Electronic Cigarettes - A Healthier Alternative

Smoking tobacco, particularly cigarettes, is one of the leading causes of preventable death throughout the world. In America alone, an estimated 440,000 people die from tobacco use each year. According to the American Cancer Society, "Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined." It is no surprise then, that a great deal of research has gone into creating a healthier alternative for those with a nicotine addiction. Electronic Cigarettes simulate the look and feel of smoking a cigarette, but do not contain tobacco or other carcinogens found in normal cigarettes.

Electronic Cigarettes (or E-Cigs) closely approximate the experience of smoking a cigarette. They are equipped with a cartridge containing liquid nicotine. When the smoker inhales, a battery-powered atomizer turns a small amount of the nicotine into vapor, which enters the smokers lungs. An LED light glows at the end of the E-Cig, contributing to the authentic appearance of the act, and signifying that the device is in use. E-Cigs are available in numerous flavors, including standard tobacco, menthol and vanilla, as well as brand name imitations like Camel and Marlboro. They have the taste and feel of a real cigarette, without most of the harmful effects associated with smoking one.

While E-Cigs do give users a hit of nicotine, they are tobacco free, and do not contain anywhere near the amount of chemicals present in normal cigarettes. While it would certainly be preferable to not smoke at all, E-Cigs are the lesser of two evils. Smokers become addicted to nicotine, and form a habit around the act of smoking. E-Cigs satisfy both urges, but are free of the ammonia, tar, carbon monoxide, and other toxins found in cigarettes. This makes the ingestion of nicotine much less harmful to users, and eliminates the dangers of second-hand smoke.

E-Cigs give users the experience of inhaling and exhaling smoke without many of the dangers and annoyances of cigarettes. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, more than 60 of which are known or suspected to cause cancer. In addition, the foul smell that permeates hair, clothes, and furniture, is difficult to remove. This is not the case with E-Cigs. The vapor is odorless, and does not contain chemicals that can harm others in the vicinity. This eliminates the health costs associated with second-hand smoke, and allows smokers to freely indulge their habit without affecting those around them.

Another benefit of E-Cigs is that they cost less than cigarettes, especially in countries where tobacco products are heavily taxed. One nicotine cartridge lasts about as long as a pack of cigarettes, and costs less than $2 on Amazon.com. In addition, you can select the nicotine content in each cartridge, ranging from 0-16mg. The amount of nicotine ingested by smoking from a 16mg cartridge is equivalent to smoking a cigarette, and will save users money. With the less concentrated cartridges, smokers can gradually cut back on their nicotine addiction. Smokers tied only to the habit of smoking can purchase the nicotine-free cartridge, satisfying their urge to smoke without any of the negative health effects.

The drawbacks of smoking cigarettes are widely known. They have an unpleasant odor, they lead to potentially fatal health effects, and they put the people closest to you at risk. Electronic Cigarette, while still delivering a hit of nicotine that can be harmful to your health, eliminate the main side effects of cigarettes. They deliver the drug that cigarette addicts need, and do so without the smell or collateral damage of standard cigarettes. They are much less toxic, and much less expensive. Expect to see more E-Cigs in coming years, as smokers become aware of this superior alternative.