The electronic cigarette or the e-cigarette electronic means a product intended to simulate the act of smoking tobacco. It produces a vapor or “artificial fog” visually resembling the smoke produced by burning tobacco. This steam can be flavored (flavored tobacco, brown, fruit, etc.). And contain or not the nicotine. Unlike the smoke produced by burning tobacco, the vapor does not smell of tobacco and is expected to contain fewer carcinogens. It contains no tar.

The electronic cigarettes are often a form reminiscent of the cigarette. When they are shaped like a cigar or a pipe, then they may also be called electronic cigarette or e-pipe. However, they may take more creative forms.

Users of electronic cigarettes often use the term “vapoter” (based on the word “steam”) instead of “smoking” means and not as smokers, but as “vapoteurs”.

History of Cigarette

Authorship of the invention of the electronic cigarette is a controversial subject. The first device released, intended to simulate the use of a cigarette was conducted in 2003 by Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist who filed in 2005, a patent with WIPO. However, this first device then uses a technology called “ultra-sonic” totally distinct from the most widespread technology that operates a heating resistor. This device is not intended to produce smoke, but only to issue a vapor containing nicotine.

Hon Lik later joined the company “Golden Dragon Holdings” to market its electronic cigarette in China in 2004. In a second step, the Golden Dragon Holdings, has changed the company name to “Ruyan” which means in Mandarin, “like smoke”.

The principle of an electronic cigarette is to produce steam. Different techniques are possible and have been used: by the use of ultrasound (complex and expensive to industrialize), a heating resistor. It is especially the technique that is used and found in the electronic cigarettes is currently marketed. This is a resistance heating (via a wick or braid) a liquid (called e-liquid) that property to evaporate at a temperature of 50 ° C.

An e-flavored liquid is a solution whose main component is either propylene glycol (PG) or the glycerin plant (VG). Both are common food additives. To lead compound is added artificial flavors or natural extracts and an optional dose of nicotine more or less concentrated.

To vapoter, the user must activate the heater resistance. The e-liquid heat and evaporates. The user can then inhale the steam. The onset of heat resistance can be manual (the user presses a switch) or automatically (an electromechanical device placed on the electronic cigarette detect aspiration of the user and active resistance soon).

Elements of An Electronic Cigarette

An electronic cigarette consists of three main elements:

• Electrical resistance;
• A cartridge to hold the e-liquid;
• An electrical device to operate the resistance, in most cases, a battery.

The component that contains the resistance (and the system of wick or braid) is called spray (atomizer for English speakers). When the atomizer and the cartridge are inseparable and form only one component, he was appointed cartomiseur (contraction of the words “cartridge” and “spray”) or integrated atomizer cartridge.

Thus, for the same battery, it can be screwed either a spray or a cartomiseur. Now there is a desire to standardize screw batteries from electronic cigarettes. Different standards exist thread (“510″, “901″, “ego”) based on models of electronic cigarettes. As a result, there are different families of sprays or cartomiseurs compatible with these threads. Adapters screw is also proposed to use this spray with such a battery.

Cartridges

It is a device intended to receive the e-liquid. It’s a tank, usually cylindrical, often made of plastic. It can have different sizes (0.5 ml to 7 ml). These cartridges can also contain wads (either synthetic or metal) to prevent an excessive flow of e-liquid.

A cartridge consists of two openings, one to allow steam to escape, the other opening to receive the wick or braid of the atomizer. When you first open a spout can be adjusted (drip tip for English speakers) that the user places in the mouth.

A cartridge can be reused and filled many times.

The atomizers

An atomizer contains a resistor, a braid (or wick) and a device in order to snap a cartridge. There are two large families of sprays, depending on whether they are intended to receive the cartridges with or without stuffing. In each of these families, it is proposed different resistances (from 1.25 ohm to 5 ohm).

The Cartomiseurs

A cartomiseur can be seen as an atomizer which is directly associated with a non-removable cartridge. So there cartomiseurs with cartridges to fill (but resistance is placed inside the stuffing) and cartomiseurs with no loose cartridges. As with the atomizers, there are different sizes with different cartomiseurs resistance.

A cartomiseur is considered a consumable. Some can be completed a limited number of times.

Batteries

The batteries are distinguished by the thread that they offer their ability and their rated voltage. The higher the battery capacity, the greater its size (and weight) will be important, but it offers more autonomy to the electronic cigarette will be. The battery capacity is usually measured in milli Ampere / hour. In addition, over a battery supplies a voltage, the more it can heat resistance, which then produce a larger quantity of steam.

The battery can be manual or automatic.

The e-liquid

They consist of a liquid called basic (propylene glycol (PG) and / or vegetable glycerin (VG). They often contain a certain amount of flavor (hundreds of flavors available). They may contain or not the nicotine. The e-liquid are sold separately.

