Ok I've not seen any diaries on this subject so let me dive in.
I'm one of those horrible nasty people who are addicted to nicotine.
I know smoking is horrible for my health I know it makes me stink I know all about how disgusting people find the habbit. The basic fact is that I like smoking.
Recently however I found something that made kicking that killer weed relatively painless. Unfortunantly a New Jersey Senatorand the FDA are working to eliminate my alternative.
So like I said I'm one of those horrible horrible smoking people who've tried patches and gums and welbuturin and chantix and drugs who's names I can't even recall to break this horrible habbit.
Then one day while hanging outside work smoking one of my co-workers came in with this e-cigarette. At first I scoffed "what sillyness is this" but as I am always looking for a way to quit I did some research on the subject. I scoured the web reading every article I could.
After evaluating the unknowns cheaply made product from China containing a mystery liquid that including caffine vs. Smoking 4000+ chemicals some 80 or so of which are known carcinigens. I decided that the E-cigarette would be hard pressed to actually be less healthy and more dangerous than the old fasioned version.
A little background on the E-cigarette.
This device was developed innitially by Ruyan a Chinese company who had patented a sonic vaproizor to deliver Nicotine to the half a billion some odd Chinese smokers. Eventually they started exporting these to other countries after making some technical changes that made them cheaper (and easier to copy) where reaction could at best described as mixed.
The "cigarette" itself consists of 4 main parts.
A rechargeble battery
A vaporizor which is essentially a small ceramic tub with a heating element that heats the liquid to the point of vapor.
a Cartridge which hold the nicotine solution and wicks it down ot the heating element
Mouthpeace the part you actually suck on.
The liquid is typically Propylene Glycol(Used to in theatrical smoke machines) with a variable amount of nicotine and usually some flavorings which are generally determiend to be safe in foods.
At this point me, a pack a day smoker for 20 years (started back when I was 18 I'm turning 39 my next birthday)have gone almost completely digital. I confess to having a couple of cigarettes since getting my e-cig mainly just to see the difference.
Now I actually prefer the E-cig to the real thing.
Unfortunantly Senator Lautenberg has decided to ask the FDA to ban the device.
While I fully support these devices being brought into the proper regulatory framework I think that the potential benefit offered is sufficient to fast track the approval process and suspend an outright ban contingent upon the results of further studies.
These devices have been tested in other countries and have been used for a couple years with out any documented cases of complications. So there is every reason to assume that testing with in the United States will uphold existing findings.
While I applaud Senator Lautengerg's past accomplishments in this case I think he is off base in his attack on these devices.
Yes Nicotine is an addictive substance then again so is caffine. There are millions of American smokers who's lives and health could be improved by the elimination of the inhalation of burnt tobacco.
Further these devices have no smoke there for there is no second hand smoke so there is no health hazzard to anyone other than the user.
Is it right for the government to proscribe these while tobacco cigarettes remain legal?
Discuss
More information can be found at e-cigarette forums