With the growth in new anti-smoking regulations, the electronic cigarette is a new innovation that is taking the smoking population by storm. This pseudo-cigarette is thought to be a healthier option and allows the smoker to enjoy their favorite past-time in virtually any location. Not only does it deliver nicotine to the smoker’s system, it also provides a realistic smoking experience that no patch, gum, or mint can deliver.

What is an Electronic Cigarette?
Referred to as an electronic cigarette, an e-cigarette, or a personal vaporizor, this new device looks very much like a real cigarette. It is tubular in shape and consistent in size with a standard cigarette. Some are white and can barely be distinguished from the real thing, while others are made to resemble a ball point pen. “Pen-style” electronic cigarettes can come in any color and may have some form of decoration.

How Does It Work?
An electronic cigarette consists of four basic parts: the mouthpiece, a heating element, a rechargeable battery, and controlling circuits. If the e-cigarette is a manual model, the smoker pushes a button to power the heating element that vaporizes the nicotine fluid stored inside the mouthpiece. The nicotine vapor is inhaled in the same way as smoke from a traditional cigarette. Automatic models include a sensor that activates the heating element as the smoker inhales. Instead of a flame, many models include a LED light on the end to indicate that the e-cigarette is in use. To add a little variety to the product, the LED lights are available in a wide variety of colors. Many smokers report that the flavor and physical sensations provided by an electronic cigarette are very similar to the real thing.

What’s in the Fluid?
The nicotine fluid is sold in cartridges used to easily refill the electronic cigarette. Common names for the solution include “e-liquid” and “e-juice.” They contain various amounts of nicotine, from no nicotine at all up to 54 mg per ml, suspended in either propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG). Both of these chemicals are considered safe and commonly used as food additives. Most nicotine fluids are flavored to simulate regular tobacco, menthol cigarettes, or specific cigarette brands, while others are flavored to taste like fruit, vanilla, or coffee.

Is it Expensive?
When they were first released, electronic cigarettes sold for $100 or more. Due to technological advances, the price has dropped while the quality has increased. Starter sets can be found for around $50. Many smokers find that spare batteries are nice to have in a pinch, and those sell for around $20. The nicotine fluid is the biggest ongoing expense, but those prices are also dropping. Once you purchase the electronic cigarette, you can expect using it to cost about the same, if not less, that smoking traditional cigarettes.

Where Can I Smoke an Electronic Cigarette?
In the United States, the legal system has not quite caught up with the electronic cigarette. Many states are working on laws to make it illegal to sell the products to a minor, while the FDA and the court system are still arguing about whether it should be regulated as a drug or a smoking product. At this point in time, smokers are enjoying their electronic cigarettes in venues like bars, restaurants, and planes where traditional cigarettes are thoroughly banned.

Is it Healthier than a Regular Cigarette?
Scientific studies are underway to determine if smoking electronic cigarettes are safe, but common sense would indicate that getting a nicotine fix without the harmful carcinogens found in normal tobacco smoke should be somewhat healthier. Of course, the nicotine itself brings its own health risks even without any smoke or tar. The American Association o