A law was recently passed in Michigan, my home state, banning smoking in public places. Michigan is just one of many states that have put a stop to smoking in such places as bars, restaurants and most other public places where it was a commonplace occurrence to see someone sitting near you light up. So imagine my surprise when I saw someone smoking what looked suspiciously like a cigarette in a mall of all places. Immediately I became righteously indignant at the gall of the individual lighting up in a public place, around families with children and older people that were just enjoying their Saturday afternoon shopping excursions; especially with all of the information found in the news on the dangers of second hand smoke, not to mention the recently instituted ban.
However, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions so quickly before fully investigating the situation. The person I saw smoking was actually “smoking” an electric cigarette, or e-cigarette for short. Electronic cigarettes have actually been in the news quite a bit lately because of their growing popularity in the United States and the reaction of the FDA and others who have very strong opinions about e-cigs. But what are e-cigarettes?
E-cigs are smokeless cigarettes, which neither require a flame of any kind nor release any harmful fumes into the air. There are three basic components of any electronic cigarette starter kit: a battery, an atomizer and a cartridge. When an individual draws air into the device the atomizer releases a compound of nicotine, propylene glycol, water and some kind of flavoring, giving the “smoker” a hit of nicotine (the addictive substance found in traditional cigarettes). The smoker gets the nicotine his body craves without the carcinogens and harmful after effects on both himself and those in his general vicinity.
The Safe Cig starter kit can actually be more cost effective to the consumer as well. Once the initial electronic cigarette starter kit is purchased smokers can see huge savings by purchasing atomizers and refill cartridges from online retailers. This eliminates the exorbitant sales tax inherent in traditional cigarettes. Depending on the type of product bought and the frequency of use one cartridge can equal approximately up to a pack and a half of cigarettes. Some companies even sell cartomizers which is the atomizer and cartridge in one, saving smokers time and money by simplifying two parts into one. And consumers save on things like matches, lighters and ash trays as collateral costs.
Although there are still many divergent opinions on the virtues and dangers of electronic cigarettes and electronic cigars, one thing is for certain: they turn the issue of smoking bans into a moot point, because technically it’s not really smoking. So the individual I was so irritated with at a mall one sunny Saturday didn’t rightfully deserve my ire. Keep a look out in a public place near you though because you may need to do a double take to see if the smoker you see is really smoking. One thing is very clear though, e-cigarettes are an interesting alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes.
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