It has been almost a year since I last updated my e cigarette reviews so I thought it was about time I got my hands on some new starter kits to see how the leading brands on the market have progressed over that time.

If you’ve been on the site over the last couple of months you will have noticed that I’ve been posting some in depth reviews of many of the most popular e cigarette products. I’ve been using all of them for a prolonged period of time to enable me to give you the best idea about what e cigs are worth buying. The only problem is that if you are looking to make a quick purchasing decision you might not be too interested in reading my 3000 word opus on the pros and cons of every device you could possibly buy. For that reason I’ll do a quick run down of the best e cigarettes I’ve been lucky enough to use, and list the important points you will want to consider before you buy.

With that out of the way let’s take a look at my top 4 electronic cigarettes at the moment.

The Best E Cigarette I’ve Reviewed Is The Green Smoke

For the third year in a row Green Smoke E cigarettes are my top pick for anyone looking for a high quality e cig at a reasonable price. Until I got my new starter kit from this company a few weeks ago I was considering giving the top spot to a different brand for a change, but the company’s new Flavormax cartridges and reduced pricing have ensured they stay ahead of the pack once again.

Why Buy Green Smoke?

• A very high quality product which is obviously manufactured with the aim of being the best on the market.
• Fantastic new range of cartridges called Flavormax which provide great taste, massive vapor, and the most realistic “smoking” experience from any electronic cigarette I’ve tried so far.
• Cartridges are created using a proprietary wicking technology which ensures you get the best taste, and no chance of inhaling any nasties from heated plastics.
• Starter kit now includes a free USB e cigarette and $10 has been knocked off the retail price.
• No need to take primer puffs to get a great smoking experience when using their automatic batteries (unlike most other brands).
• Batteries have a long cut-off which means you can take a really satisfying drag for maximum taste and vapor.
• Their new Flavormax cartridges last a really long time and provide good vapor ’til the end.
• Cartridges are now triple sealed which means the user gets a super consistent product.

Any Downsides To Green Smoke?

There is not a lot that I would want to see changed with this product. If pushed I’d ask them to make the stickers on the carts with paper that was a little bit thinner as they are currently tempting to peel off. Other than that this is just about the perfect device, and better than anything else available at the moment.

Click here to read my full Green Smoke E Cigarette Review.

Number 2 – V2

V2 e cigs are a newer brand on the market so when I got my starter kit a couple of months ago it was the first time I had tried them. I was impressed with this device as soon as I got it out of the package and had been using it a fair bit until my new Green Smoke Kit arrived.

What’s Good About The V2?

• Their nicotine liquids taste good and have a very nice amount of vapor.
• Their prices compare very well with most other products on the market.
• They offer a cool portable charger pack which will allow you to charge your batteries when you are out of the house without having to find a power point.
• This company now sells an attachment allowing you to use your V2 battery with nicotine cartridges from other e-cig companies. I haven’t tried this yet so can’t comment on how well it works, but it sounds promising for those who like a bit of variety in their lives.

Downsides to the V2?

• The “smoking” experience isn’t quite as realistic as you get with Green Smoke.
• I’ve heard complaints from a few people saying that they have had problems with their carts from V2 ie. Carts not lasting as long as they should or having a burnt taste. I haven’t encountered this myself and have been very happy with my V2′s performance.
• This company has been known to be a bit slow in shipping out orders at times, probably due to not always having everything in stock. If you order from them let me know how long your shipments take to arrive.

Note: Remember to use coupon code ecigaretteshop to get an extra 10% off your order with V2.

Read my full V2 E Cigarette Review.

Number 3 – Vapor King by Electronic Cigarettes Inc.

Electronic Cigarettes Inc have really expanded their range since the last time I tried them and they have a couple of products that you might like to try out. I’ve tested both the Vapor King ETank and the regular Vapor King both of which are top e cigarettes. I personally prefer the regular version as the ETank didn’t have enough of a throat hit for my liking, although I did produce a massive amount of vapor.

The Vapor King starter kit is a quality product which has a really nice feel to it with very good vapor production and a satisfying throat hit. The difference between this product and the others in this list is that it doesn’t use the cartomizer system, but rather has a small tank which you fill with your nicotine liquid, and a separate atomizer which will have to be replaced at regular intervals. This makes for a rather unique vaping experience for those of us used to simply screwing in a new cart when the old one runs dry. It’s one which I quite enjoy, although for everyday use I prefer the ease of use associated with the likes of the Green Smoke.

The only negatives for me with this electronic cigarette were:

• It has a tendency to leak nicotine liquid when carried in my pocket.
• The taste of the nicotine liquid supplied by the company wasn’t as good as some of the others I’ve tried, although I have only tried this tobacco flavor. This problem could be remedied by purchasing your liquids from a third party supplier.

If you are tempted to try something a little bit different then this device could be right up your alley.

Read my full Vapor King E Cigarette Review.

Number 4 – White Cloud Cirrus E Cigarettes

White Cloud have a reputation for being ridiculously expensive and it’s one that’s deserved. You will have to shell out almost $300 dollars to get you hands on their top of the range Cirrus III, and that’s the reason you will find very few people using these. Having said that, it is an e cigarette that you might want to consider if you have plenty of cash to spend.

Why Buy White Cloud Cigarettes?

• There are a few things that set the White Cloud apart from the other e cigarettes I have reviewed.
• They are the smallest e cigarette.
• The nicotine liquid in their carts tastes awesome.
• They offer a real easy draw, unlike some brands which feel like you are trying to suck a golf ball through a straw.

What I Don’t Like So Much About White Could E Cigs

• The price..obviously You’re going to have to have deep pockets to feel good about putting down $300 for an e cigarette you can’t try before you buy.
• Doesn’t produce as much vapor as the Green Smoke or V2 – This won’t be a big deal for some, but for others it will be a deal breaker.
• They don’t sell as many cool accessories for their products as many other brands.

