For a lot of people, it seems like the vaping community sprang up overnight. One day, cigarette smoke smelled like cigarette smoke, and then the next day, that smoke turned into vapor and started smelling like watermelons or peaches. Vaping has grown into a huge industry that could be a significant threat to the tobacco sector, but it may not have come on as suddenly as you may think. Here’s a timeline of significant events that have brought vaping to its current precipice.
The 1960’s
In 1965, a man named Herbert Gilbert filed a patent for a smokeless non-tobacco cigarette. The cigarette involved heating moist paper and flavoured air to produce a smoking effect. This method was free of nicotine and tobacco, and it represented the earliest incarnation of vaping known to date. It was never commercialised and was largely unpopular during its time, as traditional cigarettes were a societal staple.
The Early Millennium
Four decades later, a Chinese inventor by the name of Hon Lik decided to create an alternative to smoking cigarettes after his father died of lung cancer. Through a desire to avoid the same fate, he patented what is now known as the vape pen. This version used ultrasound capabilities to vaporise pressurised liquid (the precursor to e-juice), in an effort to produce vapor and a smoking effect. This product officially hit the market in 2004.
Mid 2000’s to Present Time
E-cigarettes began to appear in European and North American markets more frequently after the turn of the millennium. Some of Lik’s models made their way over after his patent cleared, but it wasn’t until after 2005 that they gained popularity. During this subsequent period, Tariq and Umer Sheikh from the UK invented the cartomiser, which increased the performance of many original vapes. As e-cigarettes began to gain popularity, companies in the US and China began to copy Lik’s design without paying any dues.
2008 – The Sheikh’s released their vape line equipped with cartomisers. Modding vapes quickly became popular, as people began to desire better battery life and larger tanks of e-liquid. Mods gained popularity, and their mass production began. Vapes started to lose the appearance of a traditional cigarette and began to adopt the larger, boxier shapes that they have today.
2009 – Companies started to develop new vapes. These new products were meant to appeal to the new generation that loved being able to customise their e-cigarettes. Clearomisers, which built off of the cartomiser design, were also introduced in 2009. They allowed the observation of the juice level inside of the atomising component, so people could see when their vape has run out of juice.
2012 – Batteries for mods became the best-selling accessories alongside cartomisers. Traditional tobacco companies, now wise to the fact that vaping was not just a fad, began to acquire e-cigarette businesses in hopes to stay relevant in the industry. They focused on companies that manufactured disposable, temporary vapes that resembled classical cigarettes. These versions never reached the same level of popularity as other brands.
Vaping technology has continued to advance over the years, leading to better performance and longer battery life. New juice flavours appear every day, and vaping with nicotine-free juice has become popular among non-smokers. Vaping seems like it will only continue to grow in popularity as it becomes more and more advanced. The industry is stronger today than it ever has been.
