Basic Information About Electronic Cigarettes (E Cigs Info)

There are over 4,000 chemicals in a traditional tobacco cigarette, dozens of which are known to cause cancer. An electronic cigarette (or "e-cig" for short) is a battery-powered device which delivers the sensation of smoking, sometimes along with a hit of nicotine, to a smoker without the cancer-causing agents found in a regular cigarette. The action of using an electronic cigarette is called "vaping" since it is a vapor, not smoke, that is created by the device.

The electronic cigarette device is typically powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, like a cell-phone battery. Once activated, the battery powers a heating element called an atomizer. The atomizer heats a liquid (called e-liquid, e-juice, or vape juice) which produces a water-vapor which is inhaled, then exhaled, like cigarette smoke. If the liquid contains nicotine, the inhalation process will deliver a hit of nicotine to the body. Electronic cigarettes come in a wide variety of sizes, weights, and colors depending on the manufacturer, and may have customizable options like manual batteries, high-or-low ohm atomizers, and different mouth pieces to adjust the vapor strength to the user's satisfaction.

Electronic cigarettes can be used anytime a traditional cigarette is desired, and often times when and where tobacco cigarettes are prohibited. Smokers trying to quit cigarettes may use an e-cig when the craving for smoking strikes, to engage in process of smoking and to receive nicotine (if the user chooses a nicotine e-liquid) to curb the craving while avoiding the carcinogens in a real cigarette. Unlike some smoking cessation medications and methods, you can still smoke traditional cigarettes while using an e-cig system. Because electronic cigarettes contain no tobacco, produce no harmful second-hand smoke, and do not use fire or combustion to power the device, sometimes e-cigs are permitted in establishments like restaurants, bars, and hotels, where smoking is prohibited.

Smokers - be they doctors, teachers, celebrities, salesmen or students - are using e-cigs as a satisfying alternative to smoking. Whether they want to quit smoking, reduce the amount they smoke, or just be able to smoke many places where cigarettes and tobacco are no longer allowed, an electronic cigarette can accommodate the habits and cravings of a smoker without actually having to smoke a cigarette.

Electronic cigarettes are rapidly growing in popularity, and if you haven't seen one yet you probably will soon. This hub was composed to give you a basic understanding of what an e-cig is, why people use it, and when and where it can be used.

**The information presented here should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning a new regimen.**