However, the American Council on Science and Health is claiming that the results were flawed, and is puzzled as to why these so called studies ignore how dangerous actual smoking is.

Dr Gilbert Ross of ACSH says that anything that is inhaled affects the airways, and this has nothing to do with major lung problems such as cancer or emphysema.  There is absolutely no reason to think that there would be any long term harm caused by the airway changes after using e-cigs.  He also wonders how the changes were actually measured.

No comparisons were made between the changes to airways from smoking tobacco cigarettes and between the changes after using e-cigs, and because of this the doctors at ACSH believe that the research was invalid.

It is a well know fact that e-cigs eliminate the user’s exposure to the thousands of carcinogens known to be present in tobacco smoke.  Furthermore e-cigarettes also avoid second-hand smoke and all the risks associated with that.

The Harvard researchers concluded that rather than using e-cigs as a means of helping to quit smoking, people should stick to the more common methods, presumably things like nicotine patches and gum.  However, Dr Ross of ACSH, who clearly favours e-cigs as a method of trying to stop smoking, said that those methods which are currently approved only have a success rate of 5 to 10%.

It seems clear which method Dr Ross would recommend – electronic cigarettes.

The first one concerns the possible use of e-cigarettes by school pupils.  Local parents and teachers have listed alcohol, drugs, tobacco and e-cigs as items of danger for young people.  They would like State leaders to take the matter seriously.  Apparently nearly 8% of 12th graders say they have tried e-cigs.  This is certainly something that should be of concern.  E-cigs in America contain nicotine, and nicotine is an addictive substance as any smoker knows only too well.  It would be wrong for young people to experiment with e-cigs because this might then lead them on to smoking tobacco, which is a far more lethal substance.  Tobacco is known to contain thousands of carcinogens, and these are the cancer causing ingredients, not the nicotine.

Many believe that although nicotine is addictive it is no more dangerous than caffeine, but becoming addicted to nicotine will almost certainly lead young people into tobacco products.  Therefore parents and teachers have every right to be concerned.

There has been limited research done on e-cigs.  The American Cancer Society has refrained from taking a stance on e-cigs for this reason.  Unsurprisingly the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has failed to classify e-cigs as a nicotine replacement therapy, and has left them in the category of tobacco product, which seems to me to be a nonsense.  E-cigs therefore remain in limbo.

However, there can be few people who would disagree that e-cigs should not be sold to young people, and e-cig distributors must do everything in their power to stop this happening.

At the same time as this news emerged from Utah, the Utah Vapors Association claims that it is being unfairly treated because local government also wants to place e-cigs in the same category as tobacco.  In a statement they said, “The vapour that comes from an electronic cigarette is just that, it’s water vapour.  It’s no different from vapour that comes from a humidifier in a department store  display.”  They want the freedom to use electronic cigarettes anywhere and at any time.

One thing is certain, and that is that no-one working on this site has any interest in an electronic cigarette company and as such we hope to provide impartial advice and and  information, and of course if any new  news emerges we hope to get it out to you as soon as possible.

We are always pleased when new studies are done in connection with the e-cig, and are constantly asking for more research to be undertaken, because we really do believe that electronic cigarettes are the future for smokers.  We believe them to be safe, otherwise we wouldn’t be promoting them on this site.

The Electronic Cigarette Association feels the same way, and it is made up of a group of businesses who make and distribute e-cigarettes. They would like the e-cig to be known as “an alternative to a known killer”, in other words as an aid to quitting smoking.  They definitely do not want them to be known mainly as an accessory for non-smokers and particularly children, or as a temporary substitute to tobacco in order to beat the smoking ban.  However, although some health authorities do acknowledge that e-cigs have got to be better than the alternative, no-one will actually say they should be used as such, in other words like other nicotine replacement therapies.  It is so frustrating.

We will feel we have achieved something when these great little devices are classed in a similar way as other smoking cessation products.

Because of smoking bans the passive smoker these days is usually a family member, or friend of a smoker, who is stuck with the people around them who smoke in the house or car.

Non-smokers are thankful that these days, most places where people gather together for work or socialising now ban smoking, so other people’s smoke is not a problem.

