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
36 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.
Thanks for the tips. I want to check out VaporGenie, but using a flame seems less dependable than digital ceramic vaporizers. I have a Vapir but the fan is loud and annoying. I tried American Spirit but it was very harsh and hurt my throat.
Hi!
I am a born smoker. Now I am trying to substitute cigarette smoking by vaporizing a pipe tobacco on volcano vaporizer. (before used a e-cigs, but liquid handling….. liquid chemical composition and …… in one word my pinion is that it’s “not natural to inject a nicotine”).
I can not say that a person gets a “good feeling” when inhales a pipe tobacco vapor, but I think that it is “safer than smoking”.
I have the feeling that vapor of tobacco is “heavier” than smoke (170 – 180 C, pipe tobacco heap first time vaporization). I am really really worried about this. I really do not want to think that i am getting more tar than nicotine when I vaporize in comparison to smoking. But… Another thing is the different “additives” to tobacco (I am sure that there are some) which probably can be more dangerous when vaporized and not burned.
What I do now, I take the pipe tobacco (small heap) and heat it on 140 C for 20 – 30 seconds without a balloon. Than I take the same heap and heat it with 180 C with a balloon. Than I inhale. The buzz in this case is slightly visible and much more “lighter”. An it’s more pleasurable to “vaporize” in this way.
People! Can you explain to me – AM I DOING RIGHT? Any suggestions about vaporizing tobacco “safe” or “not safe”?
Thank you a lot for the answers.
Volcano changed my life! I was just a heavy smoker since I was 12 years into their 20 regular cigarettes smoked hulil Ganji …. and tell you in those 8 years I have been so devastated! And even here yet and I did not have enjoyed it better! But What was also so glad that I am in time oběvil vaporizace.1 primitive technology. Do you feel the true taste of what inhales! (Non-tar vile poison!) 2 You can choose the intensity of vaporization invaluable thing for nicotine addiction! Save! No need to worry about abstinence! Kouřenísi enjoy with 2x greater effect! I’m not the type of shrink coje zevšeho just dumbfounded … But this thing is priceless heavy smoker I certainly understand how it is impossible to stop and proněj bouhžel it is! Nicotine dependence is strongest before HEROINE! My experiences give up dependence were probably 100 times and 100 times unsuccessfully, I was resigned to it and it kills me not to do anything … and now here naposlední the decision for Volcano logically I chose the cheapest and most efficient … jeto miracle! Feel free to inquire to mail
i have a vaporgenie BAT you can’t see any vapor come out of your mouth but the taste from the weed is alot nicer than smoking more like the smell instead of smoke,just dont get you a stoned. when i tried it with tobaco it tasted horrible and made me gag. not sure how much better for health it is but hope its alot
tried other vapes and they have vapor you can see i did get more effect from them but think they are probly less healthy and thats the only reason why i have one wish it worked better but you ant have eveything
i vaporize ‘nakhla tobacco’ (250gram containers cost ~$10-40 Cnd.) in the da buddha vaporizer, and use the highest heat setting.
Effect is much cleaner nicotine experience more like green tea compared to coffee. It is strong enough to reduce craving for smoking a cigarette, but not sickly strong. Mind you i smoke a max of 10 cigarettes a day. The 250 gram container (mint flavor or double apple last 30 days at least of multi time everyday use)
best,
Al Tobaccone
Does the shisha gum up the vaporizer? It seems wet almost.
I’ve been trying to stop smoking marijuana, and I’ve never been a cigarette smoker. However, I have turned to nicotine to replace mj. I use a magic-flight box to vaporizer organic tobacco, and it works beautifully. I also have the glass pipe that vapor genie makes, and it’s fun to use as well, and very effective. I don’t feel as bad about being a drug user now, but eventually I would like to quit tobacco, or smoke less of it.
Not gonna say anything other than, it satisfies EVERY aspect of what I enjoy in a cigarette with out ANY smoke. Volcano E-cig. liquid nicotine, tobacco essence and natural flavors. I would leave a link, but research your products……google it, google reviews, I have tried several and with this I stopped smoking instantly. No relation to Volcano herbal vaporizer (which is also AMAZING), to the best of my knowledge
I’ve been ‘smoking’ tobacco with a few vaporisers for over a year now and I don’t miss a cigarette one bit. I’ve gone from smoking thirty cigarettes a day to vaporising about size grams of pipe tobacco over the same period. My lungs feel far better now and I can breathe a lot deeper than I could a year ago. My clothes don’t smell, my fingers are not stained and I know my health is better as a consequence of this switch.
