Electronic cigarettes have a short history as they were introduced in 2003 by the SBT Co. Ltd. of Beijing, China. After the first launch, Ruyan developed the electronic products further and introduced electronic cigarettes to the European market at a 2006 Austrian conference. Marketing promotions assigned the name “Electro fag” to electronic cigarettes.
Initially, the e-cig was not meant as a replacement for tobacco but as an alternative nicotine delivery system to be used where tobacco smoking was not allowed. The purpose was simply to ease the nicotine cravings of smokers during periods when smoking was not an activity they could indulge in. Overly promotional marketers quickly began referring to e-cigarettes as a method to help the public stop smoking. Manufacturers recognized the danger of making such claims and disapproved of the ads. The World Health Organization issued a statement condemning the portrayal of electronic smoking products as a cure for smoking as benefits and risks of e-cigarettes had not been tested.
Some smokers think of their e-cigs as a hobby but not a habit. Online forums for “vapers” (those who use electronic cigs) heatedly discuss the merits of one brand over another, the strength of various e-liquids and argue about which e-cig provide the highest volume of vapor to the smoker.
Initial products attempted rather unsuccessfully to mimic the appearance of tobacco cigarettes. As the e-cig has become a product in its own right those designs have been joined by colored and brightly decorated models and with e-cigarettes displaying logos. The electronic products that do resemble standard smokes are much more realistic in detail than those early products on the market.
In 2009, electronic cigarette suppliers formed their own trade association with a goal of providing factual information about electronic cigarettes and correcting misinformation spread by others. The focus is to promote electronic smoking as an alternative to smoking tobacco.
A significant amount of opposition has been aimed at electronic cigarettes by tobacco and pharmaceutical companies and the powerful lobbies that represent them in Washington, D.C. Bowing under pressure from these large corporations, the FDA has issued statements against e-cigarettes and last year imposed a ban on imports of the product from China. Recent court decisions may help counter the FDA’s policies and limit the ability of the lobbies to influence decisions of a government agency.
Tobacco companies and pharmaceuticals have been quick to spread misinformation about the effects of e-smoking. Amazingly, companies that sell the most dangerous consumer product available to the public are expressing concern about the safety of electronic cigarettes and the effect e-cigs might have on public health.
The two piece disposable cartridge design is a recent innovation in the electronic cigarette market. After about 400 puffs, which is the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes, the smoker simply unscrews the spent mouthpiece and screws on a new cartridge pre-filled with nicotine solution. No cleaning is needed, no e-liquid is required and changing the cartridge is as easy as opening a cigarette pack.
Electronic cigarettes may have a short history but there is a huge potential market for these products. Demand continues to increase as more information about the safety and improved quality of the best electronic cigarettes becomes available to the smoking public.
Mary Kay Rivers has become an expert in the field of electronic cigarettes. Her articles about an interesing story of the FDA and e-cigs or about the best e-cigarette are well-known.
Tags: Addiction, electronics, gadgets, Health, Inventions, Lifestyle, Medicine, Other, Products, Quit Smoking, Stop Smoking