell me these things Midaz!). In fact Rudolf (that's his real name) has used much of his time to develop his techniques and these juices for years (but he hasn't been to loud about it, though). I was lucky enough to run into him at my local vape shop later on as well and try out a few as well. Don't really remember which ones but they were awesome, so when I was asked to do some reviews for esiggs.se I was really exited to get to know these juices in depth.

Red Royal'z

Tested on: SQuape X[dream] (Clapton @ 0.7 ohms, 30 watts)

Very rich, smooth blended tobacco flavour that reminds you of Prince cigarettes. I guess that is what Midaz is aiming for as well here. Very authentic tobacco flavour, a bit sweet and dry. Good throat hit as well, with a hint of burnt taste as well (yeah, I've checked my coils and it's not actually burnt). A great tobacco flavour, perfect for people who wants to get off the cigarettes but also for tobacco lovers.

Blue Cut'z No. 3
Tested on: Wismec Theorem (Clapton @ 0.45 ohms, 45 watts)

Another strong, full tobacco taste. This one is supposed to taste like Petterøe's 3 rolling tobacco, a pretty popular one here in Norway. Now it's been a while since I've tried that so I can't really tell how close it is, and I'm not going to try it either, but this is indeed a great tobacco flavour as well. Authentic, slightly burnt flavour, really well balanced.


Drummer'z Cut'z

Tested on: Tested on: SQuape X[dream] (Dual Clapton @ 0.5 ohms, 45 watts)

This one is not available from eciggs.se quite yet, but do believe it will be soon. Based on Drum rolling tobacco, something I've never tried so I can't really tell if this one is close either. But yet again, a fantastic and very authentic tobacco flavour. It's quite strong and I get a solid throat hit, but that also has to do with the pretty low ohm, (relatively) high power setup I've used. Definitely one I'd recommend for smokers that are used to rolling tobacco.


Overall impression:
Midaz N.E.A.T Cut'z range is one of the most authentic, delicious tobacco flavoured e-liquid ranges I've tasted. If you're into tobacco flavours you should try out the whole Midaz N.E.A.T Cut'z range and pick your favourite. The ones I've tasted so far have been great, and I'm looking forward to trying out the rest. These juices should also be great for first time vapers looking to switch from smoking or vapers struggling to put the last cigarettes away for good. I have talked a bit to Midaz about this and I think this is indeed one of the main motivations behind his tireless work to create tobacco juices that are as authentic as possible. He almost promised me these would get my mum to switch as well, but I believe he moderated himself to something more in the line of "if she can't quit with these there is no hope". We'll see...

As you can see I've tried these in different atties, which also affects the flavour. What I've found is that they taste best on higher ohms and not that much power. High power and low resistance can make these juices a bit overpowering, but you should be fine down to around 0.5 ohms at least. All the juices are 60/40 VG/PG and available in 0,3,6,12 and 18 mg/ml nicotine.

If the rest of the juices in this range are as good as the three I've tried so far, I would put these right up there in the top 3 tobacco juice ranges, and one that tobacco lovers should try out. I just noticed the whole range is also on sale at the moment at eciggs.se (17% off).

Disclosure:

• All my reviews are my honest opinion even if I am affiliated with the company manufacturing or selling the product.
• The products reviewed here was sent to me free of charge for the purpose of this review.
• This review does not contain affiliate links.

Review: Wismec Reuleaux 2/3

On April 1st this year JayBo announced that he was "retiring" from vaping... which of course was just an Aprils fool. If you watch the video I linked, right after he exposes the joke, he says "I'm not slowing down". And he certainly have not. I've got the feeling that he has been stepping it up quite a bit lately, and there is all kinds of crazy stuff coming out from Wismec. By crazy I actually mean innovative. Just looking at the stuff that has come out lately I'd say JayBo is going through some kind of "transformers period". The devices can be set up in different ways, combined and work in different modes. The Neutron RDA can be set up with coils in serial or parallel, the tank of the Cylin RTA can be used on some of the other drippers from JayBo and the new Noisy Cricket II-25 can switch from parallel battery mode to serial batteries with constant voltage or direct output. A single mode of operation just isn't enough for JayBo these days it seems :) That also goes for the subject of this review, the Reuleaux RX2/3. Based on the very popular Reuleaux RX200S this mod can be used with either two or three 18650 batteries capable of 150W or 200W respectively ... unless you upgrade it that is.

