Shafe Shifter Just another guy on the internet.

E-Cigarettes

Last year I discovered E-Cigarettes.  Being a smoker for almost 20 years, it seemed like a good idea, not to mention you could 'smoke' e-cigarettes in places where smoking was banned.  I did a lot of research on these technological marvels and decided to get one.

Unfortunately, while I did research e-cigarettes in general, I didn't research specific brands, which was a mistake.

So I plopped down $160, and got my first e-cig.  The taste wasn't so good, and the feel was that of a super-mega-ultra light 100 -- but still, the whole concept still had me excited.

A few months later it broke, by then I was over the initial excitement of the idea as I found myself smoking regular cigarettes most of the time anyway.

This past month I decided to revisit the idea, this time doing some significant research on brands, and hoping not to be disappointed.  As I read various forums and reviews I saw a lot of negative feedback on the model I originally purchased and started feeling better that I was not alone with my dissatisfaction.

I eventually came across a company that people raved about, claiming they had the best e-cigarettes on the market for the price.

So I ordered.  Since I got my E-Cigarette, I've smoked almost a pack of regular cigarettes in the past 3 weeks, whereas I was at a pack a day.  As a smoker trying to quit this is the best thing since sliced bread.

Awhile back The FDA issued a report warning people that E-Cigarettes are not safe.  They used a nicotine inhaler for comparison as opposed to regular cigarettes, the language of the report said things like "in one sample, diethylene glycol a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans — was detected" ...  While they do admit to it only being trace amounts in a specific brand, they fail to mention that diethylene glycol is also used to dry tobacco for regular cigarettes and that the amounts in your average cigarette exceed that of an e-cig 10-fold.

They also found some brands contained nitrosamines, which sounds pretty threatening, even though nitrosamines are present in Beer, Fish, meat, cheese and products preserved with nitrite pickling salt, which isn't mentioned in the report.

That said -- it seems like the FDA is mostly concerned with the fact that there is no legal age minimum to purchase e-cigs and that some of the exotic flavors such as 'cotton candy' may be targeting minors.

It's also worth noting that e-cigarettes are not subject to tobacco tax which is a significant income for most states, which could pose a real threat to many state economies.

In my opinion, I think it's a great, safer alternative to traditional cigarettes.   I've put together a short video explaining how e-cigs work and a demo of the kit I bought.

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