It’s taken less than a decade for e cigarettes to make the transition from a rather obscure product to one that has become so commercialised it even has its own glossary. In 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert created the very first e cig - or as he termed it, a smokeless non-tobacco cigarette. The device didn’t take off, however, and it was only when Hon Lik, a Chinese inventor, patented the modern version in 2003 that it started becoming popular. In China, more than 60% of men are tobacco smokers, so the e cig had a captive audience, and once it took off there it made its way to America and then on to Europe.
 
Today the e cigarette industry is worth a whopping $3 billion, and even the large tobacco companies are looking for ways to jump on the bandwagon and create products and merchandise that tie in with these smart electronic devices.
 
Big Brands Pave the Way for Success
A recent study showed that there were more than 450 brands of e cigarettes and an incredible 7,750-plus flavours of e liquid available on the market. Some of the more exotic flavours for vaping include bubble gum, bacon and apple pie, proving that there really is no limit to the different taste sensations available.
 
E cigarettes have been marketed extensively to the younger generation and have certainly made smoking cool again, as they offer so many advantages over their tobacco counterparts. They have encouraged many to stub out their cigarettes and make the switch to a cleaner, better-tasting, smokeless alternative, and with so many types and flavour options on offer, it's clear to see why vaping has been such a big hit.
 
A Unique Experience
Part of vaping’s attraction is that it offers a satisfying way of enjoying nicotine without smoking or burning anything. One of the most common misconceptions is that an e cig is like a hookah or water pipe; however, the two couldn’t be more different. When using a hookah, a mixture of tobacco and molasses is burnt, and the smoke is drawn through the water and up the pipe, through the mouthpiece and into the lungs. With vaping you only inhale water vapour that’s been heated by a vaporiser, and the dangerous chemicals caused by burning are not present at all.
 
Vaping offers a completely new experience that cannot be compared to any other type of smoking, and it’s created a whole new generation of smokers who are conscious of their health and the environment.