The increasing popularity and rapidly decreasing price of e-cigarettes has made for stiff competition between tobacco-based products and electronic cigarettes throughout the world. The Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, a trade group that follows the market and studies the number of e-cigarettes sold each year, estimates that the United States market has already exceeded 5 million users and is expected to continue to increase. The law, however, has lagged behind somewhat when it comes to the monitoring and supervision of these products.

Electronic cigarettes are used in the place of tobacco-based products to greatly reduce the amount of toxins that are ingested by a person. A battery-powered heating element vapourises a flavoured liquid that is encased in a plastic chamber. The experience is similar to that of a traditional tobacco cigarette. There is a wide choice for e-cigarette users: they can choose nicotine and non-nicotine flavours for their enjoyment. Electronic cigarette users who wish to use the product to gradually reduce their tobacco habit can choose to regulate levels of nicotine to taper off to a manageable level.

E-cigarette law around the world

There is a drive from many sides to regulate e-cigarettes for a number of reasons. Some special interest groups seek to ban the product, claiming that it is a danger, while others want to regulate it for market control. Rob Ragan of Vapor Kings, a United States based company, sees the entrance of the big tobacco corporations in to the electronic cigarette market as a sign that the industry has accepted the e-cigarette as both serious competition and as the future. The United States Congress and State legislatures are seeing an increase in the lobbying by Big Tobacco to lay the heavy hand of the law on local and internet markets.

E-cigarette laws in Australia

At this moment, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has not yet approved the e-cigarette. Airports, restaurants, hotels and offices are considering their options in regard to the social acceptance of e-cigarettes. The situation is considered complex and Commonwealth, State and territory legislatures have not settled on the legal and regulatory consequences.

There have been conflicting theories and studies that seem to fit the various viewpoints promoted by different interests. Those who have been solidly against the use of e-cigarettes base their argument on the unknown dangers of this relatively new product. Those who argue the opposite point to the well-known dangers of tobacco cigarette smoke and argue that e-cigarettes are infinitely less harmful. The scientific research that has come out in the last few years favours the argument that electronic cigarettes are an effective tool to quit smoking and that they do not have any negative health consequences. It seems that the law will have to wait for more scientific evidence to emerge before it can finally make a decision on what to do about electronic cigarettes.

To coincide with World No Tobacco Day on 31 May 2013, the French government announced that it will be passing laws to limit the sale, advertising and use of e-cigarettes. The French health minister Marisol Touraine said that although electronic cigarettes would not be completely banned, the same rules that apply to tobacco cigarettes would now apply to e-cigarettes.

Essentially, this means that numerous forms of advertising, such as television commercials and advertisements in the print media, will be banned. Furthermore, the sale of electronic cigarettes to those under the age of 18 will be forbidden. Finally, the use of e-cigarettes in public places will be outlawed. All of these measures have existed since 2007 with regard to tobacco cigarettes.

This will directly affect the estimated 500,000 people who use electronic cigarettes in France.

Minister Touraine told a press conference that “I have decided that the measures which apply to tobacco will also be extended to electronic cigarettes”. She also said that “We have to set limits on this practice but nothing justifies an overall ban”, adding that there were cases in which e-cigarettes had helped people quit smoking.

The new measures announced by the French minister of health were based on recommendations made by a group of eminent French health experts, headed by Professor Bertrand Dautzenberg, a respected expert on the pulmonary system and the head of the French Office for Preventing Tobacco Use.

Cigarette smoking has been vilified in the media and by lawmakers around the world. The issue is often politicised over and above its health factors. Now smokers have a viable alternative in the e-cigarette.

The anatomy of an e-cigarette

The e-cigarette is considered an electronic oral device. It provides a vapour containing nicotine or other substances to simulate the act of smoking. The vapour is produced by a cartridge which contains nicotine or other flavourings, which can be adjusted to the user’s preference. This puts the amount of flavour emitted from the device squarely in the hands of the user.

There are four technical components in an e-cigarette. The cartridge contains the flavours in liquid form. The atomizer disperses the vapour. The battery powers the unit. An indicator light shows that the product is working.

The e-cigarette does not contain tobacco nor does it expel tobacco smoke. The device is not considered a tobacco product although nicotine can be used as a vapour. This puts the e-cigarette in a legal gray area, but many ex-smokers consider it the best alternative to smoking.