In the box

• The Reuleaux RX2/3 
  
• Back cover for 2 cells
• Back cover for 3 cells (attached when you get it)
• USB Cable
• User Manual

Specifications 

• Replacable back cover for use with either 2 or 3 18650 batteries
• 150/200 Watt
• VW/TC-Ni/TC-Ti/TC-SS/TCR Mode
• 0.05-1.5ohm for TC modes
• 0.1-3.5ohm for VW mode
• 100-315°C/ 200-600°F (TC modes)
• Max 6 Volts (2 batteries) / 9 Volts (3 batteries)
• Reverse polarity protection
• Spring loaded 510 connector
• Upgradable firmware

Look and feel

When I first saw the Reuleaux RX200 (and DNA200 version for that matter) I thought it looked ... well kind of weird... and big and bulky. But then again, I wasn't really into box mods at all at that time. Now, however, I feel kind of different. I don't think the Reuleaux mods are the best looking mods out there, but after I got my RX200 the shape of it makes more sense and I guess that affects how I think it looks as well. The thing is that it's actually not that big. I guess it's about as big as it needs to be to fit three 18650 batteries, and it does fit very well into your hand. At least my hand, and I think I've got kind of average sized hands. When the Reuleaux first came it look very unusual I guess, but the shape has been copied by others, and there is a reason for that. The RX2/3 with three batteries installed looks pretty much exactly like an RX200S. I think the adjustment buttons are slightly different, and of course it's battery lid is different but that's about it. It feels pretty much the same. With only two batteries installed, it is of course lighter, but in my opinion this shape also feels very comfortable in your hand. The screen is also the same, quite big and easy to read, and you can even change the logo or install your own custom firmware with different fonts. I've only changed the logo, but changing fonts and so on doesn't seem to difficult either... there are quite a few tutorials online. All in all the RX2/3 feels like a solid device.

In use

Using the RX2/3 is pretty straight forward. I'm not going to go through all the
functions, it's all intuitive and all in the manual as well. 5 clicks to turn on and off, 3 to enter the menu and switch modes. Might be worth mentioning that you can adjust the watts in TC mode as well and you need to do 4 clicks to enter that menu, while in TC mode. Simple, intuitive and very easy to use.

The battery door is released from the mod by pushing a small button on the
bottom of the mod. Works very well if you ask me, the doors both click into the mod nicely and and pops right out once you push the button.

You can charge the batteries via the USB port below the screen, but it is recommended, and faster, to use an external charger. What you need to think about if you're switching "modes" from two to three batteries or visa versa is that you need to make sure the batteries are all evenly charged. That means, in practice, they should all be fully charged and all the same type. In fact you should have a set of three and a set of two that are charged together at all times. I've used it mostly with two batteries and I can pretty much get at least a day of vaping from those with my vaping style so I imagine I'll keep doing that most of the time. But if I know it's going to be a while until I can charge again, having the option to put three batteries in there is just great.

Upgrading the software is also quite easy to do on this device. You can find software for all the Reuleaux models on the Wismec website and if you have a windows computer it is pretty straight forward to do it. Just download, unzip the files and double click the program file and a self explanatory interface will pop up. You can also change your logo from this interface, just remember it needs to be exactly 64x48 pixels and saved as monochrome bitmap. This is where good old paint comes in. Pretty straight forward stuff and I guess you'll use the most time actually making or finding a cool logo. I've made a couple that you can download from the Vaping Giraffe facebook page (or just save the ones on the right) if you want to try it out.



Performance

The RX2/3 delivers far more power that I need on any of my atomizers or builds. I don't have any way of testing that it actually delivers the watts, other than comparing it to other devices. I've compared it to my Efusion DNA200 and to me it seems like it delivers about the same power at the same watt setting. Maybe slightly more actually. This is consistent with tests I've read on it as well. As I've said before, I seldom use temp. control, but I've tested the RX2/3 on an SS setup and it seems to work as intended.