My only contention now is that I’m having to pay tax on my habit ( in the UK tobacco products are heavily taxed) that I know isn’t dangerous to me, much less to anybody else.
I should add that I use a Volcano Classic and an Extreme q for vaping @home and an iolite for when I’m out and about.
Thanks, Simon. Got any tips? What brand tobacco?
The best tobacco to vapor is tobacco that you have personally grown. I prefer to grow the Virginia Gold. Google tobacco seeds and you will find how to get them. Why pay for tabacco when you can grow your own. You are allowed to grow more than enough in the U.S. Not sure about other countries. Home grown tobacco without the additives and vaporing so that no tar happens, has to be the safest form of tabacco use. I wouldnt trust any of the bulk tobaccos to be additive free.
Nicotine boiling point is 247c, this would suggest that not much nicotine would be vaporized at the temperatures mentioned here. I’ve used an iolite for tobacco, the vapour is very harsh even through a water pipe connection. Iolite is only 190c max and the tobacco gets quite brown and dry. I’m not sure if I actually got any nicotine might just have been the placebo effect. Anyone tried anywhere near 240c?
After smoking cigarettes for almost 15 years I have made the switch to exclusively using the vaporizer. I use an iolite packed with American Spirit, one bowl lasts about 10 minutes. For me this has been more satisfying than smoking — the rush can be felt almost instantly, I use much less tobacco, no smoke or tar thanks to no combustion. As others have mentioned, additive-free/organic tobacco should be used to achieve the best results.
While vaporizing tobacco as opposed to smoking it is an incredible leap towards good health, nicotine in and of itself can be quite bad for a person’s health. Increased blood clotting, heartburn, increased blood pressure, cilia paralyzation, not to mention it’s cholinergic activity which impedes apoptosis, one of the methods used by the body to destroy unwanted cells such as cancer.
Of course, there are potential positives associated with it’s use, which i will not dismiss: reduced anxiety, increased concentration, relaxation, etc. More than i know, never having used tobacco.
What i am getting at here is more or less in response to simon [post 28] and to a much lesser extent, clara [post 26]. Don’t think that vaporizing tobacco is harm-free. There are still definite risks associated with nicotine in general, although overall your risk is indeed lessened by a metric crap-ton. For a person who has never used tobacco at all to have it in their head that vaping tobacco is harmless, would be a very bad thing. They will STILL be addicted, and there is STILL a list of VERY serious potential side effects ranging from heart disease to cancer associated directly with the consumption of nicotine and nicotine alone.
For those of you confused by boiling points when evaluating vaporisation temperatures, realize that “boiling point” is the temperate at which a substance can no long remain in it’s liquid state. This is not the same as vaporization.
Consider more common substances like water or gasoline. Heating water causes increasing vaporization that is readily observable as “steam”, even though the water has not reached its boiling point. And you certainly don’t have to heat your clothes to 212°F to get them dry.
Gasoline vaporizes so readily that it is flammable even at sub-zero temperatures. At common ambient temperatures it vaporizes sufficiently to pressurize the can its stored in.
The boiling point of Nicotine is so high that you will “char” your tobacco if you try to heat it that much. At slightly less than the boiling point of water, Nicotine’s vapor-pressure is high enough to be flammable (Research “flash point” to get a better understanding). The higher the temperature, the more energetic the vaporisation becomes, so sustaining high temperatures well below the boiling point, while maintaining a continuous airflow, could easily free much or all of a volatile compound from its substrate. Remember the clothes-dryer? Under the right conditions, it can blow “steam”.
Certainly, some Nicotine could remain in the ‘spent’ tobacco, but probably much less than you would have lost if you were burning it, and you didn’t have to suck in all that tar/smoke to get it.
As far as ‘other’ compounds go, those hardest to vaporise, that may or may not remain in the herb-of-choice, can still be obtained by ingestion. I hear it’s really nice that way.
So vape gently, or vape thoroughly, but enjoy your clean lungs.
The guys from mflb, magic flight launch box vaporizer, great tiny cheap vape btw… They did a study, and found vaping tobacco to be about 6x as potent as smoking it, makes vaping a great money saver.