Vaping gains popularity among people trying to quit smoking

Quitting smoking was personal for Catherine Slocombe, a former smoker of 30 years who opened Phoenix Vapor Shop seven months ago on Anderson Lane.

Vapor shops sell electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, and the e-juice that goes inside and is heated into a vapor. Slocombe said many people choose to vape instead of smoking traditional cigarettes.

"We're trying to help people find better alternatives to smoking," she said. "I'm very passionate about that. I lost my dad to lung cancer. I was a 30-year smoker, and this was the only thing that worked for me. I think it's just shy of a miracle."

Slocombe—who previously owned Sambet's Cajun Deli and Fiery Foods, which was destroyed in a fire in 2011—said that when she first had the idea to open a vapor shop, there was just one in Austin.

Now there are more than two dozen, and at least seven have opened in Northwest Austin in the past year, including two locations of Create A Cig on Parmer Lane and on RM 620, Ion Vapor on Spicewood Springs Road, Central Texas Vapor on Pond Springs Road and Pink Lion Vapor at Lakeline Mall.

Slocombe said people have better success with quitting smoking through e-cigarettes than other methods, such as patches and gum, because smokers do not have to give up the act of smoking.

"With this you get to keep your nicotine, you get to keep your hand-to-mouth [movement], which is what most people like about cigarettes," she said. "In social situations, they want something to do with their hands."

Ron Locy, who owns The Vapor Project on RM 620 with his wife, Lisa, said the vapor trend has been moving from California east and is now picking up in Austin. He said vaping is a smarter choice than traditional cigarettes.

"Austin being a health-conscious city is what's driving this market so well," he said. "Nicotine's a very hard addiction to overcome. People can vape, still have their nicotine yet be active and healthier."

Many e-cigarette stores create their own juice in-house, but Locy has his e-juices created in a lab. He said that besides tobacco-flavored juices, The Vapor Project has about 120 other flavors, such as coconut cream pie and even one flavor created from a Danish pastry he sent to his chemist.

Locy smoked for 30 years before switching to e-cigarettes. He hears countless stories of how his customers tried every other method from gum to patches and pills to kick their addiction to no avail. Quitting smoking is a life-changing event for smokers, he said.

"The amount of success we've had amazes me this deep in," Locy said. "I talk to people that have been in the industry way longer than me. Can this be a lucrative business? Yes. At the same time, seeing all the people, it's a game-changer, a life-changer. That aspect of it is so rewarding."

Regulation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates tobacco but not nicotine. Because of this, there are no tobacco taxes on e-cigarettes. Locy said many vapor stores police themselves to prohibit the purchase of e-cigarette products and accessories by children age 17 and younger.

Businesses are trying to figure out how to address people vaping in their establishments. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema does not allow customers to vape during movies because the vapor could interfere with someone's ability to view a movie. However, vaping is allowed in the lobby and patio, spokeswoman Sarah Von Zee said.

Austin Community College allows vaping on its campuses, but professors may ask students not to use e-cigarettes in class.

"Our board policy prohibits the use of smoke-producing tobacco and related products," spokeswoman Alexis Patterson Hanes said. "Because electronic cigarettes do not emit smoke, they are allowed on ACC facilities."