It’s the new thing in California : men arrive at the shiny wooden bar at The Vape Bar in San Jose and order “ the usual.” But it’s not alcohol they are after: it’s an electronic smoke.

Clouds of vapour soon swirl over their heads, then vanish like ghosts, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

This is the world of vaping -- puffing on inhalers sometimes known as electronic cigarettes or vape pens. Small batteries heat a flavoured liquid until it produces a vapour. The liquid may contain nicotine , from zero (flavor only) up to 24 milligrams, but no tobacco smoke is produced.

￼The Mercury News says, “Vaping has become so popular that it's now an official "scene," a subculture with its own lingo: Do you wind your coils in bunny ears or roller coasters? Is variable voltage better, or drip style?"

Users can subscribe to VPR, "the leading Vape lifestyle magazine," or mingle at a "vape meet."

"It's not just the vapor, it's about the style, being able to have this in your hand," said one customer, rolling his e-pen with his fingers like a fine cigar.

"Once you spark that button on your pen and you get this going, whether it's nicotine or marijuana or nothing in it but flavor, it's cool. You want to be GQ cool."

He enjoys the bar atmosphere.."I like coming in here, talking to people about the pens," he said, explaining the workings of his device. "This is a single coil. You wrap it, drip the juice on it. I did a lot of research. This one is a second-generation Zmax with a digital display, you can check the battery life. It's fun to tinker with it."

E-cigarettes -many manufactured by the big tobacco companies -- are growing in popularity worldwide. . Vaping has been big in Southern California, and in San Francisco, there there are at least a dozen dedicated vape shops.

Many users also modify the devices to vape marijuana or other drugs, the paper noted.

Some e-cig brands look like real cigarettes, with a glowing on the tip when you inhale. Others look like small mechanical cylinders.

Fans say they're a great way to kick the tobacco habit, but public health officials and government bodies want more research, possible taxation and regulation under existing tobacco laws.

At the moment, there is no regulation. Technically, it's legal to vape anywhere in California, even indoors.

Ed Bongbonga opened The Vape Bar in June. He used to be a smoker, but vaping helped him quit, and he wants to provide this assistance for others.

Starter kits usually run from $30 to $100. But pens can cost as much as $1,000.

His clientele is 60 to 70 percent male in the 18-to-30 age range, with "a lot of minorities," and for some reason a lot of nurses and firefighters, he added.