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.

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.

What you get in your starter kit

The basic starter kit from Eversmoke comes with the following:

1. A Lithium Ion battery – This is sold as a “regular” size battery by this company but it’s actually slightly bigger than the “large” battery you get from Green Smoke
2. A branded portable wall charger
3. A branded USB charger
4. Five nicotine cartomizers in your choice of flavor and strength

5. An owners manual

The kit I got is the cheapest and least equipped that Eversmoke sell. It has all you need to try out vaping if you are new to it, but if you are serious about making the transition to e cigs you will want to opt for the Premium kit at $79.99 to get an extra battery. As I’ve said before, having an e cigarette with a single battery is hopeless because when the power runs down you need to wait a couple of hours for it to recharge before you can get another nicotine hit.

Eversmoke also offer an Ultimate Plus kit which I think is a great option for anyone who is serious about vaping full time, especially if you will be doing so without constant access to a power point. It comes with a total of 15 cartomizers, a car adapter for the charger, a carry case, and a personal charging case (PCC) which allows you to power up your batteries on the go. Unfortunately I haven’t tried the PCC yet but it looks like a pretty standard piece of kit which I’m sure does a fine job of. If it matches up to the quality of the company’s other components then it’s something you will definitely want to purchase if you choose this brand.

The overall feel of the Eversmoke product

First impressions of the Eversmoke brand is very favorable. Their packaging is more than adequate for the job with a sturdy well designed box holding your chosen kit, perfect if you happen to be giving it as a gift to a smoker friend.

The e cigarette itself is a well designed product with a feel very similar to my favorite brands such as Green Smoke. The battery is nicely branded, the carts look great, and it has an unusual glowing crystal tip which helps it stand out from the crowd.

How does it smoke?

The vaping experience is the most important part of the package and it’s an area where the Eversmoke doesn’t let us down. This is definitely a quality product, and one which any first time vapor will be extremely happy with.

Taking a draw on the Eversmoke takes about as much effort as the Green Smoke product which means it is a close approximation to a real tobacco cigarette. This is an important point where some brands I’ve tried recently such as the Nicotek Metro fall down. E cigs which take hardly any effort to draw on usually don’t have much of a “hit”, and if it’s too hard you are going to burst your lungs to get the vapor production you are looking for.

The flavor of the carts is also very good. In my opinion it doesn’t quite match up to the Green Smoke or V2 cigs but it’s miles better than most of the other products you’ll find on the Internet. I’ve only tried the full flavored tobacco carts so far but they offer a satisfying taste which I’d be happy to use over the long term.

Throat is another area which is essential if you are to successfully make that switch from tobacco. Eversmoke is well above average in this area as well with a definite kick which will give you the impression you are smoking on a real cigarette. They can make your throat a little dry if you are puffing on them constantly but this is a problem which you’ll find with most brands worth using, and one I’m sure is almost impossible to eliminate.

In my opinion the Eversmoke cartomizers fall a little short of those offered by Green Smoke. They are a little smaller in size which means they don’t last as long, the juice doesn’t have quite as good a flavor, and the vapor production isn’t as monstrous. Having said that I would be quite happy to use the Eversmoke product full time if I didn’t have another e cig option.

Eversmoke Battery Life

Eversmoke do a good job of boasting about the quality of their batteries on their website and it’s easy to see why they are so proud of this component.

The large battery I got with my kit is a touch larger then the long battery from Greensmoke which makes it a fair bit longer than a regular cigarette. For me this isn’t an issue as I prefer extended battery life over an exact replica of a Marlboro. If you are looking for something a little more inconspicuous then make sure you get a kit with a standard battery rather than the high-capacity number.

Obviously a longer battery is going to last longer and the Eversmoke High-capacity unit is a beast in the last ability stakes. You can puff on one of these babies for a full day without having to reach for the charger and that’s something which has to be worth a few extra points. There’s nothing worse than having an e cig die after an hour when you are out of the house and away from a electrical source.

Downsides to the Eversmoke e cigarette?

There’s nothing about the Eversmoke which sticks out as a real negative. There are brands out there which do some things a bit better but as an all-round package this really is a very nice product, and one which would be happy to recommend to my readers.

Click Here to buy direct from the official Eversmoke Store.

