Vaping is a pretty popular thing to do these days – people are vaping flavored e-juices, dry herbs, and cannabis concentrates. They are also vaping alcohol and it’s not a very new practice, in fact, it has been happening since the early 2000’s. There are several different ways a person can “smoke” their alcohol – from homemade machines to e-pens and mods to commercially available products. While there are some boons about smoking your alcohol, there are also some serious drawbacks.
In 2004, a British man came up with a product called Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) and the contraption was immediately a hit with party-goers. All of the buzz from drinking a few shots – and none of the downsides. No calories. No hangover. No damage to your liver since the vaping process skips over the digestive process that occurs when consuming alcohol by drinking.
Once the vapor is inhaled, it moves from the lungs to the bloodstream, resulting in feeling that buzz much more quickly than drinking it. When you drink alcohol, it passes through the stomach, liver, and intestines. It loses some of its potency through metabolization. Vaporized alcohol loses none of its potency, and therefore, alcohol poisoning is a much bigger concern. The product is banned in the United States and has lost its following.
Alcohol Dosage in E-liquid
Another huge concern is that it is much more difficult to determine how much alcohol has been consumed. Even if you strictly measure a cup of alcohol into the vaping device, it is hard to tell if you have had only a few sips or the entire cup. Residual alcohol remains in the bottle or chamber and it is often obscured by the vapors.
Another way people are vaping their alcohol is to place a few drops of their alcohol of choice into their favorite e-liquid and vaping it that way. Vapers do this for many reasons: diluting the oil to make it last longer, getting a better throat hit, and for the taste. There are some things to take into consideration when adding alcohol to your e-juice.
Using Alcohol in E-juice with Nicotine
First, adding alcohol, even in small amounts to e-juices that contain nicotine and other flavorings, may cause complications for the vaper. And you might not even feel the “buzz” that comes from other methods of vaping alcohol. However, as a Yale study recently found out, you might still be significantly impaired despite not feeling drunk.
Some e-juices themselves come with a high alcohol content. Participants in the study had enough alcohol in their systems to register in their urine. Enough, to be charged with DUI. Experts believe that adding alcohol to e-juice, particularly e-juice with nicotine, can hasten addiction to both.
In the end – it’s better to use your e-pen or your vaping mod for its stated purpose – the vaping of e-juice, concentrates, or waxes. There are things out there that are specifically made for vaping alcohol. Better to use them if you really want to try it. Several forum members have noted that the sugars that are often present in alcohols increase the number of coils they are going through. Wear and tear on your pen or mod, including its coils can get expensive, especially if you are replacing or rebuilding them more often.
When it comes down to it, vaping alcohol can be done without expensive products – which can cost from $49-$600 online. However, caution should be taken when attempting to vaporize alcohol and inhaling the vapors. While the vapors may get you that buzz faster, you might want to stick with drinking the old-fashioned way and use your e-pen or mod for its intended purpose.
Michael Jacobs is a marketing and creative content specialist at GotVape.com with the primary focus on customer satisfaction. Technology and fitness combined healthy lifestyle obsession are his main talking points