Jun

Electronic Cigarettes- Great New Idea, or Just Blowing Smoke..?

By admin

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On 2nd January 2011, new all-out smoking bans came into force right across Spain. As it did in the UK and other countries recently, it finally meant an end to ALL tobacco smoking in bars and cafes, and indeed ALL ‘enclosed’ public areas, including some outside areas near hospitals, and in school playgrounds.

However, you may have spotted a new, smug breed of folks puffing away openly in indoor public spaces such as bars and restaurants, buses, trains and even planes – on what appears to be a toy cigarette. You can find these people dotted around various locations on the Costa Blanca, smoking cigarette-looking devices in all sorts of wonderful colours, with coloured lights on the tip that ‘glow’ when in use. What are they up to? What do they know that the rest of us don’t? These folks exhale what certainly appears to be smoke – but how and why are they getting away with it? I’m here to fill you in…

In 2003, a fine Chinese scientist wondered what would happen if he could ‘vapourise’ a liquid nicotine cartridge to simulate the look and feel of a real tobacco cigarette, using a small battery-powered handheld device, and cutting harmful tobacco out of the process entirely. The first e-cig was born, called the ‘Ruyan’ (translates as smoke anywhere)…

So what exactly is it? The modern electronic cigarette delivers REAL nicotine to the user in a vapour-mist form which looks, feels and behaves very much like real smoke. Electronic cigarettes are nowadays similar in shape and size to a traditional cigarette (they started out much longer, and looked more like ball-point pens), and they often come in a choice of colours. They don’t need lighters or ashtrays, they don’t burn down or go out, and in the medium to long term they are a much cheaper and much healthier low-risk alternative to traditional tobacco smoking; they also restore the lost freedom and personal rights of the user, allowing people to smoke in places where tobacco is normally banned.

Electronic cigarettes allow regular tobacco smokers to switch from a habit that most KNOW will kill them, to an alternative way of delivering the same nicotine stimulus in a familiar way, without the associated health risks or social rejection linked with tobacco smoking! There is no known cancer or other health risk with e-cigs, nor do they contain any of the 4,000+ chemicals found in a normal tobacco cigarette – chemicals including formaldehyde (embalming fluid), carbon monoxide (car exhaust fumes), cadmium (metal found in batteries), and other carcinogenic nasties…

Like the car, the iPhone or the internet, the e-cig is a groundbreaking development that for once really has the potential to shift human behavior and attitudes about smoking permanently. Think about it for a second! Not for hundreds of years has there been a product SO ready to change the way we think about smoking. There are lots of different brands of electronic cigarettes on the market these days, but they all share similar principles.

So what’s in an e-cig, and how do they work?

In most types of e-cig a rechargeable battery containing a tiny ‘suck-activated’ micro-switch delivers power to an atomiser – a tiny device which superheats in milliseconds – turning the liquid nicotine contained in the disposable cartridge at the end of the device into a vapour mist that is inhaled by the user. This is most often achieved using propylene glycol, a safe, inert and common vapourising mixture found in foods and also many medical treatments such as asthma inhalants, amongst other things. The user exhales a visible cloud of water vapour which looks and feels like smoke, but which disappears within seconds. There is no lingering smell from good e-cigs, no need for ashtrays or lighters, no yellow teeth or bad breath, and best of all, no second-hand smoke for others to endure! These are early days in the progress of the e-cig industry (think back to the mobile phone ‘bricks’ just 20 years ago) and there are good e-cigs and bad ones – and believe me, I’ve tried many different types during the course of my research! E-cigs usually come with a charger when you buy them (unless you buy a disposable throw-away model, also available) so that you can re-charge your battery again and again for repeated use.

Nicotine refill cartridges are the necessary disposables which sell for anywhere between 3 and 32 euros per pack, depending on type, brand, and seller – but the better cartridge brands in the marketplace contain the equivalent of up to 30 traditional cigarettes each, making them quite a bit cheaper on a weekly or monthly basis than traditional tobacco smoking – especially if you buy cartridge packs in larger discount quantities to share with friends and family. Cheaper brands tend to only give around 5-6 cigarettes’ worth of vapour per cartridge, and often have a separate atomiser component, which requires replacing every few months. I’d recommend a simpler and sleeker 2-piece e-cig, where the atomiser and nicotine cartridge are combined into one piece. Because there is no tobacco, smoke, burning or secondhand smoke, there’s no smoking ban – yet the users get to indulge in their desire for nicotine in a familiar, socially acceptable, yet publicly unobtrusive way. It’s the PERFECT answer to the problem!

E-cigs are not a toy, nor are they officially approved as a device to help you quit smoking – however users report up to TWICE the rate of success in people who use e-cigs to help them quit smoking over nicotine gum or patches. E-cigs are designed as a replacement or substitute to tobacco smoking, and not as a supplement or approved quit-smoking method. Stepped nicotine levels and different flavour cartridges appeal to a wide range of smokers, but it must be stressed that nicotine is addictive, and should not be used by under 18s or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as the addiction could be passed on to the child. Please report anyone you see selling e-cigs to kids to the police immediately. Nor are e-cigs designed to be taken up by non-smokers. Responsible sellers should insist that their buyers are already regular smokers, and are not looking to get newly addicted to nicotine.

So to sum up, e-cigs can help you save money, guard your health, and protect your freedom to smoke where you want. You tend to get what you pay for in terms of quality, and ongoing research and current world legislation is indicating that this is only the start of a major smoking revolution. Doctors are coming out in their droves to approve of e-cigs in general, and the tobacco companies are starting to look a little worried for the first time in history.

You can buy e-cigs of varying qualities both locally, and via the internet. If possible, see if you can actually try the model you like for yourself, before committing to buying one. All this talk of nicotine cartridges and atomisers may have left you behind; we suggest that you TRY an e-cig for yourself if you’re interested. Trying is a better way of judging if it’s for you than any third-party information ever could be. Be sure to ask sellers about guarantees, as many inferior e-cigs seem to die within weeks or even days of purchase. And most of all, good luck in your fight against harmful tobacco! Trust me, there is now a way to enjoy your habit without killing yourself, offending others or costing a fortune!

Bill Pole is the founder of Pro-Cig Professional Electronic Cigarettes (www.Pro-Cig.com), which aims to quickly become Europe’s favourite brand of e-cig by providing outstanding quality products at a great, affordable price. We’re based in Javea on the Costa Blanca, and our amazing e-cig kits come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a unique LIFETIME replacement warranty – making us the best choice for your new electronic cigarette by far! You can call us on (0034) 660 638 975 to meet and try Pro-Cig face-to-face locally, and you can join our Facebook fan page to meet fellow Pro-Cig users and get fast online support! Facebook Pro-Cig fans receive a 10% discount on all Pro-Cig products for the whole lifetime of their free membership!