This company has a really nice website which they have obviously put a lot of time and effort into. So much so that you would expect their product to be top of the line and challenging for title of best e cigarette on the market. Let’s take a look to see how this product fares compared to the other brands I’ve reviewed.

Packaging for this product is a bit different from any of the other brands I’ve tried in the past. You get a pretty thin cardboard box which contains two battaries, 10 shrink-wrapped carts, a variety of chargers, a tin carry case, and an instruction booklet. I really like the tin box for carrying around the e cig when you are out of the house, it’s a nice size to fit in your pocket and should be able to stand up to all kinds of abuse and still look good. The rest of the packing could probably do with a little work to give it a higher quality feel.

The cartomizers themselves are tightly shrink-wrapped in a thick plastic to keep them as fresh as possible. Although I think this is a good idea it can be a little tough to get into your cart when you are ready to use it. Once unwrapped the carts for this brand don’t look anything special as they are unbranded, are a plain orange color, and simply state the flavor and strength of the liquid inside.

The Nicotek batteries included in the kit are pretty par for the course in the e cigarette world. They are white in color, have Nicotek branding on them, and feature a red light which glows when you inhale.

Chargers included in the kit are a standard USB charger with a car and mains adaptor to give you a few options when you need to get your batteries back to full power.

Nicotek Metro Vaping Experience

The all important vaping experience is where the Nicotek Metro lets down the user looking for a satisfying alternative to toabcco. Taking your first draw on this device you will quickly notice how easy it is to suck. It feels like there is almost no resistance at all. While it’s true that some e cigs are too hard to get a draw out of this one goes too far in the other direction and feels like you are sucking air through a straw.

The ease of taking a draw is the first indication that you are not going to get much in the way of mouth feel, throat hit, or vapor production with the Metro e cigarette, and that turns out to be the case. The throat hit with this device is almost non-existant which is a big disappointment to someone who loves to feel like they are smoking a full strength Malrboro.

Vapor production is also poor on this device when you compare it to something like the Green Smoke or V2 cigs. There is a certain amount of vapor, but it’s not enough to emulate smoking a cigarette and you can’t feel it in your mouth which was a disappointment to me.

The taste of the Nicotek Metro is about middle of the road. I’ve tried worse in my time as an e cigarette reviewer, but there is also a lot better on the market these days.

I found the vaping experience was improved a little if I blocked the small wholes between the battery and cartomizer when inhaling, but it wasn’t anywhere near enough to make this device a pleasure to use.

Any positives to the Nicotek Metro E Cig

It’s not all bad news for the Metro e cig as it does have some redeeming features which make it attractive to people looking for their first tobacco replacement product. The thing that stands out about it is the fact it’s so damn cheap compared to many of the other devices you find for sale on the Internet.

The All-in-One Platinum kit I was sent is for sale at just $49.99 and contains everything you need to get under way with vaping. You’ll be hard pushed to find a lower priced 2 piece starter kit.

They also offer a basic starter kit with a single battery and a USB charger at just $19.99, the lowest price I have ever seen. I suppose this is aimed at people who have never tried an e cigarette before who aren’t sure if they are going to like it.

The flip side of the cheap starter kits is that you are still going to have to pay an average price for your refill carts which retail at $9.99 for a pack of three.

Conclusion

Overall I can’t recommend the Nicotek Metro products to my readers when there are so many other e cigarettes out there which offer a far superior vaping experience. In my opinion you would do much better to spend that extra cash and opt for something like the Green Smoke or V2 cig if you want to get an electronic cigarette which feels as much as possible like smoking tobacco.

Check out my latest e cigarette reviews to find the best products you can buy for your money.

Quoting Thomas Kilas of the organization Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, the publication noted how strong sales have been (2.5 million sold in 2011 over 750,000 in 2010) and how they are expected to increase fourfold going forward into 2013 and 2014.

The article further indicated that sales analysis has recorded sales of flavor cartridges for e-cigs and disposables at 20 million sold weekly for the former, and approximately 10 million of the latter in the U.S. alone.

According to marketing research, the two sales segments involve two separate markets for the electronic devices. Rechargeable devices such as the Green Smoke and V2 cigs sell most strongly in tobacco stores or dedicated e-cig retailers where the customer has time and opportunity to learn more about the products and their use. Not unsurprisingly, disposables sell mainly in convenience stores and gas stations where on-the-go people routinely impulse buy as they pay for gas or shop for other items and the disposable aspect most strongly appeals.

