Wednesday, July 30, 2014

There’s a lot of debate out there about e-cigarettes - are they healthy, are they dangerous? Ultimately, the electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is the safer, healthier alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. While they’re not 100% healthy and they still pose certain risks, there are several reasons why smokers should reach for an e-smoke instead of a regular one.

1. E-Cigarettes Can Be Smoked Indoors

If you often crave a smoke when you’re inside, you’re out of luck thanks to the smoking laws, which prevent smoking conventional cigarettes in public places. With the e-cigarette, though, you can still get your fix even without heading outside. Also, you won’t annoy people around you because e-cigarettes don’t smell like regular cigarettes. For the most part, places that ban smoking will allow e-cigarettes, but check regulations before “lighting up.”

2. E-Cigarettes Chemicals Don’t Burn

While there are certain chemicals in e-cigarettes, the main reason why e-cigarettes are healthier than regular cigarettes is because they don’t burn, which is where the real danger lies. While e-cigarettes do give off dangerous chemicals, they’re just a fraction of the amount you’d get from a cigarette. Also, since there’s nothing to actually burn on an e-cigarette, you never have to worry about misplacing your matches or lighter again.

3. E-Cigarettes Are Reusable

There’s no two ways about it: it’s an expensive time to have a regular smoking habit. E-cigarettes aren’t cheap to invest in, but they are reusable, which means you don’t have to continually fork over $10 every couple of days to smoke. E-cigarettes are powered by battery, so as long as you remember to keep your battery charged (which shouldn't be a problem because you’re probably used to charging your phone, Kindle, Mac, etc.), you won’t have an issue. Many e-cigarettes are refillable as well, so when the liquid in one of the cartridges runs out, you only have to replace the cartridge, not the whole device.

4. E-Cigarettes Don’t Make Everything Stink

One of the biggest drawbacks to traditional cigarettes is their odor (along with all of the negative health consequences, of course). E-cigarettes, luckily, don’t smell at all! Regular cigarette smoke can stink up anything it comes in contact with, include your home, car, clothing, hair and breath. Most of the time, regular smokers don’t even realize how bad everything around them smells because they’re so used to it. E-cigarettes don’t have that telltale odor because nothing is being burned and also because the vapor that’s exhaled doesn’t have an odor and evaporates quickly.

5. E-Cigarettes Are the More Cost-Effective Choice

In most places, cigarette packs range from $7 to $12, partly because of inflation and also due to a raise in taxes. People who smoke a pack a day can spend as much as $300 or more just on cigarettes, not even taking into account lighters and other incidentals. The starter kit for an e-cigarette may be as much as $100, but besides that, they’re not nearly as big an investment as traditional cigarettes, even when you add in the cost for batteries and cartridges. Plus, e-cigs aren’t subject to the same taxes as regular cigarettes.

6. The FDA Says They’re the Healthier Choice

Part of the problem with e-cigarettes has been that they’re not regulated by the FDA, but that’s changing. The FDA not only realizes it has to regulate e-cigarettes, but they’ve also confirmed that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.