We are already used to things such as patches or gum being used to help people stop smoking, but one new method is what is known as vaping. This is a term that you may not be familiar with, but it basically stands for inhaling nicotine as a vapor via an electronic cigarette.
In only a few years these electronic cigarettes have managed to gain a real foothold in the smoking market with them having successfully managed to drop the image of them being a bit quirky and not for real smokers. Now, you will find them in various shops and garages as their popularity continues to increase and more companies look at producing their own version to grab their market share.
Their success can also be put down to the way in which smoking in public places is now banned in so many areas, so where a bar used to be filled with cigarette smoke it is now filled with people vaping with non toxic fumes being released into the atmosphere. These electronic cigarettes allow people to get their nicotine hit without breaking any bans and will only continue to become more popular over the forthcoming years.
The cigarettes themselves have been around since 2004 and since then there have been countless numbers of people trying them with varying degrees of success. These rather simple items are run by their own battery which converts liquid nicotine into a vapor for the person to then inhale. However, the best part is that there are not additional toxins to concern yourself with making this a far healthier way to get your nicotine hit and indeed you do not have to worry about getting cancer as nicotine itself is not a carcinogenic.
Apart from being healthier to use it is also true that they are cheaper than normal cigarettes and you can expect it to only cost you around 15% of your normal weekly spend. The only problem is that the companies behind them to seem to enjoy lengthening the number of cigarettes that their electronic ones represent, so even if they say it lasts for the equivalent of 40 normal cigarettes do not be surprised if this is not the case.
However, there is a bigger issue here. The companies behind them are often guilty of making different claims, although they are careful not to claim that vaping is actually a way to stop smoking, but there are no actual pieces of evidence to back them up. This has been picked up by various health organizations around the world, but it is important not to write them off as they have undoubtedly helped people to quit. The good thing is that there are some health professionals that do claim they are a good alternative to normal smoking as they do argue that nicotine should only be on a par with the likes of caffeine.
So how popular are they? They estimate that around 10% of smokers have now switched and this has led to major tobacco companies such as Marlboro looking at making their own versions. There are new brands coming out on what appears to be a monthly basis, but with this increase in popularity there has to be some regulations put into place. The UK is leading the way and it is hoped that the EU will press ahead with reforms that will regulate things such as flavors and the marketing of these electronic cigarettes. One thing that is certain is that different industries have to get their act together soon before too many mistakes on vaping are made that are then too large and numerous to be corrected.