The only drag on sales foreseen is that the FDA, which currently views e-cigs as tobacco products with little to no regulation, may shift gears and decide to become more heavily involved in the taxation and regulation of e-cigarettes and associated accessories and products.

Thomas Kilas noted that the industry is more than willing to be taxed and licensed, but that the taxation should be keyed to the harm the product does. He believes that analog tobacco products with a proven history of health impacts including cancer and emphysema should be taxed at a higher rate than e-cigs which use a nicotine solution suspended in a flavored liquid and which emit few of the over 4000 carcinogens and toxins that traditional cigarettes do.

States like Hawaii, which recently lost its bid to tax e-cigs like tobacco at 70% of unit price, and Utah which has pushed through a bill to ban the use of both e-cigs and hookahs in all public places, (including bars dedicated to their use) also complicate the picture in the U.S.

The recent “exploding e-cig” incident in Florida has also clouded the issues, leading to unfounded fears for e-cigarette safety. Experts like Kilas note that out of billions of e-cigs vaped since their introduction approximately eight years ago, this is the first known incident of its kind and involved a tampered with battery and caution taking a wait and see attitude about safety issues. Modifying a battery is a bit like strapping a rocket to your back and attempting to fly—common sense is that you put nothing in your mouth that you aren’t qualified to have attempted to rewire to begin with.

Overall, however, the picture is seen as increasingly bright for e-cigarette sales, and the upward trend is expected to continue as more is known about the devices and as anecdotal evidence continues to spread about the effectiveness of the devices in offering a satisfying alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes.

It seems as if new e cigarette companies are a dime a dozen these days and I never get excited when I see a new product on the market as it’s rare that one of them turns out to be a gem. The reality is that most of the newer brands are simply pumping out the same old product we’ve see countless times before, re branded and offered with a cool logo from a different vendor.

At the same time, companies such as Green Smoke and Safe Cig who have been around for years are constantly improving their individual product ranges so that it’s almost impossible for a new entrant on the marketplace to be able to compete in terms of quality right off the bat. Competing on price is another matter altogether, but we all know that picking up a perceived bargain can leave a bitter taste in our mouth when our purchase arrives in the mail. With that in mind let’s take a look at what the Revolver e cig has to offer the prospective buyer.

The kit I’ll be reviewing here is the Revolver Ion which retails at just $59.00, with discounts available if you are willing to “like” the company on Facebook. This puts the Ion at the lower end of the price scale for a two piece cartomizer design, and certainly compares well from an economic standpoint when you look at it next to the Green Smoke or something like the White Cloud.

For under $60 you get a choice of two manual or automatic e cigarette batteries, 5 cartomizers in flavor and strength of your choice, a portable charging pack, and a mains adapter.

If you are not familiar with manual batteries they are the same as the regular batteries provided by all e cigarette companies except that you need to press a little button to activate the atomizer when you want to take a draw. This makes the e cig less like the “real” thing, but many people prefer them because they can provide better vapor compared to lower quality automatic batteries. I’m a fan of both types to be honest as long as they do the job well. Both the batteries Revolver supplied me with were the automatic design so I can’t comment on their manual option.

I usually like to comment on a companies packaging before I get into the meat of an e cigarette review because I think it’s important a company presents their product well. It often indicates how much thought they have given to putting their product together and gives an idea about how good the vaping experience is going to be. On this front Revolver have done a excellent job. The box your starter kit comes in is a joy to handle in a nicely designed matte black. The same look and feel continues with the cartomizer carton and the portable charging kit which gives this product a overall “branding” which is missing from a lot of the products on the market.

The Revolver’s Portable Battery Charger

The portable battery charger is probably the top selling point of the Revolver e cigarette. Compared to many of the packs available from other manufacturers this one is a real winner. It looks fantastic, feels awesome in your hands, and has enough power to recharge your battery several times before you need to plug it in again.

The portable charger will have your battery back at full power in a couple of hours so you don’t have to worry about every running short thanks to the two batteries supplied in your kit. Also, a portable charger is good for charging 4 batteries before you have to plug it back into the mains so it should last you a full day of vaping when you are out and about.

