E-Cigarettes

[Tyg3rW01f]

Yes, we've all seen either the commercials, the celeb photos, or have actually bee around someone puffing one of these new wunder-produkte...

ARE they as dangerous as the fear-mongering media wants us to believe?
Are they safe?
True, they cost as much as $75 to start using, but beyond that, ARE they cheaper than tobacco?
DOES the smell linger on breath, in a room, on clothing?!

Do the batteries short-charge?

These questions and more...
...I'm thinking of taking up an E-Cig and putting down my pipe.

[Kheldarson]

Can't answer most of those, but my understanding is there's less content in them than normal smoked items so they're more "safe", as much as smoking anything can be safe.

[Ghel]

There is, unfortunately, not a lot of regulation of e-cig juice right now. Juice is sold with varying percentages of nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and flavoring. All these ingredients are "generally recognized as safe. However, there's no regulation or licensing to hold vendors accountable if what's actually in the e-juice doesn't match what they claim. Still, if you choose a reputable vendor, you should be ok on that front.

As far as overall safety, there have been a number of studies conducted. If you'd like to read a few of them, here's a place to start. The scientific consensus seems to be that e-cigs are generally safe.

My hubby switched to vaping a little over a year ago. He still has the occasional cigar, but for the most part, he vapes instead. He tends to get sweet-flavored juice, such as butterscotch or hazelnut cappuccino. If I'm near him when he's vaping, I can smell the flavor for a moment, but it doesn't linger. Unlike when he has his occasional cigar, where I can smell it as soon as he gets close, and that smell lingers for hours.

I'm pretty sure that vaping would be cheaper if Hubby would stick with one type of device. He keeps trying out the newest and greatest vaping system just because it's the newest and greatest. But the benefits are more than just monetary - his singing voice has improved, he smells better, his car smells better, he no longer has the smoker's cough, and if I understand the studies correctly, his chances of getting lung cancer are greatly reduced.

If you'd like some recommendations regarding vendors, I'll ask the hubby.

[Tyg3rW01f]

I'm likely still going to smoke my pipe at re-enactments, as my hobby is that of Civil War re-enacting, and e-cigs are OBVIOUS from less than 15 yards.

I'm also a warm-weather tobacco user (I can't take cold well), but I get itchy and twitchy when its cold and with all the regs about smoking where it is more temperate than the outdoors during winter...
...as for vendors, I'd prefer MADE IN THE U.S.A. and something approaching the strength of a cigar. Flavors are not really my gig, as most are far too subtle for my tongue and nose to register. (Thank you so very much, Factory USA. working in the smog and chemicals have damaged my tastebuds and nose...)

on the other hand... if I could SOMEHOW find a way to craft a faux pipe bowl to fit on the battery pack of an e-Cig... THAT would be quite period-looking...

[EricKei]

Ask and ye shall receive. ^_^

(not linking to any sites that sell these products, as that is verboten. The search string I used should work in a non-image search too)

As for their effectiveness and safety, I know only that a couple of friends of mine have used them in the past and liked them. On the safety front, while they still contain nicotine, they appear to contain far fewer of the additives that normal cigs have -- the prior responses seem to have covered the subject

[wolfie]

There's a Reddit on this subject. Not a smoker, but from what I've seen prices start at around $6 for a disposable. Kits (rechargeable battery, USB charger, storage box, a couple cartridges) start at around $20. The ones I have seen were sold at truck stops. Some units load from cartridges (heater and a load of "juice"), others (haven't actually seen one) load with liquid "juice" (heater is part of the unit, needs to be cleaned/replaced occasionally).

As for cost, they're currently a LOT cheaper than regular cigarettes because they're (so far) unregulated, so they're not subject to the "sin tax" (not my personal opinion - I've seen that term used in major newspapers regarding increases in tobacco, alcohol, and gasoline taxes). If governments get off their butts, expect to see a sharp rise in prices. Also, at least one jurisdiction (IIRC, NYC) now bans e-cigs in places where smoking is banned.

From what I've heard, the ones that load liquid "juice" can take any brand of liquid "juice", but the ones taking cartridges need their own brand. If you've got one of those, you're SOL if the vendor gets busted for dust smuggling.

