Asked recently to write about electronic cigarettes, I have to confess that I had never heard about such a thing. Some internet research later and I discovered that electronic cigarettes are certainly much a quickly growing concern. A Google search revealed there's absolutely no smoke without fire as almost six million results just for the phrase "electronic cigarette" were returned.

What is definitely an electronic cigarette?

The electronic cigarette has been in existence for almost 3 years and is a clever device targeted at providing smokers with a healthier option. Apparently also useful in assisting to reduce and even quit smoking altogether.

Now in a fourth generation, electronic cigarettes have become a lot more user friendly than earlier versions which perhaps were a little too large to encourage a mass market appeal. The "mini" is the most realistic e cigarette to date with its length of 100mm being the same as a conventional cigarette.

An electronic cigarette contains a taste of tobacco but none of the harmful substances found in normal cigarettes allowing smokers cravings to be satisfied without inhaling the many dangerous toxins. Is it all smoke and mirrors? Or can this item really be the saviour it desires to be?

A battery, an atomiser as well as a renewable nicotine chamber allows the smoker to hold and smoke the electronic cigarette just as they would some other cigarette, even creating a "smoke" like vapour and glow at the end since they draw. The nicotine chamber proves very useful as cartridges are accessible in different strengths, permitting the user to reduce the total amount of nicotine they intake until whenever they wish, can quit completely.

A nicotine cartridge typically lasts the exact same time as 15 to twenty cigarettes, thus creating a massive saving to normal costs. Standard, medium, low and no nicotine at all will be the various cartridge strengths.

A healthier option altogether it appears, resources although the benefits do not end there. Due to the electronic cigarette not emitting any dangerous substances, toxins or real smoke for that matter, they're perfectly legal to smoke in public. In winter mainly, normal cigarette smokers have to brave the freezing cold and the rain just for a quick smoking break but this alternative will allow them to stay within their offices, restaurants and pubs.

None smokers also will benefit, as their worries about passive smoking are rendered null and void through the electronic cigarette. A much more sociable environment then!

Upon reflection the electronic cigarette is a healthier, cheaper and environmentally friendly alternative to smoking and as the awareness as well as the market grows they have great potential to successfully replace the harmful cigarettes we have all come to know and many of us have come to dread and fear.