I’ve haven’t really ever had the urge to vaporize tobacco. As a born again non-smoker, it just doesn’t feel right. However, the concept of vaporizing tobacco is something that deserves a lot of attention.
All but the most deluded smokers will probably agree to some extent that smoking cigarettes is an unsavory habit. By now, it’s no secret how deadly smoking is, and many of us know at least one person who had died from it.
So why is it that vaporizers, which can eliminate virtually all toxins, are used almost exclusively for marijuana? Are potheads not as dumb as we’ve been lead to believe?
A visitor recently asked me if I had any suggestions for vaporizing tobacco. I didn’t, and neither did Google. A quick web search on “vaporizing tobacco” didn’t produce much useful information. The best I could find were some pages listing the vaporization points of various plants. Tobacco’s seemed to be 125°C to 150°C (257F to 302F), which seems a little low.
Anyway, he said he was using a Vapir One at 350F with pipe tobacco, which produced a visible vapor and an immediate buzz comparable to smoking 3 cigarettes at once. I assume it was pleasurable as he mentioned that he used 5 or 6 water pipe sized bowls in one night.
Apparently there are already some smokeless cigarettes out there. Aeros claim to produce a nicotine and flavor vapor through capillary action, and to last up to 30 times longer than normal cigarettes. I’m not entirely sure how these work but they sound almost too good to be true. They declined my request for more information, citing concerns over trademark secrets.
Tobacco giant Phillip Morris is testing a new product called the HeatBar, which heats tobacco and is said to produce less smoke. Sounds like some sort of crude vaporizer, I’m guessing it’s mainly a loophole to skirt smoking bans in Australia and Switzerland, where it’s to be debuted. North Americans won’t see it anytime soon because apparently “it’s too strange a concept for smokers to embrace”. I guess Phillip Morris hasn’t seen too many late night tv infomercials.
The important thing to consider is that there are safer ways to ingest nicotine. Combustion is going out of style.
This post was fairly rushed, I’ll update as more information is available.
Quick addendum to this unfinished post
- Commercial cigarette tobacco is loaded with nasty additives, be sure to look into some organic stuff
- The Purple-Days vaporizer seems to be a good fit for smokers making the switch
- It seems that Aeros are just a brand/variation of e-cigarette, which use nebulizers to vaporize a liquid nicotine solution.
- More comments on vaporizing tobacco in our forum
18 Comments
I’d be carefull of saying heatbar reduces smoke by 90%.. thats secondary smoke, I believe the user recieves no benefit
Good point, 90% less smoke is still smoke and doesn’t mean it’s healthy. I didn’t mean to imply that, edited the paragraph.
Those pipe add on ‘vap’ things are useless..
They are selling a concept and a pice of hardware that may make it slightly easier..
Try vaping without it.. sue the same techneque that the ‘vapor genie’ has on a bowl of ‘tobacco’ since apparentally it takes a skill to get the lighter in the right spot..
All this argueing over the product is probably a distraction that they are both useless and the only usefulness if the guides in where to told your lighter.
Thanks for posting this about my method of tobacco vaporization. I have recently lowered the vape temerature to 340F. I have limited the amount of actual cigarettes to about a pack a week. If anyone has any experiences let me know. I feel like the only person in the world doing this!
Another good idea is to try vaping a clove cig. It is spicy and makes your lips tingle a bit.
I just bought a Vapour Genie. Its a product that advertises itself for Tabaco, though I have bought mine for pot. The reason I post is that I’m getting one for my Mother In-law. She has a chronic smoking habit that she’s desperate to quit, but cant – for various reasons. The Vapour Genie, I can assue you, is not usefless. Expensive for what it is Yes, but very good. I have been smoking bowls of pot for years and at 37 am getting worried about my lung health. So I have vowed to try a vapourizer or quit. Thankfully the vapourizer works! Let me stop some rumour;
1) Its really easy to use, so dont worry about that. If you have coordinated hands, you can use it.
2) It takes a few goes to use well. But then its easy. By the 3rd go you should have it licked.
3) There are fumes. I have tested them under the bathroom light in the mirror to see what I exhale. No scientific I know but interesting. 1st thing. You notice fumes as you exhale – but it is very misty and doesent settle under the light. It dissipates very easily. 2nd thing. It doesent smell much at all, if at all. I asked the wife to smell and she (who doesent smoke anything) couldnt smell anything. If I smoke a bowl in the house it FILLS the house with smoke. With this – nothing.
