The VaporFi team is constantly receiving a wide variety of questions from customers, and among all of those inquiries is one of the questions we are most frequently asked by new and experienced vapers alike: “Can you vape too much?”
As enjoyable as vaping is, many people find themselves taking a vape break numerous times a day. But for many vapers, the nagging worry that they are engaging in too much vaping can be a bit of a dark cloud over their enjoyment. With popular claims about the terrible effects of nicotine, it is a common concern. Interestingly, nicotine isn’t actually the villain it has been made out to be.
Nicotine: What’s it All About?
Studies have shown nicotine to be no more harmful than the caffeine in your cup of morning joe, according to a recent article published in the Scientific American. We all known that tobacco cigarettes are unhealthy for you, but that does not have direct correlation with their nicotine content. Ann McNeil, who is a London professor of tobacco addition put it plainly when she said, “We need to de-demonize nicotine.”
That being said, just like caffeine can have toxic effects if ingested in extremely high amounts, so can nicotine. But if you have found yourself concerned about how often you are pulling out your personal electronic cigarette or other vaping device, or if you have asked yourself, “Can you overdose on nicotine?”, we have some news that you will be very happy to hear. Although it is possible, it is unlikely that you could ever vape often enough to put yourself in serious danger of a nicotine overdose.
Nicotine Overdose: Doing the Math
Because a toxic dose of nicotine is about 500 milligrams, assuming you use a 12mg/ml vape juice, you would need to vape more than 40 ml of it within a couple of hours to even approach a dangerous nicotine level. That number is far beyond a normal vaping habit, and pretty unrealistic.
That simple calculation doesn’t even take into account the fact that the nicotine would need to be absorbed by your body via the vapor before it could have any negative effects. A number of studies have shown that based on the amounts of nicotine that your body actually absorbs via inhalation, it is even more unlikely that you could endanger your life with the nicotine you ingest during vaping.
That being said, those numbers are based off of proper vaping practices. If you fail to handle your e-liquid correctly, you do run the risk of it coming into contact with your skin and absorbing high levels of nicotine that way. Or, if you directly ingest your flavored e juice by drinking it – something you should absolutely never do – your nicotine intake would skyrocket to a high level, potentially endangering your health. However, being a smart, responsible vaper avoids these two scenarios.
Nicotine Overdose: Symptoms and Signs
Many of us have felt the nausea, headaches, or jittery feeling that comes after a serious high-nicotine juice binge. These are simple, fairly harmless red flags that you are vaping a bit too much, and you should either take a short break or perhaps choose a low nicotine e-juice.
More serious nicotine overdose symptoms include severe vomiting, seizures, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness. Again, experiencing these as a result from vaping is highly unlikely, but it is always a good idea to be informed.
What to Do If You’ve Overdone It on Nicotine
As previously stated, mild nausea, headaches, or jitters should be the hint that you need to take a breather from vaping. Another option is to take a closer look at the nicotine level of the e-juice you are using, and choose something with less nicotine if you don’t want to cut down on your vaping frequency.
If you happen to spill e-juice on yourself and are concerned about absorbing it, your first step should be to wash it off immediately. Simply cleaning up can minimize any further issues.
As with any situation, when in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact a medical professional.
Keeping Your Vaping Experience Positive
As you can see, the likelihood of nicotine poisoning is low, and not something that should overly cause concern. If you are brand-new to vaping, you might want to consider using professionally made e-juices with your vape starter kit to help you gain a bit of experience. With some time, you can confidently experiment without error of mishandling your nicotine levels.
Browse VaporFi’s selection of quality vape products today, and get back to truly enjoying your vape experience.
Featured Image by Josh G / Unsplash
Gianna Del Monte is the Brand Manager at VaporFi. She has been in the vaping industry since June 2015 and has extensive experience in successfully managing and marketing a variety of new vapor product launches. Originally from New Jersey, Gianna has lived in the Miami area for the last 5 years.