Is White Cloud Worth The Money?

In all honesty I would prefer the Green Smoke to the White Cloud even if they were available for the same price. It’s true that the Cirrus has great tasting cartomizers, but that doesn’t make up for the lower vapor production and slightly less satisfying “vaping” experience.

If the thing that really matters to you is getting the smallest e cig possible or being the only person using a particular product then you might want to take a closer look at these.

Read my full White Cloud E Cigarette Review.

Since I started this web site way back in the summer of 2009 I’ve been singing the praises of Green Smoke e cigarettes as the best you can buy. Of course, in those days your choice when buying one of these devices was much narrower and it wasn’t too difficult to see that Green Smoke were a long way ahead of the majority of the competition. After all, back then you were hard pushed to find a 2 piece device, with most retailers only offering very cheap generic 3 piece products which were essentially the same electronic cigarette re branded with a sticker of a particular company’s brand.

Things have changed rapidly in market though and you can now get your hands on any number of quality products, many of which are cheaper than those from the Green Smoke shop. The fact of the matter is when I was buying new starter kits from the most popular retailers over the last couple of months I was beginning to contemplate taking Green Smoke off the top position on my web site. Luckily for Greensmoke and for us they have decided to improve their product at precisely the right time, and it might just be enough to allow them to keep their number one spot. Let’s take a look to see if this is still the best option for someone who wants to make the switch from smoker to vaper.

How has Green Smoke Improved?

There are a couple of areas in which this company has upped it’s game in the last month. The first, and probably most important, is that they have completely overhauled their nicotine cartridges to a product which is far better than anything they have offered before. These new FlavorMax™ carts have been developed exclusively by greensmoke and are not available from any other supplier. They work with the company’s old batteries and completely interchangeable with the older style carts so if you are a current customer you don’t have to worry about purchasing a complete new kit to take advantage of them.

I’ve been sampling my FlavorMax™ products for the last couple of weeks and I have to say that I’m extremely impressed with them. I’ve only had the pleasure of tasting the regular tobacco and the red label flavors so far but I can safely say that they provide the most realistic “smoking” experience of any e cig cart I have ever sampled. I currently sitting here puffing on a red label cart while drinking a pot of coffee, and I’m in smoker’s heaven

The other thing that Green Smoke has decided to do is add more value to their starter kits. It has been a criticism of this company for quite some time that their prices where just too high compared to the likes of V2, South Beach e cigs and Electronic Cigarette Inc so anything they do to rectify this has to be welcomed wholeheartedly. To be fair to Greensmoke they have always tried to set themselves apart by offering a better quality of product so it’s only to be expected that it’s going to cost a little more to pick up a kit.

With that said their standard electronic cigarette starter kit know comes with the following items:

• 1 Long Rechargeable Battery
• 1 Short Battery
• 1 USB E-Cigarette
• 1 USB and Wall Home Charger Kit
• A 5-Pack of Old Style Cartomizers
• A 5-Pack of new Tobacco FlavorMax™ Carts

The extras over the old kit are the 5 FlavorMax™ carts and the USB e cigarette which adds up to almost $70 in added value, not bad at all. In addition the standard kit now retails for $129.99 instead of $139.99 so you are really getting a much better deal than before.

The social smoker kit also now comes with a USB electronic cigarette and it’s price has been reduced from $109.99 to $99.99. That’s good value too, but I still recommend most smokers opt for the kit with 2 batteries so you have a back up when you are out of the house.

If you haven’t heard about the USB cigarette then it’s simply a device that lets you connect your green smoke directly to your PC or laptop enabling you to run on battery power. It’s great if you spend a lot of time at your desk or run down your batteries unexpectedly and need to get a quick hit of nicotine.

How Do FlavorMax™ Carts Compare To The Competition?

It’s all very well Greensmoke bringing out a brand new line of carts with a fancy name, but if they aren’t as good as those you get elsewhere then no one is going to be impressed. So let’s take a look at them and compare to some of the other manufacturers on the market. Bare in mind that so far I’ve only tried the tobacco flavors so I can pass judgment on the entire range.

I’ve always loved the Green Smoke vaping experience but if you have read my recent reviews you will have noticed that I’ve become a fan of a couple of other brands. Both V2 and White Cloud have impressed me with the quality and flavor of their nicotine cartridges and I’ve actually been using the V2 e cigarette as much as the Green Smoke since I received it in the post thanks to it’s minty fresh menthol flavor. White Cloud cigarettes on the other hand have managed to provide us with a selection of flavors which are so far the most realistic on the market. In my opinion these two companies are the ones that Green Smoke’s new FlavorMax™ had to live up to.

It seems to me as if Green Smoke’s aim with the new range is striving to recreate the most perfect “smoking” experience possible with a smokeless cigarette. That’s the way it has always appeared to me as they are renowned for producing a unit which pumps out masses of vapor. In this respect the new carts are incredible, allowing you to generate far more “smoke” than any of the other devices I have recently covered in my e cigarette reviews.

On top of that there is a really nice throat hit which is perhaps a touch better then that offered by the V2 and similar to the extra strength White Clouds (although I find the Green Smoke to be less harsh on my throat after prolonged use).

One thing that is worth noting about this e-cig is that it doesn’t heat up the fiber that holds the e-liquid inside the cartridge. As far as I can tell this is the way that most other carts work and it means there is a danger of inhaling carbon monoxide and other chemicals in the cheaper brands if the atomizer tube gets too hot. Perhaps this is the reason that I’ve gotten a plastic taste in some of the brands I’ve tested recently (namely the Apollo and Breathe Fresh E Cigarettes). Green smoke uses a proprietary “wicking” technology to keep this heat away from the carrying medium for the liquid. If nothing else this gives me peace of mind that vaping with these devices is doing the least amount of damage possible to my health.

