It has become a matter of common knowledge that smoking cigarettes can mean signing one’s own death warrant, since it slowly but inexorably leads to the destruction of organs in the body and eventual death. This is due to the sheer composition of cigarettes and all the harmful chemicals inside them. Tar is the most common, but it is just one out of potentially hundreds of different dangerous components of cigarettes.
Electronic Cigarettes as an Alternative
Electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes and electric cigarettes) are the newest product on the market. They are designed to look and feel like real cigarettes, even down to emitting artificial smoke, but they do not actually contain any tobacco. Users inhale nicotine vapour that looks like smoke, but without any of the carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, which are harmful to the smoker and others around them.
Unlike normal cigarettes, the primary components of e-liquid in Australia are propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and nicotine – the nicotine being optional, along with small quantities of flavouring. Both propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine are used widely in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and there has not been any evidence at all that they have harmful effects on the respiratory or circulatory functions the way cigarettes do.
An Electronic cigarette consists of a nicotine cartridge containing liquid nicotine. When a user inhales, a tiny battery-powered atomiser turns a small amount of liquid nicotine into vapour. Inhaling nicotine vapour gives the user a nicotine hit in seconds rather than minutes, such as with patches or gum. When the user inhales, a small LED light at the tip of the e-cigarette glows orange to simulate a real cigarette.
Helping People Quit Smoking
Even if one prefers not to take nicotine, it is still possible to ‘smoke’ many different flavours without any nicotine content at all. This is part of the reason it has been gaining popularity as a tool to help people stop smoking. The nicotine cartridges themselves come in various strengths. Most of the major brands have full strength, half strength, and minimal strength, as well as no nicotine content at all. This is designed for people who want to quit smoking. As they get used to using the e-cigarette, they can gradually reduce the strength they use until they are able to quit.
From a financial perspective as well, electronic cigarettes are much cheaper to use than normal cigarettes, as they result in significant savings when used for long periods, especially if the user was once a heavy smoker. Many users have cited the financial benefit as the straw that broke the camel’s back for them, explaining that the amount of money it saves them over time is significant enough to use for things that are more important. In order to be sure of getting the best quality e-cigarettes and e-liquids, it is essential that you only buy from a trusted and reputable manufacturer.
