Which electronic cigarette to choose?

THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE? WHAT IS IT?

The electronic cigarette is an electrical device intended to replace the cigarette. It operates with a flavored vapor emission system by an e-liquid when the vaper draws on the mouthpiece. This device can contain nicotine or not, it's up to the user.

The electronic cigarette is also called a vaporizer as it emits vapor instead of burning leaves and tar usually present in ordinary cigarettes.

The electronic cigarette was first initiated by American Herbert A. Gilbert as an alternative to the ordinary cigarette. He patented the smokeless, tobacco-free cigarette, which was approved and published in 1985 in the "United States Patent and Trademark Office". The main object of this invention was of course to find an alternative to the traditional tobacco-filled cigarette, which is very harmful to the user's health.

In this same initiative, 40 years later, the Chinese Hin Link continues this technological advancement to create the smokeless electronic spray cigarette composed of an atomizer, containing nicotine but no tar. But there was a problem in the high cost of its manufacture posing a problem, but this marked the birth of the vaporizer.

The electronic cigarette is now available in different aspects, with or without nicotine, with a wide range of flavored e-liquid according to your taste. The e-liquid is the substance that diffuses the aroma of the vaporizer. It is not inexhaustible, meaning that once out of liquid you need to think about buying a new refill.

In short, the electronic cigarette is a device that generates vapor to inhale, rechargeable with an e-liquid with variable tastes. It represents an alternative for those wishing to quit traditional cigarettes.

THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE, HOW DOES IT WORK?

Many questions can now come to mind about the use and operation of the electronic cigarette. To answer some questions that might be essential to guide you and try to better understand the operation of the electronic cigarette we will explain a little about the electromechanical device for inhaling vapor.

ITS COMPONENTS AND VISUAL ASPECT

We cannot stick a fixed label on what the vaporizer should exactly look like. It can come in several aspects depending on its generation. However, the electronic cigarette is usually made up of:

A drip tip which is the mouthpiece through which the user will inhale the smoke;
A tank in which is contained the e-liquid containing propylene glycol, glycerol, food flavors and possibly nicotine
A resistance component of the atomizer that will vaporize the liquid transform into vapor
A base
A Switch which is a button on which you press long when you inhale the vapor
A battery that will power the atomizer

In an electronic cigarette, the atomizer and the tank are often designed on the same set as they are interdependent, the atomizer draws from the liquid to be able to diffuse vapor and the liquid cannot be diffused without an atomizer. The atomizer is the part that heats the liquid to allow the diffusion of vapor.

The battery is made up of several components such as one or more accumulators currently almost exclusively equipped with lithium-ion technology in a block. It is also equipped (the battery) with an electronic regulation and protection module. If the battery is removable, we speak of a mod.

“VAPING”? WHAT IS THAT?

This term made its appearance in the French dictionary in 2015. This common term means the action of drawing on an electronic cigarette mouthpiece while pressing a button, the vapor produced by this same device. It is a phenomenon that began to spread in 2014 which had the expected effect on its main target clientele being smokers. Vaping is a term and a habit that has spread thanks to the implantation of several specialized shops in the sale of the e-cigarette which has created a multitude of followers to date.

