Could electronic cigarettes ever be used for smoking cessation?
If you smoke cigarettes and have tried to give up at any point then you know how difficult it is to stop. Everyone you speak to will have a wealth of knowledge and tips which they will openly share but this advice only seems to normally make things worse. Most addicted smokers will take several attempts before finally managing to quit smoking cigarettes for good and unfortunately 75% of those people will return to the habit within a year.
The main reason that tobacco cigarettes are so addictive is because of the nicotine contained in it. When we hear that nicotine is a substance so addictive that it can be compared to illegal street drugs like cocaine and heroin, we begin to realise why so many people find it so hard to give up smoking cigarettes. Soon after someone starts to smoke cigarettes their body adjusts immediately to the effects of the nicotine and they become dependent on smoking as the body craves the drug to maintain its natural balance.
Apart from the physical addiction there is also a psychological element to cigarette addiction. Users begin to feel incomplete without cigarettes at certain times in their daily routine, with a coffe, having a beer, after food are some of the more populer times that a tobacco smoker will light up. Breaking these habits becomes more and more difficult the longer they smoke so although it may seem like an insurmountable mountain the task will only become more difficult the longer it is left.
UK Electronic Cigarette company cheapelectroniccigarettes.co.uk took a recent poll of it's customer base and found that 82% of their customers were trying to give up smoking. Everything else had failed and an electronic cigarette was the next step in smoking cessation.
Owner Michael Kitt said "We discovered through this poll that a lot of our customers were using electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation even though that is not how we market them. What amazes us on a daily basis is how many customers call up to thank us and tell us how well they are getting on. 45% haven't touched a traditional cigarette since purchasing from us."
For those that don't know an electronic cigarette or "e-cigarette" is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. It is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by delivering a vaporized nicotine solution. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation.
Electronic Cigarettes not only help the user to regulate their nicotine intake, and create a vapour resembling smoke, but it also looks like a cigarette; thereby helping the user with the psychological and physical habit of holding a regular cigarette.
Michael added "At this point in time, no electronic cigarette has been granted the title of a smoking cessation device by any governmental authority in the world. That doesn't mean that they can't get you off tobacco, or that you can't use them for that purpose (I know of plenty of people who no longer smoke "analogue" ciggies, and who now only use e-cigs) - but they ought not to be sold as SCDs until they've been through the appropriate testing and authorisation."
Whilst there is no medically proven evidence that electronic cigarettes can be used as a smoking cessation device, customers regularaly call Chea Electronic Cigarettes after purchasing to very proudly tell them how many regulars they no longer smoke.
The Electronic Cigarettes that are sold by Cheap Electronic Cigarettes have been awarded EC and RoHS certification as a safe electronic device.
An added benefit is the ability for the electronic smoker to smoke in virtually any place or environment. Pubs, Clubs, restaurants, theaters, airplanes and even at work, places which have banned cigarette smoke for decades are completely legal for electronic smokers since the e-cigarette produces no illegal by-products, and therefore no dangerous secondhand smoke.
Michael summarised "Month on month we are selling more and more electronic cigarettes and being accredited to sell a range of brands like NUCIG shows our commitment to the industry. In my opinion I'd encourage anyone who already smokes to consider e-smoking as an alternative to a habit which is known to carry very high risks of disease (a 50/50 chance of it killing you, basically). The cost of e-smoking is significantly less too but even if it did cost the same as normal smoking, it's very probably in my opinion going to vastly reduce the risk to the user and those around them, and that's got to be a good thing."
For more information about Electronic Cigarettes or to buy a starter kit visit the cheap electronic cigarettes website
Created: September 25, 2009