Performance wise I'd say the RX2/3 delivers what it promises, and then some. When you upgrade the software to version 4.12 (latest one available from Wismec) it can manage 180W with two batteries and 250W with three (same as the RX200 and RX200S with upgraded firmware). I'd say that is a lot of bang for your buck.

Pros and cons

+ Lots of stable power
+ Easy and intuitive to use
+ Fits very nicely into the palm of your hand, both with two and three batteries
+ Upgradable firmware
- ... not much really.... well not really a con, but you need 5 batteries if you want to use both modes safely

Conclusion

If you like the RX200 and RX200S, you'll love the RX2/3. I know some people struggle with the looks of it, but if you don't, and you're looking for a high power device with plenty of battery time, this is one of the best options out there. And price wise... it's a bargain. The RX2/3 costs about the same as the RX200S (NOK 699,- at pgvg.no), maybe slightly more in some shops so I see no reason not to go for the RX2/3 if you want one of those anyway.

Thanks a lot to Michael at pgvg.no for sending me the device for review. He also provided a discount code for my readers: pgvg2016 (10% off)

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.

Worth reading this weekend (August 19th 2016)

Quick and straight to the point this time, it's late already :) Here's some of the things I've enjoyed reading this week:

• Telegraph science editor Sarah Knapton puts the record straight. Not really. - Clive Bates tries to knock some sense into Science Editor at the Daily Telegraph, Sarah Knapton. Sadly it seems like an impossible task. 

• Not really reading, but I enjoyed watching this one from Brent Stafford and Regulatorwatch: Reasoned Research – $8.8-million e-Cig Study Explained – RegWatch 

• This Study Is The Last Thing Anti-E-Cig Crusaders Want To See - From the Daily Caller. Anyone recognize the name Neal Benowitz? Have a look here. What do we think of that?

Have a nice weekend!

Review: SQuape X[dream] by Stattqualm

"Swiss quality vape since 2012" - This is the slogan that greets you once you enter the Stattqualm website. I remember the first SQuapes hitting the market not long after I started getting into high end vaping back in 2012. Back then I was all about genesis style atties so I never got around to try these out. The first Kayfun I tried was Kayfun 4 (!). Since then the market has been flooded with loads of cheaper options and I guess my vaping style also have moved more towards direct lung hits using more airy atties and more power. I guess Stattqualm also have followed this trend a bit with the SQuape X[dream] being able to handle more power and can be adjusted to pull more air through than it's predecessors. Now I haven't really tried any of the other SQuape models but that's what I've read and heard anyway. Still, the SQuape X[dream] is considered one of the best flavour chasing atties and it can easily be set up for mouth to lung vaping. So let's see what all the fuzz is about.

In the box

• The SQuape X[dream]
• User manual
• Set of spare parts (glass tank, o-rings, screws)
• A tiny Allen key

Specifications

• Top filling
• 4 ml juice capacity
• Weight without driptip: 80g
• 22 mm diameter, 54.4 mm height (without tip and 510)
• Supports single or dual coil setups (more on this later)
• Gold plated connectors and center pin
• Ematalised aluminium deck and closing ring
• Adjustable center pin
• "Easy click closure" (more on this later as well)
• Stainless steel (316L)

Look and feel

The SQuape X[dream] is indeed a great looking atomizer. It's quite long, the longest I've got at the moment actually, so it's not made for your micro setups. It's quite heavy as well making it feel really solid (which it also is) and it oozes of quality with a flawless brushed finish. When taking off the top cap to fill it you'll notice that this is surprisingly heavy as well, giving you the feeling that this thing could run over with a steamroller and survive quite easily. The slogan from the web-page immediately comes to mind when you start fiddling with this thing.


