Electronic Cigarette Articles

Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe?

There is quite a bit of speculation about the health and safety of electronic cigarettes. The FDA is trying to stop the wide spread sale of electronic cigarettes, health officials are warning people to be careful what they buy – but what is the truth behind these worries?

It is true that some electronic cigarette companies have falsely stated that their cigarettes are “healthy” and that they have NO chemicals in them – when in fact theirs do. Several of these companies have had their electronic cigarette shipments to the U.S. seized and held, unable to make it to the market.

But if you're dealing with a reputable, U.S. based electronic cigarette company like Green Smoke, you can rest assured the statements made, and claims asserted, are truthful. Just be careful about who you buy from, and what the product really is.

A good quality electronic cigarette should have few ingredients; after all, nicotine is the purpose of the cigarette, and the only other ingredients needed are for vaporizing the nicotine, delivering it to your body, and producing a smoke-like vapor to give the “appearance” of regular smoking. It doesn't take much to do this – so make sure there aren't any unneeded elements in your cigarette.

The only reason the FDA has jumped in is because the electronic cigarette industry is currently un-regulated, which makes them nervous. This is understandable, as we would all like to be kept safe – but again, as long as you buy from a reputable electronic cigarette company (U.S. Based recommended), you will get an electronic cigarette that is a great alternative to regular cigarettes.

Are E-Cigarettes Here to Stay?

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have hit the market like wild fire in the last few years. So what's so special about them, and are they here to stay, or are they just a fad?

The only way e-cigarettes are going anywhere but up, is if the tobacco industry has some way to push their financial might and get the e-cigarette banned. These realistic replacements to regular cigarettes are simply amazing – and that comes from a non-smoker! What!?!? Yes, that's right – I don't smoke, but I have a mouthful to tell you about the e-cigarette.

First of all, what an incredible invention to save the world from the horrors produced by tobacco cigarettes. A good quality E-cigarette , like those made by Green Smoke, contain mostly nicotine and water. That's a far cry from the 4,000 plus chemicals found in the smoke of a regular cigarette.

As a non-smoker, I wasn't fully educated in the makeup of a cigarette. I simply knew that my smoking friends reeked like stale smoke, and my eyes and nose always burned after they smoked around me for a while.

But when I heard about the e-cigarette and recommended them to some friends, I learned a great deal more. First, It's been said by some in the health community that nicotine may not be that bad for you. Yes, nicotine is addictive, but apparently there are no studies that show negative effects of long-term nicotine use. Nope! It's all the other crap surrounding the nicotine that is bad for you. Like the thousands of poisonous chemicals and carcinogens used in a tobacco cigarette as a nicotine delivery system. It's the burning chemicals and tar that kill you – not the nicotine (according to the health studies we've read).

So now, with an e-cigarette , you can get the nicotine you crave without many of the ingredients found in a traditional cigarette. That's pretty cool – whether you smoke or not!

A Non-Smokers View of Electric Cigarettes

You may have seen one of my many articles and blog posts on the subject of electronic cigarettes. If so, you know that I am not a smoker – yet I LOVE electronic cigarettes.

The biggest reason I like them? Because my friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors can smoke around me, and get as much nicotine as their little hearts desire, yet I don't have ANY second hand smoke to deal with. I don't have to deal with smoke odor of any kind, my eyes don't sting from being in or near a cloud of burning tar and chemicals all day, and no one (including the smoker) is dying any faster because of their habit.

I've been researching it, and so far everything seems to tell the same story – nicotine by itself has not been proven to have any long-term negative effects on the body. It's the burning tar, acetone, arsenic, and other unbelievable ingredients in a tobacco cigarette that do all the killing.

Since electronic cigarettes deliver nicotine through a steam-like vapor, without any burning smoke being ingested, it can be surmised that electronic cigarettes truly are the future of smoking. We all dream of a vaccine for this disease, or that condition. So did electronic cigarettes just became the vaccine for smokers? Now they get what their body wants or needs (nicotine is still addictive after all), but they can begin to let their body heal from not sucking in the smoke that regular cigarettes produce. Did you know that a smokers blackened lung begins to heal itself the instant someone stops smoking? It may take a while – but isn't that great news for every smoker?

Now, I also happen to enjoy certain social scenes. One of them is to hang out at the bar with my buddies watching football, drinking beer, and…oops, this is where we get pulled apart. As they head out to the outdoor smoking area, I am left to hold the table and watch everybody's stuff.

As everyone comes pouring back into the bar laughing at the latest joke my pal Jake told, I'm left there bummed that, once again, I missed out. Not any more. Each of my friends dove on the electronic cigarette as soon as I showed them, Now, we don't even leave the table or the bar. We sit right there, watching the game, drinking a beer, and yes…smoking; right there in the bar. One of the many electronic cigarette benefits; since it's not smoke, and doesn't pose the second-hand smoke health risks like regular cigarettes, you can go ahead and smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, wherever you want!

I even bought an electronic cigarette myself. Again, the social thing. Hey, what can I say – I like to be part of the party. But here's the cool thing… my electronic cigarette is exactly the same and smokes in the exact same way, but I got myself the no-nicotine (0mg) cartridge. So, I'm not picking up a new addiction, but I do get to join in the party like all my buddies.