The product has been tested and perfected for over a decade. Many companies have been looking for a non-toxic method for smokers to enjoy their pastime. Modern technology has made this product possible through the development of microelectronics. The e-cigarette offers a genuine smoking experience without the unpleasant trade-offs.

Nicotine in an electronic cigarette

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, the substance that is considered addictive. This organic compound is found in tobacco and in lower quantities in other plants. Small amounts of nicotine are not harmful. Smokers who choose to opt for e-cigarettes can control the amount of nicotine admitted in the vapours.

There are a variety of flavours available when using e-cigarettes. Many of these mixtures don’t require nicotine for enjoyment. The e-cigarette option allows smokers to get the flavour and the nicotine effect without the carcinogenic health risks. Those who prefer smoking tobacco alternatives will find a rich variety of flavours from which to choose.

How to quit smoking using e-cigarettes

Many ex-tobacco smokers swear by e-cigarettes as a great alternative. The product is helping them to quit smoking altogether. Smoking is both a physical and a mental process. Trying to quit without nicotine replacement therapy or other methods can be extremely difficult. E-cigarettes allow the smoker to control the level of nicotine in the cartridge. They can gradually lower the levels without having to go “cold turkey”.

The fact that many e-cigarettes look exactly like traditional tobacco-based cigarettes makes them ideal for quitting.  These products allow the user to enjoy the physical process of smoking as they gradually reduce their nicotine levels. This is especially true for long-time smokers who have been indulging in the habit for decades. E-cigarettes can help smokers to safely and comfortably move away from traditional cigarette smoking over time. There is no need to go through the physical and mental agony of nicotine withdrawal; e-cigarettes make the process simple.

Nicotine delivery systems are a smoking cessation aid for long-time smokers. Tobacco’s addictive property is the nicotine, which induces the ‘high’ smokers need. Nicotine itself is harmless in low doses, and is comparable to caffeine. However, tobacco combustion produces many by-products like tar and carbon monoxide, which are harmful to the body. This is why those who are trying to quit are always looking for alternative ways to get nicotine into their systems.

Nicotine can be taken orally in many forms. It can be taken as lozenges and gums in a variety of flavours. There are also some forms which you can administer much like a breath spray. Nicotine taken orally seeps into the system through the mouth’s lining. Nicotine patches are also available, which deliver the substance through the skin. You can pick the dosage depending on how heavy a smoker you are.

There has been some criticism about these two types of nicotine delivery systems. They are not very effective in the long-term, as smokers still crave the physical sensation of smoking. Further, some of these are more costly than cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes are another form of nicotine delivery system. They deliver the nicotine through vapour from the device. They are more effective for those who enjoy smoking as it simulates the sensation of smoking a cigarette. A reported 67% of those who have tried e-cigarettes for the first time have reduced their cigarette consumption. It also helps long-term cessation, as the smoker has a substitute to satisfy their cravings.

The dangers of smoking are well-known, but for most smokers, quitting is a very hard thing to do. As new information comes to light about smoking cessation aids, more and more people have empowered themselves to quit.

The e-cigarette is used by tobacco cigarette smokers who want an effective way to quit their unhealthy habit. Electronic cigarettes come in a variety of sizes and colours, ranging from ones that are identical in appearance to a real cigarette, to ones that are larger and of a different colouration. Despite the wide range of varieties, they all share a number of common characteristics.

The actual e-cigarette is composed of three parts. The first part is the battery which is usually a re-chargeable lithium ion battery like the one found in mobile phones. Some models have a battery that lights up an orange colour to mimic the appearance of a real cigarette. The second part is the atomizer, which is a metal heating element. It uses the power from the battery to heat up the liquid that is located inside of the third part of an electronic cigarette: the cartridge. The atomizer has been described as the workhorse of the e-cigarette, and it is because of this that it eventually burns out and needs to be replaced. The life of an atomizer depends on the frequency of use and how well it is maintained. Most cartridges are re-fillable and this enables the user to save money over the long term. Some models of electronic cigarette have a fused atomizer and cartridge known as a cartomizer. The main advantage of the cartomizer is that is is much easier to use, and its main drawback is that it does not allow the user to have as much control over the amount of vapour produced.

It is also necessary to have a charger to charge to battery. Furthermore, it is necessary to have some liquid to re-fill the cartridges and cartomizers. It is the liquid that produces the vapour that is inhaled, which gives the sensation of smoking. Cartridges can usually be filled an infinite number of times, but cartomizers are usually only good for about ten re-fills. The liquid is made of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin and food flavour. It comes in a multitude of flavours.