Unfortunately some smokers can be quite selfish and do not care or do not realize just how much harm they are doing to those around them. For example, parents who still smoke at home must be aware of the dangers of passive smoking and the possible long term damage they can do to their children.

There are, of course smokers with a conscience out there, and they may have struggled for years to try and stop.  Smoking is an addiction, and as such very hard to quit.  They may have tried and patches, gums and sheer will-power many times, so how about trying electronic cigarettes now?  There is nothing to lose, they even work out cheaper than conventional cigarettes.

E-cigs don’t have the foul smell of tobacco cigarettes and the harmless water vapour that is produced soon disappears into thin air!

The thousands of successful users of e-cigs will say that they give the same satisfaction as a tobacco cigarette but are much more socially acceptable.  Better for the smoker’s health, as well as, even more importantly, for those around them.

It is likely that a smoker will be away from work around 4 days a year more than a non-smoker.

Shocking statistics from the States show that the average cost in loss of productivity for a non-smoker is US$2,600, for an ex-smoker the sum is US$3,250 and for smokers it amounts to US$4,400.

Much of the time lost to businesses is due to smokers taking longer than an average coffee break so that they can go outside and have a cigarette, joining the ranks of sad looking souls outside office buildings.

So, if an employer is looking for a new recruit, who would they choose, a smoker or a non-smoker?  Everyone knows the answer to that one.  However, it is not always possible to tell who is a smoker and who is not, and the interviewee is unlikely to admit to being a smoker.  Asking such a question would probably be seen as an infringement of someone’s human rights.

The question therefore arises, would switching to e-cigarettes be the answer to this problem?

The electronic cigarette would meet the needs of a smoker, and put an end to smoking breaks, because e-cigs can be used anywhere.  This would avoid time lost and make for better productivity, not to mention better health.  Extensive use of e-cigs in the workplace could save companies major healthcare costs.

With economies struggling as they are, the use of e-cigs in the workplace could be good for many other countries too.

However, the main reason for quitting smoking has got to a health issue.  People who make the change from tobacco to e-cigs feel and look better, and this helps them to have a really positive outlook on life.

Some of their success can be put down to celebrity endorsement, with many well known names sporting an e-cig.  Some of those names are well known around Hollywood and around the world.  People like Kate Moss ( who has been trying to quit smoking for some time now), Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp and Lindsay Lohan, along with many others have all been spotted ‘smoking’ e-cigs.

The celebrity’s fans are always keen to emulate their heroes, and this has accounted for many more ordinary people being aware of the e-cig and it’s advantages.

At the same time many smokers are looking to lead a healthier life and have been looking for alternatives to tobacco cigarettes.  Nothing could be more suitable for a change in lifestyle than the electronic cigarette.  Some choose them simply because they are cheaper than tobacco and then discover just how good they are.  Others choose them so that they can continue to smoke in public places and then find that they prefer them.  Others choose them to fill the gap between cutting down their heavy cigarette consumption and quitting the deadly weed altogether.  Whatever the reason they are proving to be a huge success.

Manufacturers are finding their production levels have risen sharply, and most of the brands around these days have been thoroughly tested and have stood the test to time, so that quality and safety is guaranteed. E-cigarettes offer a real chance to to improve the health of millions.  Nothing that was available prior to e-cigs emergence onto the market came anywhere near to doing just that.

New Year Resolutions are notoriously broken, often quite soon after January 1st, so with children back at school, or about to go back to school, now could be the time to concentrate on achieving a better future for yourself and your family.

There are many ways to try to kick the smoking habit and most of you will have tried them before.  If you’ve tried them and then crept back to smoking, then they clearly did not work for you.

So if you are looking at this site, then now is certainly the time to try electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs are they are more commonly known.

Tobacco claims the lives of thousands of people around the world each and every day.  Judging by the success of e-cigs in the few years they have been around, it looks like e-cigarettes are the future of smoking.

