Smoking kills. In Australia, a person dies of a tobacco-related disease every 28 minutes. Despite this, many people continue to smoke. According to statistics, 20.4 per cent of men and 16.3 per cent of women in Australia smoke. What smokers find hard to picture is the extent of the damage that smoking does to their body.

The first drag of a cigarette covers your teeth with tar (the by-product of burnt tobacco) as it passes the mouth. The tar stuck inside your mouth rots the teeth, weakens the gums and damages the taste buds. As the smoke goes into your lungs, it damages the small hairs (cilia) that filter out foreign particles. The capillaries inside the lungs absorb the nicotine from the smoke, along with poisonous chemicals such as toluene (an industrial solvent), cyanhydric acid (the chemical used in the Nazi gas chambers) and Polonium 210 (a radioactive element).

As you exhale the cigarette smoke, nicotine reaches the adrenal glands, causing them to release adrenaline. Your blood pressure and heart rate are raised, which is why smoking increases the risk of having a stroke. Carbon monoxide also starts to build up in the bloodstream, which makes it harder for your body to transport oxygen. As the nicotine makes its way to the brain, dopamine is released, making the smoker feel good.

Slow death is a term often used in relation to smoking because it describes perfectly what happens to the body with each cigarette smoked. The longer a person is a smoker, the greater is their risk of developing a tobacco-related disease. The addictive nature of smoking stems from the fact that five minutes after a cigarette, dopamine levels drop. The smoker then lights up another cigarette to satisfy the craving, and the cycle begins again. This makes quitting particularly difficult. It is also the reason that alternative nicotine delivery systems – such as electronic cigarettes – can help people can quit smoking. The e-cigarette delivers nicotine in to the body without the tar and other toxic chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes, thus making the electronic cigarette a much healthier alternative to the tobacco cigarette.

Long working hours and a lot of stress cause most celebrities to get in to the habit of smoking. As electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular, a lot of stars have decided to make the switch. Here are three famous celebrities who have decided to abandon their tobacco cigarettes and start using a healthier substitute: the e-cigarette.

Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell used to sneak puffs in between commercial breaks while working on American Idol. According to the multi-millionaire producer, he started smoking at the age of eight. In an interview, he said, “I genuinely still love smoking. I equate smoking with having a good time.” Cowell is well-known for being particular about staying young looking. Now in his early 50s, he has decided to use the electronic cigarette as a substitute because tobacco cigarettes cause the skin to age prematurely.

Courtney Love

The famous rocker, who was once the wife of Nirvana’s frontman, has been puffing on tobacco for the past few decades. Love used to keep numerous packets of cigarettes marked with the words “YOUR LAST PACK” to help her quit. Unfortunately, this didn’t work. It was only when she started using the e-cigarette that she managed to finally kick her habit.

Leonardo DiCaprio

The famous Hollywood star used to be an avid smoker. He was seen puffing away on tobacco pipes as well as hand-rolled tobacco cigarettes. Lately, however, he has been spotted with an electronic cigarette in his hand. Like Simon Cowell, the Titanic star reportedly wants to preserve his youthful looks.

The addiction to smoking tobacco has long been compared to heroin addiction, and with good reason. As all smokers know, it is not an easy thing to quit. Even is someone has quit for years, they could easily be back to smoking tobacco after only a single puff on a cigarette. In fact, between 60 and 90 per cent of smokers who have quit smoking relapse within the first year of quitting.

What is it that makes smoking such a hard habit to stop?

Quitting smoking is hard on the body and brain. The first day without a cigarette is usually the hardest part of the entire quitting process. Your body is accustomed to a certain level of nicotine in the body. When you suddenly remove the supply of nicotine, the body starts experiencing withdrawal symptoms, which can include coughing, increased appetite, constipation, tightening of the chest, inability to concentrate, insomnia and depression. There is also an increased chance of getting a cold or flu during this period as the body begins to heal itself from the damage caused by cigarettes.

