My best friend is a smoker and, as she lights up, she often says, “They have invented everything else. Why can’t they come up with a healthy cigarette?”  When we finally found out about electronic cigarettes, we were both shocked.  While e-cigarettes may not be healthy, they are certainly a much better alternative to the carcinogenic shock that a tobacco cigarette brings to the body.  The reason for our shock about e-cigs wasn’t because they are so intelligently designed or such a great idea.  Our shock was because they have been around for over 50 years and just now are hitting the market.

The first patent for an electronic cigarette was taken out in 1963 by a man named Herbert Gilbert. His description of the smokeless cigarette is very similar to those which are being marketed today.  The “cigarette” would not contain tobacco and would not burn paper or other substances.  Instead, it would heat flavored, moist air.  However, technology was not the same in 1963 as it is today so the device never got developed.  It is safe to assume though that the device could have easily been made had an investor been ready to back the development.  Since the tobacco industry was so large and powerful back then, it isn’t surprising that no one wanted to back a tobacco-alternative product.

It wasn’t until 2003 that consumers got their first smokeless non-cigarette (it isn’t appropriate to call e-cigarettes cigarettes as they do not actually burn anything). This first electronic cigarette was made by a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik.  The e-cig was called Ruyan, which means “to resemble smoking.” In 2005, the electronic cigarette began to be distributed around the world and it was internationally patented in 2007.

In today’s modern times, we are well aware of the dangers of smoking, especially addiction. So it is no surprise that the e-cigarette met some harsh restrictions.  In the US, it was banned by the FDA in 2009, though this ban was later overturned in 2010.  In Australia, most territories prohibit the importing of electronic cigarettes, such as e-cigs bought online. Throughout the world, e-cigarettes are generally legal, though they are typically classified in the same way as tobacco products – even the electronic cigarettes without nicotine.  This can make it very difficult for consumers to buy electronic cigarettes.  Since advertising of electronic cigarettes is also highly regulated or banned, it can be difficult to get accurate information about the products.

While the number of tobacco smokers still far outweighs the number of e-cig smokers, we can surely expect this to change.  All over the western world, smoking is being banned and the prices of cigarettes are increasing, making smokeless e-cigs a better choice. Most electronic cigarettes may not be healthy, but they are certainly better than the standard tobacco cigarette.  Plus, newer technology may aid in the design of a completely safe e-cigarette in the future.

Smoking tobacco has been a major health concern for the past several decades and is linked with virtually all of the leading causes of death, like heart disease and cancer. Despite the technology which has been available to us, manufacturers have only recently made a smoking alternative: electronic cigarettes.

Electronic [...] Continue Reading…

There is nothing cool or sexy about tobacco cigarettes: they are bad for your health, smell bad, make your skin turn yellowish, and leave disgusting ashes all over the place.  If you are considering switching to e-cigarettes from  tobacco cigarettes, then you are making a choice which will be [...] Continue Reading…

You can now buy electronic cigarettes in a variety of styles and forms, but they all still essentially contain the same parts. Here is an in-depth description of each of the e-cigarette parts.

The Battery

An electronic cigarette typically uses a lithium ion battery which is about the size of your [...] Continue Reading…

If you are smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, you can expect your habit to cost you about $1900 a year – not to mention the added costs of health care and time off work from being sick due to smoking.  For many smokers, the cost of cigarettes [...] Continue Reading…

The legal issues surrounding electronic cigarettes goes back before they were even invented.  It all starts with Big Tobacco and their constant lobbying efforts to avoid regulation as much as possible.  During the Clinton administration, the FDA stated that cigarettes should be considered “nicotine delivery devices”, which would make [...] Continue Reading…

In 2009, the FDA held a press conference in which they addressed the safety issues of electronic cigarettes.  During this press conference, the FDA has the gall to say that e-cigarettes were packed full of toxins and carcinogens – despite the fact that there was absolutely no evidence to [...] Continue Reading…

By now, most of us know a good deal about cigarettes and their dangers.  When it comes to electronic cigarettes though, there is limited information available. The federal government has placed strict regulations on how e-cigarettes can be marketed, which has left a void of information and a lot [...] Continue Reading…

There has been a lot of controversy around electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigs.”  Some harsh critics argue that the cigarettes are being marketed towards children because you can buy cartridges for them which have flavors like bubblegum or cherry. Because the battle against teen (and preteen) smoking is so emotional, [...] Continue Reading…

Electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigs,” are not actually cigarettes because they do not burn anything nor do they contain any tobacco.  Rather, they are battery-operated vaporizing devices which are made to mimic smoking a cigarette. Most e-cigs contain a vaporizer, battery component, and a liquid (usually nicotine) container.

Most e-cigarettes are [...] Continue Reading…