Electronic Cigarette is a Better Smoking Alternative:

Finding a Smoking Alternative:

Despite mounting to the evidence to the contrary, many are not convinced that smoking tobacco cigarettes is really as unhealthy as some might make it out to be. People frequently credit a relative or a friend of a friend who smoked three packs a day yet still lived to be ninety. Even with this type of anecdotal evidence, however, most individuals understand the dangers of tobacco cigarettes.

If you smoke tobacco cigarettes, you probably don't need to read the warnings printed on the side of the box to know that what you're doing can't be good for you. You know the dangers every time you cough. If you've been smoking for any time at all, you've probably also noticed that even a half a flight of stairs is enough to leave you short of breath. That's to say nothing of the stains on your fingers and teeth, or the wrinkles that have or will set into your face long before your time. Even if you have managed to ignore these signs that your own health is obviously declining, medical science has shown over time that cigarettes can rob the body of so much vitality.

Cigarettes contain hundreds of chemicals. Scientists have detected some pretty scary stuff in cigarette smoke including arsenic (rat poison), ammonia (glass cleaner), formaldehyde (embalming fluid), carbon monoxide (car exhaust), and hydrogen cyanide (also rat poison). Needless to say, ingesting even a few molecules each of all of these chemicals could seriously affect your health, and these chemicals can be found in varying concentrations in every tobacco cigarette.

While each of these chemicals is present only in trace amounts, with each cigarette, smokers receive a little more poison. As if that weren't enough, tobacco cigarettes have been scientifically linked with a long list of painful, unfortunate, and even terminal diseases. Not only are there obvious concerns like lung cancer, heart disease, hypertension, and emphysema, but there are also less deadly but more embarrassing conditions like impotence and sexual dysfunction.

Of course, if you're a smoker, you probably already knew all that. If nothing else, reading the government warning on the side of the pack should alert you that your habit is eating at much more than your pocketbook. Ironically, some anti-smoking experts believe that hearing about the health concerns associated with smoking causes smokers to become extremely nervous, which in turn makes them light another cigarette.

A Smoking Alternative:

Electronic cigarettes are a brand new way to smoke, a way to enjoy yourself. That's because they contain no tobacco and no actual smoke. Electronic cigarettes are a better smoking alternative that delivers nicotine to its users through a cloud of water vapor instead of a heavy chemical-ridden smoke. The vapor produced contains mainly three ingredients: nicotine, water vapor, and propylene glycol—an ingredient found in food coloring that helps to give the appearance of real smoke.

Compare that to the long and scary list of chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes, and it's easy to see why electronic cigarettes users are excited about the health benefits associated with switching to electronic cigarettes. Plus, because there's no flame involved with them, you can stop worrying about potentially burning your house down if you fall asleep in the middle of a cigarette.

Furthermore, electronic cigarettes users don't have to worry about yellowing fingers, teeth, and skin, and won't find their faces aged by their habit. Not only are electronic cigarettes better for you, but it's also better for those around you. You can quit worrying about the effects of second hand smoke on those you love. The vapor electronic cigarettes produces doesn't carry the same health risks that second hand smoke does, which can really help to put smoker's minds at ease.

Other Great Benefits:

After the initial start up cost, electronic cigarettes can save smokers an amazing amount of money. The equivalent of seven to ten packs of cigarettes costs less than fifteen dollars. In some states, ten packs of cigarettes can cost upwards of fifty dollars. How much would you save in a year? There are other benefits, too. Because the vapor emitted by electronic cigarettes is odorless and harmless, not only can you smoke in your own home without fear of yellowing the walls, but you may find that smoking in public loses much of it's social stigma. Once people realize how unlike tobacco cigarettes truly are, you may find that friends, employers, and restaurateurs don't mind your use of electronic cigarettes inside, even if they normally prohibit tobacco cigarettes.