Another point to note is that you no longer have to take a “primer” puff when using a Green smoke like you do with many other electric cigs which use an automatic battery. One of the reasons I was so impressed with the V2 manual battery was that you could get a good draw without having to puff a couple of times before inhaling. With the new carts and batteries you get a great throat hit and vapor straight away making the whole process all the more enjoyable. Add that to the fact that the batteries allow you to take a really nice long draw before the cut-off kicks in and you have an outstanding “smoking” experience.

One negative aspect of the new FlavorMax™ Cartridges is that they have been increased in price a little to $16.99 a pack but there are specials available which allow you to buy in bulk at significantly lower cost. One thing to keep in mind is that FlavorMax™ are quite a bit bigger than the older carts so you get more nicotine liquid for your cash, with enough extra puffs per cart to make up for the higher price point.

Another thing I’m not in love with ( I’m really nitpicking here ) is that the sticker on the carts is just a little bit too thick which can make it tempting to peel off. It’s not a big deal, but I mention it only to ensure this review is as complete as possible.

The last thing that I almost forgot to mention is that FlavorMax™ make use of a much more advanced packaging than the competition with triple sealing to ensure they stay factory fresh for longer. Your five cartridges come individually packed in foil so that, in theory, each one is maintained in optimum condition until you need it. They also have a secure rubber stopper on the business end of the cart, and an easily removed sticky strip where you inhale. To top it all off, the cardboard box they come in is very professional looking and has a real nice feel to it. It’s obviously that this company is putting a lot of thought into their products and spending the cash to ensure they stay ahead of the field.

The complete range of flavors available at the moment are:

• Absolute Tobacco
• Red Label Tobacco
• Menthol Ice
• Mocha Mist
• Smooth Chocolate
• Vanilla Dreams

I’ve been reliably informed by a friend online that the Menthol Ice and Mocha Mist are awesome, but you’ll have to wait a little while yet to hear what I think of them myself.

What About Green Smoke Battery Life?

The amount of time your battery lasts is one of the most important things in making your transition to the e cigarette as successful as possible. If you are out of the house and your power runs out then you are going to be in trouble, and might even resort to tobacco to get that nicotine hit. That’s the reason it’s advisable to always carry a spare with you, and why I try to steer people away from the starter kits which only come with a single battery. On top of that you want to get a brand which supplies high quality power units which last you long enough that you don’t get frustrated with constantly having to recharge. In the past there has been some criticism about some e cig batteries because they often don’t last as long as some of us would like. So far, after a couple of weeks with my new green smoke starter kit, I have to say that I’m impressed with the amount of vaping time you get before you have to find a power point. My small battery has been lasting me a full day so far, and the last battery is a fiend which seems to last about twice as long. If the Green Smoke batteries continue to last this long after a number of recharge cycles there with be nothing to complain about in this area.

The Accessories

The chargers supplied in the starter kit do a perfect job powering up your batteries when required. They are nicely built and are branded with the companies logo which I always think is a sign of a product which has has a little bit more thought into it. One thing you should note is that the company recommends you only charge your battery until the unit indicates that optimum charge has been reached. It’s possible that leaving your batteries on charge all day can lead to a reduction in their functional life. I assume this is the case with batteries supplied by all the companies out there, although I have never tested to see if this is true.

Conclusion To The Green Smoke Review

All in all the Green smoke e cigarette is an outstanding product and one which should be at the top of your list when trying to decide what to buy. This company has always provided products which are at the cutting edge of the industry and the new cartomizers they offer have made them an even more attractive prospect. On top of that you have their renowned customer service department which is always on hand if you have a problem with your purchase, and there’s a money back guarantee which will get you a full refund if you decide you don’t like the e cig experience.

Click Here To Get 10% Off Your Green Smoke E Cig

V2 e cigarettes are a brand that hasn’t been around for as long as most of the other products which I’ve reviewed on this web site. The reason it has taken me so long to try them out was that for one reason or another I assumed they were just another copycat product with nothing new to offer the e cig user. It turns out I might have been wrong!

I finally bit the bullet and ordered a kit from their online store after a friend online told me he had been using one for a few months as his first choice device. This guy has tried more than his fair share of electronic cigarettes so I knew there had to be a good reason for him to leave his other e cigs at home.

My V2 e cig was delivered only this morning and I have to say that I was blown away as soon as I unpacked it. The way the e cigarette looks isn’t the thing that sets this product apart, although it does look pretty cool. It’s got a similar design to my old favorite the Green Smoke and the popular South Beach. The V2 is actually a bit bigger than those two models which many people will consider to be a negative point. In the hands it certainly feels slightly bigger but it’s not so heavy that a regular e-cigarette user will be concerned. At 16.8 grams its 3.2 grams heavier than the Green Smoke or White Cloud’s Cirrus III, but you would be hard pushed to notice the difference when in use.

The V2 is a classic 2 piece e cigarette, making use of the cartomizer style cartridges. With this design you simply screw your nicotine carts into the battery and you are ready to go. Every time you switch cartridges you also get a new atomizer which usually leads to a more consistent smoking experience. The cartomizers from the V2 electronic cigarette come in really nice bright matte colors with a pleasant papery feel, in contrast to the shiny battery cover. Of all the cartridges I’ve tried so far these are the nicest to the touch and they look nice with the V2 logo and flavor printed in a stylish font.

Taking my first draw on the V2 was a very pleasant experience as I instantly took a liking to the flavors I received (sahara tobacco, menthol, and vanilla). Each once tasted pretty much as you would expect, unlike some manufacturer’s flavors which you would be hard to place if you didn’t have a label to give you a clue. The menthol was probably the stand out cart thanks to its extremely fresh taste, but the other two were close behind.

My strong full flavor carts have an almighty throat hit, just the way I like it. If you are a light smoker though you might like to choose a lower nicotine level to save your throat.

