December 2017: Connor Will of NicPicks

Greetings from Tennessee!  It is with great pleasure that I introduce entrepreneur Connor Will and his innovative product, NicPicks. (@nicotinetoothpicks)

Have you ever had the experience of being at work, in a grocery store, school, dance recital, children’s sporting activity, court (hopefully not), church, or just in a public place that either doesn’t allow vaping, or you feel it would be disrespectful to vape at that locality?  I certainly have! Nicotine toothpicks are a product that has been designed for that specific reason as it delivers 3 mg of nicotine discreetly thereby reducing your need or “want” to vape.

My wife, Erika, first took notice of NicPicks while we were attending the Deep South Vapers Carnevale in August.  The booth captured her attention across the room and she urged me to go investigate this intriguing and innovative new product.  The representative was extremely professional and gave my wife a sample of NicPicks.  I placed my initial order for my shop as I knew there was a need for this type of stealth nicotine delivery mechanism.  Shortly thereafter I happened to encounter a young, twenty-something year old who looked more like a college student than the owner of a company and I learned that he was the founder of NicPicks. 

December 2017: JOSEPH TUOHY “Vape Boss”

Joseph Tuohy – “Vape Boss”

Hello Vapun readers!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Summer with their families and are ready for my favorite season, Fall.

I began vaping in January 2010. Over the past decade there has been a significant rise in popularity of individuals across the vaping industry.  The proliferation of the industry has created a buzz on social media, resulting in a rise to fame for a select group of individuals known for their vaping expertise.  These people are often referred to as “Vape Famous.”  One such individual is Joseph Tuohy, better known as “Vape Boss” or, as I like to call him, “Boss Man.”  If you haven’t heard of the Vape Boss, I would like to know what bottle of e-liquid you have been hiding under?  The Vape Boss has become a very crucial vape personality, one of the most significant players in our industry because he has created what is referred to as the “Entourage Effect,” meaning the impact of the entire group is greater than the sum total of all its individual parts.  Vape Boss’ primary goal has always been to intervene in smoker’s lives and introduce them to a new lifestyle, that of Vaping e-cigs and subsequent harm reduction.

My first introduction to the Vape Boss was one day when I was awakened by my morning Facebook news.  Here was a man I had never seen saying “Good morning” to a multitude of individuals and friends while also delivering the daily Vape news both nationally and internationally, and including his home state of Alabama (I won’t discriminate against him since I’m a Volunteer from Tennessee.)  What intrigued me most about Joseph’s morning routine is that he wasn’t just calling out “vape famous” personalities or vape professionals, he would call out any new friend or new vaper that he had recently encountered, to say the least.  I fell in love with the man from day one (a.k.a. “Bromance”). 

September 2017: INTRODUCTION TO THE “DOC”

INTRODUCTION TO THE “DOC” by “Doc Jr” Ryan Matthew Thornton    Published in VAPUN MAGAZINE 9/2017

On June 13, 2014 Docs Vape e-Scape was born in a tiny 600 square foot space in the heart of Cookeville, Tennessee, home to Tennessee Tech University and located almost equidistant between Nashville and Knoxville on I40.  The name was a tribute to the “Doc”, Anthony P. Dalton, M.D., retired Orthopaedic Surgeon and the Cofounder and CEO of DocsVapeEscape along with his wife Karen and Ryan M. Thornton, COO, nicknamed “Doc Jr”, son and author of this tribute.  Unbeknownst to any of us, the “Doc” would pass away in May of 2016 and the name would become one of his legacies.

As a result of Dr. Dalton’s vocation as an orthopaedic surgeon, as well as to honor the oath he swore when he received his medical degree of “…but first do no harm!” he developed a penchant for perfection and demanded that DocsVapeEscape become a leader in the industry, not only for products and juices imported from liquid artists locally and nationally, but also to provide a shop where patrons of all ages and levels of vaping experience would be comfortable to shop, share information, and gain knowledge about the techniques and nuances of this new technology.  First and foremost he emphasized customer service, realizing that strict adherence to providing excellent customer service would result in success both in productivity and financially, but most importantly to ensure the customer remained dedicated to their decision to give up combustible tobacco products and continue vaping.  This is probably a good time to point out that the industry jargon “vaping” was bred out of the fact that when the user exhales the end product is “vapor” per Dr. Dalton’s playful quote in the blog about this issue:  “Water vapor is the product of vaping, and only adds water vapor to the clouds which make our farmers more successful.”