Vaping is the best alternative to fight against smoking, better than patches to quit smoking and other existing methods. Vaping is a habit that, in the long term, could become increasingly widespread, perhaps even replacing traditional cigarettes by 2100. Vaping, the new trend every smoker should consider adopting. THE HIT This is a term that often comes up when we talk about electronic cigarettes. This word with an Anglo-Saxon resonance does not mean much to the English and it is quite confusing for us Francophones. To help those who would like to start vaping and who are looking for a mastery of key words like this one, we will detail what it is. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIT The hit is characterized as the small constriction in the throat during the first drag of a cigarette. In the electronic cigarette, this hit is delivered by the e-liquid, allowing traditional cigarette smokers to find in this new device known as the vape, this feeling of throat irritation that smokers find pleasant. The electronic cigarette attempts to replicate the same effects of the normal cigarette as closely as possible so that new vapers fall under its charm and adopt a new cigarette that will be not only cheaper but also less harmful to their health. - WHAT CAUSES THE HIT IN THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE The hit in the electronic cigarette is present thanks to the nicotine contained in its liquid. In the electronic cigarette, there are some variants where you can find nicotine in the e-liquid. And it is this presence of nicotine that causes this tingling in the throat that every smoker seeks. However, some nicotine-free liquids also cause this tingling. - THE HIT SENSATION SOUGHT IN THE E-CIG Although the electronic cigarette tries to imitate as much as possible the hit sensations of a real cigarette, most users do not find this tingling sensation they are looking for, even with strong flavors such as mint which should make the nicotine felt, but in vain. Users determined to change their lifestyle and stop inhaling the tons of toxic components present in normal cigarettes resign themselves to ending their relationship with the hit. In the quest for a solution to improve their health, they sacrifice their desire and addiction to the hit. CHOOSING THE RIGHT ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE FOR US We all know the damage that cigarettes can cause to our bodies. From lung cancer to throat cancer, this is not very enjoyable for smokers. Therefore, thanks to the evolution of new technologies, we may have found an alternative to cigarettes filled with nicotine and harmful tar. The electronic cigarette is created to limit the consumption of regular cigarettes harmful to the smoker's health, but also to that of those around them. It therefore represents not only a threat to the smoker but also to their surroundings, their family, and even their colleagues. It is therefore public health that is at stake due to cigarette smoke emissions. The challenge now is to choose the right electronic cigarette because with the different variants currently available, it is difficult to make a choice and find your way. Therefore, in this article, we will attempt to guide you in choosing the cigarette suited to your consumption habits. There are three categories of smokers: Occasional Smoker: this category of smokers is not addicted to cigarettes. The occasional smoker consumes less than ten cigarettes a day. Most of the time these smokers resort to nicotine for style or to accompany their drinks at parties. However, by accumulating parties and occasions, this can amount to a lot of cigarettes consumed and will not be immediately, but over time harmful to the consumer's health. Cigarettes, whether consumed in large or small quantities, pose a health risk. As we have seen, even for those around it is harmful, and therefore for the consumer, even if they do not smoke regularly but occasionally, it will still be very bad for their health. The electronic cigarette is also recommended for this category of smokers. Vaping has now become trendy, and for those who smoke just to show off and look "cool", the vape will be your best ally in this case. In addition to being trendy, the e-cigarette is less, if not almost not harmful to health. It contains only nicotine but no tar. Moreover, The smoke inhaled is vapor with different flavors that can be changed to one's liking from a multitude of choices: mint, coffee, or even strawberry. This is a way to further encourage smokers to opt for this cutting-edge electronic cigarette. We won't go so far as to say it's good for health, but vaping is still far less dangerous than smoking a simple cigarette. Moderate Smoker: Here we are talking about the second category of smokers, moderate smokers. This is the category of cigarette consumers who smoke between ten and twenty a day. From this level of consumption, these individuals can be classified as dependent smokers. They cannot go without smoking a small cigarette for more than a few hours, otherwise, the lack of nicotine will be immediately felt. It is the nicotine contained in cigarettes that creates addiction among consumers. Therefore, fighting this addiction is a bit more complex here than in the first category of smokers we saw previously. There is no presence of addiction there, we were just trying to find an alternative to their occasional need to take a few drags. Here the role of the electronic cigarette is to find another way to pass this desire to smoke through the vaporizer. Also, we have seen that it is less harmful to health in the sense that the e-cigarette does not contain tar and therefore less fuel that will deteriorate the