I know you are dying to find out how much vapor these produce as it’s the thing that most of us crave from a good e cigarette. After all, it’s one of the most important parts of the vaping process when it comes to feeling like we are using our favorite tobacco products. The V2 didn’t disappoint me here either. You will get more vapor from the Green Smoke though, so if it’s your top priority you might want to look elsewhere. The V2 has about the same vapor as a South Beach or White Cloud Cirrus, which is plenty to keep me happy.

Another bonus with this product is that you get to choose between both manual and automatic batteries. I opted for one of each so I could review them for this site. The automatic battery is the one that comes with most of the e cigarettes on the market where the power is activated when you inhale. The problem with this design is that it takes a moment for the atomizer to heat up when you take a draw. This is why most people take a couple of small “primer” puffs each time they use an e cig to get the best vapor and throat hit.

The manual battery allows you to switch on the device by pressing a button before you inhale, letting you take a single satisfying draw with the vapor filled nicotine immediately on tap.

So far so good.

Using the V2 is great experience, but take a look at the accessories you get for your money and you will be blown away. I paid less that $100 for my traveler kit (thanks to discount code “ecigshop” ) and received the following items:

• 2 batteries – choice of automatic or manual switch
• 15 cartridges – choose up to 3 flavors
• USB Charger
• Wall Adapter
• Car Charger
• A Carry Case which charges your battery on the go
• A Notebook-Cig which you to plug a cart into your USB port and vape without needing to use a battery

To me that represents just about the best value available you are going to find at the moment. You have a multitude of charging options which will mean you will never get caught short without the power to run your electronic cigarette. If the worst comes to the worst you can always plug into the USB port and use your laptop as a power source.

I love the portable charging pack that comes with this starter kit. It not only looks great, but it has a quality feel and is small enough that it fits snugly in your pocket. Open it up and you see that it has enough room to charge one of your batteries and store a couple of spare cartomizers. Supposedly when you charge up your pack it has enough power to charge 5 batteries, although I’ve not had time to check this yet.

Conclusion

I’ll update this e cigarette review as time goes by and I use my V2 more extensively but my initial impression is that this device is the best value currently available on the market. If you have about $100 to spend on a starter kit then I wholeheartedly recommend the V2 traveler kit. It’s only 30 bucks more than the standard kit which doesn’t include the USB passthrough, or the oh-so-special charging pack.

The best things about this electronic cigarette are:

1. Its great flavor
2. Good vapor production
3. Fantastic charger pack
4. Incredible value
5. It has a nice feel to it

Things you might not like so much (I’m nitpicking here):

1. It doesn’t produce as much vapor as a Green Smoke
2. Flavors aren’t quite as good as the very expensive White Cloud Cirrus
3. The batteries are a little larger than the competition

Use V2 Coupon Code ecigshop to get an extra 10% off your order.

Click Here to buy direct from the official V2 Online Store.

The spread of e-cigarettes and the practice of vaping have been recently dealt a serious blow in Canada by a renewed crackdown on e cigs and cartomizers by Health Canada and the RCMP. Several smokeless cigarette manufacturer start ups have been forced to shut down under threat from these entities, and even online/mail order of e-cigs and cartomizers from the U.S. and elsewhere is prone to search and seizure at the borders.

Health Canada has long stood in opposition to the practice of vaping and sales and distribution of e-cigarette technology within the country’s borders. In 2009 Health Canada declared in an official statement that the products fall under the federal Food and Drugs Act, and therefore are subject to government approval before being legal for sale in Canada. As a result there have been no market authorizations for e-cigarettes and associated products in the country to date. Health Canada maintains a steadfast anti-e-cigarette stance, even in the face of increasing evidence that it is a much safer alternative to smoking traditional tobacco products.

Not surprisingly, and similarly to the political situation in the United States, it is not difficult to trace Health Canada’s intractability—Big Tobacco once again rules the game. It is in the public record that the Canadian Government collected upwards of $20 BILLION worth of tobacco taxes in the period from 2001-2008. It is one thing to stand for the public health in a spirit of genuine altruism, and quite another to block a more healthful alternative with a proven track record of smoking cessation success because the money generated by Big Tobacco is just too irresistible.

Medical Cannabis E Cigarette one step closer to realization

As previously reported in this column, Medical Cannabis Management has been involved in the process of developing existing electronic cigarette technology as a delivery device for the active chemical agent in medical cannabis: THC. Distillation of the highly effective analgesic into cartomizer e-liquids will revolutionize the Medical Cannabis movement by eliminating the need for the marijuana plant to be acquired by the end user. Prescription strength e-solutions are seen as a more effective and ultimately manageable method to aid the chronically ill in pain and nausea management resulting from cancer and HIV treatments and chronic pain.

The producer of the THC e-cig has yet to be announced pending final trademark legalities being researched and cleared, but Medical Cannabis Management is expecting that the product will be ready to market within the next month. The product will not be available for the general public to purchase—but rather is slated to be presented to doctors and medical entities as a prescribed alternative to existing side effect laden narcotics and other drugs.

Canny Marketing Strategy for E Cigarettes

A former high level Proctor and Gamble marketing executive has entered into the e-cigarette manufacture and sales arena with an clever strategy to do precisely what the US Food and Drug Administration forbids—extol the virtues of e-cigs as a smoking cessation method.

The US FDA does not recognize e-cigs as a “drug delivery device”—which on one hand is only correct and true—nicotine not being federally acknowledged at a class “A” drug—and which further helps the e-cig industry escape oppressive regulations that could end up requiring a doctor’s prescription for their purchase and use. On the other hand, this lack of said recognition also prevents e cigarette manufacturers from claiming the device can help smokers quit.