[Tyg3rW01f]

...the ones taking cartridges need their own brand. If you've got one of those, you're SOL if the vendor gets busted for dust smuggling.

Read "Into The Black" MUCH??

[Luna Baby]

My mom switched from regular cigs to the the e-cig about a year or so ago. Absolutely, no smell-on her, in her home or in her car. The dog even smells better! However, I will say, the committee is still out on the complete safety of these new products. My brother-in-law works in the media and has access to some new reports that haven't been released to the public yet. It was enough to convince him to quit altogether.

Mom has a major surgery coming this next Wednesday to biopsy/remove a large tumor in her lung that the doctor feels pretty certain is cancer. I'm hoping for the best, praying for the best, but will have to wait and see.

A male co-worker had a heart attack about a year ago and had to have a stint put in. Had severe withdrawals trying to quit cigarettes so his cardiologist gave him the ok to smoke the e-cig. He and I were talking about it and he wishes he could quit them, too. He knows he inhales much deeper with the electronic device and is starting to be concerned for his health as well.

I don't read the reports myself, so I can't speak to what is being put out there, but can speak to what I'm seeing in those that I care about.

[SteeleDragon78]

i have been vaping for almost a year, for e-pipes i can suggest a few brands via pm, for a starter kit i would advise avoiding most cig lookalikes. there are a few e-cigars out there, most are disposables and crap. there are a huge number of great vendors out there that are very reasonable in price and if you dont mind carrying a small pack of batteries i can suggest a few "mods" also via pm. if you would like more info you can check out my blog in my signature.

[Arcus]

They are starting to regulate them in some areas. I know that in Utah they are treated the same as regular cigarettes. That is something I was happy about. I had a coworker that decided that because they were not regulated by the Utah Clean Air Act, he could use them anywhere he wanted and anyone that didn't like it could go f*** themselves. He would blow the vapor in peoples face while he was talking to them. Even having HR tell him that he has had too many complaints about them and the company was banning them inside wasn't enough to get him to stop.

[Kara]

My fiancee's doctor said they aren't as good as quitting (obviously), but they are better because the vapor doesn't go all the way into the lungs, it only goes about as far as the throat. I don't smoke, but I like her smoking them because she doesn't have to leave the apartment to have a smoke, she doesn't have to freeze us in the car to roll down a window to smoke, and the smoke doesn't coat everything. And it smells minty. I have a bit of an allergy to cigarette smoke, it makes my eyes burn and my throat close up a little, but the vapor doesn't affect me at all.

As far as the cost, it's a hell of a lot cheaper. She has a case that recharges the tips, and we buy a 4-pack of tips every 2 weeks for $15 instead of $5 for a pack of smokes every few days.

[wolfie]

Read "Into The Black" MUCH??

Yes, I do. It was somewhat amusing that you asked about real-life e-cigs shortly after your character had to stop using the "analog". BTW, the slang for the liquid to fill the re-fillable (non-cartridge) ones is "juice", not "oil".

[Tyg3rW01f]

I'd actually been looking into it superficially for a week prior... then Exile burns my char to the ground... NOT a subtle hint... more like a ton of CLUE-by-Fours dropped on my head from 15 stories up...

but still no one has answered this part of the question:

Do the batteries SHORT-CHARGE like every other damn rechargeable battery in the known universe?!

[Kara]

I don't know what the standard battery life is compared to other brands, but I mentioned that my fiancee buys replacement tips every 2 weeks. Just the tips that have the vaporizing fluid in them, not the battery. The base part with the battery hasn't necessitated a replacement. She bought her first kit in August before we moved to Utah, but the charging pack thingy stopped working after a couple of months. She got a new one at the end of December and the battery from August still works fine. They use Lithium Ion batteries, so there's not much fear of overcharging or a "short charge" over time. Whenever she's not using an e-cig, it's in the charger (so she's not waiting til the battery is drained to recharge). It charges and stops charging when it's full.

[SteeleDragon78]

Do the batteries SHORT-CHARGE like every other damn rechargeable battery in the known universe?!

after about 2 years they will start to wear out, the pen styles are more expensive than the "big boy" mod batteries. pen style can be between $15 and $45, mod batteries are anywhere between $8 and $50 depending on mAh ratting and size.