I love the new electronic cigarette, and I think you will too.

Are Electronic Cigarettes for Non-Smokers?

My first thought was, ‘Well, that's kind of like asking if whisky is for non-drinkers'. But then I looked into it further. Believe it or not, there may actually be a case for why an electric cigarette would be good for a non-smoker.

First of all, let me state that I am not a smoker myself. My support of Green Smoke electric cigarettes is far more out of hobbyist interest and community health safety than anything else.

You see, an electric cigarette delivers all the nicotine a smoker is used to from a tobacco cigarette, but without the smoke or many of the harmful ingredients found in traditional cigarettes. How is this done?

First of all, through my studies on the subject I learned that a tobacco cigarette is a death stick to anyone that touches or smokes them, or even comes around the smoke (second-hand smoke). But this is not because of the nicotine – rather it is the estimated 4,000 chemicals and pollutants that spew from the burning stick, in order to deliver the nicotine. It's rather sad – a smoker is in need of their nicotine fix, but to get it they must char their lungs, and pollute everyone around them. That's not the fault of the smoker – it's the dang cigarette companies. Really, must all of those other elements be in place, just to get the nicotine into your body?

Well, no – and that's where electric cigarettes come in. They use a vapor system that essentially delivers the nicotine through steam. No tar, arsenic, acetone, or many of the other disgusting ingredients found in regular cigarettes, are needed at all – just the nicotine, some purified water, and a couple non-essential side ingredients (nothing bad if you're looking at Green Smoke brand. I can't attest to the other electric cigarette brands).

But here's the kicker – and where this relates to non-smokers.

You can buy nicotine cartridges in multiple dose levels. So if you're the type of guy that would smoke an unfiltered tobacco cigarette, you might want the higher 16mg cartridge. If you are a lady who prefers the Ultra Lights, you might go for the 4mg nicotine cartridge. Or get this – if you're not a smoker at all, but you like the social element of it – go ahead and get the 0mg cartridge; no nicotine, but all the action of smoking a cigarette.

Also, in any nicotine level, including 0mg, you can choose from multiple flavors. My neighbor loves the cherry flavor that comes from his old cigar. He says the strawberry flavor cartridge is so close on his electric cigarette, that he'll never go back to the old way of smoking.

These items are still only marketed to adults – after all, they are still cigarettes. But if you are an adult, and you like the social aspect of smoking, maybe these are for you. You can smoke, without the "smoke" of smoking. And you can even choose to smoke with absolutely no nicotine (though no one around you would know).

Can You Quit Smoking Using an Electric Cigarette?

Electric cigarettes are the wave of the smoking future. They are a great alternative to their nasty cousins, the tobacco cigarette.

So how can something like an electric cigarette help a smoker break the habit and quit smoking?

Let me start by telling you that electric cigarettes are NOT marketed as a quit smoking tool. They are produced and sold as a cigarette, and are not smoking cessation devices. The primary audience includes people who love to smoke, but who want a non-smoke alternative.

That said, it's my personal opinion that with a little self control, there's no reason a normal smoker couldn't use an electric cigarette to quit smoking. But a regular smoker could just cut back on normal cigarette usage in the same way. Here is how I would recommend using (though it's not a smoking cessation device) to quit smoking:

1. Choose your nicotine level. If you currently smoke unfiltered cigarettes you'll want to buy the full-powered 16mg electric cigarette cartridge with your starter pack.
   
2. Try it out for a while, get used to the nicotine without the smoke inhalation you were used to in your tobacco cigarettes. The biggest thing you're going to notice is that you still get your nicotine fix, but you may stop coughing so much.
   
3. When you're ready, and you're comfortable with your new electric cigarette, go ahead and move down to the 8mg cartridge. You may smoke more often for a while until your body adjusts, but that's okay, cartridges are cheap… like $3 for 20-30 smokes.
   
4. Keep doing this as you start to feel better. Move down to the 6mg, then the 4mg nicotine cartridge. By this time, you will probably be feeling better than ever, You're still getting nicotine (it is addictive after all), but your lungs will be clearing up, you won't smell like stale smoke, even your teeth may be a bit whiter than they were before.
   
5. Now comes the hard part. Are you an addict to the habit of puffing, or is it completely the nicotine? Either way, if its solely the nicotine, keep puffing away on the 4mg until you're ready to cut it… but be proud, you just eliminated 75% of the nicotine in your system AND your body is healing from the lack of smoke that the old cigarettes were pouring into your body every time you took a drag.
   
   If you can do without the nicotine, but the habit of puffing every 20 minutes still haunts you – no big deal. Purchase the 0mg nicotine cartridge and enjoy the exact same smoking activity, but with absolutely no nicotine. You can even choose one of many flavors if you'd like – may be a good substitute for the low-level nicotine.

Good luck! But remember, I'm no doctor – but as an enthusiast I can tell you the above can work - and it DID work for my friend. It's all up to you! And as a contingency plan, if you fall apart and keep smoking, you can rest well knowing the electric cigarette may still very well save your life by cutting out the deadly smoke from the regular cigarette..