health of the smoker and those around him. Switching to the electronic cigarette is thus necessary to avoid the problems that could result from the smoker's rather high consumption of cigarettes. The vapor contained in the electronic cigarette will not have long-term damaging effects on the health of the vaper and those around him, which will be better for everyone's health without neglecting the user's need for nicotine through the electronic cigarette that contains it. In addition, the electronic cigarette can save you money on your tobacco budget by significantly reducing your budget allocated to it. Heavy Smoker: These are the enthusiasts who consume more than twenty cigarettes a day. This category of smokers spends most of their day with a cigarette in their mouth. They are the most exposed to the risks of cancer and other diseases related to excessive tobacco consumption. The electronic cigarette is also an alternative for these tireless smokers. The difference will be greatly felt in their wallets with the quantity of cigarettes they consume, their bill at the end of the month or even at the end of the week must be astronomical. The electronic cigarette will allow them to at least divide their expenses by 5. But after that, this category of smokers has far less chance of quitting smoking. And they don't always find the same sensation with the electronic cigarette. We advise them to switch, but few of them completely abandon the regular cigarette for the vaporizer. THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR ALL TYPES OF SMOKERS If you have never touched a cigarette and are trying to start with the e-cigarette, we strongly advise against it. The vaporizer is not marketed to create a new range of consumers but for smokers classified in the previous category to abandon their traditional cigarette. The cigarette that the consumer will choose must be in line with his usual consumption. That is to say, for a tireless smoker, he should consider buying a vaporizer with a battery with a large capacity indicated by the number of mAh it has, allowing it to last all day. But also, have a tank that does not empty easily to avoid having to regularly recharge his e-cig. You should also choose a model of cigarette that is really close to what you are used to smoking so that the change is not too abrupt. Also, so that the transition between traditional cigarette and vaporizer is easier. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE VAPER The first objective of the new fan of the electronic cigarette is of course to replace it with his traditional cigarette. But this is not an easy task, which is why we have previously put forward ways to gradually make the transition, all while keeping the gesture and habit of smoking. After this transition to the electronic cigarette, the new objective is then to completely stop smoking. This case could occur more often for moderate smokers who, although they consume a lot, are not dependent and can therefore gradually and almost easily detach themselves from not only ordinary cigarettes but also from vaping. Additionally, this could significantly reduce the smoker's expenses. A MULTITUDE OF E-CIGARETTE FORMS The electronic cigarette was initially marketed with the "Cigalike", which completely imitates the shape of an ordinary cigarette. This type of e-cig should be avoided by those who really want to quit smoking because by reproducing the appearance, it will not help to detach from the original cigarette. That's why new models have been created such as: - The discreet tube format, light and tube-shaped, it will fit perfectly in your pocket or handbag. With a durable and USB rechargeable battery, the tube format offers a variety of e-liquid compatible with its clearomizer. You’ll only have to worry about the resistance which needs to be changed regularly. - The box format, from the English "box", is as its name suggests, box-shaped. It is rectangular, and quite bulky; it cannot be placed just anywhere. It is rechargeable by batteries and therefore has a fairly large autonomy and allows for quite high vaping powers. - The Pod format is the latest generation of e-cigarette. Its specificity is mainly the presence of nicotine in its e-liquid and its low battery consumption with a liquid that does not vape at high power. There are refillable pods with e-liquid and those pre-filled. E-LIQUID WITH OR WITHOUT NICOTINE? Choosing the right e-cigarette is important, but the e-liquid is even more so. Because yes, it's the e-liquid that will determine how often you'll start vaping and how to quit it for good. For a smoker, it is advised to introduce a nicotine dosage in their e-liquid. Going cold turkey by depriving oneself of this nicotine will have adverse effects on the smoker's behaviour and health. However, the nicotine alone contained in the liquid is not sufficient even with a very high dosage. It is therefore advised to combine the electronic cigarette with a nicotine patch to optimize the chances of quitting traditional cigarettes. As for the amount of nicotine present, it will be up to the consumer to gradually decrease its presence in the liquid and finally give it up, resuming the healthy lifestyle of a non-smoker. THE IMPACTS OF THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE ON HEALTH Like all human inventions, the e-cig has disadvantages but also advantages. The aim here is to see how the human body reacts to this innovative device supposed to replace the traditional cigarette. The electronic cigarette is designed to distance the smoker from the very toxic components of the ordinary cigarette harmful to the smoker's health. But let's also see if the electronic cigarette also has harmful effects on