The only negative I can see with the charger pack is that it’s a bit bigger than the one offered by V2 cigs. You will still be able to fit it in the pocket of your jeans but it might be a bit less comfortable than you would like. For reference, it’s about the same size as a regular pack of Marlboros, but manufactured from solid plastic.

The pack features a push button light which I think is a gimmick they would have done better to leave out but it might come in handy if you drop your keys in the dark

It’s worth noting here that the batteries supplied are long lasting, giving a few hours of regular vaping before you need to recharge.

Vaping on the Revolver Ion

Actually using the Revolver Ion makes for a pleasurable vaping experience, in fact it’s a lot better than you’ll get with many products which have been on the market for the last couple of years. Taking a draw is nice and easy so you don’t feel like your lungs are going to collapse before you get the hit you’re looking for.

The taste of the carts out of the box is really nice when you get a good one. I’d put them up there with the V2 when you take a puff of a fresh cart, there is a problem with consistency though. Some of the carts lose a bit of the great taste too quickly as the liquid runs and when they can start to turn slightly plasticy, but this is a problem with many cartomizers on the market. Another problem is that one of the cartomizers i got didn’t have a great flavor from the get go, having an unpleasant taste I find it hard to describe. Getting consistency in the manufacture of carts seems to be a problem most brands have early in their development and I assume Revolver products will get better as they mature.

I only got a sample of the Tobacco Red carts which are supposed to emulate the flavor from a Marlboro. Of course they aren’t all that close in taste to this famous tobacco cigarette but they give off a vapor which is a pleasure to the palette when you get one of the better carts.

The all important vapor production on the Ion is great. You get large plumes of smoke without having to put in too much effort. On top of that the throat hit is good, very similar again to that supplied by the V2 cig.

Conclusion

For the price you pay for the Revolver Ion there isn’t a lot wrong with it. When you get your hands on one of their good carts it’s an excellent e cigarette to vape on with a lovely taste, vapor, and throat hit. Of course, I don’t love it as much as the Green Smoke with it’s fantastic Flavormax carts and monstrous vapor product, but at this price point I don’t think you can expect it to be the best electronic cig on the market. With the portable charging pack including in the starter kit you really have a great package for under 60 bucks. If they can work on cartomizer consistency I think we are going to be hearing a lot about this brand in the future.

Couche-Tard will initially offer the Blu-Cig brand in 500 stores across Quebec, with further plans to expand across Canada later this year. Couche-Tard is recognized as being the largest independent convenience store operator in North America with nearly 6000 retail locations across Canada and in the United States. Blu-Cig is poised to take advantage of this sprawling convenience store empire, having already started 2012 with expansion into over 20,000 retail locations in the United States alone. Blu-Cig remains a strong online presence as well.

Prominent among the recent reports of passenger removed from a Continental airlines flight was the fact that he brazen lit up an e-cig –only in the smaller type was it revealed that his choice to vape when the devices have been banned by the FAA for use on airplanes was a small part of his removal from the flight. More potentially frightening and likely the true cause of the removal were his attempting to hit other passengers, assaulting (and thankfully not making physical contact) with a flight attendant as well as invoking the name Osama Bin Laden. The unruly passenger– a teenager–has been booked on the very serious charges of interfering with a flight crew and disrupting a flight. That he attempted to vape should have been a minor footnote to this story, not the screaming headline.

As was shown in last week’s news item about an e-cigarette supposedly exploding in a Florida man’s mouth and seriously injuring him, it has become standard operating procedure for “news” to be based on “sexy” keywords and short on actual reportage of facts. In that case the man was smoking a dangerously amped up “mod” he’d put together himself, and not a reputable brand of any known e-cigarette on the market.

It is a sad commentary on our times that sensationalism sells and not only news but mass entertainment has become a parade of freak shows and misinformation. That a product with a proven track record as a smoking replacement is being presented increasingly in the media as something dangerous and criminal is more evidence of a very disappointing and destructive trend.

What the yellow journalists fail to mention is any of the facts of the case. The first and most important being, Dudley Do-Wrong in Florida was not puffing away at any e-cigarette brand known in the U.S. but rather was attempting to vape on what the knowledgeable call a “mod”—a homemade e-cig wannabe that had a battery component that had been idiotically fiddled with by the end user. Most mods are put together from disparate components purchased separately online and have often been further altered to amp up the battery voltage by people who would be hard pressed to correctly change a flat tire let alone rewire a battery safely.

