kloan
23-01-2010, 08:47 AM
Anyone try these yet?
I was VERY skeptical when I first heard about them. I only saw the cheapo ones coming from places like Deal Extreme, so I didn't give it much thought. That, and the fact that I already quit 1.5 years ago.
However, I recently got caught up in a torrent of random Google searches and somehow (I can't remember why or how) I came across electronic cigarettes.
Did a TON of reading, and there are actually some quality units available. It's not nearly as toxic as I thought it'd be either.
Basically, the 'e-juice' is comprised of distilled water, propylene glycol (or vegetable glycerin), flavouring and nicotine (non-nicotine available as well).
There are two styles. A '3 piece' has the battery, atomizer (the device that 'wicks' the liquid and draws it into the heating element which vaporizes the liquid) and the cartridge (the piece that holds the e-juice). A '2 piece', which has a 'cartomizer' (a cartomizer has the atomizer and e-juice all in one cartridge) and a battery. Most models have an LED at the tip (available in many different colours) that lights up as you drag from the cig. It also acts as an indicator for battery life, and auto shut off to protect the atomizer from overheating.
There are then two types of batteries, an automatic (which automatically activates as you draw from the cigarette - can be sensitive to loud noises and activate in your pocket, so not good for clubs) and a manual battery, which has a little button on it that you press to activate the atomizer so you can then draw the 'smoke', which is really just vaporized liquid but looks like smoke because of the propylene glycol (or VG - vegetable glycerin).
You inhale and exhale just like you would with a real cigarette, and it often tricks people into thinking you're smoking a real cigarette. There is no second hand smoke, no carcinogenic by-products, and it basically a hell of a lot safer to use than real cigarettes.
There are many, many, many different styles and types on the net now. Different battery lengths, auto, manual, cartomizers, disposable, reusable, empty cartridges to use with e-juice you can buy to fill your own, or you can even make your own by ordering the various ingredients, including flavouring.
The real advantage to these is that they offer a very similar experience to smoking, even with the 'throat hit', and play into people's oral fixations, while allowing them to 'vape' in places you otherwise wouldn't be able to smoke. The exhaled 'smoke' almost instantly dissipates once it's left your mouth, so there's no stink, residue or any other offensive by-product you'd get from real cigarettes.
Unfortunately, Canada has banned the importation of them until "further studies are conducted on the safety of electronic cigarettes", but as I'm sure we're all able to figure out, it's BS. Canada makes billions in tobacco tax dollars, and this kind of thing would put a significant dent in their profits. A lot of people have switched over to e-cigs from real cigs and have quit smoking for good because of it.
Anyway, just thought I'd share this with the board and see if anyone here has tried them yet.
A great forum with a TON of information, is www.e-cigarette-forum.com if anyone is interested. I've learned a lot already, so if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try my best to answer them.
I was VERY skeptical when I first heard about them. I only saw the cheapo ones coming from places like Deal Extreme, so I didn't give it much thought. That, and the fact that I already quit 1.5 years ago.
However, I recently got caught up in a torrent of random Google searches and somehow (I can't remember why or how) I came across electronic cigarettes.
Did a TON of reading, and there are actually some quality units available. It's not nearly as toxic as I thought it'd be either.
Basically, the 'e-juice' is comprised of distilled water, propylene glycol (or vegetable glycerin), flavouring and nicotine (non-nicotine available as well).
There are two styles. A '3 piece' has the battery, atomizer (the device that 'wicks' the liquid and draws it into the heating element which vaporizes the liquid) and the cartridge (the piece that holds the e-juice). A '2 piece', which has a 'cartomizer' (a cartomizer has the atomizer and e-juice all in one cartridge) and a battery. Most models have an LED at the tip (available in many different colours) that lights up as you drag from the cig. It also acts as an indicator for battery life, and auto shut off to protect the atomizer from overheating.
There are then two types of batteries, an automatic (which automatically activates as you draw from the cigarette - can be sensitive to loud noises and activate in your pocket, so not good for clubs) and a manual battery, which has a little button on it that you press to activate the atomizer so you can then draw the 'smoke', which is really just vaporized liquid but looks like smoke because of the propylene glycol (or VG - vegetable glycerin).
You inhale and exhale just like you would with a real cigarette, and it often tricks people into thinking you're smoking a real cigarette. There is no second hand smoke, no carcinogenic by-products, and it basically a hell of a lot safer to use than real cigarettes.
There are many, many, many different styles and types on the net now. Different battery lengths, auto, manual, cartomizers, disposable, reusable, empty cartridges to use with e-juice you can buy to fill your own, or you can even make your own by ordering the various ingredients, including flavouring.
The real advantage to these is that they offer a very similar experience to smoking, even with the 'throat hit', and play into people's oral fixations, while allowing them to 'vape' in places you otherwise wouldn't be able to smoke. The exhaled 'smoke' almost instantly dissipates once it's left your mouth, so there's no stink, residue or any other offensive by-product you'd get from real cigarettes.
Unfortunately, Canada has banned the importation of them until "further studies are conducted on the safety of electronic cigarettes", but as I'm sure we're all able to figure out, it's BS. Canada makes billions in tobacco tax dollars, and this kind of thing would put a significant dent in their profits. A lot of people have switched over to e-cigs from real cigs and have quit smoking for good because of it.
Anyway, just thought I'd share this with the board and see if anyone here has tried them yet.
A great forum with a TON of information, is www.e-cigarette-forum.com if anyone is interested. I've learned a lot already, so if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try my best to answer them.