Electronic Cigarettes: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Their Inner Workings

Just as we could care less about knowing how an internal combustion engine works to enjoy driving a car, knowing how an electronic cigarette functions is not required knowledge to appreciate its various attributes. But some may find it fascinating.

An electronic cigarette, also known as an e-cigarette or personal vaporizer, is a battery-powered device that gives inhaled doses of nicotine. The nicotine is provided by way of a vaporized solution. Electronic cigarettes are an alternative way to getting your 'fix' of nicotine without lighting up a cigarette, cigar or pipe. Additionally, the nicotine delivery (vapor) provides the flavor and physical sensation similar to regular tobacco smoke without any involvement of tobacco, smoke or combustion. !

These little marvels look like a real cigarette, cigar or pipe. Although there are some disposable electronic cigarettes, most are reusable by replacing or refilling the internal workings. In short, you get the feel of a cigarette, get to drag and blow smoke, and all the while your tool to stop smoking is right in your hand!

HOW DO ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES WORK?

When a user places an electronic cigarette between their lips and inhales, air flow is detected by a sensor, which activates a heating element that vaporizes a nicotine solution stored in the mouthpiece. Most models have an LED on the outer end of the device that is also activated during the suction or inhalation action and looks much like the lighted end of a real cigarette that glows when a user takes a puff. The LED can be purchased in different colors, but many prefer the orange-red glow.

Although an electronic cigarette can be produced in a variety of forms and shapes, each have the same basic components: a mouthpiece, heating element, rechargeable battery, and various electronic circuits.

THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE MOUTHPIECE

The mouthpiece (cartridge) is a small disposable plastic cap-like piece that is attached to the end of the tube. When screwed together, they look like a real cigarette. Inside the mouthpiece is a smaller plastic cup that contains an absorbent material saturated with a flavored liquid nicotine solution. Suction causes air to flow around the inner cup and through the hole in the end of the mouthpiece to import the vapor into the user's mouth. The mouthpiece is called a "cartridge." When the liquid within the cartridge is used up, it can be refilled or replaced with a new cartridge.

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE HEATING ELEMENT (ATOMIZER)

The heating element vaporizes the liquid in the cartridge to enable it to be inhaled. There are some models that combine the atomizer and cartridge in one disposable component, and is referred to as a "cartomizer."

BATTERY AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

Most electronic cigarettes use a lithium-ion rechargeable battery to activate the heating element. The battery life varies with the battery type and size, frequency of use, and the operating environment. Several battery chargers are available, such as wall outlet, car and USB chargers.

Basically, electronic cigarettes depend on an electronic airflow sensor to trigger the heating element when inhalation starts, but some models require the user to press a button while inhaling. Other electronic circuits, like a timed cutoff switch, prevent overheating and turn on the colored LED at the tip to signal device activation.

NICOTINE SOLUTION

Nicotine is the bottom line when it comes to stop smoking efforts. People who smoke are addicted to nicotine and 4000 other additives found in real cigarettes. In some brands of E-Cigs, nicotine solutions are sold separately. The user has the option to refill the cartridges with liquid nicotine, which is sometimes called "e-liquid" or "e-juice." The liquid normally contains some flavoring, and consists of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol and/or glycerin. Both propylene glycol and glycerin are common everyday food additives.

Nicotine solutions are also available in different concentration levels to allow the user to choose the amount of nicotine to take into the body. The concentrations range from low and midrange (4-8 mg/ml and 10-14mg/ml) to high and extra-high nicotine doses (16-18mg/ml and 20-54mg/ml respectively). There are also solutions available that do not contain any nicotine at all.

Electronic cigarettes can be purchased in various flavors. Some resemble regular tobacco and menthol cigarettes, but are also available in flavors such as vanilla, caramel, coffee, chocolate, strawberry, apple and several more.

What makes the electronic cigarette an exciting 'stop smoking' tool is the ability to gradually reduce dependence on nicotine to nothing. Presumably the smoker has also completely stopped using real cigarettes. The combination of not using real cigarettes, plus a gradual reduction of nicotine concentrations in E-Cigs, reduces and then eliminates the nicotine addiction. And while all this is happening, the user gets to continue enjoying smoking with a device that looks, feels, and 'smokes' like a real cigarette.

At some point you should arrive at ground zero, where you no longer are addicted to nicotine or any of the other cigarette additives. Quitting smoking entirely would seem to be the next logical step. A growing number of smokers are using this formula with great success. Some E-Cig users continue 'smoking' with a zero concentration of nicotine, long after their addiction has ended. They do this simply because they enjoy smoking, and E-Cigs allow them to do that with no health downside and a relatively small cost.

It must be pointed out that, as easy as it is to stop smoking using the Electronic Cigarette approach, it is not automatic. The smoker must have a strong desire to quit, and make a determined effort to follow through and complete the process. This tool is a great help, but ultimately its the user who must do the actual quitting.