The History of the Electronic Cigarette:

Tobacco cigarettes have an interesting history. People have been growing, harvesting, and smoking tobacco for hundreds of years. In fact, much of it occurred before America was a country. Sir Walter Raleigh is thought to have first popularized the use of pipe tobacco among the upper class. Although pipes were originally the only smoking method available, as more people began to smoke more often, other products such as the tobacco cigarette were introduced. From hand-rolled to pre-packaged, from multiple brands to dozens of flavors, it is clear that while tobacco cigarettes may undergo some changes, they will forever be ingrained into our culture.

Why do People Smoke?

Smoking tobacco is the quickest way to receive its effects, so it is no surprise that the most popular tobacco products involve the process of smoking. Not only is it the fastest way to deliver nicotine to the brain, but smoking also fulfills a psychological oral and tactile dependence. in addition the perceptions of cigarette smoking has changed as well As a response to the increased recognition of both the mental and physical reasons people smoke tobacco, a new alternative smoking device known as the electronic cigarette is gaining popularity.

First invented and marketed in China by the Golden Dragon Group, electronic cigarettes were patented as Ruyan, meaning "almost like smoke". This accurate name, combined with the ability to smoke in places where tobacco cigarettes are not allowed, helped quickly skyrocket the company and the product toward success. Since the Ruyan has always been available on the internet, it is not surprising that the idea of the electronic cigarette has spread to other parts of the globe.

It was not long before Greg Carson, a UK businessman, discovered the product and adapted it for the Western world. Marketed as the "Electro Fag" the product gained popularity across Europe, enough to prompt the English parliament to rule that this device was legal to use in places like restaurants and buildings where tobacco cigarettes were banned. Now, there are multiple electronic cigarette companies, almost all of which do the large majority of their business online.

While the Chinese and European companies still dominate the market to a certain degree, as other companies from around the world get involved, changes are being made to the idea on a regular basis. Having your choice of electronic cigarette providers means that you can find the best product to fit your needs. After all, not all electronic cigarettes are created equal; some start-up kits may be too expensive for those on a budget, and many cheap electronic cigarette imitations do not work well enough to fully replicate the sensation of smoking a tobacco cigarette.

How do Electronic Cigarettes Work?

Electronic cigarettes are made up of a few basic parts: a battery, an atomizer, and a nicotine cartridge. These three components snap together to physically resemble a cigarette in both width and length. When you inhale with the mouthpiece located at the end of the nicotine cartridge, an LED light at the other end of the cigarette simulates a flame. This orange light resembles the lit end of a tobacco cigarette and helps the atomizer to release vapor from the nicotine cartridge.

Although it is odorless and virtually harmless, this vapor feels a lot like tobacco cigarette smoke when inhaled, and it delivers the nicotine directly to your bloodstream, just like a tobacco cigarette. Unlike tobacco smoke, however, the vapor that you inhale and exhale is hardly dangerous. Most tobacco cigarettes contain over 400 known chemicals. The electronic smoking mixture is largely contains propylene glycol and water vapor, with a varying amount of nicotine. Cartridges come in 8, 6, 4, and even 0mg capacities, so no matter how much you are used to smoking, electronic cigarettes can replicate that exact level of nicotine with none of the added chemicals found in tobacco. Most of the long-term health effects associated with nicotine are actually caused by other chemicals in tobacco cigarettes. Even chewing tobacco leads to an increased risk of mouth and throat cancer, but since no tobacco is used in an electronic cigarette, none comes in contact with your gums or lungs.

Overall, other than the effects of nicotine alone -- which appear to be largely neural -- there is nothing dangerous about electronic cigarettes. While electronic cigarettes have been marketed primarily to smokers concerned about their health, one of the most popular features of the product is the fact that they allow you to smoke just about anywhere. No flame means no smoke, and that also means no second hand smoke. Most of the nicotine is absorbed by the lungs after inhalation, so the odorless substance that is exhaled consists of little more than water vapor and a food coloring additive that lends a more smoke-like appearance and texture. Electronic cigarettes pose no danger to even small children or those with breathing problems, so they are the safest tobacco alternative that currently exists.