August 2015: Feature in VAPE SHOP CORNER section

Not far from the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, about an hour east, nestled in what is known as the Cumberland Plateau, exists a very special place, Docs Vape Escape. Now, of course, almost every vaper claims a vape shop or two that are their favorites.  After all, the goal of every vape shop that exists across the United States is to have something that makes them special or unique in this new industry.  Still it is what drives my journey to find the most unique and interesting shops across the country, digging deep into the heart of the business we call vaping.

Vape Shops are clearly the beating heart of the industry, having direct contact with the customers and “real-time” responses about what is desirable and refuted in the vaping world.   It’s what allows fellow vapers to network with other vapers, resulting in growth and knowledge of vaping and equipment.  For example, even the sheer fact of your being able to read a publication about vaping may not be possible if it were not for brick and mortar vape shops that sell vaping products and educate people about the process and the devices.   This dynamic is occurring at most every shop across the country each and every day. It’s how people get into vaping;, it’s how people get educated about the various nuances of vaping; and continue to get educated as they cautiously begin to venture into their first attempts of vaping.  Anecdotally, as vapers, we are all connected, even though we may not yet know one another, we all share the same vaping goals.

Doc’s Vape Escape in Cookeville, Tennessee is that special place!  To most, they may think it is just another vape shop, but as I stated, every shop has special qualities that separate them from all the rest. There is no exception to that rule here at Doc’s.  After all this shop is the legacy of, and dedicated to, Dr Anthony Dalton (Owner), a retired Orthopedic Surgeon who has professionally stated that his experience is that vaping is significantly safer than smoking.  As proof of that statement, after 35 years since his last cigarette, Dr. Dalton is now an avid vape enthusiast with a myriad of vape devices and liquids.  After months of scouring medical journals and anecdotal research, Dr. Dalton is convinced that vaping will significantly alter the ill health effects and years of medical devastation as the result of smoking combustible tobacco, also known as cigarettes.  It is with this knowledge that Dr. Dalton, his wife Karen, son and daughter-in-law Ryan and Erika Thornton embarked on the prospect of opening a vape shop in their town.  Not only was it Doc’s goal to provide the highest quality products and education of product to the vaping community, but to be the epitome of customer service, professionalism, and product education in our area.  Thus, DocsVapeEscape opened its doors in June of 2014, just 5 blocks from the local university.

Article “TOP 20 REBUTTALS TO WIN AN E-CIG ARGUMENT” by leading experts in the industry

Top 20 Rebuttals to Win an E-Cigarette Debate

By John Madden Posted September 25, 2013

Do you have friends or family members who constantly nag you about your electronic cigarette use? Or maybe you’re like us and have read countless articles that ignorantly bash e-cigs with either no solid support to their arguments or blatant misinterpretation of research.

Whatever the case may be, we all have to understand that this is a relatively new market for devices that mimic the actions produced by a product that is known to cause cancer and a plethora of respiratory illnesses. There is bound to be some initial backlash while we wait for the government to take a side. And even they are prone to jumping the gun with statements like “Electronic cigarettes lead to smoking.”

That said, here are some rebuttals to that and 19 more commonly heard anti-ecig arguments; 15 from the anti-smoking crowd as well as five from reluctant smokers.

Letter Dr. Dalton was composing to other physicians about vaping

Dear Respected Colleague:

On Jan 3, 2014, the President of the World Health Organization wrote:

“Vaping could possibly be the single most important medical advancement of the 21st century.”

As I am certain you will agree, this statement certainly warrants a circumspect evaluation as such accolades are rarely proffered in an age of a plethora of medical innovations.  It is my intention to apprise you of this technology as it may allow healthcare providers a tenable solution to one of the most egregious scourges to population health, notwithstanding the billions of healthcare dollars that are spent annually treating the ravages of cigarette smoking.

