by Billy

Let’s face it, most people start smoking because it is just a little bit bad. Not necessarily bad like a crime, but bad like someone who stays out too late just because they feel like it. Smoking cigarettes is usually a habit started from an interest in doing something that is not good for you, but that provides a bit of control, relief, and a feeling of being part of a group. Of course, that is not how most mature smokers think of themselves, because that is just the beginning. Once you have smoked for a while, the major reasons to continue usually have to do with addiction to a sense of relief from getting that nicotine after a time without. eCigarettes provide the nicotine, the sense of relief, and a way to be a little bit naughty without being completely physically damaged in the process.

The Pro’s of Electronic Cigarette Smoking

Why are electronic cigarettes good? Well, that is a complicated question. At this point, nobody knows what the long term effects of eCigs will be. They have only been on the market for a little less than 10 years, and in that time there have already been considerable innovations and improvements. There are still those eCigarette companies that make crappy products and do not care about the well being of their customers, as long as they keep buying, but there are also many companies that provide high quality products.

The bottom line, whether there has been significant enough study to prove it or not, is that if you compare eCigarettes to tobacco smoking, tobacco does much more harm. Tobacco cigarettes, cigars, and pipes contain tar, which can gum up your lungs while the smoke irritates your throat, nose, and mouth. We all seem to know that the long term likelihood of dying early rises considerably if we smoke cigarettes, and yet the addiction keeps us smoking, day in and day out.

Electronic cigarettes are considered by many a healthier alternative, with a few additional perks. While the health claims have not been substantiated, my opinion is that smoking an eCigarette means you are not actually “smoking” at all. The technology that delivers that precious nicotine does so with water vapor instead of smoke. Water vapor is usually harmless to inhale, and provides a better medium for nicotine to be absorbed into. The amount of nicotine you receive can be more tightly monitored, similar to the way that nicotine patches offer a controlled release of a certain amount of nicotine into the blood stream.

Fortunately, though, you can still inhale when you smoke eCigs. Part of what is nice about a cigarette is that warm feeling you get in your chest when you inhale the smoke. eCigarettes give you that sensation, but smoother and cleaner. Many smokers find that the sensation of smoking and electronic cigarette is preferable to the inhalation of smoke.

On top of being less harmful to your health and more enjoyable to smoke, they also do not smell bad. Smoking stinks, and most smokers stink, too. Your clothes, your hair, your car, your house probably all have at least a little bit of that dank, stale ashtray smell. Not to mention that revolting taste of kissing a smoker. People who switch to eCigarettes smell better in every way, although they do not guarantee that people will shower more often. You can smoke in the car, in your home, at your desk, and even on the airplane without irritated the people around you. After a “smoke” you will not walk into a room and feel the disgusted stares as people smell you when you walk past.

So while there are practical reasons to switch to electronic cigarettes, there are also aesthetic reasons. Some people switch because they want to have children and do not want to increase the chances that their child will suffer from asthma and other diseases. Others simply want their lives to be more under their control and less inconvenienced by the habit of smoking. But the bottom line is that everyone who switches sees positive effects that they never thought of. Did you know that smoking dulls your sense of taste and smell? The world is a more vibrant place once you stop smoking tobacco cigarettes.

The Con’s of Electronic Cigarette Smoking

But of course, nothing is perfect. While some companies try as hard as possible to create an eCigarette that mimics the taste of tobacco cigarettes, there is no way to get it perfectly right. Some companies make brand name flavors to attract smokers who are hooked to a specific flavor. In the end, trying to get exactly what you used to have with a particularly cigarette may work for you, or it may prove to be disappointing.

People who find the switch easy often go for something completely different. They try out menthols or one of the many flavors that are available today. Cherry, watermelon, grape, and Coca-Cola are all popular flavors. Some smokers just mix it up for fun and try a variety of flavors. But if you are expecting exactly the same taste and sensation, electronic cigarettes will probably not live up to your expectations.

Giving eCigs a try is still well worth your while, though, and many people find that after very little time they are used to and even prefer their new electronic cigarettes when compared to smoking tobacco smoke. The nicotine is still there and the relaxing experience is duplicated perfectly. Once you are used to it, you may begin to realize that smoking tobacco was not as much fun as you once thought it was.

The Bottom Line

Smoking isn’t a good thing. It is bad for your health, makes you smell bad, and turns your life into a kind of service to your nicotine addiction. Smoking electronic cigarettes is better. You still go outside, unless you prefer to stay inside, and you smell better and feel better than you did before. Making the switch is probably not as hard as you think it will be, and once you try a life without tobacco smoke, you will not want to go back.