Wondering what the right amount of nicotine is for you? This handy guide from Vape Direct could help.

When you first start vaping, you have no idea what you are doing. This goes for everything from recharging the devices to filling them up with e-liquid. Added to the vaping mystery, we have nicotine content to worry about. Wondering what strength of nicotine you need is a widespread problem for the new vape user, so let’s see if we can work this out.

We’ll start by examining what the options are in nicotine strength then we will move on to how much you need.

The Government Regulate Nicotine Strengths in the UK

Here in the UK, the amount of nicotine that we can have in an e-cigarette is closely regulated. The MHRA are the governing body responsible for the sale of e-cigarettes. The sale and use of e-cigarettes and vape juices are an addition to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations and the Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Product regulations from 2020. If you want to browse these for yourself, you will find them on the UK gov website.

We are primarily interested in the regulations regarding how strong nicotine based vape juices are. However, it bears repeating that these laws also govern the age restrictions relating to the sale of vape products. The UK law and underage vaping are quite clear. Nobody under the age of 18 should vape or by vaping products – even if they contain no nicotine.

To be emphatically clear on this: you cannot purchase any vaping products until you are 18. There is an interesting government study on underage vaping here, should you care to look.

What are the Vape Juice Strength Regulations?

In the UK, you can have a maximum of 20mg of nicotine per 10ml bottle. You cannot sell bottles larger than 10ml, although you can buy the ingredients of juice separately and make your own. For this reason, you can buy 50ml bottles of juice that is nicotine free, and also buy separate vape shots.

You should not vape anything stronger than 20mg per 10ml bottle.

Just as you can buy vape juice at 20mg per 10ml nicotine content, you can also buy vape juice with no nicotine whatsoever. You can buy everything in between

How Much Nicotine Do You Need?

Working out how much nicotine you need is a straightforward process. Have you newly started vaping? If so, are you doing it as an ex-smoker?

Let’s assume you are completely new to vaping and have never smoked. You can start with a 0% nicotine vape juice. This gives you all the flavour and tastes of the juice, without getting you hooked on anything. This is the healthiest way to vape just because it is non-addictive. Nicotine, as we all know, is the only addictive element in vape juice.

For the second tier, let’s imagine that you want to try nicotine, even though you never have before. You should start with as low a nicotine content in your vape juice as possible. As we use nicotine, we develop a tolerance for it. If you start high, you have skipped some steps, so start low. Anything below 6mg will give you that nicotine rush you have been looking for.

Now, moving forward, the key is to gradually increase the nicotine dose if you want to still get that rush. The rush won’t last. This is what addicts mean when they say they are ‘chasing the high.’ You will use increasingly to get that same rush.

As an ex-smoker, on the other hand, you are familiar with a nicotine rush or two. You want to start with something higher. If you smoked 10-20 cigarettes a day, consider anything from 8mg-15mg. If you smoked closer to 10 a day, stick closer to 8mg. If you smoked 20 a day, increase up to 15 or 16mg. This dose gives you the same nicotine you crave as a smoker, without giving you the headrush.

If you smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day and you want to switch to a vape device, switch to an e-liquid that is stronger than 16mg. Ex-smokers should also stick to tobacco flavour. It is the most popular e-liquid right now.

The Difference Between Vaping and Smoking?

While smoking uses dozens of chemicals – some of which are radioactive – and involves a burning process, vaping involves heating chemical solutions into vapour. There are far less chemicals and it is therefore healthier for you. Experts are so impressed with how much better for you vaping is than smoking, that the UK is in the middle of a national drive to urge smokers to take up e-cigarettes and vaping, instead.

Choose Your Device

If you are a new vape device user, try a pod. These devices are easy to fill, using pre-made packs which you pop into place and use.

If you are an experienced vaper, try the sub-ohm devices. They allow you to engage with D2L vaping.

If you are an ex-smoker, an open tank system lets you fill your vape with as high a strength of nicotine as you need and will hit your throat the same ways as smoking did.

How to Assess Your Smoking History?

According to scientific studies, assessing your smoking history means working out your “pack-year.” A pack year means calculating how much you smoked per day and multiplying that by the number of years you smoked for. 1 pack year is equivalent to smoking 1 pack a day for a year, or 2 packs a day for 6 months.

Assessing your smoking history helps you to work out your triggers, what makes you smoke, and identify the things that haven’t helped you to quit so far. Working out your pack year helps you to work out which strength of nicotine is best for you.

A number greater than 1 pack year means you should opt for higher nicotine dosage, while a single pack year means sticking to between 8-15mg.