Many smokers have made an environmentally responsible choice by learning about the new lifestyle product referred to a e-cigarettes.. Streamlined in design and easily linked to a healthy lifestyle choice, e-cigs have quickly captured the interest of the public. Advantages often mentioned are the lack of odor and messy ashtrays and the ability to ingest nicotine without harming or offending others.

Warnings on cigarette packs sold in the U.S. are among the weakest in the world according to David Hammond of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. There have been few changes in the required warnings since they were first introduced in 1984. The warnings do not mention many of the scientifically proven dangers of tobacco that have been made public in the past 25 years.

Smoking used to be viewed as a sophisticated activity. Cigarette ads on billboards displayed the macho Marlboro Man and the independent Virginia Slims woman as role models for stylish, forward thinking individuals. The wrinkles and coughs smokers experience was not part of the commercials and no mention was made in ads when the Marlboro Man died of lung cancer.

The introduction of the electronic cigarette provided a new choice for those addicted to tobacco. E-cigs provide the nicotine boost of tobacco without clothing and homes permeated with the odor associated with smoking. Smokers opting for the alternative of e-cigarettes can choose from many flavors and nicotine strengths

There are 599 additives presently in cigarettes according to the U.S. Department of Health. This information came from report from major tobacco companies and was compiled into a list. Many of the substances had not been revealed until the highly publicized tobacco trials a few years ago. Some food additives that have been proven safe to ingest orally are said to be safe even though they have never been tested when burned and inhaled. Chemical properties often change when a substance is burned and over 4000 chemical compounds are produced by a burning cigarette.

Public attitudes toward tobacco have been greatly influenced by the recent focus of society on healthier lifestyles and living in an environmentally friendly way. The health benefits of regular exercise is not conducive to smoking tobacco an hour later. Choosing organic and unprocessed foods for a nutritious diet makes little sense if your meal is followed by inhalation of hundreds of chemical additives and toxins.

The electronic cigarette came under attack by big tobacco and big pharma almost immediately after it’s introduction in 2003. Even the FDA seemed to bow to the pressure of the well finance tobacco and pharmaceutical lobbies in Washington. Manufacturers of arguably one of the most dangerous products sold to consumers were charging that e-cigs were unsafe and the FDA expressed concerns which closely paralleled those of lobbyists.

Tobacco smokers are arriving at their own conclusions. The weight of evidence pointing to serious health risks combined with the high cost of the products due to recent tax increases has led many dedicated tobacco smokers to choose the alternative of e-cigs. For the first time smokers have found a new lifestyle product that will provide the pleasure of smoking without the risks and costs of tobacco.

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