It has been estimated that millions of e-cig users have puffed away billions of times on reputable e-cigarette products without a single mishap being reported in anyway resembling this unfortunate incident. Virtually all e-cig retailers and manufacturers spell out quite plainly the safe usage of their product, discourage matching one brand’s battery unit with another’s cartomizer, and void warranties immediately upon evidence of end user tampering.

Basically if you aren’t an electrician, you’ve got no business redoing the wiring in your house—and if you burn the house down attempting it anyway, you have no one to blame but yourself. The same logic applies to any electronic device; and the bottom line is that any modification or repair undertaken is at the end user’s own risk. If you’re stupid enough to try to rewire or otherwise rework something electronic you later plan to put in your mouth—you’re a prime candidate for the top prize in next year’s Darwin Awards, and if you only lost teeth and part of your tongue to your stupidity, you were lucky.

New Multi Voltage e-Cig batteries

One of the reasons that less than bright people might try to attempt “do it yourself” modifications to existing e-cig batteries is because it has generally been noted that a higher voltage on an e-cig battery tends to deliver hotter vapor and in increased volumes. This in turn leads to a stronger and more satisfying taste experience more closely approximating a tobacco cigarette’s throat hit.

In a timely move given the event reported above, e-cig brand Innokin has just announced a new variable voltage e-cig called “The Innokin Infinity” which will SAFELY provide a vaper with greater control over vapor volume and taste.

Controlled by a newly developed computer microprocessor, the new Infinity e-cig allows the vaper to manually adjust battery voltage in a range from 3.3 -5.0 volts (in 1 v. increments) with just a few button presses.

The multi-voltage battery innovation allows the user to experiment with the best level of vapor and flavor without the need for dangerous “do it yourself” modifications to existing equipment. The battery component has three mode settings, including an off switch which prevents inadvertent battery drain and overheating of e-liquid cartridges when the vaper is not actively using the cigarette. The Infinity also sports a digital counter that informs the user how many puffs are left on the current battery charge.

Other features of the new Innokin Infinity include a magnetic coupler between battery and cartomizer (which replaces the old threaded screw attachment); green/yellow/red power level indicator lights and a clear cartomizer tank which allows a visual assessment of the amount of e-liquid remaining in the cartomizer. Additionally, the Infinity allows for while-you-vape recharges via a built in DC port that connects to a USB cable and which further boasts short circuit/atomizer protection.

With one company already leading the way with this timely innovation, it is to be hoped “the unfortunate case of the exploding Mod” will remain an isolated event.

The FDA has been spoiling for an appeal to this decision every since it was handed down. Progress was made in thwarting the FDA’s plans this week by the CEO and founder of the e-cig company NJOY, Mr Roy Anise.

Anise, along with his board of directors launched what they termed as an epic battle not unlike that of the Biblical David against Goliath in taking on the federal agency, by committing over 2 million dollars in company assets towards preventing the FDA from pursuing their Appeal of the 2010 Decision. The agency announced on February 6th that they were abandoning plans to continue their quest for the reversal of the Appeals Court decision. This means, bottom line that e-cigs will continue to be regulated like tobacco by the FDA and that for now, at least, no further effort to class them as drug delivery devices will be pursued. To celebrate, Anise lit up his own e-cig in the FDA’s Tobacco Control Center—all to make a point.

While ultimately recognition that e-cigarettes which contain no tobacco are not “tobacco products” is the goal for the industry, keeping their products out of classification as drugs is a major victory in the short term. While this also means that no health benefits can be claimed and e-cigs cannot be marketed as “smoking cessation devices” in the United States (in spite of some anecdotal evidence to the contrary) any effort that results in e-cigs not being limited to being made available by prescription is to be celebrated.

One important feature of the ban is the five year exemption to e-cig bars and hookah shops, an important modification to the bill which came about due to pressure from businesses such as the Hula Bar and Grill in Salt Lake City. If the ban were to be implemented immediately the owner of the Hula claimed extreme financial hardship including throwing 90 people involved in the business’s operation immediately out of work. Lawmakers concerned with being seen as adding to the high unemployment rate that persists in the U.S. well into a supposed recovery, balked at that consequence.

The five year grace period is important because of the bill is passed into law, this will allow time for the bill to challenged as well as more data on the relative merits of “tobacco-less” smoking alternatives to be gathered. While not an ideal situation, this gives some hope to e-cig users and the business owners that cater to them.