Former P&G marketing maven, Jeffrey Hill launched the Spire E-Cig brand in October of 2011 with a stated intent of spreading the good news about e-cigs as anti-smoking aids by a targeted marketing approach. Mr Hill is making his case to those on the front lines of the detrimental health effects of traditional tobacco smoking—oncologists—the medical professionals who treat the cancers that the combustion of tobacco visits on millions of smokers each year. In addition Hill is also reaching out to municipal officials across the US in an effort to establish public-private agreements that would make e-cigs and accessories available for sale in public locations—and is meeting with some success on that front even in these early days. Hill is further selling his Spire product to corporations in a few cities—pitching statistics that show the loss of productive employee time (an estimated 15 %!) to the forced habit of having to go outside of office buildings to smoke. One of the corporations he’s already struck a deal with is a “top five” health care company, which cannot be named for obvious reasons, but which offers the e-cig products to existing smoking employees as an alternative option to smoking tobacco.

This is very intelligent and incisively targeted marketing—and will likely go a long way in furthering the cause of e-cigs and vaping industry wide. We may find other e cigarette manufacturers and retailers are soon following his lead.

Millions of movie-goers were introduced to the concept of e cigarettes —possibly for the first time– by Johnny Depp’s use of one in the nifty caper movie, “The Tourist” last year. Meeting Angelina Jolie on a train, Depp’s character was openly vaping, and a bit of screen dialogue even provided the distinction between an e-cig and a paper cigarette.

Depp’s popularity and the brief mention of the device might not have created a rush on sales, but it did raise the concept of e-cigarettes in the public consciousness, and that is never a bad thing.

In other celebrity related vaping news—Britney Spears, who is somewhat more famous for off-screen shenanigans than her acting—recently became engaged to her long time boyfriend and credited e-cigs as having a role in the happy event. As part of a concerted effort to “clean up her act” Britney delayed her engagement as she made several positive changes in her life, transitioning off of tobacco and paper cigarettes first and foremost. The actress switched to e-cigs shortly after first hearing about them, and is reported to be a dedicated vaper—her favorite cartomizers flavor vanilla. Her boyfriend Jason Trawick reportedly joined her in the switch to e-cigs as well. Sounds like Ms Spears is off to a healthier lifestyle and a happier life in the New Year.

Social Networking pays off for Blu-Cigs

Blu-Cig’s recent forays into social networking media—previously reported here—have paid dividends to the electronic cigarette manufacturer. Already an industry leader, the Charlotte, North Carolina company has recently transitioned from online only retail sales to high profile placement in a number of bricks and mortar retail establishments including such popular retailers as Sheetz, Meijer, and H.E.B. as well as nationwide drug store chains, bars and independent retail sellers. Blu-Cigs plans on expanding its physical retail presence even more aggressively in the New Year.

Blu-Cig won’t be ignoring its online sales however—which increased in the last twelve month period an astonishing 70% over last year sales.

Changing the Look of Vaping

White Cloud e cigarettes is making an attempt to stand out in an increasingly competitive market, but appealing to the fashion savvy vaper.

E-cigs have generally attempted to mimic the look and feel of traditional smokes—many distinguished from the harmful real thing only on close inspection. This was not by accident since the rituals and social aspect of cigarette smoking is an important component in the psychology of the addiction. However, responding to customer surveys and feedback, White Cloud discovered that there is also a growing desire amongst its users to stand out from the crowd. By offering the ability to personalize the vaping experience, White Cloud is capitalizing on this demographic.

Calling their innovation “Vapor Jackets” the innovation is cut to size, and then slipped over the e-cig cartridges where the heat of the unit heat shrinks the jacket to fit; thereby avoiding the use of adhesives which can ruin batteries. Available in a variety of patterns and colors, and at a reasonable cost of a suggested 4.99 for a pack of seven jackets, the Vapor Jackets are proving a popular commodity.

An Important Endorsement?

Recently the American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) issued a statement that may go a long way towards circumventing the trend in recent months of questioning e-cig health risk and public banning of their use.

The AAPHP is favoring a “permissive approach” to e-cigs and vaping even while information is being gathered and research done in on the topic of safety and risks to health of the devices. Citing the e-cigs potential to save the lives of four of the eight million estimated current American cigarette smokers who will otherwise succumb to tobacco related illness in the next two decades, the organization has stressed the fact that the harm done smokers by traditional cigarettes is not done in the delivery of nicotine but the toxicity of the smoke which is its byproduct. The facts and figures are hard to argue with. The AAPHP has stated that the average smoker can reduce their risk of death by 98% by switching to a smokeless tobacco product—and by 99% or better by using a nicotine only delivery system such as the electronic cigarette. For the full text of the AAPHP statement click here.

The organization further noted that a long term study of the effect of inhaled nicotine revealed that there was no rate of tumor formation in lab rats that were exposed 20 hours a day, five days a week to double the nicotine concentration in their air supply as is found in the average heavy smoker. The study concluded that there was no harmful effect to inhaling nicotine in its pure form—the only noted side effect was a loss of body mass in the rats. This is important to note—as many a smoker keeps up the habit because they fear getting fat by quitting! For more information click here.

In what can be seen only as a positive development, a report issued regarding E-Cigarette health risks is calling for independent, 3rd parting testing and trials of the electronic devices. Unlike the recent bans and criticisms, this report issues a challenge to document the health benefits of vaping versus smoking. The resultant documented facts would be a boon to the industry and a major step forward in e-cig acceptance in the United States.

The report—the work of a committee working under the aegis of the University of Cincinnati’s Institute of Medicine– notes that the idea of “safer cigarettes” was dealt a credibility death blow by the fiasco of Big Tobacco and its “safer”, “light” and “low tar and nicotine” tobacco cigarettes, which proved to be no more healthful than regular smokes when all was said and done. The recommendations contained in the report are scientifically based and could provide a roadmap that will ultimately lead to FDA approval instead of opposition as things stand now.