the vaper's health. DOES THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE MAKE YOU DEPENDENT? The electronic cigarette was designed to help traditional cigarette consumers abandon their dependence on it. So replacing it with a device that is less harmful to health but just as addictive is a false step in its quest to care about smokers' health. The electronic cigarette does not make you addicted and does not cause any dependency. It was created to only mimic the aspects of the ordinary cigarette, but all this while limiting the damage it can have on our health. Since it does not represent the exact type of what the smoker is looking for, sticking to it is difficult, so to speak, because they will not find what they were used to feeling when they smoked an ordinary cigarette, we are talking about the hit here. Since the electronic cigarette does not represent what the smoker is looking for, becoming addicted to it is therefore not conceivable. Created to mimic and stop the desire to light up a cigarette by the smoker, the e-cigarette will therefore only have a placebo effect to relieve the dependence and the need felt by the addiction that the smoker has. They will therefore let go of it after some time when they begin to lower their dose of nicotine in the e-liquid until they reduce the frequency at which they vape to finally abandon the traditional but also electronic cigarette. And the statistics speak for themselves, according to the Baromètre Santé INPES (National Institute for Prevention and Health Education) 2015, Only 9% of e-cigarette users have not given up after a year. This percentage clearly shows that few people continue to use the e-cigarette after starting. Moreover, tobacco specialist Dr. Guillaumin mentions that: "The immediate pleasure with the electronic cigarette is not the same as with tobacco and the rate of nicotine absorption is lower, so there is less risk of becoming addicted". We have therefore seen from these facts that the risk of addiction to cigarettes is very low, almost nil for vapers. IS THE E-CIGARETTE THE BEST WAY TO STOP SMOKING? With its idea of starting to smoke to stop smoking, the e-cigarette has been a great success among its users. The electronic cigarette has directly reduced the number of smokers when it was found that according to an article published in the Cochrane review, one in ten smokers quit smoking within a year and a third of smokers, or 36%, managed to halve their consumption. We can see here the full value and importance of the electronic cigarette. Thanks to these figures, we can say that its inventor has succeeded in his gamble to reduce and even stop the consumption of regular cigarettes and smoking in general in the long term. This technology has also succeeded in improving the quality of life and significantly reducing the damage caused by tobacco on the bodies of smokers and their surroundings exposed to tobacco smoke. Moreover, it is almost as effective as nicotine patches when studies report that these patches achieve between 7 to 15% success on average. The electronic cigarette can therefore easily be ranked among the solutions to quit smoking, and perhaps soon, or even already, the best solution to quit smoking. E-LIQUID FLAVORS TO AVOID With its wide range of e-liquid flavors, the question arises whether there are some that should be avoided. It is the flavor we choose that prompts us to quit tobacco for the e-cig. The choice of flavor is therefore crucial for the switch to the electronic cigarette, you have to find the flavor that makes you want to switch to something other than tobacco. We talked about the mint or peppery flavor that made the nicotine present (if any) in the e-cigarette more noticeable. Apart from these flavors, there are also others to which some people are allergic. This is the case with the peanut flavor for example, which could cause allergic reactions in vapers allergic to peanuts. Admittedly, it is only a synthesized flavor and normally there is no trace of peanuts, and allergic reactions are very rare. With the different components of the e-liquid that we have seen previously, this can cause allergic reactions in some people, so if you know you are allergic to peanuts, it is preferable not to choose this flavor. You may also not have an allergic reaction to the flavor but rather to propylene glycol causing irritation of the respiratory tract. In this case, it is better to change the product and opt for an e-liquid where propylene glycol is replaced by vegetable glycerin. To avoid all allergic reactions and choose the e-liquid that suits you, we advise you to consult the Afnor standards adopted by France, which guarantee the quality of e-cigarettes and e-liquids. This will help you find your way and be confident in the product you are buying. DO TOBACCO AND THE E-CIGARETTE MAKE A GOOD MIX? By opting for the electronic cigarette we seek to gradually distance ourselves from tobacco. Going straight from tobacco to the electronic cigarette is not that easy for the smoker. Most of the time, they combine regular cigarettes with the e-cig. The combination of the two is not more harmful than tobacco alone since the risk of nicotine overdose is non-existent. However, by combining tobacco with the electronic cigarette, you have less chance of ever quitting regular cigarettes. This mix is not more toxic than that, but for a person who has a real intention to switch to the e-cigarette, it is better not to mix them. WHAT IS THE LEGISLATION ON VAPING? With one and a half million vapers in France between the ages of 15 and 75, legislation on electronic cigarettes had to be introduced. That's why in 2017 a reform on the ban on vaping in the workplace was introduced.

