What are E-Cigarettes?
E-Cigarettes or PVs (Personal Vaporizers), are gadgets that burn liquid nicotine producing a nicotine vapour which you can then inhale. It is intended to produce a similar sensation to that of smoking a cigarette. The idea is to allow a nicotine addict to inhale it without the over 4000 chemicals, tar & tobacco of a real cigarette. The
wiki entry has some outdated pictures but might help to give a clearer impression of what they are. I might put up some more up to date pictures when I get a chance.
Are They Healthy?
The big question. If you search you'll find plenty of info. on it. On the one hand you have the FDA in the USA which claimed their tests showed trace amounts of TSNAs (tobacco-specific nitrosamines) and they warned against using them. There was a very big reaction from the e-cigarette community and the tests were criticised for not comparing the results to similar substances found in nicotine inhalers for example.
Health New Zealand found traces along similar lines to the FDA but compared them to other products and found the levels to be well within safe levels. Health Canada warned against nicotine poisoning which is a bit OTT imo (if there is a danger of nicotine poisoning from e-cigs then there is just as much danger from patches, inhalers and the real thing). Some countries have banned e-cigarettes completely. I personally found this post on the e-cigarette forum very informative but I would also assume that the poster may well be biased -
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/for...ttes-safe.html.
Unfortunately it's an area clouded with bias and differing agenda but hopefully more and more studies will be done over time.
My decision to buy an e-cigarette really came down to this. If I am happy to smoke a cigarette with tar, tobacco and a possible 4000+ harmful substances in it then I am damn well happy to smoke an e-cigarette which contains a substance (PG - Propylene Glycol) found in many food products, an amount of nicotine I control plus a small possiblity of TSNAs which well be very small levels if any.
There is a wealth of information on the
Vapers Network which I highly recommend you read in particular the various
reports, studies and analyses that have been done.
There is one issue worth mentioning as it seems to be well established by now and that is that some people have an allergic reaction to PG, the usual liquid used in e-liquid. In thoses cases the best option is try VG or PEG liquid as in almost all cases people who get a reaction to PG don't suffer the same problem with VG/PEG.
What do I Buy?
First of all you can use our
list of suppliers to pick where to buy. Be sure to keep an eye out for discount codes.
Secondly try and let go of that idea in your head that you must have something that looks like a cigarette. The models that do have weak batteries and are not going to be as satisfying as bigger and better versions. If you are determined then fair enough you'll find what you want.
Thirdly and finally a quick list of the most popular model or models at the moment:-
Note: New devices show up all the time. Keep an eye on the forum. e.g. the Kanger devices are huge now and highly recommend by most people here but it's too difficult to keep updating this section to keep up with developments in the e-cig world. The eGo-T - there is no doubt that this is the market leader at the moment. If I'm being honest it's not perfect but when it works it damn near is. The trick here is a new liquid delivery system using special atomisers and tanks (cartridges) that don't require any filler material. You get a more consistant vape when it's at the top of it's game. I say that because it can mis-perform at times and the lifetime seems less than other types. Regardless it's top dog for now.
The eGo (standard or mega) - the eGo was the first mainstream device to employ a larger battery and thus longer vaping time between charges. The standard version simply includes 1 or 2 510 atomisers which are fine really when you are starting out but there is no reason not to go for the mega version which is simply a larger version of the 510 atomiser that can accomodate a larger cartridge and thus more liquid. Just be sure that if you get mega attomisers to get mega cartridges. This is the model to go for if you are not too sure about getting the tank just yet. It's a reliable performer and a good vape.
Dual Coil Cartomisers - these are one of the latest types of cartomisers (atomiser and cartridge all in one essentially) and it's a fantastic performer with a great throat hit and decent vapour. Well worth a look for the price.
Is this a good method to give up real cigarettes?
Well in my case time will tell. I have smoked 20 a day for the last 23 years approx. and have never succeeded in stopping for more than a couple of days. My original plan was to buy an e-cigarette and see if I could reduce my real cigarette consumption to 2 or 3 a day. I have so far been successful in not smoking any. 18 months and counting at time of posting.
* 3 years as of Jan 2013E-cigarettes are not an approved method for giving up smoking. They are at the very least an effective replacement. Since you are only inhaling water vapour (essentially) containing nicotine you will get the benefits you would from giving up real cigarettes, i.e. sense of smell returning, breathing more easily and so on. You are getting a similar sensation to smoking with much less of the harmful effect. There is less of a buzz from e-cigs. I suspect that to be because some chemical in real cigarettes is the real cause of head rush rather than nicotine. It doesn't bother me in any case.
Someone once asked how long I expected to be using e-cigarettes. It's very hard to know when you have been a smoker for over 20 years. It's simply a positive to be on something far less harmful. Nicotine is addictive but on it's own is not very harmful from what I have read (again you should research this yourself - I am not a doctor or an expert on nicotine). I won't lie it's entirely possible I could end up a long term vaper trying different models and flavours of liquids (edit - since originally writing this I have to admit that this is exactly what happened). I can live with that far more easily than continuing the way I have been.
As long as you walk into the e-cigarette world with your eyes open I don't see why anyone couldn't get huge benefits from making the switch. I really can't believe these things are not bigger. They have the potential to save many many lives imo and the sooner proper testing is done to ensure they are completely safe the better. Until then I am happy to take a punt on it. It's up to you to decide for yourself.
Are They Cheaper?
Assuming you don't become obsessive about it then the answer is yes. It should be far cheaper with topping up on liquid being your most regular expense followed by replacing batteries/atomisers. If you do become obsessive and have to try every new thing on the market then don't despair as at the very least you aren't smoking anymore.
What Liquid is the closest to xxx brand of Cigarette?
Simple answer is no liquid will match the taste of burning tobacco. Some liquids have a reputation for getting close to the mark but in general don't seek out that authentic B & H ash tray flavour. Within a short period of time you will prefer what you actually get. Trust me.
I Smoke X number of Cigarettes a day of X Brand...?
Stop right there. There is no secret formula that will tell you what strength liquid at what rate in a certain brand of atomiser will equate to 20 Rothmans per day. The easiest approach is to buy a pack and start with a medium to high liquid strength (16mg - 18mg) and go higher if you feel the need or lower if it's too much. Give it a chance though. Don't take 2 puffs of 18mg liquid and say right I need stronger.