The Quest For The Perfect Electronic Cigarette.
Since 2009, I have been looking for the perfect substitute to an analog cigarette. I am still searching very vigorant for that electronic cigarette that will wow me to no avail. I have tried several model and I believe I have come close, yet there is always something missing.
Anyone that has come in contact with this electronic wonder, and has taken the plunged, know how vital and important is to find “the one”. There are only three major points that the electronic cigarette has to satisfied.
1- Taste
2- Value
3- Balance
Before we go thru these major points let’s do a brief history of the electronic cigarette and how far it has progress in its development as we know it today.
History of the Electronic Cigarette
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Herbert A. Gilbert, in 1963 invented the first electronic cigarette but never got off the ground, until Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist, invented and perfected the first generation electronic cigarette that was in 2000. By 2004 it was introduced as an aid to stop smoking to the Domestic Chinese Market. Before acquiring an International Patent in 2007, the company Mr. Lik worked for (Golden Dragon Holdings) aka Ruyan was already exporting the electronic cigarette as early as 2005. By 2013 several tobacco companies launch their version of the electronic cigarette. Ahead of the games was taken by Loillard ( one of the major tobacco companies) when they purchase Blu Electronic Cigarettes.
The Mechanic of the electronic cigarettes is simple:
one battery, an atomizer, and a cartridges fill with liquid consisting of nicotine, flavor of choice and propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin, both components dilute the nicotine and assist in the fabrication of the smoky or vapor effect, which is important factor to a real smoker.
There is a strong debate between the two PG or VG amount and usage in the electronic cigarette market. No one knows for sure, which one is safer than the other one. So called experts have mix opinion on the matter, based on the actual usage of these products. PG and VG are safe when use in its correct contents, we use these products every day and we consume them as well in toothpaste, cake mix, food coloring and so on.
Each product help to produce the smoke or vapor that is substantial to the success for the electronic cigarette to work. The different of the two is simple, while PG helps maintain the consistency of the flavor cartomizer, the amount of smoke is greatly reduce and it burns slower. So the smoking effect last a very short time. The VG, has a greater smoke, the taste is less and it burns quicker, so your cartomizers life is very short. The ideal production would be a 80/20 solution or even 50/50. However, based on the cost of producing an organic based chemical in laboratory and another obtain from plants oil it’s where the consumer suffers on the quality and expectation of the product.
The Taste
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The taste is a very big issue, if it doesn’t taste like a cigarette then it’s not a cigarette. Your taste buds have become a custom to the different flavors an analog cigarette has. We are all well aware the average cigarette doesn’t only has tobacco, nicotine and flavor, but it also has the other 4,000 cancerous ingredients such as;
paint, battery acid, rat poison, antifreeze, lead, butane, ammonia, and arsenic.
If you have been a long term smoker, you very well know, that the first “drag” of that cigarette might have that clear tobacco or menthol taste. Once you take the second hit, your taste butts are numb and all you can taste and feel is an acidly, burn taste. Over all, all you are really looking for its the satisfying emotion of the nicotine in your blood streams giving you the overwhelm feeling of calmness and tranquility.
The electronic cigarette tries to do the same, a course, without the 4,000 other ingredients. Electronic cigarettes companies, give you flavor in vast variety, from chocolate, to fruity, to the standard of regular tobacco and menthol.
Some of us complain that after several times of “vaping”, the term use instead of saying smoking. We do experience, non-flavor, and even a strong burn taste. “Vapors” also experience, the nicotine hit is not consistence with the analog cigarette; therefore, rendering the effect of pure satisfaction. It is well known fact, nicotine is tasteless, it has no flavor and it is odorless. What we have become a custom to is the, awful burn smell of the cigarette and the awful taste of it as well. Not to mention how fast it kick in into our systems and our brain gives of the “high five” sign we have control once again of our nicotine addiction.
Yes, nicotine is addictive, very addictive. The addiction is what we control every single day. We feel is okay, because it’s a legal drug. Nevertheless, it is still a drug. It kills and it can complicate your, blood pressure, diabetes, vascular systems and it can and will lead to cancer. It is no joke, you will die of cancer, respiratory failure, and complication with your other disease. If you choose to continued smoking.
The alternative is by many the electronic cigarette. Many have tried and fail to “kick the habit”. Saying it’s too hard, the withdrawal symptoms are extremely hard to control, weight gain is another major factor, and the unsuccessful attempt to control the habitual habit of smoking. Meaning, what to do with our hands and mouth, when there is the
uncontrollable urge to smoke. Eating a candy, biting your nails, chewing on a pencil or a pen doesn’t do it.
The smoking habit is a combination of mental and physical habit. The mechanics of smoking, involves all your five sensors. Fooling or controlling, one or three out of the five sensors doesn’t work. That is the reason, why we as smoker, fail and continued the habit.
The electronic cigarette does all this and more. It mimic the mechanic of smoking. It’s able to fool your five sensors into thinking you are actually smoking.