In use

The first thing that I think is worth mentioning about the SQuape X[dream] is the "Easy click closure" system mentioned earlier. Instead of screwing the bottom part together with the tank section, Stattqualm have developed a system where you just slide the bottom part in and twist either way so it "clicks" into place. If you twist clockwise it will be in "vape" setting, meaning the airflow and juice-flow is open. Twisting it all the way counter clockwise both juice- and airflow will be completely shut off. Leave it in the middle the juice-flow is still shut off and you can remove the tank section without liquid pouring out. Works really well if you ask me and it makes sure your coils are perfectly lined up with the air inlets as well.

The airflow control ring is tight enough to stay wherever you want it and you can choose to leave one or two air holes open, depending on whether you run a dual coil or single coil setup. Actually there is nothing that stops your from leaving both open with a single coil, but I wouldn't do a dual coil setup with just one air hole open.

The top filling is also a very nice. The threading on the top-cap is nice and smooth and there are fill holes all the way around so you can use any kind of bottle or dripper to fill the tank.

The build deck and chamber on this atomizer isn't the biggest one. You have just 
one hole in each connector making it slightly harder to do dual-coil builds than it is in the velocity styled decks that comes in some many atomizers these days, since you have to attach both coils at once. You also have to make sure you put enough cotton in there to cover the juice holes properly as it will leak if you don't. The hex-screws on the deck is also quite small and the Allen key you use to tighten them is tiny so make sure you don't loose it. I don't have any other key that small at least. So building on the SQuape X[dream] does require a bit more experience, or patience, than building on a velocity style deck, but once you get used to it it's not very hard either. I guess Youtube is full of tips and tricks for you if you run into problems. When you attach the bottom part and deck to the tank section the deck and the closing ring will kind of form the chamber. Both these parts are made from ematalised aluminium, making the whole chamber non-conductive, so even if your coils accidentally touches the walls of the chamber, there will be no short. Quite a nice feature indeed.

It's worth mentioning that there is also a dedicated single coil deck available (shown in the picture), but sadly I haven't been able to test that. It will shut off two of the juice holes, enable you to build your coil on one side of the deck and point a stream of air directly onto the coil. I'm going to get one as soon as it's in stock again.

Taking the SQuape X[dream] apart and cleaning it is quite easy as well, at least when you've done it once :) The closing ring is the only part that can be a bit tricky to get out, but some fiddling with a screwdriver should do the trick.

All in all, day to day use of the SQuape X[dream] is indeed a dream. Building single coils is easy, the 2.2 mm wire holes lets you use pretty thick wire as well. The only thing that can be a bit tricky is building dual coils since you have to attach both at once, but nothing that a semi-experienced builder can't handle.

Performance

The SQuape X[dream] is a flavour chaser tank, at least in my opinion. The flavour is fantastic, definitely one of the very best I've ever tried. Of the builds I've tried so far, a single 26Ni80/32Kanthal clapton is my favourite. But that doesn't mean a dual-coil taste bad at all. I haven't tried that many builds yet so who know what I end up with. With both air holes fully open you get more than enough air to do direct lung hits as well, so this is quite a versatile tank as well and you can produce decent clouds. But as I said, the flavour that this thing can produce is amazing, and that is what you want it for. If you just want clouds, there are better options out there.

Pros and cons

++ Great flavour
++ Easy to use and clean
+ The "Easy click closure" system is an excellent idea and well executed
+ Single coil deck available
+ 2.2 mm wire holes for thicker wires
+ Build quality and finish is fantastic
- Tiny hex key that you will loose eventually :)
(- A bit tricky to do dual coil builds)

Conclusion

If you can afford one, and you're not only after big clouds, try it this one out. Fantastic flavour chasing atomizer this one. It will cost you 140 Euros (or $156ish) which is quite a lot, but then again, it is, in my opinion, one of the best flavour chasing atomizers out there. Here in Norway it's available at dampevarer.no for 1599,- (on sale now I just noticed).

Thanks a lot to Dag Einar at dampevarer.no for making this review possible. He also provided a discount code for my readers, so you can use code tvg10 to get a 10% discount.

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.