“Vaping,” short for vaporization, is a process discovered in 2004 by Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist, whose discovery was attributed to the death of his father from lung cancer.  The process is unique in that, instead of smoke, a substance can be vaporized (not particularized, as in smoke) by application of short bursts of heat, producing the tactile and respiratory sensations of smoking.  The process has been substantially advanced by the development of battery miniaturization, which allows the delivery of the “cigarette substitute” in a compact fashion, delivering nicotine to the user who exhales nothing but water vapor.  The discovery of a mixture of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, water (in some cases vodka, the ETOH which is burned off) and nicotine.  Fortunately, all of the ingredients in “e-liquid” are substances found in many of our food stuffs and have long been approved by the FDA.  The result has been the fastest growing industry in history, including the computer industry.  Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies at the University College of London states;

“If used [prudently,} I would say that the risk is negligible and compared with smoking, there is no contest. They are (e-cigarettes) at least a 100 times less hazardous than cigarettes and they do not expose users to tar and carbon monoxide in the doses received.”

For over 35 years as an orthopaedic surgeon, I have been preaching the evils of cigarette smoking, attempting thousands of times to compel smokers to recognize the serious health hazards they represent, but have had little success as there has yet been a viable alternative to the noxious habit.  Until NOW!  Pharmaceutical solutions such as Nicorette and Chantix can boast, at best, a 20% success rate, the most successful e cessation method being reported is, in fact, hypnosis, followed closely by acupuncture; again, both with paltry results.

It is now being reported, and corroborated by my personal experience, that success rates for smoking cessation (the FDA prefers we use the expression, “harm reduction”) are in the neighborhood of 80+%!  Why, because the delivery method of nicotine most closely simulates the tactile, respiratory and physiological experience of smoking.

Why have we not been inundated with information regarding this stunning scientific breakthrough?  For some of the following reasons:

              *Cigarettes produce $25B in annual tax revenues.

              *The government sustains a $440 billion dollar price tag  and 440 thousand deaths annually, directly attributable to smoking.  Does it take a brain surgeon to do the math here?  This puts your government senselessly in the red, a color getting darker and darker because of the tobacco lobby.  As this color deepens, your bank account also gets darker and darker red! 

              *Federal grants for research seems to be preponderantly awarded to those who wish to add to the “negative “ bibliography of vaping and, egregiously vilify a good and enjoyable habit which, on balance, makes cigarette smoking a habit for fools and weak-kneed individuals who refuse to even consider a healthier change in theirs and their families’  and other citizen’s lives.

Though I could produce a lengthy treatise regarding the pros and cons of cigarette smoking relative to vaping or e-cigarettes, I will enumerate several, and provide annotation to anyone who wishes to see the written facts:

Here is my plea.  I have made a decision to dedicate myself to promoting a safer alternative to smoking by researching the safest, most economical vaping products available worldwide to finally establish a viable, permanent alternative to smoking, and, ultimately, to a viable pathway of medicine delivery as well, the results of which can be found at DocsVapeEscape!

NOTE:  This letter was still in production at the time of the Doc’s death, 5/14/16.

Five Pawn eliquid visit 1/2016

Our visit from the “Vape Stars” Dave and Vince of Five Pawns was an experience consistent with all of the myriad of the Five Pawns “Five Star” products’ marketing, and penchant for excellence in e-liquids to which all other companies would be wise to study and assimilate. I will be using newly released Black Flag Risen as my ADV as Five Pawns perpetuates their tradition of bring the finest flavors, finest quality and “safest” e-liquids to the market. It seems that each draw is a new experience from the last, making one anxious to take another hit as each offers a new and improved level of satisfaction. It is my intention to promote the Five Pawn enterprise for their persistent improvement in each new product, reflecting steadfastly my own most fervent dedication to making vaping not only the nemesis of combustible tobacco but also my dedication to the gentrification of the practice of vaping, the only consistently proven substitute for harmful combustion tobacco products (i.e. cigarettes), results substantiated by many scientific investigators like the esteemed Dr. Konstantino Farsolinas and others, including one of the earliest and most esteemed disciples of the safest, most enjoyable product in the vaping industry. You are invited to investigate my blog , as well as my post on the Five Pawns enterprising FB page. Let me impress on you with three of the “wise-tale” anecdotes as:
1. …but FIRST DO NO HARM.
2. It only costs a little more to go “first class.”
3. and… never take your eye off the ball! (conceptual milieus perpetuated by the no 1 ranked Marshall School of Business and entrepreneur department at the University of Southern California, where I received my Masters In Medial Management, “MMM”).