VAPING BAN IN CERTAIN PLACES

Since October 1, 2017, vaping is prohibited in the workplace, and employers must explicitly communicate to their employees the existence of this prohibition against vaping in the workplace using signage.

Such measures have been taken to not normalize the use of both traditional cigarettes and now electronic ones. Smoking is harmful and the electronic cigarette was precisely designed for smokers to switch to vaping and then ultimately give it up. But by allowing vaping in public places or gathering places, it sends the message that it is "good" to vape, even though e-cigarettes are also bad for health, albeit less so than tobacco.

The ban on vaping in public places is enacted by Decree No. 2017-633 of April 25, 2017, relating to the application conditions of the ban on vaping in certain places for collective use and by the Health Law of January 26, 2016, transposed into the public health code. This legislation condemns vaping in:

Schools
Closed public transport
Closed and covered workplaces for collective use

POST A SIGN TO MARK THE VAPING BAN IN A PLACE

The current legislation relating to the application conditions and the ban on vaping in certain places for collective use, requires signage reminding of the ban on vaping and the application conditions within these non-vaping areas.

WHAT PENALTIES CAN BE INCURRED FOR VIOLATION OF THIS LAW?

A law that regulates an action also speaks of possible sanctions for those who would break the laws. The Decree of April 25, 2017, provided for in its content fines imposed in case of non-compliance with the vaping ban in the places where it is prohibited, punishable by a fixed fine of 35 to 150€ and the obligation to display this ban on electronic cigarettes punishable by a fine ranging from 68 to 450€.

THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE POINTS OF THE E-CIGARETTE COMPARED TO THE REGULAR CIGARETTE

The positive points:

The electronic cigarette contains significantly fewer harmful substances compared to the regular cigarette with its 40,000 harmful substances for the smoker's health.
Vapers experience fewer respiratory problems than tobacco smokers. E-cig users are therefore less out of breath, feel less of a burning sensation in the throat and get rid of their smoker's breath.
Switching to vaping will significantly lighten the treasury of the now former smokers. They will not have to systematically shell out to buy a pack of cigarettes because with the e-cig, they will only have to fill the tank with e-liquid not very often.
No more tobacco smell possessed by cigarette smokers. With the e-cig, he can get rid of this unpleasant smell for his surroundings.

The negative points:

With such an electronic device, maintenance should not be neglected and so you should organize well during necessary repairs
The vapor from the electronic cigarette dries out the mouth and throat, to alleviate this discomfort the vaper will need to think about drinking a lot of water
When the time comes to change the e-liquid, it could be dangerous for beginners who do not yet master this device. In addition, nicotine-related intoxications are often fatal in case of indigestion.
For those who are not tech-savvy, using it will therefore be a small problem when you know that you have to recharge it, think about changing the battery almost every two months, and also with changing the e-liquid.

In short, the electronic cigarette can become the number 1 ally of tobacco smokers wishing to quit. The vape pen positions itself as the market leader when it comes to quitting smoking for heavy smokers. We have also been able to praise the merits of the e-cigarette in that it is much less harmful to the health of its user. But also, with its idea of smoking to quit smoking, smokers have easily taken to the idea and found it much more fruitful than immediate withdrawal from regular cigarettes and even compared to patches.

It was marketed with the main aim of stopping the damage that tobacco can cause in smokers, whether they are chain smokers or occasional smokers. In this regard, they have made use of existing technologies to create an electronic cigarette model accessible to everyone. This model of cigarettes was a great success when it allowed several smokers to quit tobacco, to feel less health problems compared to when they consumed it, and also to significantly reduce expenses in their wallet. The electronic cigarette has already gathered 1.5 million consumers in France; legislation has therefore been put in place specifically to limit the places where it would be forbidden to vape. This legislation came into force and prohibited vaping in public places such as workplaces, schools, and others. The cigarette is of course less harmful but the target audience for this device is not to create new smokers, but to precisely reduce the rate of smokers and not to lower the rate of tobacco users in order to increase the rate of vapers. It is a device for eliminating and reducing the need for nicotine in ex-smokers. This is why we must not trivialize the e-cigarette and therefore prohibit it in places of collective gathering to avoid putting in the heads of young people to start vaping. But also because the smoke, even if it is now only vapor, is disturbing. The electronic cigarette of course has some drawbacks such as the fact that you have to adapt to new technologies and be comfortable with them in order to use the electronic cigarette to its optimal use. But also, it is important to do good research on the model of electronic cigarette that suits us in order not to fall into the false and make unnecessary expenses with a device that is not in accordance with our needs. The same applies to the e-liquid which must also be monitored in order not to fall on products to which we are allergic and components of this liquid which will also cause allergies on our body thus affecting our health. But the electronic cigarette remains a tool of choice and not to say one of the revolutionary inventions of the 21st century (even if the first model appeared in the 60s). A device that, in the long term will allow to reduce the rate of smokers in the world and contribute to the improvement of public health and reduce the mortality rate among smokers.