March, 9 2010 - Sale of e-cigarettes in Sussex booming
A company selling electronic cigarettes claim sales of the devices have rocketed by 200% month-on-month.
The gadgets have become the latest fashionable alternative to smoking with Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding and Welsh actor Rhys Ifans have all been spotted puffing the “e-cigs.”
The e-cigarettes provide a dose of nicotine in the form of a vapour which is inhaled by the “smoker” and taste similar to smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Although the devices are legal to use in pubs and clubs the Department of Health has vowed to clamp down on e-cigarettes that contain toxic levels of nicotine, “ensuring they are labelled and sold appropriately".
Bosses at Horsham-based cheap-electronic-cigarettes.co.uk, which started distributing the battery-powered cigarettes in July, said that last month they sold 1,000 starter packs costing between £26 and £69.
This month the company had a turnover of £90,000 compared to just £10,000 in August and £30,000 in September.
Sales of the nicotine cartridges are also topping 10,000 a month.
Anna McLachlan, co-owner of cheapelectroniccigarettes.co.uk said: "We are in a unique position to help millions of smokers in the UK. It has been suggested that 90% of smokers would swap to a product which gave the same experience as a cigarette if it was healthier and cheaper, we can offer this with our range of NUCIG electronic cigarettes.”