Suggestions by the report include determining the addictive potential, the relative operating safety of e-cig components, that the scope of possible studies expand to include not only their use by current vapers but also to include testing on current and former tobacco product users, news smokers, teenagers and other groups at risk for tobacco use. Also recommended is a look at whether or not e-cigs will tempt into smoking people who previously had no desire to smoke.

The report and its suggestions have met with the approval of the American Lung Association, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids as well as the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research, and Policy Studies at the Legacy Foundation. While not any of these groups is an historical friend of the e-cigarette industry, their acceptance could be key in banishing the objections to vaping that current are resulting in use bans and restrictions in various states and municipalities.

Health Canada Come out Against e-Cigarettes

As the popularity of vaping and the sales of e-cigarettes are burgeoning in Canada, Health Canada the Canadian Federal department for health maintenance and improvement has recently come out in direct opposition to their classification as a smoking cessation device.

Health Canada expresses the same reservation as to the actual health benefits and risks of vaping over tobacco use as have recently been expressed by similar agencies and groups in the United States, which is in itself and taken at face value, laudable. However the agency does fully support the use of nicotine patches, gums, lozenges and inhalers—with all their well known problems– as well as the use of Zyban and Champix—medications with documented health impacts and side effects. Further, the use of these so called “approved” cessation devices boasts a 95 percent failure rate
This is a disappointing development, but in light of the current wave of opposition to e cigarettes and their widespread use, not a surprising one. And all the more reason why testing that will ultimately prove the superiority of the e-cigarette cannot come soon enough.

Harm Reduction: an Idea Whose Time has Come?

The publication, Harm Reduction Journal has recently published an article taking a very common sense approach to the issue of the use of electronic cigarettes over tobacco and paper cigarettes. HRJ is a recognized online journal—open access and peer reviewed—that seeks to explore the public policy as well as the use of so called psychoactive drug use and their consequences on public health, medicine and society at large. By “harm reduction” it is meant that in the face of obstacles involved in preventing such use, that means be found to reduce economic, social and health costs of same without reducing consumption.

While it sounds a bit like having your cake and eating it too—the recent article quite rightly recognizes that many smokers have repeatedly tried and failed to quit—and that many people truly don’t wish to stop smoking—enjoying the ritual and the mood enhancement properties of what has never been classified as an “illicit drug”.

HRJ quite rightly views e-cig use as a means by which smokers can continue to indulge their habit, but at the same time mitigate the harmful health impacts of traditional tobacco cigarettes. The article, authored by a professor of medicine at Kentucky’s University of Louisville, studied existing evidence of tobacco harm reduction. The article points out that cigarettes contain over 7000 harmful chemicals and substances, that e-cigarettes emissions to not present any significant health risks to users or bystanders—being comprised of water vapor, propylene glycol (found in many food stuffs), flavorings and nicotine.

The article further points out that various studies have shown that not only do e-cigarettes deliver nicotine in lower levels than the average analog cigarette, that even at these lower levels, e-cig users who formerly smoked report reduce cravings all the same. Part of the reason for this lowered incidence of craving may be that e-cigs preserve the social rituals of smoking, which reduce the user’s feeling of deprivation of a pleasurable activity alongside the withdrawal from the actual nicotine levels of cigarettes.

The article also stresses less attention be given to e-cigs as a “smoking cessation” device and the wisdom of instead considering them a “smoking alternative”. While that seems a minor difference in semantics, it is really a very important distinction that bears further consideration—because it does not automatically alienate those smokers who truly have no desire to quit.

And the full text of this article from the Harm Reduction Journal can be found online at:
http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/pdf/1477-7517-8-19.pdf

Earlier this month Boston’s Public Health Commission voted to ban the use of e-cigarettes in public areas including workplaces and restaurant decks and patios, citing a need to bring regulation of e-cigs within the Boston city limits into compliance with existing tobacco product restrictions.

Smoking bans in public places are nothing new—and have become nearly universal in the United States. Given the danger posed by second hand smoke with its over 4000 toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, this is a laudable trend that no one would argue with. But someone should be disagreeing with this “banned in Boston” issue.

E-Cigarettes, while they do deliver measured doses of nicotine to users, are categorically not tobacco products. They emit no noxious fumes, merely a non toxic vapor. Much is made of this vapor containing possibly dangerous chemicals—but the worst to have been found so far is a form of glycol that is also present in foodstuffs in similar amounts, such as cake mixes.

E-cigs have also been decried as “drug delivery devices—an accusation that is laughable given that nicotine doesn’t appear anywhere on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s “controlled substances” lists—and no credit given for the fact that the amount of nicotine delivered by the average e-cig, even at full strength in the devices is still substantially less than a pack of tobacco cigarettes and not any more than is to be found in smoking cessation products such as patches and gums.

The bottom line is that in Boston, tobacco smokers and e-cig vapers are both marginalized in exactly the same fashion—both to protect the public health. But rather than lumping the vaping in with the deadly smoking, Boston officials should be thinking about ways to make tobacco cigarettes even less appealing than they already are. By allowing the use of e-cigs in places where tobacco cigarettes are banned outright—Boston would be dangling a carrot in front of tobacco users—they’d be able to enjoy experience of smoking over a meal or a drink—just one more incentive to make the switch from tobacco use to vaping!

A Revolution in Medical Cannabis Delivery?

The active pain relieving chemical in medical cannabis is called Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC a mild to moderate chemical with proven analgesic effects which works by altering neurotransmitter chemistry on brain structures. While still widely controversial, the use of cannabis among chronic pain AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy sufferers as well as patients with terminal cancer diagnoses whose pain cannot be managed without narcotics is gaining acceptance, albeit slowly.

In a breakthrough which may or may not further the cause of Medical cannabis acceptance, Medical Cannabis Management, (an entity which provides marketing, consulting and management services to the medical cannabis industry) announced that it is close to striking a deal with a leading e-cig manufacturer to provide prescribed doses of TCH in e-cig flavor cartomizers. This would remove the need for the use of the cannabis plant matter itself by end users and provide a safe and effective delivery of the specific chemical without the side effects and risks associated with it.

