Cigarettes Without Smoke, or Regulation

For $100 to $150 or so, a user can buy a starter kit including a battery-powered cigarette and replaceable cartridges that typically contain nicotine (though cartridges can be bought without it), flavoring and propylene glycol,

The kit I got was about £18. A packet of cigarettes in the UK costs roughly £5 (of which about £4.60 is tax), and the electronic cigarette works out as about £2/pack. The life of a cartridge depends on the maker, how much you puff on it etc.

The e-cigarette is a very good imitation ; Looks identical in size, you get 'smoke', taste, and the nicotine hit. Various makers offer different types of cartridge (as per the article. Because of the battery, the thing is weird to hold at first. I've even found myself absent mindedly going to light it for real a few times ! It even sounds like a real cigarette when you inhale (a sensor heats the element in the small middle section which creates vapour from the gel, making a slight crackling sound as it does so).

The bit that troubles me is inhaling that vapourised glycol. Nobody I've asked (including doctors) seems to know. If I inhale the thing deeply, it'll make me cough, so exactly which component is doing that ? I suspect all is not so benign as they would have people believe.

As a way of giving up, it seems pretty good. The thing can deliver reducing doses of nicotine (by changing to progressively weaker cartridges), and it has 'hand-feel'. If I was of a mind to quit, I reckon I could probably do it using these. I got the thing out of curiosity and have only been trying it on and off for a few weeks, so it's a bit early for me to give a definite opinion, but it seems a lot better than other nicotine replacement methods. I've asked a few non-smokers if they can smell the thing, and so far nobody has said yes. That aspect of the things seems to be good - less passive smoking. Until the health issues of the glycerol are looked into further, I'm being somewhat sparing in how much I use it. You pays yer money, ya takes yer choice on a new technology like this.

One thing that strikes me as odd, is that I've only met one other person who has one of these things. They're legal to sell over here (to over 18's), but only seem to be available on the internet. My guess is that a lot more people would use them if they were sold in shops. People just don't seem to be aware of them. Also, for those who do know of them, the initial investment may seem like a bit of a gamble.

Worth a shot if somebody wants to quit. Best guess is that they're less noxious than the real thing (that's a guess, so don't blame me if you plastinate your lungs), and probably better for non-smokers to endure.

I don't smoke and would never use or want to use one of these, but if you want to buy one for about $10 here are some links.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14561

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25043

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18431

I dont smoke and I would never encourage anyone else to do it either. That said, I think the hostile reaction of some of the public confirms in my mind that their agenda of many no smokers against smokers has nothing to do with health either of the smoker or the genral public at large. Perhaps the government, which typically reacts only to the masses because they determine their political futures, should be trying to determine the WHY of that issue.