Base fluids

Propylene glycol was used as chemical additives for water-based inhalers and nebulizers for the asthma since the 1950s without serious side effects known. Propylene glycol, because it has the ability to retain water, is the compound of choice for the drug atomized. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States includes propylene glycol in its list of substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Considering that propylene glycol has been widely used for many years without serious side effects, the substance may reasonably be seen as relatively harmful.

Concentration of Nicotine

The solutions are available in different concentrations of nicotine, which allows the user to choose the amount of nicotine absorbed he wants, from a lack of nicotine at high doses and very high (16-18 mg / ml and 24-36 mg / ml), to low and medium doses (6-8 mg / ml and 10-14 mg / ml, respectively). Concentrations are usually indicated on the bottle of liquid or cartridge, often with the abbreviation “mg” (instead of “mg / ml”).

The flavors

Some varieties mimic the taste of cigarettes: regular tobacco, menthol, Marlboro or Camel (including trademarks). Other flavors are available: fruit, vanilla, caramel, coffee, etc.

Health Aspects

Because of the absence of combustion and the absence of multiple ingredients of tobacco, the electronic cigarette is similar to other tobacco substitutes (gum, inhaler and nicotine patch).

A summary of the efficacy and safety of the electronic cigarette was published in 2010-2011 in the Journal of Public Health Policy by Michael Siegel of the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH).

The electronic cigarette contains little or no chemicals that may present serious health risks.

Although we can not currently rule in absolute terms, the current data indicate that electronic cigarettes may be less harmful than regular cigarettes and comparable in terms of toxicity with other tobacco substitutes (patches, gum, inhalers).

The concentrations of substances carcinogenic are 1000 times lower than in cigarettes.

Preliminary data indicate that electronic cigarettes could be effective against the urge to smoke, especially because they simulate the act of smoking a real cigarette.

This could prove to be superior in effectiveness to other methods of self-administration of nicotine because the stimuli associated with the act of smoking has a lasting effect against withdrawal symptoms.

However, the dosage of inhaled products is not stable over time, tending to decrease the number of “hot” and forcing them to pull harder for the same dose of nicotine.

An Italian study led by Professor Ricardo Polosa 11 shows a smoking cessation or at least a halving of cigarette smoking in 55% of a cohort of 40 smokers unwilling to quit tobacco especially. However, the authors conclude, the small size of the cohort requires more extensive testing.

There are no studies on long-term toxicity of propylene glycol through the lungs when inhaled. Therefore electronic cigarettes containing vegetable glycerine are proposed as alternatives with little or no propylene glycol. Fluids based on vegetable glycerin remain, however, decried the consumer forums. Many voices protest against what they describe as “a marketing tool” after the misinformation many blogs made ​​on propylene glycol, or are deliberately confused propylene glycol (non toxic) and ethylene glycol (toxic). Forums consumers reported that the glycerol has a low decomposition temperature (150°) produces a toxic smoke called acrolein.

Legal Status

According to a study published in March 2007 and published by the Agency Austrian Health and Food Safety 12 , this type of aerosol generator corresponds to a medical device class IIa (or IIb), and marketing requires a CE marking appropriate or a marketing authorization as stipulated by the pharmaceutical or medical devices.

U.S. authorities, Belgian, Canadian, Netherlands, Hungarian and Turkish 15 have made ​​similar views. It is prohibited in Australia; it is classified as nicotine poison, even if the sale of cigarettes containing tobacco is still permitted.

The French Office for the Prevention of Smoking “remember that these products, grouped under the term electronic cigarette, are not medical devices or drugs according to Afssaps ” and that these products should not be considered drugs drug or processes, in an opinion dated May 30, 2011, Afssaps recommends, although to date, no adverse effects or poisoning linked to the electronic cigarettes have been reported not to use the cigarette. In response to what a consumer group said in a statement: “We note that the AFSSAPS does not recommend the use of the electronic cigarette, but will continue, for our part, think that for a smoker it is preferable to that of cigarette smoking. For if the safety of the first has not been demonstrated, lethal toxicity of the second hand has been painfully observed in recent decades. “

In the United States in July 2009, the Food and Drug Administration tried to ban the import of electronic cigarettes and launched a stern warning against them, arguing that it contained the traces of tobacco-specific contaminants, including some carcinogens (TSNA).

However, the trial of two leading importers, FDA has to determine whether the remit of the latter to ban such products was completed in January 2010. U.S. Judge Richard Leon said the FDA had no authority to regulate electronic cigarettes and ordered the release of selected electronic cigarettes since 2008 by the Customs at the request of the United States Food and Drug Administration.

This product remains freely available in many other countries, subject to further evaluation by the authorities.

In September 2011, a think tank linked to the British government says “Try the electronic cigarette” and sees it as an alternative to tobacco in order to fight against the risks of smoking.

In Switzerland, the electronic cigarette can be sold only in non-nicotine cartridges and refill liquid. She is considered “form of tobacco” and is therefore subject to the federal tax on the import of tobacco and beer.

Many anti-smoking associations (American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Legacy Foundation, and Action on Smoking and Health, to name a few North Americans) have demanded the withdrawal of electronic cigarette market.