Arrival of the " E-Cigarette " !

We have come a long way in the war against cigarette smoking.  Older folk will remember the days when people smoked in the supermarkets and even doctor's waiting rooms had ash trays.   Slowly and surely the net has been closing and each year smoking options become fewer.

It was probably inevitable that someone would design and produce a cigarette that does not contain nicotine, and which supposedly meets all health guidelines - and yet it will attract hostility from the anti-smoking establishment, despite needing no  approval from the New South Wales Health and Therapeutic Goods Administration ( TGA ).

It really is a clever diversion from the traditional cigarette that not only affects the health of the smoker, but spreads a toxic cloud of sidestream smoke that will shorten the life of innocent people in the vicinity of the smoker.

The E-Cigarette is a two piece system.  It consists of what many years ago would have been described as a " cigarette holder " - a reusable item that holds a rechargeable battery that serves a small heating coil.    The " smoker " inserts a tube that looks similar to a conventional cigarette, but which contains  vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol - which when heated by that coil - gives off  a vapour which is pleasing to the user's taste buds.

The big difference is that this " emission " takes place directly into the user's mouth, unlike conventional cigarettes which emit harmful smoke into the atmosphere.

Some in the medical profession welcome this innovation as a tool to banish nicotine.  They are sending patients to the point of sale because it is less harmful than conventional cigarettes and therefore a better option when use of nicotine replacement patches have failed to satisfy cravings.

It will be interesting to see the public reaction when E-Cigarette users " lightup " in a pub, club or restaurant.    The sticking point may be the fact that this new innovation still looks like a cigarette, despite it emitting no smoke cloud and only serving the user's taste buds in a similar manner to a piece of confectionery.

It seems inevitable that there will be an outcry from the usual anti-tobacco fanatics and calls to have E-Cigarettes banned.

It would be a pity if a clever innovation that has real hope of weaning some hopelessly addicted  smokers from the evil weed was removed as an option - purely because the sight of a pseudo-cigarette offended the do-gooder fraternity.

The anti-nicotine lobby has been baying for so long that it has lost sight of the final objective !