E-Cigarettes

Cigarette smoking is perhaps the world’s worst addiction. This health hazard has been and continues to ravage millions of humans cutting across the boundaries of civilization, geography, economy and social strata. It not only, sooner or later, kills the smoker, but, has negative effects on the passive smoking community as well.

Having said that, we must bear in mind that quitting smoking is one of the most difficult things for a smoker. The addiction is so overpowering that the smoker is, willingly or unwillingly, driven back to the death stick. It is truly a herculean task to kick the habit, once and for all.

Electronic cigarettes or E-cigarettes, as they are popularly known, are one of the many devices tried out by smokers to give up smoking. These come in variety of sizes and shapes – cigarettes, cigars, pipes, ballpoint pens, screwdrivers etc. Both disposable and refillable models exist. The quintessential idea is that the actual experience of smoking a tobacco cigarette is simulated, as closely as possible, in the E-cigarette, to retain the sense of déjà vu.

E-liquid or the nicotine solution is the combustible medium used. The solution is generally flavored in the traditional tobacco smoke aroma as also in newer strains such as chocolate, vanilla, wine and so on. The flavoring, nicotine and the polypropylene glycol (which creates the visible smoke) is called the E-liquid. When the e-cigarette is smoked, the liquid is heated using an atomizer and the vapor similar to the cigarette smoke is blown out.

A fairly recent innovation, these cigarettes are widely available in the American and European markets.

While the whole concept appears to be appealing, a few issues need to be given serious consideration.

E-cigarettes make tall claims of nullifying the adverse effects of smoking whereas opinions are strongly