Can You Quit Smoking With E-Cigarettes?

If you're a smoker who is interested in putting an end to your habit, you might have heard rumors about these cool novelty gadgets called "e-cigarettes," which, some say, can be effective aids for quitting smoking. And even if you're not interested in quitting for the time being, maybe you've heard of e-cigarettes as alternatives to use in situations where real cigarettes are unacceptable. Whatever you've heard, read on, and I'll fill you in on all the details.

What are E-Cigarettes?

Just in case you've never heard of these cool gadgets called e-cigarettes, they're a brilliant little invention that lets smokers "light up" without actually lighting up. Rather than using real tobacco, they use a tobacco-based solution that is vaporized and inhaled by the user. They are powered by batteries, and each dose lasts for about as many inhales as a real cigarette.

In other words, e-cigarettes resemble real cigarettes in almost every possible way. The main difference is that they're made of metal, so they obviously don't burn down like real cigarettes do. However, even though they're made of metal, the material is lightweight, so that it has almost the same weight as an actual cigarette.

All in all, these cool gadgets replicate the real experience of smoking, but there's no smoke and no fire. What this means is that you can smoke anywhere. Even if you live in one of those cities that has banned smoking in bars or in public spaces, you can light up an e-cigarette anywhere.

Of course, you may get strange looks at first, but once people figure out that you're not actually smoking, e-cigarettes become a great conversation starter.

Can E-Cigarettes Help Quit Smoking?

Here's the thing: Even though there is some anecdotal proof that e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, numerous government organizations everywhere from the U.S. to Europe to Australia have publicly stated that e-cigarettes are not quit smoking aids, and that they may, in fact, have many of the same risks as real cigarettes.

Thus, we know what the officials have to say about e-cigarettes. But on a person-to-person basis, the real story about these cool novelty gadgets is quite different. In fact, if you ask around among people who have tried this invention, you'll find many people who say that e-cigarettes have helped them quit smoking. So, even though governments may say otherwise, the people are saying different. Interpret this information as you wish.

But if you're wondering how this might work, the mechanism is simple. The tobacco solution that you "smoke" with e-cigarettes is made from real tobacco and it has real nicotine at about the same level as real cigarettes do. Thus, when you use these cool gadgets, you get your nicotine fix, but you don't inhale all those burning toxins that come with real smoke.

Yes, there are undoubtedly some health effects to e-cigarettes, but the invention is too new for us to have any truly accurate information. But at this time, it's reasonable to assume that they're safer than real cigarettes, so why not at least try quitting this way? Just switch over to e-cigarettes, and then gradually reduce your dosage until you're nicotine free.