An article I wrote a few days ago introducing e-cigs. I've seen a few of these for sale in Egypt, if you're interested in finding a location that sells them in Hurghada, please contact me and I can give you a few locations :).
What is an Electronic Cigarette?
You may have seen
one. A strange looking cigarette with an LED light at its tip that will often
light up red, blue or green. Electronic cigarette’s are the newest innovation
to hit the smoking market.
Electronic Cigarettes, or e-cigs as they are often called,
are made up of three parts. A battery that powers the e-cig, an “atomizer” that
vaporizes liquid, and plastic cartridge with a dual purpose. The cartridge’s
primary purpose is to function as the mouthpiece of the cigarette, and its
second purpose is to house the liquid that is the core that enables the e-cig
to work in the first place.
A Chinese pharmacist known as Hon Lik is widely considered
the inventor of the present-day electronic cigarette. A heavy smoker for
years, Hon Lik used to smoke up to three full packs
of cigarettes a day. It wasn’t until his father died of lung cancer, having
also been a heavy smoker, that Hon decided to kick the habit. It was this
decision that led to the creation of the e-cig.
Hon Lik promotes it as “a much cleaner, safer way to inhale
nicotine.” Like many smokers before him, the nicotine becomes the addictive
element of the cigarette, and overcoming that addiction provides the greatest
challenge. The negative health implications of smoking have been widely
documented, but Hon’s electronic cigarette throws these pre-conceived notions
on their head.
Firstly, with an electronic cigarette there is no smoke. In
fact, E-cigs don’t burn at all. The
plastic canister with the liquid holds nicotine which has been diluted into a
propylene glycol solution. With the use
of the lithium battery, it powers the atomization of the nicotine liquid
solution. This is then inhaled by the smoker from the mouthpiece, and when
exhaled it resembles cigarette smoke! It gives smoker’s the nicotine kick they
are looking for yet reduces the harmful effects that tar and other additives
that a normal cigarette would pose.
Electronic cigarettes hit the market in China in 2004, after
Hon Lik was awarded a patent for their creation in 2003. But it’s only recently
that they are being introduced into the United States’ market. One e-cig
carries a retail price of around 25$. Although that might sound expensive,
consider that one e-cig is said to contain the equivalent amount of nicotine of
up to four packs of regular cigarettes, so they do present as a cheaper
alternative.
One of the selling points of the electronic cigarettes these
days are that they deliver nicotine to smokers without the stress of gum, or
nicotine patches. They are designed to be fun, and come in a variety of styles
and flavors, including strawberry! E-cigs are also rechargeable. The plastic
cartridge containing the liquid nicotine can be replaced. The concentration of
the nicotine can also be altered, ensuring that each smoker gets exactly what
they are looking for.
The only downside to the electronic cigarettes in the minds
of many consumers may be that it is battery operated, and therefore will
require charging. The weight of the battery may also be a hindrance, as the
longer you want your e-cig to hold a charge, the larger the battery will need
to be. But aside from that, e-cigs are being met with great enthusiasm around
the world as modern-day alternative to cigarette smoking!
