Electronic cigarettes have been available since around 2004 in the UK market place with Chinese inventor Hon Lik officially recognised as the creator of the technology. The entrepreneur had produced them after his Father had died from lung cancer after a 40 a day tobacco cigarette habit.
Fast forward to the present day and the industry is booming. The burgeoning market was worth an estimated £193million at the end of 2013, with this expected to increase dramatically over the next year. This is being driven by huge investment following takeovers from big tobacco companies, with one recently injecting around £60million into an e-cig company and a substantial amount of this focussed on advertising activity.
So, why exactly are e-cigs, such as those by Freshcig, better than tobacco cigarettes? We take a look below at the main points.
Healthier Alternative
Tobacco cigarettes contain up to 4,000 chemicals including one’s such as:
• Acetone – ingredient in nail polish remover
• Methanol – used as rocket fuel
• Naphthylamine – a carcinogen
• Pyrene – a carcinogen
• Naphthalene – moth repellent
• Cadmium – used in batteries, a carcinogen
• Carbon monoxide – poisonous gas
• Vinyl Chloride – used in plastic materials
• Cyanhydric acid – poisonous gas
• Ammonia – industrial cleaner and detergent
• Arsenic – lethal poison
• Dibenzacridine – a carcinogen
• Polonium 210 – a radioactive element
• DDT – insecticide
• Formaldehyde – embalming fluid
E-cigarettes also contain tar which affects the Cilia in your lungs which are the tiny hair like structures which move the mucus from your lungs that have trapped foreign bodies and dust. This makes your lung function less efficient and can be irreparable. Electronic cigarettes contain Propylene Glycol (which is found in food and drink products as a stabilising ingredient), Vegetable Glycerine (available in most health stores) and natural and artificial food grade flavourings. As a result, they’re classed by many health professionals as a healthier alternative.
Saving Money
Tobacco cigarettes are extremely expensive with a 20 a day smoker spending around £60 a week. That’s over £3,000 a year and £30,000 over 10 years! If you switch to electronic cigarettes then a 20 a day smoker would save around £2,400 a year. A significant amount. To spur yourself on to stay away from cigarettes you can put the money aside to save for a holiday, a deposit on a new car or improvements to your house – even just a meal out a week will spur you on and you’ll still have cash to spare!
Your Looks
Using tobacco products affects your looks massively. The carbon monoxide which enters your lungs is circulated around the body which stifles the Oxygen getting to your largest organ, the skin. This means that the nutrients and minerals that should reach it do not. The smoke emitted from the end of a cigarette contains toxins which are harmful to skin cells. Your hair and eyes can be affected in the same way as your skin, with hair becoming brittle and thinner and your eyes appearing blood shot and discoloured in appearance.