Four Reasons To Smoke An Electronic Cigarette:

If you smoke tobacco cigarettes, odds are that you worry about the many downsides associated with your habit. After all, even if tobacco cigarettes didn't contain thousands of cancer causing chemicals and weren't sapping your health, there would still be several serious negatives.

Tobacco cigarettes yellow your teeth, hands and walls, and produce an offensive odor that can often cause the non-smoking population to avoid you. Anti-smoking laws have forced smokers to confine their habit to the smallest and most private of places.

Luckily, if you've been considering an alternative to tobacco cigarettes, you'll be pleased to learn about electronic cigarettes. Instead of burning tobacco, electronic cigarettes provide you the smoking enjoyment you're accustomed to by electronically atomizing nicotine into an odorless non-staining vapor. Electronic cigarettes are battery operated, and each starter pack comes with a charger and two batteries, so one is always charging while the other is in use. You never have to worry about dead batteries getting in the way of enjoyment.

Many smokers might not realize the positive impact switching to electronic cigarettes can have on their lives. If you've been considering an electronic cigarette, but you still need a few reasons, here are four great ones to switch to them.

Smoke Virtually Anywhere, Anytime You Have a Craving:

Let's face it - there are essentially only two kinds of public places in the world: those that have banned smoking and those that will eventually. While there will certainly be establishments that refuse to submit, if the current trend continues, it seems like smokers will soon have nowhere left to smoke legally.

However, because an electronic cigarette produces nothing but an odorless, harmless vapor, many establishments that refuse to allow tobacco cigarettes will have no problem with you enjoying a puff indoors. In fact, some trendy night clubs in London have already made this their official policy. Over time, it's likely that even more public places will allow electronic cigarettes.

One place you'll really notice the difference is when you're visiting a friend's house. Whereas it might have been poor taste to even ask a nonsmoker if you could smoke inside their home, once you're friends learn how truly inoffensive electronic cigarettes are, you'll probably be able to enjoy your friend's company throughout the night, without having to excuse yourself for a cigarette. Because you won't have to excuse yourself to step outside, you won't feel socially stigmatized for being a smoker. It's the perfect way to avoid smoking bans. Plus, you won't have to suffer through the heat, cold, snow and rain, just to satisfy your cravings.

No Second Hand Smoke from an Electronic Cigarette = No Health Problems for those Around You:

If the vapor from electronic cigarettes is safer for you, you can rest assured that it's also safer for those around you. No smoker likes to think that their second hand smoke could be a contributing cause to someone's illness, especially if that someone is a close relative or friend, but the odorless vapor produced by electronic cigarettes is far safer for those around you. In fact, the “smoke” that this electronic cigarette produces is actually more than ninety percent water vapor.

You don't have to feel guilty about the effects that second hand smoke might have on those around you. In fact, you can even use electronic cigarettes in the presence of children without exposing them to the potential health risks associated with second hand smoke. This is great news to parents who might be worried about the effect their tobacco cigarettes might have on their children.

No Yellow Teeth:

Every one wants to look their best, but for smokers, the habit can often get in the way because smoking cigarettes stains the teeth and fingers. Many smokers are self-conscious about their yellow teeth, but usually no amount of brushing can overcome the daily staining process that smoking tobacco cigarettes cause. For many, there seems little point in having their teeth whitened, only to watch them yellow again over time.

The vapor of electronic cigarettes won't turn your teeth ugly colors. With its three ingredients, and vapor like consistency, electronic cigarettes can help you reverse the cycle and look your best. Now when you meet people, they won't know that you smoke as soon as you open your mouth or smile. This can be a huge help not only in social settings, but in job interviews and other instances when looking and feeling your best is important.