You see the smoke (water vapor), you fully taste, and slightly smell your choice of flavor, you even see a red glow at the end of your cigarette, you are actually doing the mechanic of smoking by holding the cigarette and putting it on your lips, you feel like your actually smoking, and it does control your addiction. Therefore, it accomplishes all your objectives. For many, this is the safe and healthy alternative to actually smoking.
You are not giving off second hand smoke, because it is water vapor. You are not offending others by the smell, your clothes doesn’t smell, you have assist of being a fire hazard to your self and many. You are not leaving a over all impression of yourself at hotel rooms, cars, restaurant, apartments and homes. No more butts everywhere, dirtying the streets and your surrounding, not to mention you are not a walking perfume or cologne store.
No more yellow teeth, nails and even burn clothes. You have accomplished all your goals and you still have the right and satisfaction of smoking.
Like I said before, flavor is a very key point in all of this. Tobacco companies for years have always offer two flavors. Either regular tobacco or menthol in variety of nicotine strength, full flavor, lights, ultra lights.
The size of the cigarette as well, regulars (shorts), 100’s, 120’s……filter or non-filter, and for those that are even pickier, soft pack or box. A very simple uncomplicated variety of cigarettes and brands to choose from.
The electronic cigarette companies, knew this was going to be a challenge. The taste of their electronic cigarette was never going to come close to the same taste as their counter part. Since the ingredient are not the same.
Instead the offer more flavors such as vanilla, coffee, cola, peach, cherry, mint, their version of tobacco and menthol flavor as well in the strength by percentage of nicotine. From 0 nicotine to as high as 36 mg of nicotine.
These companies were very well aware that the nicotine intake or how fast your brain was going to register that feeling of satisfaction was going to take longer.
An average analog cigarette takes about 3 to 5 seconds to hit the effect of satisfaction, the electronic cigarette takes about 8 to 12 seconds to take the same effect. The rush is different, the taste is different, and the strength or volume of the nicotine hitting your blood stream will be different as well.
Many new electronic cigarettes smokers notice this right away, causing them to use their new devised more, than it is recommended and they do get sick from it. To put a handle on this many companies will tell you and educate you that their devise will blink a number of time telling you you have over use their product.
Remember this is a new learning process for everyone.
Once you have over come these obstacle and have found your new desire flavor and strength you are home free to vapor (smoke) as usual.
Value
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It is a well-known fact, that cigarette smoking has become expensive. An average pack of cigarettes can cost you between $6 to $11 per pack, depending where you live. A very nasty and costly habit. Depending on how much you smoke, where and how offend, you are consuming about a pack, or even worst, 2 packs of smokes a day. If you do
the math, you are spending the same amount of money you can use to pay for a new car, go on that vacation you always dream to have.
I truly believe this is where most of all fall into this category. The expense of it, its just too much these day.
Electronic cigarettes companies sell you the illusion that their cigarettes will save you money. For the price of their product you can still continued to enjoy your smoking habit and save money. Great idea, however, its a bit misguided.
Lets do some math. While the average cigarette pack cost about $6. You get 20 cigarettes of your old reliable. Great satisfaction and you are spending about $360 per month on your habit, that is $4,320 per year.
Now, with the electronic cigarettes you can cut the cost by half or even spend only 1/4 of what you regular spend still getting the great taste and satisfaction of a good smoke.
A new user will have to experiment at first to find the right electronic cigarette, by try and error. The new user will have to learn what is more convenience, sanitary wise, and easy to carry. Not to mention what style and flavor agrees with their new form of habit.
Starter packs will run you between $15 to $150 to find the right one for you. This is a one time expense, finding the right flavor is the other challenge, as well as determining the right size of the battery that you are going to use.
If you don’t want to deal with all of that you can purchase an non-chargeable electronic cigarette and dispose of it when it finish, then you most purchase another one. While your rechargeable counterpart, all you have to worry is about having enough batteries available, and enough cartomizers (cartridges) at your disposal for your daily fix.
Finding the right value for your money can be expensive at first. Electronic companies make the promise for the same price of a pack of cigarette you can purchase an equivalent of 5 cartomizers which will equal to a carton of regular (analog) cigarettes depending on the user. Well if you puff, twenty times per day, light puff, you might be able to accomplished this task. The solution to this delima, by these companies is you are vaping too much or you are a heavy smoker, so depending on your regular habit this equation may vary. Which in reality is true.
You will vape too much, because your body hasn’t adjusted to the mechanic of vaping as of yet. You do not actually see the end of your smoking cycle, since your cigarette is not reduced to ashes, so you tend to keep on smoking.
You as a new user is still experimenting with the amount of nicotine your body need to keep your withdrawal symptoms at bay. In terms with a regular cigarette all you know is, the quick rush you get, your cigarette is over when it burn to its very end, you had a full flavor cigarette or light, menthol or non and it took you on an average 10 minutes to attempt to smoke it.
On the other hand, you are finding it really nice the freedom of smoking in your house again and not outside.
You are even smoking in your car again. You can smoke in bed for those who like the idea. You don’t have to miss the movie or even a commercial because you can smoke anywhere again and not feel guilty.
As much as this might be true, in reality the myth that an cartomizer does last a pack of cigarette is still not true.
Then length of the cartomizer and the amount of nicotine liquid it hold inside it equal to 5 to 7 cigarettes worth, that is all. Heavy smoker or not, this is all you get.
I personally, use 3 cartomizers a day, with my brand of choice at this time. The cartomizers cost me $20 for a pack of 10 giving me a value of $2 per cartomizers. If the myth was real of being equal to a pack of cigarettes, I would be saving $4 per pack, but since I use 3 per day, the cost is still $6 per day, same as the regular cigarettes.
What I was able to see is, that instead of being a 2 pack a day user(regular cigarettes), I have become a pack a day user(electronic cigarettes). Making me see that I have cut my habit in half so therefore, I am saving money.
It is up to me, to save more money and reduce my cartomizers uses by a 1/3 and I can save even more money.
Another factor is the consistency of these cartomizers, sometimes you will get some cartomizers that do not taste the same or last the same. It can be because there isn’t much quality control in production, the cartomizers were defected from the start, the cartomizer had dry out or even the shelf life can also be a factor. You have to be careful with choosing the company you buy from.
Another issue its how available is the product, if you can go anywhere and pick up your brand, then you are in luck.
If you have to wait 5 days for your shipment to arrive be prepared to stack up so you won’t run out.
Be diligent with pricing, sometimes at your local retail store the price may be more than the online store price and vise versa as well as the quantity available for purchase.
Always have a back up, just as your cigarette brand. Just in case your brand is unavailable, you have run out for some reason, are away on a long or even a short trip, you can always relied on your alternate choice.
I personally have two alternate, one by the same brand as my first choice, its counter part as my second choice and the famous blue light special at its the young generations trend. Menthol is my choice, and the nicotine consistency of 1.8% of nicotine (18mg) seems to work for me great. Not much into fruity trends, but I do enjoy vanilla or classic tobacco from time to time.
Balance
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I always told my children this, “If you see everyone jumping out of a window, please ask first why, before attempting to do so yourself…..”
The Balance fall into the public hands. The actual consumer is the actual decision maker here. What may work for one individual may not work for another. You see hundreds of different brands of cigarettes out there, all its based on your taste and usage of the product.
While a light social smoker would benefit from a product which doesn’t give you a lot for your money and its more than a novelty, and a trend then you know which one is better for you, like the brand blu. Which consist of a slim or shorter battery, great vapor, good taste when you use it right and price is about average.
For the medium ground user, that are trying to quit the habit all together and are looking for a quick fix, when that craving is too much to handle. There are also alternative that fall very good in those lines. Disposal types are there for you as well, like the brand Logic, Njoy, and others.
For the heavy smoker, who is not looking to quit and its only tired of the hostility of the non-smoker and wants to be left in peace. A longer battery, a rechargeable unit, and a great taste is just what you are looking for. Brands like, Mistic, Neo, Premier, South Beach, VG2 and so on should be your ticket.
The curious crowd, that feel up to the challenge and feel they are not hurting anyone by vaping, and have never, ever smoke an analog cigarette. My advise is don’t.
Smoking or vaping is not cool. It not fun and it doesn’t help you, and its not healthy.
You are spending money, you are addicted to nicotine and you have just change your vise for another.
The Tobacco Companies are still making money. You are just dying slower and maybe from another cause.
This will be none as more and more research is conducted to see what is the long term effect of the electronic cigarette. For now, its a new trend, its hip, and its widely use by million to stop smoking or for “safety” decrease the second-hand smoking effect, that has been claimed for years.
Personally, never believe in that second-hand smoking rubbish. I would have to smoke in someone face everyday, constantly, 24 hours a day, in their face to cause them harm as its has been claimed.
I am a smoker. I like to smoke. I enjoy the privilege to smoke. I like to smoke where and when I choose to smoke and I do this without any remorse or guilt. By choice, I have never been a social smoker, nor a trend setter, and I do not like to smoke in restaurant, close buildings, in my car or even in bed. So I really do not miss these things,
that has been set as the smokers right to smoke and getting their freedom back from smoking.
Why I chosen to go the electronic wave, its economical, it at peaces my husband’s family and I have adjusted well to my analog counter part the electronic cigarette.
Will this trend become the new norm, will more and more people accept the smoker, as the new “vapor”? Will business sees us not as a risk, but as an assets once again? Will we be stop from being segregated from public buildings, and establishment. Will the smoker stop being blame from polluting the air and creating more garbage .
Can we ever win the battle of the right to smoke?
This is where it gets tricky, since this a new innovation, there is still a lot of ground to cover. Many still say, or worry about the effect of second hand vaping. Many businesses and companies are still not sure how to handle this new craze and people are still offended by the illusion of smoking. Electronic cigarette companies, have tried to
educated the public with advertisement in magazine and even T.V. letting consumer know, this is harmless and it has no ill effect on you. For the non-smoker, this is an answer, to their rights to the offensive, harmful, analog cigarette. To the smoker, its a clear medium to their need and rights as a smoker. Yet, the right to vape anywhere is a
myth, since you cannot. Many state and local governments, and municipalities still site with the non-smoker and are making/changing the grounds rules where electronic cigarettes can be use yet the battle has not even begun.
The Poor American 