Green Smoking is here!

   Picture compliments of Pistachio from Squidoo site

Green smoking is here in Tampa Bay. Now, a cigarette with no fire, flame, tobacco,tar, carbon monoxide, cancer causing carcinogens, and no second hand smoke to endanger others. Electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to regular tobacco cigarettes.  Before going further  I need to make two disclaimers about this article . First, this piece is not to encourage smoking.  Secondly,  it serves to bring this innovative product to the attention of our readers. It also brings to the attention of smokers, who may be interested in exploring this alternative smoking device, a safer way to ingest nicotine without the other 4000+ intoxins, chemicals, and carcinogens found in regular tobacco cigarettes. This is not a small topic. It is estimated one billion people smoke in the world. Billions upon billions are spent annually to address disease connected to tobacco cigarette smoking. Pharmaceutical companies spent  $3 billion in 2008 promoting products to help you reduce or stop smoking. Estimates suggest up to 450,000 people die annually from smoking and smoking has been linked to over 15 different cancers.   E-cigarettes are not without controversy, as they begin to intrude on the profit of  tobacco based companies. Government  comes into play as e-cigarettes are not taxed like regular tobacco and  sorely needed revenues are lost when smokers move to e-cigs. On April 17,2009, the Florida legislature voted 39-0 to increase the per pack tax on cigarettes from .34 to $1.34. This will add over $1 billion to badly needed tax revenues. Florida ranks 20th at $1.34, among states charging tax on cigarettes. New Jersey is the highest at $2.57 per pack.  I can remember buying a whole carton of cigarettes for less than the tax on one pack! You will be hearing more and more about e-cigarettes so we thought we would offer this article as a primer to help you become more informed.

Since we are always looking to improve the health of our readers, this article is meant to serve this noble purpose. There is mounting evidence that  "vaping" or e-smoking is better for both the smoker and those around them.  E-cigarettes are being shown to be much more "health friendly" than tobacco cigarettes while still delivering a satisfying "smoke".  The basic ingredients of an e-cigarette are water, nicotine, propylene glycol ( a safe  food additive used in hundreds of food products ) and flavoring. White Cloud Cigarettes , based in Tarpon Springs, has a good diagram to help you understand the system. Most of the newer products use a three piece approach uniting a battery and atomizer with a cartridge. Pistachio, on her  Squidoo  site,  does a good job of explaining what a green cigarette is, and how it works. Within this new cigarette micro technology, there are 3 main parts, the atomizing chamber, nicotine cartridge, and a micro chip with a lithium battery. The front end of the cigarette has an LED which glows red when you inhale. Pistachio answers many other questions you might have with respect to styles of green smoking, its lower environmental impact, cost, and health issues.  Pistachio also points out these additional considerations about e-cigarettes.  To purchase e-cigarettes, you must be over 18, they do take some getting used to, they are a bit heavier than regular cigarettes, they taste different, and you will need to exercise some self control as you should not smoke them 24/7. She also reminds us that pregnant women should not use e-cigarettes.

One of the differences with e-cigarettes is the way you smoke. In fact, you really don't smoke...you vaporize or "vaping" as the trend setters call it. . In fact, you can vaporize in many flavors including chocolate, coffee, menthol, regular, vanilla, apple and strawberry.  Since you are inhaling and exhaling a vapor, there is no second hand smoke to put others in peril.  You can adjust nicotine levels to suit your needs or not have any nicotine.

 The maker of Red Dragon e-cigarettes makes this claim ..."You can have all the tactile sensations of traditional tobacco smoking without the fire or hazards".   Greensmoke electronic cigarettes promote large savings with their brand.  None of the e-cigarette brands claim they are a program or process to help you stop smoking. Yet, as you read reviews of former smokers now using e-cigarettes, they claim to  have slowed down, or stopped, their smoking of tobacco products.  Nicotine is addictive but controllable with e-cigarettes to levels of your choice. The challenge among the many diverging brands of e-cigarettes is to convince you they have a better product that emulates most closely the smoking experience of real cigarettes.

According to Greensmoke, the average smoker of 20 cigarettes a day could save as much as $1642 annually smoking e-cigarettes. They calculate this on a pack a day usage costing the smoker $2190 annually less the cost of e-smoking at $548 for the equivalent in Greensmoke cartridges. In addition,  Greensmoke makes the point that this does not include the cost of lighters, ashtrays, dry cleaning bills, increased health and life insurance, and I will add burn holes in car interiors and good clothes.

White Cloud Cigarettes, has kiosks in local malls including Countryside Mall, Gulf View Square, Citrus Park Mall, Westshore Plaza, Brandon Towne Center, and Tyrone Square Mall.  You can order on line at their web site. You might enjoy visiting Cig Reviews  where different brands are compared and reviewed. 

 So, there you have it ... a primer on e-cigarettes and e-smoking or "vaping" as many call it.  You will see people using this new form of smoking, and can engage them in conversation now that you have some perspective on the subject.  It will be interesting as you hear them talk about e-smoking, and how it has changed their habits, and thought process about smoking. What is really cool, you won't have to worry about the damages of secondary smoke in their presence.  Be sure and thank them for their thoughtfulness. Tampa Bay, green smoking is here!