Vape Shops Growing In Pittsburgh Region
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's called vaping and is a popular alternative to smoking cigarettes.
So-called "vape shops" are popping up everywhere in this region.
"Our business is definitely growing," says R.J. Marino of Cool Vapes on McKnight Road. "We plan on opening five more stores by summertime and offering over 200 franchises."
Cool Vapes has been open a year. Over on Route 8, two more vape shops recently opened within a few miles of each other.
"It's 100 percent growing in Pittsburgh and on the East Coast because it's slowly coming over from California. California has had it for years than Pittsburgh's had it," notes Andrew Vento, owner of the Steam Works Vapor Co.
Instead of smoking tobacco with cancer-causing materials, many smokers are switching to e-cigarettes, devices that help smokers wean off tobacco.
"I was going through two or three packs of cigarettes a day," Brenda Huff told KDKA money editor Jon Delano.
Huff manages the Iron City Vapor Lounge, and she is now off cigarettes and nicotine.
In fact, her lounge nails up on the wall a smoker's last pack of cigs.
Now Huff vapes, using a variety of flavors.
In fact, Cool Vapes has its own menu of flavors.
"It's not smoking. Smoking requires fire. Vaping you're heating a fluid, and then turns into a vapor," says Huff.
It does produce a lot vapor that can be confused with smoke, but it's odorless and dissipates quickly.
And while former cigarette smokers are common users of e-cigarettes, it's attracting newcomers who just enjoy the experience of vaping.
The growing popularity may explain why Governor Wolf recently proposed taxing e-cigarettes.
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