Other benefits associated with this unique marriage are the ability for the THC/cannabis user to light up anywhere, without the fear of giving bystanders a “contact high”, and also eliminating the acrid marijuana cigarette odor. Cannabis smoke, like tobacco smoke also contains potential carcinogens—e-cigarettes produce only water vapor. Further, the THC in an e-cig cartridge would be in the form of an oil –which would eliminate the need for users to stockpile plant material. The quality of the TCH in oil form would become more consistent over plant matter as well.

This move is bound to be controversial and given the recent wave of e-cig bans, may prove a further excuse to expand regulation and prohibition against the electronic devices. However, Medical Cannabis Management has stated that the THC cartridges and dedicated e-cig devices would be marketed only to medical professionals and licensed medical cannabis dispensaries, not directly to the end users, and only in areas where medical cannabis is legal to be dispensed.

New Year’s Resolution Time Approaches!

Midway into the holiday season the end of the year is fast approaching and with it that time when everyone pledges better behavior in the New Year.

Now is the perfect time to promote the idea among friends and relatives who still smoke tobacco cigarettes to make the switch to e-cigs as part of their New Year’s resolution ritual. With many e-cig retailers such as Green Smoke offering starter kit packages at attractive prices, there has never been a time to make the suggestion—gift a kit or urge a trial run! Possible health benefits aside—the economic savings of vaping over smoking cannot be denied. Put a flea or two in the ear of your favorite smoker—and direct them to one of the many “cost savings calculators” available at e-cig manufacturer websites and get them on the path to better health in the new year!

Montana has become the second state in the United States to ban the use of e-cigarettes among high school students.

The Missoula public school district has recently come out with a policy banning the use of the popular smoking cessation device on their campuses. Based on a recommendation issued last year from Montana’s Office of Public instruction, the ban prevents not only students, but teachers, and staff from using the devices on school property or at school sponsored functions. Missoula is currently the only school district in Western Montana implementing such a ban.

The ban does not target other smoking cessation methods, such as nicotine patches or gum, and contains language that aims the ban primarily at “nicotine delivery devices” — which may or may not include paper and tobacco cigarettes. The ban cites the oft stated objection that e-cigarettes serve as a “gateway” drug to nicotine use and traditional tobacco smoking, a charge that has little basis in fact. Another apparent assumption is that e-cig manufacturers target the youth market in particular with their products, which from this reporter’s standpoint does not stand the test of truth.

Even though a federal court stopped the FDA from banning the sale of e-cigarettes last year, the electronic cigarette still faces increasing actions such as that of the Missoula School District trying to regulate and ban their use from specific locales. If half as much effort was put into banning traditional Big Tobacco Products, the need for smoking cessation devices might fall accordingly.

FDA to Regulate E-Cigs as Tobacco Products Not Medical Devices

In related news, the United States Food and Drug Administration has gone forward with a determination that e cigarettes will be regulated not as medical devices for smoking cessation but as a tobacco product.

Generally speaking this is a positive development for e-Cigarettes. The establishment as a medical device for smoking cessation subjects the electronic cigarette to much more stringent control than does a classification as a tobacco product. Tobacco is really little regulated in the USA—in spite of the anti-smoking fervor of recent decades—a testament to the lobbying power of Big Tobacco. Medical devices and drugs are subjected to much more strict regulation and control.

When marketed as such a medical/smoking cessation device, the e-Cig CAN still fall under those harsher rules, however. And even though the device does not fall under the medical aid banner, the Surgeon General will now include e-cigarettes in the Office’s ongoing campaign against tobacco and smoking.

In the end, the ongoing controversy about e-cigarettes will not be going away any time soon. Until enough clinical studies are published supporting the fact that their use is significantly free of chemical hazards (a popular criticism is that the vapor from e-cigs has unknown and potentially just as harmful properties as do paper and tobacco cigarettes), and that the devices are a major success in weaning smokers away from traditional cigarettes, the regulatory pressure can be expected to continue.

E-Lites e-Cigs feature in Popular British Soap Opera

The long running British soap opera, The Eastenders has taken a step into the modern age with its recent introduction of the practice of vaping into its story lines. Earlier this year the soap introduced the practice briefly, the E-lites brand of electronic cigarette has just this month re-entered the television show. A popular character, Roxy is undergoing a custody battle for her child, and the vaper turns out to be the slightly disreputable lawyer representing her in court. The new character lights up in a Café in a recent episode—which neatly addresses the ability of the electronic cigarette to be used in formerly banned locations.

Tobacco smoking has been discouraged or banned for the last couple of decades in most television and many film productions, following the general societal fall from grace that Big Tobacco and its products have occasioned in the last 20 years. That the use of e-cigs is being openly introduced into a popular television show may be seen as a positive step forward, although one expects that charges of making vaping more attractive to youth will also follow. However the more visible the use of e-cigs becomes in popular culture, the more opportunity there is to educate the public on the benefits of the device over traditional tobacco products.

In our celebrity mad culture it is always a good thing when high profile personalities come out in support of something which the public might find helpful.

Katherine Heigl, “Grays Anatomy” and movie star has gone on the record as being a committed vaper. Her e cigarette of choice is Smokestik for which she serves as a spokesman and has an agreement with the manufacturer that a percentage of sales are donated to her favorite charity, a dog rescue.

Similarly the band Sweet Harlots, whose previous claim to fame was being the band that played at Prince William’s bachelor shindig on the eve of his wedding recently caused a stir at the Classic Rock Awards. The bank openly puffed away on their Vapesticks during the ceremony that was held at the Roundhouse Theatre in London recently.

The Sweet Harlots also use their e-cigarettes in their stage show, as props and actively promote vaping as an alternative to cigarette smoking amongst their fans.