4) I’ve been proper stoned off it 3 times. The last time my best go with the VG. It definitley releases chemical compounds from the herb – no question. It seems efficient too.
Point being, if it works for weed than I’m certain it must work for Tobaco. I’m going to get some pipe tabaco to try it since the VG also leaves you with the taste of the herb in your mouth – it might be nice with tabaco!
I cannot say with 100% certainty that it is safe. I just dont know. I can say that at worst it produces a fraction of the fumes from a combustion process. Therefore: It must be a lot healthier for you.
vaporizing tobacco is much, much healthier than smoking it. It is still just as addicting, but is great for people who want to be healthier but don’t want to quit smoking. I had a digi-vape that worked great, the temperature setting was a little off but after a few times its easy to find the temperature that produces the nicotine vapor without burning the plant.
How mutch do you use vaping tobacco? I have a noble vp110 just for using it on tobacco,I use American spirit.
Can’t say that it feels like smoking 3 cigarettes at ones. Maybe I’m doing something wrong?
**Commercial cigarette tobacco is loaded with nasty additives, be sure to look into some organic stuff**
Important point!
Vaporizing commercial tobacco will create a vapor of more than just nicotine as there are many more added active ingredients, and thus you have more to worry about than simply negating the combustion by-products.
Go organic, and you won’t have to worry.
there is a safety study at hotboxvapors.com
since its advertised for legal herbs, id assume thats what they used in the study.
eliminates carbon monoxide.
vaping tabacco produces a real smooth, rich, chocholate smelling/tasting vapor. I only use premium organic’s like black cavadish or dark burley. The tabacco should be nice and moist. Takes about a pinch to to fill the chamber in my volcano. Great with a little pot sprinkled on it.
Leave the tabacco a little stringy, not finely ground if using a volcano because the fan will push powdery stuff into the valve and you’ll have to strip everything down and clean it.
Good to keep the temp low, the tabacco goes pretty easily. I turn the temp up a notch with every hit.
Be careful with jacking the temp up and cramming a big pinch into your chamber, then taking a deep hit. That will give you a headbuzz that will make you want to throw up.
Also beware a sticky brown, sweet smelling residue can build up in your valve and balloon. If I turn the heat up too high, and fill the bowl to much, I’ll find condensation in my balloon. That usually forces me to strip it down and scrub.
My wife can’t stand smoke. She HATES picking up a wiff of ciggarette smoke on my clothes, and she’s got a nose like a bloodhound. She HAD NO CLUE I was vaping tabacco right in front of her, and told me the room smelled like brownies. Vaping good tabacco can produce a nice aroma, and the rich smoke tastes great.
You can get some great flavored tabacco’s at your local headshop typically.
Oh yeah, and it’s highly addictive.
Asemili: Oh yeah, and it’s highly addictive.
Yeah, nicotine is like that.
vaping is great on the lungs and gives you a very clear “high” from tobacco… but it tastes awful…
i got a cheap china digital vaporizer from ebay – $ 45 – and it works great – i quit smoking and now i only vape tobacco – i buy cheap pipe tobacco – $ 25 a pound and all day i vape only about 1 cig worth of tobacco
$ 5 of tobacco last me over a month – i used to smoke buglar non filter roll my owns – over a pack a day
vaping has a sweet taste when you get the technique right – my daughter just said it smells like graham crackers – my wife says it smells like play doh
The vaporizer has been well wonr in the pasyt year or so. The only drawback now is the cost of bulk tobacco has gone up about 50%. Keep the thread going!! I would love to hear more tips.
I vape pipe tobacco in my VaporGenie (I have the hand-carved version) all of the time. Me and my roommates actually enjoy vaping tobacco from it more than we do vaping pot from it. Gives you a nice head rush. Also, be prepared to take a nap or sit down for a while afterwards.
I’m trying American Spirit right now. From experience smoking tobacco from a bong, I learned TAKE IT SLOW! It can hit you hard and fast, and making feel dizzy and nauseated. Same with the vape right now…just taking it slow and easy..very relaxing. The flavor is a lot better, and so far no nasty taste on the tongue.
It takes WAY less tobacco in the vape than in a usual tobacco pipe, so be careful.