Stop Smelling Like An Ashtray:

Finally, as if the rest weren't enough, this electronic cigarette is completely odorless. You can satisfy your cravings without smelling like a wet cigarette. Many nonsmokers are completely turned off by the smell of smoking. Now you can get kissably close to almost anyone, because electronic cigarettes can free you from the tell tale stench of tobacco. These are only four of the many reasons why people everywhere are turning on the benefits of switching to electronic cigarettes. When you've tried electronic cigarettes for yourself, don't be surprised at how many other great benefits you discover.

My Review of the Knight Sticks Electronic Cigarette:

www.knightsticks.com

(Be sure to click on "Terms and Conditions" at the bottom of the webpage and read the "fine print")

Knight Sticks is without a doubt the worst electronic cigarette I have tried so far.

Not only is it the most expensive one of them all, it is a really bad deal all around. When you sign up for their "Free Trial", they say they will send you the starter kit free of charge. All you need to do is pay for Shipping & Handling at the rate of $9.95 HINT: If you try to close the page, a pop up window will show saying all you need to do is pay $5.95 for a ten day trial period. Other brands offer much longer Free Trial periods.

It took six days for the starter kit to arrive, which left only four days to try the product. Then they will charge your credit card $99.90 and you won't be able to return the starter kit. It comes with only two nicotine cartridges, a battery unit, and a USB charging unit. It arrives in what looks like a regular cigarette pack made out of thicker cardboard than a normal Box type pack. There were no instructions in the Box, just a little card with tiny writing on it telling you the webpage to visit to see the user manual.

They only offer the nicotine flavored cartridge, and do not offer any options to select how many milligrams of nicotine. Green Smoke offers eight different flavors, and six different strengths so that you can wean yourself from the nicotine if you are trying to give up the habit all together.

The nicotine flavor tasted much more bitter than some of the other brands I've tried, and one of the two cartridges in the starter kit made a bubbling noise when I puffed on the cigarette and a foul tasting liquid spat out of the mouthpiece into my mouth.

After only the tenth charging cycle, the battery malfunctioned while I was charging it. When I unplugged the charging unit from a USB port on my computer it wasn't hot right away, but within a couple of minutes the end next to the charger got so hot I couldn't hold it without getting burned.

This happened last weekend, so I had to wait until today (Monday) to talk to Customer Service. They had never heard of a battery unit burning up like mine did, and were nice enough to send me a new starter kit for free. They said I won't have to pay for Shipping & Handling this time. I sure hope they don't try to charge me for this, and if they do they will not like what I have to say when I call them the next time.

This round of talking to Customer Service was a good one, but when I ordered my first round of additional cartridges a week ago, they messed up and forgot to take me off of the recurring billing cycle. I quite clearly asked them to take me off of this, and told them that I would call them when I wanted to re-order cartridges. Their replacement cartridges are a lot more expensive than other brands. You'll pay $59.85 for only fifteen cartridges (Green Smoke gives you twenty cartridges for the same price), and they don't last as long as the ones they send you in the starter kit.

Overall, their product is much more expensive than other brands, and has no options for ordering flavors or different nicotine levels. Other brands offer much longer Free Trial periods. The battery unit became defective in less than six weeks, and some of the cartridges were defective too. Customer Service was a call center, and not in house. While they were nice enough to talk to, they didn't do what I asked them to. Shipping took a lot longer than I had expected, and the packaging was kind of cheap. Their website is kind of cheesy, and hard to navigate. It is designed with the main focus on getting you to sign up for the Free Trial.

If they hadn't made good on sending me a new unit today, this product would have gotten a grade of a D+. As it stands now, I'll give them a C-, but if they don't fulfill the promises they made to me on the phone this morning it will go straight to an F-.

There are better brands out there that are much cheaper and offer many more options. I've had my Green Smoke unit for a couple of months now, and am very satisfied with everything about it. Shop around for the best deal before you buy the Knight Sticks brand. If I could return it and get my money back, I would...