Hawaii continued forging forward with its efforts to impose a 70 percent tax rate on e-cigs—just as it already does on the sales of regular tobacco products, however the bill passed out committee removing the restrictive tax on the 13th of February, instead restricting itself to banning the sales of e-cigs to minors. This is seen as a major victory to e-cig advocates within the state.

While the language imposing the tax was ultimately deleted, it was not before a round of heavy and sometimes acrimonious debate took place. Advocates noted that e-cigs do not contain tobacco and therefore should not be included in the tobacco products tax class, and also noted that the devices do not emit toxic, carcinogen laden smoke as analog cigarettes do as well as decrying the recent tendency of state and federal governments setting themselves up as “nanny” states that end up robbing citizens of basic rights while claiming to be working in the best interests of public health and safety. They further noted that the tax would merely encourage internet sales and traffic outside the state’s borders while at the same time putting Hawaiian e-cig shops out of business.

Thirty-Four E Cigarette Shop Opens in U.K.

Elsewhere in the world, where control mad politicos seem to hold less sway, a new business devoted entirely to the promulgation of e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking opened its doors in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. The shop, called “Thirty Four” opened two weeks ago under the aegis of Smoke-No-Smoke the German e-cigarette retailer, features an attractive storefront that resembles a mobile phone shop more than a tobacconist, and is populated by nattily attired and knowledgeable staff. The shop is expected to be the primary UK office for the brand, and will also be the physical locus of their expansion into UK online business.

As with other E-Cig shops, Thirty-Four offers potential customers the chance to try out the product before they commit to buy and for current user to try out some of the new flavors of cartomizers in a user friendly environment. The “tester station” is reportedly the big draw in the shop, attracting the most traffic and attention.

Promoting the store as a high end establishment—in their first week of business the folks at the shop were able to boast a titled clientele as a local Lady dropped in to sample the wares and reported favorably to her Lord husband. The operators are proud of their posh reputation and seek to preserve it by offering only the highest quality product and putting customer service at a high priority.

Sales have been brisk, with the owners reporting as much as 95% of all customers coming into the store ultimately making a purchase. Customers seem to prefer having a physical store to visit—as well as the opportunity to “test drive” the product, many stressing the “dodgy” nature of ordering such products blind through the mail and from the internet.

The UK, unlike the United States places no restriction upon shops and other retailers advancing the use of e-cigarettes as a healthful alternative to smoking, and this makes up a great deal of the marketing thrust of the new shop. Savvy business forecasters see the new bricks and mortar shop as just the first of many more to come.

Vaping Increasingly Being Seen as “Cool”

According to an article in Business Week, the use of e-cigarettes has quadrupled in the last year of market watch statistical sample available for study. From 2009 to 2010 those claiming to have used an e-cig at least once went up from 0.6 of the population to an astonishing 2.7 percent in that 12 month period.

Part of the growth of public awareness is undoubtedly attributable to the increasing numbers of celebrities who have been seen publicly vaping. Johnny Depp advanced the cause in the 2009 movie “The Tourist”, more recently luminaries such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Katherine Heigl, Dennis Quaid, Catherine-Zeta Jones and many others, including sports figures and musicians have advanced vaping as an alternative to noxious cigarette smoking.

Another high profile advocate of e-cigs who looks forward to taking on Big Tobacco in a head to head fight is (rumor has it that Big Tobacco is seeking to enter the e-cig marketing arena) is John Cameron-brother to Avatar director James Cameron and owner and CEO of SafeCig e-cigs. Cameron’s purchase of the five year old company which previously had enjoyed a flat sales trajectory heralded an uptick in SafeCig’s business due to canny marketing by the Hollywood savvy new owner. He’s upped the sex appeal of the electronic device by sending the SafeCig Girls—who harken back to the sexy cigarette girls of yesteryear—to Hollywood events where they hand out samples to attendees with the rest of the swag.

Cameron also has plans to unveil a new generation of e cigarette which he promises will revolutionize the industry within the next year, and vows that he is lobbying his brother to include e-cigarettes in his next film—urging that characters be seen vaping in every scene.

Time will tell if his efforts will be successful, but such efforts can’t help but raise the profile of e-cigarettes as a viable and healthful alternative to cigarette smoking.