NICOTINE: Risks and Benefits

Warmest greetings and appreciation for your return to my blog, one dedicated to our mission statement. . “but first, do no harm!” I have had second thoughts as to the chronology of topics I intend to discuss, as I did not begin with the true “basics,” i.e. equipment, e-liquids, battery safety, proper cleansing of your mod, vaping etiquette, types of equipment, sensible use and progression of equipment, an accurate and comprehensive glossary of common terms, etc.  But the most pressing issues, those causing the greatest degree of anxiety seem to encompass nicotine, which, by now, all vapers should know. It is a very dangerous drug when used in the wrong hands for the wrong uses and the “gateway status” to other illegal compounds (NOT BEEN DOCUMENTED) which will, as well as all of the other topics aforementioned, be covered in subsequent blog entries. Remember, your feedback is very important to me. Do not be deterred from inquiring about any issues for which you are concerned.
In keeping with continuity, I have chosen to continue informing you of the effects of nicotine (N), the deleterious effects having been almost completely covered in the last blog, but NOT completely. I entered into this business with an altruistic lean, and have every intention of making available the information I would personally like to have myself, in addition to the information our patrons wish to assimilate; that information which overlaps, or expands my knowledge of vaping, so that our patrons are informed consumers. Each and every employee in our store is required to have the basic knowledge to answer the most requested questions asked, but also knows, that it is I to whom the ultimate responsibility of informed consent belongs. I will use the same enumeration format as it obviates the necessity blogging in a uniform, fluent fashion of which would be seen in the form of prose. At the expense of being myopic, I will attempt to make my information relevant, but not in contradiction of other medical facts and concerns. So, as Jim Carrey, the Pet Detective, would say, “Well, alrighty then!”

NICOTINE REVIEW 2015 by the Doc

Peace, Serenity, Hope, Mercy, Forgiveness and Sincerest Gratitude to all of Our Loyal Patrons:
An appreciative welcome to those interested in the opinions of a medical scientist regarding the truth about vaping; the positive and negative characteristics of its physiologic actions and the potential deleterious effects on the animal species, many of which have been studied exhaustively in laboratories all over the world, but have yet to be studied in human models; correlation of results is generally unpredictable but animal models chosen most often show similar effects on the human species. Our FDA is painfully fastidious in their assessment of these results before they will grant human trials. The average time to approval in the human species can often require a minimum of 10 years, however, they now, are “fast-tracking” those products to help the public safely. This entry will be entered in the form of bullet talking points in order to avoid annoying verbiage, a tendency to which I feel I was congenitally blessed. The entries will be clearly identified as appellated AF (confirmed to be scientific experimentation, facts with reliable references) and opinion statements (OS). Most of this entry will be gleaned from an article entitled “Nicotine (PIM)” from Inchem.org, an article with over 100 references from experts the world over. However, I have studied no less than ten books regarding the subject of “vaping,” some written by well-meaning, confirmed ex-smokers who are passionate about the decreased harm that vaping offers in lieu of combustible tobacco products, e.g., cigarettes, cigars, pipes and “dippers.” References will be available upon request:

HIPPOCRATIC OATH & HIPPOCRATIC CORPUS

Hippocrates–We kind of look alike, don’t you think?
HIPPOCRATIC OATH:
I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation—to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this Art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art. I will not cut persons laboring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves. Whatever, in