In some countries they contain nicotine, in some countries they are available but without the nicotine.  Both have their merits.  For many people giving up smoking is difficult because of their addiction to nicotine.  This can be slowly reduced in the e-cig, until there is no need for any nicotine and the user can be confident that they have kicked the habit for ever.  E-cigs without nicotine also have their uses.  The second big problem for people trying to quit is the hand to mouth experience of smoking, and of having something to hold in the hand.  E-cigs look and feel just like the real thing.  They can be used anywhere.  So if you were used to smoking in pubs and clubs, but had to stop because of smoking bans, then now is the time to go back and experience that old feeling of smoking while socialising.

Tobacco cigarettes contain carcinogens, which are cancer causing, e-cigs contain no carcinogens, so give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.

E-cigs which are composed of a rechargable battery, a cylinder shaped device with a flavoured liquid inside, is then inhaled like a real cigarette and a vapour is exhaled which does not contain any toxins, the by-product being just a water vapour.

However, although the e-cig is known to have helped a huge number of people quit smoking, it is only getting by the health authorities in Australia because it cannot be marketed as a smoking cessation device, and because it does not contain nicotine.  In most parts of the world, e-cigs do contain nicotine, which can be reduced gradually to help the user overcome their nicotine addiction.

The owner of the shop in Windang, says that the many Hollywood endorsements of e-cigs seen recently, together with word of mouth recommendations have helped the sales considerably.

He further states that many of his sales are coming as a result of doctors referrals.  A local doctor has been quoted as saying that e-cigs do not cause heart attacks or lung cancer, and although the long term effects are not known, at least the ex-smoker is likely to live long enough to find out if there are any!

The Department of Health in Australia is considering whether it should regulate e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products, but seems undecided if any review will include nicotine-free products.

This news was in fact hinted at in May 2011 when it was suggested that e-cigs might be a good substitute for tobacco cigarettes, but now for people living in New Zealand, this may mean that smokers will be able to use the e-cigarette anywhere without fear of prosecution or of endangering the health of others with second-hand smoke.

It is unclear as to how far the Ministry of Health has actually gone towards relaxing their attitude to e-cigs.  In May 2011 an announcement was made to MP’s stating that e-cigs were far safer than smoking tobacco.

However, at the time it did not give full approval, it merely opened up the possibility for further investigations.  The debate was as to whether e-cigs should be given full approval as an aid to stopping smoking, or whether, as has also been discussed in the USA, they should be treated as a recreational product like tobacco.

As things stand, e-cigs, in New Zealand as well as in Australia, are not allowed to contain nicotine.  Many people do use them as an aid to quitting smoking, but as nicotine addiction is one of the main problems associated with stopping smoking, it is a question of them being used as a ‘smoking experience’ rather than something to help the addiction.  Of course, there is nothing to stop people using other nicotine replacement therapies in conjunction with e-cigarettes.

Anyone who smokes knows that they are not doing their health any good, and they may have tried many different ways to quit in the past, usually unsuccessfully.  The statistics show that most traditional methods, things like nicotine patches, often fail, leaving the smoker frustrated and disappointed.

So for any smoker out there who wants a better and healthier future it is probably time to try e-cigarettes.

The internet is full of success stories from people who have tried many different ways to stop smoking, all without success, and then they heard about e-cigs from a friend or read something about them somewhere, and decided to give them a try.  The success rate is truly amazing.

Electronic cigarettes look and feel just like a tobacco cigarette and that gives them an advantage to start with.  Holding a cigarette in the hand is so much part of the smoking experience that people trying to quit find not having anything to hold almost as difficult as weaning themselves off nicotine.

With an e-cig, the nicotine is dispensed by inhaling, but the waste product is not toxic smoke it is just a water vapour which disappears into the atmosphere causing no harm or damage to anyone.  Gradually the user can reduce the nicotine until they find that they can do without it altogether, but even if this doesn’t happen, nicotine is not the dangerous element associated with tobacco cigarettes, it is the thousands of toxic chemicals present in the tobacco and smoke that do the most damage.

An e-cig starter pack comes with everything necessary to get you on the road to quitting smoking altogether, and although it may seem expensive, overall using e-cigs is much cheaper that smoking tobacco.

Make 2012 a smoke free year and get on the road to better health.