With a good number of celebrities being examples best to avoid, it is heartwarming to see these folks stepping up to the plate to promote a smoking alternative that is still not well understood by the general public and persecuted by lawmakers.

New Bricks and Mortar shop lets you buy e cigarettes in Minnesota

Following hard on the heels of the recent e-cig retail venues in Florida and New York, a new retail e-cigarette shop has opened in Anoka, Minnesota.

Owned by former 3 pack a day smoker Steve Ryan his is the first retail shop in the state devoted solely to e-Cig sales and service. Ryan had tried all the other smoking cessation products and devices with no success, then he discovered electronic cigarettes and within two weeks had become a dedicated vaper giving up tobacco cigarettes forever. He hasn’t looked back, and felt so strongly about the health benefits of the device that he became a licensed retailer. Rather than promoting one particular brand, Steve offers vapers a choice of products with several different kinds of kits ranging in price from low to high.

Ryan also goes to great pains to educate the public about e-cigs and vaping, stressing the benefit of a alternative to traditional cigarettes which contain over 4000 chemicals many toxic, pointing out that the e-cig operates on one chemical alone—nicotine, and the dosage delivery can be tapered down to zero. While recent federal rhetoric has accused e-cigs of using and having potentially harmful chemicals in the cartomizers and vapor delivery systems, Ryan has gone public pointing out that the ingredient often singled out for scorn– propylene glycol– is a common food additive and is considered safe. He also stresses the financial savings of e-cigs over tobacco cigarettes to his customers.

Ryan’s shop is located at: 530 W. Main St., Anoka

Innokin AIO Pack

We recently reported on BluCig’s social media friendly e-Cig pack; now other e-cig manufacturers are introducing e-cig packs that could revolutionize the industry.

Innokin has introduced their AIO pack –about the same size as a pack of standard tobacco cigarettes but which offers not only a handy carrying case for their e-cigs, but also the ability to charge several vapes at once, regardless of brand and thread type. The pack holds the e-cigs in place by friction and can automatically sense when a batter in one of the cig has shorted, and thereby avoid sending a current surge. This protects both the pack itself and minimizes fire hazards. The AIO Pack has a built in li-on rechargeable batter and sports different connectors for DC in and out, including a 2.0 DC round port for charging the built-in battery and a USB for charging the other devices. Charge level is indicated by a three color LED light available at the push of a button. The Innokin AIO comes in a kit with a charge box and three power connectors for iPhones/iPods, a miniUSB and a Micro USB for the other Smartphone types as well as their own connector.

BluCigs, based in Charlotte NC in the US has introduced a new product called “the social pack”—a reusable pack of their flagship e cigarette with Wi-Fi built into the pack. Whenever a BluCig user comes within a 50 feet radius of another, the pack vibrates and flashes the signature BluCig blue light. The pack also detects and alerts on retail outlets that sell the product line.

BluCig is also coordinating with Facebook and Twitter to allow their product users to connect with each other via the packs, after their “virtual encounter” while out and about. Plans are progressing for a Smartphone app, a BluCig user tracking app and an eventual link to Smartphones as a means to give users feedback on how much they vape. BluCig’s founder was especially anxious at a recent press conference to extol the virtues of his eCig as a miniature “wingman”, enabling the savvy guy on the prowl to hook up with the girl of his dreams—as long as she’s another BluCig User.

VCig, a leading e cig manufacturer and retailer in the UK, made its own social media inroads lately by sponsoring a Facebook competition which allowed all users who “liked” their page to earn a VCig starter kit for free. They have since started a monthly competition on Twitter giving a free starter kit to one lucky Tweeter whose name is drawn from those signing up to follow VCig on the social network.

Marketing strategies such as these, targeting popular social media sites, claims VCig director Ben Austin, encourages a more personal interaction with potential customers and reaches a much wider customer base accordingly.

With their finger on the pulse of social media, these eCig pioneers can also improve their product more quickly in response to customer feedback and get the jump on trends ahead of the less well socially connected pack.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is national Lung Cancer Awareness month, an annual campaign designed to bring attention to issues related to this number one cancer killer. This is an excellent time for dedicated vapers to get the word out. While the federals and some health officials continue to debate how safe vaping is, the fact cannot be denied that smoking tobacco cigarettes exposes smokers to thousands of chemicals and irritants that put them at greater risk—almost certainty—of developing lung cancer or a range of other diseases. The electronic cigarette may deliver nicotine, but harmful tar and carbon monoxide along with many other poisons are though to be absent from the vapor they produce.

Bull Smoke is promoting eCigs during this important campaign by offering a $50 discount code (“SMOKEFREE”) towards the purchase of any of its line of starter kits.

Christmas electronic cigarette giving

With the Christmas holiday fast approaching, there has never been a better time to introduce to those tobacco smokers on your list that have been promising to quit all year, a chance to make good on those resolutions before New Year’s Day. With so many eCigs manufacturers now in the market, holiday competition is fierce and good bargains are out there just waiting to be taken advantage of.

A well appointed starter kit is a good place to start—and depending on your budget you should be able to find a quality product to fit any recipient. Kits are available tailored to the social smoker, the smoking couple, the fashion forward smoker, the smoker on a budget and every other permutation of soon-to-be former tobacco users.

Virtually all kits come with eCig batteries and cartomizers, car chargers, and wall adapters and depending on which manufacturer and kid model you choose, are an economical way to introduce friends and family to the joys and benefits of vaping.

And speaking of economy—a good strategy to employ along with the gift of an e cig starter kit to that inveterate tobacco smoker on your list is to enlighten them on the money they can save by switching from tobacco to vaping—with the average cartomizers lasting as long as two packs of cigarettes, it won’t take a math genius to calculate the incredible savings to be had –but if you need any visual aids, most eCig retailers provide a savings calculator such as the one on V2 cig’s website.