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Worth reading this weekend (August 12th 2016)

This week the FDA deeming regulations came into effect and you've probably read a lot about it already. The most immediate effects of this right now seems to be the following:

• Product innovation have been de facto banned in the US, as no new products are allowed on the market without investing a gazillion dollars in a Pre-Market Tobacco Application. That will probably be great for product safety right? And if you're not able to pay a gazillion dollars to get your products approved within two years you'll have to take them off the market.
• Vape shop owners are not allowed to help their customers use the equipment properly. Another great thing for product safety...
• Manufacturers and vendors are not allowed to tell people the truth about vaping: it can dramatically increase your chances to quit smoking and thereby save your life. 
• There are probably more, but I think it is so blindingly obvious that those three effects will not save lives but cost lives that it proves beyond all doubt that the FDAs motives for doing this has nothing to do with health... at all.

Anyway, here is some more reading for you this weekend, some of it about the FDA regulations and some about ...

• The Unintended Consequences Of Vaping Regulation - Guide to vaping highlights the stupidity of the FDA regulations. 

• FDA shoots itself in the foot, cigarette trade celebrates, public health loses - a summary in two quotes - Clive Bates does the same...

• If teens are going to smoke, better it be an e-cigarette - Colin Mendelsohn makes some excellent points about vaping teens in the Daily Telegraph:

It is quite possible that e-cigarettes are contributing to this rapid fall in adolescent smoking rates. Young people who experiment with e-cigarettes may otherwise have smoked if e-cigarettes were not available.

• Nearly 70 percent of European vapers have quit or reduced smoking - On Dr. Farsalinos latest study. Came out a while ago but still worth a read if you haven't read it yet.

Have a nice weekend!

Introducing the Vaping Giraffe Facebook page

Today I'm launching the new Vaping Giraffe facebook page. Why haven't I done this before you say? I have no idea to be honest, but it's here now :) I'll be linking to all my post on this page from now on and in time maybe there will be more as well.

I'll also shut down the opportunity to post anonymous comments directly on the blog from now on, since mostly there is only spam getting posted anyway. I'll leave the logged in options open for now, but I encourage people to use the Facebook page for comments and discussions. Oh... almost forgot: There will be Vaping Giraffe t-shirts available as well :)

Hope you guys like the new page and feel free to leave a message in there.

Worth reading this weekend (August 5th 2016)

Picture from Facebook (senronjohnson)

It's been a while now since my last post. I have been on vacation, visiting Denmark to see my kids play football (that's soccer for you Americans), but that's not the only reason I've been kind of silent. To be honest I've scratched my head a bit trying to figure out something interesting to write about without repeating myself over and over again. I mean, there are of course some interesting stuff going on in the world of vaping. The FDA is trying to destroy vaping and they're being sued by several parties for this. The development in the UK and New Zealand is quite interesting to follow as well, and not depressive as what is happening in the US. But here in Norway, and Scandinavia I guess, it's kind of quiet at the moment. Here in Norway we're currently waiting for answers to the request for comments on the new tobacco act proposal to start ticking in. The deadline is set to September 26th. Some answers have come in but the ones that will really matter is not there yet, like from NDS (Norwegian Union of Vapers), the Institute of Public Health and so on. I talked to the owner of a vapeshop I visited in Hjørring, Denmark, during my vacation and from what I could understand the situation in Denmark is pretty much the same. I'm not sure if they've passed the law yet (feel free to comment if you know) but it's a lot of the same as in Norway... TPD and horrible fees to register products to sum it up really quickly.

So since it's a bit quiet and not that much to report from Norway at the moment, here's some interesting reading for you this weekend:

• A strong case to overturn the EU snus ban - 10 reasons why legal action should succeed this time - Interesting on snus by Clive Bates. The way I see it, if the ban on Snus in the EU is lifted it is a victory for harm reduction strategies and that is good for vaping as well.
• Terry Barnes – Kiwis have got it right on vaping, leaving Chapman fuming - Good article on the situation in New Zealand. A confused and frustrated Chapman is good news in itself if you ask me.
• If you want to read up on the FDA situation in the US here's a couple of nice ones:
  - Senator Ron Johnson Challenging FDA Vaping Regulations (part five)
  - How The New E-Cig Rules Hurt Americans
  - FDA e-cig regulations deemed ‘incomprehensible” by Forbes Magazine

Have a nice weekend!