People decide to swap their tobacco and cigarettes for a vape for many different reasons, but it is quite common for this reason to be related to nicotine. As you’re probably well aware, nicotine is a highly addictive chemical that is found in products such as cigarettes and tobacco. Nicotine itself is said to have side-effects and when paired with other factors of smoking, there is no denying that it can be bad for you.
When you visit a vape shop for the first time or begin browsing vape products online you will be introduced to something called a ‘nicotine shot’ or ‘nic shot’. If you have never vaped before then you probably won’t know what this is, but it is definitely helpful to expand your knowledge. To help anyone swapping to a vape, our team here at The Vape Life have put together an easy to understand guide containing everything you need to know about nicotine shots.
What is a nicotine shot?
Simply put, a nicotine shot is a 10ml concentrated bottle of unflavoured nicotine that is used by vapers. These shots are not designed to be vaped alone, they are added to larger bottles of e-liquids to make the perfect vape juice.
Why do nicotine shots exist?
Back in 2017, the government introduced the Tobacco Products Directive law. This law put new regulations and requirements in place for e-liquid manufacturers and these new requirements restrict the maximum volume of nicotine-containing e-liquid for sale in one refill container to 10ml and also restrict e-liquids to a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml.
In order to stay compliant with TPD, manufacturers then created nicotine shots that can be added to e-liquids to allow vapers to add nicotine to their vape if they would like to.
How do you use nicotine shots?
Nicotine shots go hand in hand with something called ‘short fills’, these are bottles of e-liquids that are designed to have enough spare space for a nicotine shot to be added. Short fills contain no nicotine, so you can then tailor the strength of the liquid to your individual needs.
Using short fills is a brilliant way to avoid the plastic waste associated with lots of small 10ml bottles and it is also much more convenient.
Who are nicotine shots used by?
Nicotine shots can be used by anyone that vapes, and as mentioned above, people can tailor their e-liquid to meet their nicotine needs. Of course, the ability to do this is brilliant for those who are trying to cut back on their nicotine intake. You can slowly reduce the amount of nicotine in your e-liquid until you no longer need it.
How much nicotine should be used?
There isn’t a one size fits all solution in this regard, and the answer to this question will differ from vaper to vaper. Ultimately, different nicotine strengths work for different people and this tends to be dependent on how much you used to smoke.
A general recommendation is that you should use;
- 0mg/ml if you’ve never smoked before or you want to cut nicotine out completely
- 3mg/ml if you’re a light smoker or you want to cut down your nicotine intake
- 6mg/ml if you’re a moderate smoker or you smoke ’light’ cigarettes
- 12mg/ml+ if you’re a heavy smokers or you smoke unfiltered cigarettes
Of course, as mentioned above, you can change how much nicotine you use over time and a nicotine shot mixed with a short fill allows you to do this really easily.
Purchasing nicotine shots
Now that you know a little bit more about nicotine shots you may find that they are beneficial to you as you make your transition from tobacco and cigarettes to a vape. Of course, if you have any questions at all about nicotine shots or vaping in general then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team here at The Vape Life, we will gladly answer these for you.
We are a Dublin-based vape shop and we stock a vast selection of products from big named vaping brands. From starter kits and e-liquids to pod systems and nicotine shots, we have everything that you need to start your vaping journey. Of course, we have a website too, so if you are not local to Dublin then please feel free to shop from our store online instead.