When you first hear the words “E-Cig” or “E-Cigarettes” you might not know what to think. How can a cigarette be electronic? What’s the point? What do you even use that for? Don’t worry, all of your answers about e-cigs, what they are and how they work are right here.
E-cigs, also sometimes called personal vaporizers or PV’s, are a vehicle for the delivery of nicotine. Functionally, they are just electronic versions of inhalers that vaporize the liquid contents of a cartridge into an aerosol mist, which is inhaled and exhaled. The liquid in the cartridge component is usually mixed with one of these popular bases:propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin or PEG 400 (polyethylene glycol 400). A concentrated dosage of nicotine equaling up to 20 cigarettes is usually included with the base liquid, although not every cartridge has nicotine. Flavored cartridges are also common–ranging from the more traditional tobacco and menthol flavorings to vanilla, chocolate and fruity varieties.
The cartridge component usually acts as the mouthpiece of an e-cig, but there are certainly other components. An atomizer must be present in order to vaporize the liquid so that it can be inhaled. Some models elect to combine the atomizer and cartridge into a “cartomizer” in order to eliminate steps in maintenance and care of e-cigs, as traditional atomizers must occasionally be disassembled and cleaned to maintain proper function. A battery is also necessary, and is usually the biggest component. Batteries can be triggered by a sensor (that detects the airflow in the e-cig) or by a switch located on the e-cig. Most e-cig batteries are rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, although the charging mechanism will vary based on the brand.
Now you know what an e cigarette is, and the components of it, but you may still be asking what is it really for. At their inception, e-cigs were designed as a smoking cessation device–similar in purpose to nicotine gum or lozenges. They are still new on the market, therefore there hasn’t been adequate time to produce many non-biased and peer-reviewed studies on their effectiveness at smoking cessation. However, some people may find them more effective than other smoking cessation aids because they are able to maintain the habit and motions of smoking, unlike nicotine gum or lozenges, without the harmful effects of traditional cigarettes. E-cigs are also beneficial because they do not have a strong or lingering odor, allowing users to “smoke” indoors or outdoors without the risk of bothering others or exposing them to harmful second hand smoke. You can start with our e cigarette free trial offers if your not sure whether e cig is right for you.
E-cigs are still new on the market compared to nicotine lozenges and nicotine gum, but they can be much less expensive, are often reusable, and are rapidly becoming more available and publicized to consumers. They are a promising new device that should be given consideration by anyone looking to get away from traditional cigarettes, but not yet ready to give up some of the more familiar motions.