The good news is that these symptoms last only a few weeks. The bad news is that smoking’s addictive nature is both physical and psychological. For a smoker, there is a direct association between smoking and feeling good. It is also a habit that is incorporated in to their daily routine. This is why people often use alternative nicotine delivery systems, like electronic cigarettes, to help fight cravings. Aside from fighting withdrawal symptoms, electronic cigarettes simulate the smoking habit. This way, the smoker feels satisfied without all of the negative health effects of tobacco smoke.

The most important benefits of electronic cigarettes are their health benefits, and it is probably for this reason that most people start using them. Not only will using the e-cigarette decrease your chances of getting any number of cancers and cardiovascular diseases, but it will improve your health. The old adage that the value of good health cannot be measured remains true even today.

There are, however, a number of benefits that result from using electronic cigarettes that are not health related. Most people will find that these benefits will make their lives better and happier.

1. You will have more money

Smoking is not a cheap habit. A heavy smoker can spend over $100.00 a week on cigarettes, which is more than $5000.00 per year. That is a lot of money. Changing over to the e-cigarette means that you will have more money in your purse or wallet, because using the electronic cigarette is much cheaper than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Unless you are a multi-millionaire who has money to throw around, you probably have to watch your dollars and cents and stick to a budget.

2. You, your house and your car won’t stink

One of the biggest problems with being a smoker is that you stink, and you often are not aware of the smell. Non-smokers, however, will notice your smell and will probably mention it to you. The smell of cigarette smoke gets into your clothes, hair, furniture, carpet and car upholstery. It seems a little pointless to wash yourself, your clothes, your house and your car if you are just going to smoke and make then stink again. The e-cigarette does not produce any smell so you and everything you own will smell fresh and clean.

3. A great conversation starter

Since most people still do not know what electronic cigarettes are, you will often get asked about your device. This is a great conversation starter. People are always interested to learn about new inventions, especially ones that will potentially improve the health of millions of people around the world as knowledge of e-cigarettes spreads and more people start using them. Smokers in particular will want to know about your product because almost every single one of them wants to kick their unhealthy habit, but often is not able to with traditional methods and products. You might even save someone’s life by introducing them to the electronic cigarette.

4. Your sense of taste and smell will improve

Once you stop smoking, your sense of taste and smell will start to improve. Your taste buds, which have been damaged by cigarette smoke, will recover and start working properly again. You will enjoy the taste and smell of food again like you did when you were a child, before you started smoking. many of the foods that you love will taste even better. Even vegetables, which aren’t the most flavoursome of foods, will taste much stronger and better.

5. You and your family will be safer

Many house fires are started each year due to cigarettes, often when people smoke in bed and fall asleep with a lit cigarette. As a result, a number of people are killed in these fires, while others suffer horrible and painful burns. The e-cigarette eliminates this safety hazard because it does not produce a flame or heat. You and your family will be safe because the electronic cigarette cannot start a house fire. You can now smoke the e-cigarette in bed, safe in the knowledge that there is no chance of starting a house fire.

“My personal story about the electronic cigarette is one of joy and freedom. It was at my doctor’s urging that I purchased an electronic cigarette from Health E Cigarette Australia. It was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. My doctor said that it had worked for him and highly recommended Health E Cigarette (Australia’s very first electronic cigarette company) for their great service and products. This convinced me to give it a try. This was on 15 June 2012 and I have not had a real cigarette since then and never will again.

As a man who had smoked for 42 years straight, I had given up on giving up. The electronic cigarette has completely changed my life. I can now play with my grandkids for hours, my blood pressure is normal for the first time in decades and my wife says that my mood is much better. I definitely feel better and have much more energy. I no longer need ashtrays and the house doesn’t smell and neither do my clothes.

It is nothing short of a miracle that someone like me can quit smoking, and I owe it all to my doctor and Steve and his wonderful staff at Health E Cigarette and their marvellous product.

The electronic cigarette has changed my life for the better and I have been preaching the benefits of the e cigarette to everyone I see that smokes.”