Each year almost half a million people die in the United States from some form of tobacco use. Smoking is a prime factor in deaths related to lung cancer, heart disease, bronchitis, emphysema, and stroke. It is no wonder then that a whole industry has sprung up catering to people trying quit smoking. Available to help smokers stop are nicotine patches and gum, stop smoking pills, water therapy, and a host of other traditional and non-traditional remedies. One other method for quitting is substituting a real cigarette for an electronic cigarette.

Electronic cigarettes first emerged into the marketplace in 2003. The company holding the patent to the product has seen a high and sustained rate of sales growth. During the first three years of production, sales moved from $1.7 million in sales in 2004 to over $37 million. Worldwide demand for this product continues to escalate.

An electronic cigarette will look very much like a real cigarette though it will be a little heavier. With each puff on the mouthpiece the user inhales vaporized nicotine. They never actually light up the cigarette and thus are not inhaling all the harmful byproducts associated with smoking. The user gets the appearance and the feeling of smoking, without ever lighting up and actually smoking.

The electronic cigarette offers the consumer two choices of operation, manual or automatic. With the manual version, a button is pressed to trigger the vapor. The automatic model has a sensor that recognizes when someone has inhaled and the nicotine is then released. Other than how delivery system is activated, there is no difference in the amount or quality of the dosage.

Nicotine concentrations vary as do flavorings. The mouthpiece acts as a replaceable cartridge. The cartridge is loaded with a mixture of nicotine and a food additive (usually glycerin.) The level of nicotine concentration typically lines up with real cigarettes. So then, a person can choose from regular, light, and ultra-light. Moreover, those smokers used to a flavored cigarette have the option of purchasing menthol, fruit-flavored, or some other flavored version.

Maintaining the device is straight forward. Most electronic cigarettes are driven by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Not surprisingly, battery life is directly related to usage. Heavy users of the product may wish to consider obtaining a battery charger. Three types are available: USB compatible, wall-outlet powered and car-charged. Since the mouthpiece (or cartridge) houses a fixed quantity of the nicotine solution (and flavoring if relevant, ) it will need to be periodically replaced. The life of this cartridge, not unlike the battery, is directly related to the level of inhaling.

As of yet, there is no information regarding the safety or lack thereof of the product. Manufacturers claim that sine there is no combustion from actual smoking then users are not subjected to harmful impurities. Some health organizations state that these cigarettes do not classify as quitting devices. According to at least one survey, smokers believe that they are healthier alternatives to the real thing.

If you are a smoker, possibly the best thing you can do to improve the quality of your health and life is to quit. The electronic cigarette is one of the various products out there to help you do it. Carefully researching the cigarettes and discussing them with your doctor will help you determine whether they are right for you.