What is an Electronic Cigarette?
The E-Cig was first developed in 2003 by a Chinese firm, SBT. An Electronic Cigarette (E-Cig) is a device that uses electricity to vaporize a liquid (E-Liquid or Juice) to create a vapor that is inhaled similiar to smoke from a cigarette. Unlike a traditional cigarette nothing is burned and there are no ashes or cigarette butts to deal with.
An E-Cig consists of three components (some models combine the Atomizer and Cartridge into a single unit called a "cartomizer").
a) The Cartridge
The cartridge (sometimes referred to as a "cart") contains a porous poly-fill material that absorbs & holds the E-Liquid. This liquid or "juice" is transferred to and used by:
b) The Atomizer
The atomizer (aka "atty" or "att") is an electronic heating element that atomizes (vaporizes) the liquid into the vapor that simulates the smoke that is created by burning tobacco. The atomizer is powered by:
c) The Battery
The battery pictured is the Joye 510 manual battery, the battery unit consists of the battery, a switch and LED indicator at the end of the battery. Virtually all E-Cigs use a lithium rechargable battery.
Batteries come in two basic types, manual & automatic. A manual battery has a switch that is pressed by the user to energize and heat the atomizer. An automatic battery is activated by airflow and turns on automatically when the E-Cig is drawn on and off when the user stops inhaling on the cartridge.
Although the automatic battery is beneficial in some respects, particularly hands free operation, these benefits are far outweighed (in our opinion) by the vastly increased reliability and control that is offered by the manual battery. The Joye 510 & eGo Kits we offer comes exclusively with manual batteries and are completely sealed (unlike automatics). This means that you do not have to worry about juice leaking into & destroying your battery. The sealed manual battery is also conducive to "dripping" which is a technique where a cartridge is not used (or a cartridge with no filling is used) and the juice is dripped directly on the atomizer.
The LED indicator at the end of the battery lights when the atomizer is energized and also will flash when the battery is depleted and needs to be recharged.
It is important to note that atomizers and batteries do NOT last forever. In our experience the average usable life of an atomizer is about 2 weeks and a battery usually lasts about 2 months.
What is E-Liquid?
E-Liquid or "juice" is mostly comprised of three basic ingredients:
1) Propylene Glycol (PG) or Vegetable Glycerin (VG)
PG and VG are common compounds used in many household & food products such as toothpaste & shampoos. It is also commonly found in food colorings & mixes. It is used in these applications for the same purpose as it used in E-Liquid, to suspend or keep the other ingredients mixed and properly distributed. In E-Liquid the PG keeps the nicotine & flavorings suspended in the liquid. Propylene Glycol is categorized by the FDA as "GRAS", which stands for Generally Regarded as Safe, for inhalation.
2) Nicotine
The nicotine in E-Liquid is derived from tobacco. The strength of the nicotine in any given juice is measured in milligrams (mg) per milliliter (ml) and E-liquids are made in a variety of strengths from 36mg all the way down to nicotine free (no nicotine or 0mg). Generally:
36 mg = Very High/comparable to Non-Filter Cigarettes
24 mg = High/comparable to Full Flavored Filtered Cigarettes
12 mg = Medium Low/comparable to Medium or Light Cigarettes
6 mg = Low/comparable to Ultra Light Cigarettes
3) Flavoring
Flavoring is added to give the juice its taste. E-liquid is available in a dizzying array of flavors from the standard U.S.A. Mix (similiar to the big domestic brands) and menthol to chocolate, coffee and every fruit flavor imaginable. But this list just scratches the surface, juice is concocted and sold in just about every flavor you can think of...and some you wouldn't, or might not want to! (kung-pao chicken, anyone?).
You can also buy the ingredients and create your own juices. The DIY (do it yourself) juice is becoming increasingly popular and a part-time hobby to some & full time obsession to others.
What We Like & Don't Like About E-Cigs All in all we really like the exciting new technologies of Electronic Cigarettes & E-Smoking (or vaping as it is sometimes known). First it is extremely important to point out that Electronic smoking devices are relatively new and are NOT approved (or classified) by the FDA, nor does the FDA approve of them as a tobacco cessation/quit smoking devices and we make no claims regarding health issues.
However, there is no doubt on a few points. E-Cigs are significantly less expensive than "analogs" and they offer a range of flavors and varieties that tobacco cigarettes will never come close to. And they do not generate the odor, the messy ashes or butts that "analogs" do.
Are they for everyone? Simply...NO. The major drawback of E-Cigs is convenience. Truth is that E-Cigs require a bit of care, maintenance and are more work than simply lighting up a cigarette and throwing away the butt.
Are E-Cigarettes for you? Well there is only one way to know for sure, try E-Smoking for yourself & see!
Ahhh darn...there's the bell. Well we hope that you have found E-Cig 101 to be informative, impartial and most of all fun! For more information please see our E-Cig FAQ page. For a lot more information we suggest you check out the:
