You might have seen people with this crazy looking new fad in cigarettes smoking in non-smoking areas. These new electronic cigarettes are actually electronic devices that simulate smoking cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes come in pipe and cigar form. By using one, the smoker still gets the nicotine as from a regular cigarette, but can control the amount of nicotine taken in and even slowly reduce nicotine intake. The new electronic cigarettes are also known as e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers or PVs. The PV vaporizes a specialized liquid solution into an aerosol mist to be inhaled. The PV has a battery and it must be charged, and includes an LED cover, an atomizer and a liquid solution cartridge that must be refilled.

If you think the electronic cigarette is a new idea, think again. In 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert patented a smokeless, non-tobacco cigarette. Hon Lik is credited for the first generation electronic cigarette released in 2000.

The fact that e-cigarettes may resemble real tobacco cigarettes has been noted by both its supporters and detractors, including the fact that they give nicotine addicts more or less the same amount of nicotine as a conventional cigarette. In the United States, as of 2011, about one in five adults who smoke have tried electronic cigarettes. There were reports early in 2013 that electronic cigarettes were beginning to gain cultural acceptance, with sales growing rapidly.

It is interesting to see the tech changes that happen around us. We were recently on a cruise where a comedian in a showroom stated, “There is no smoking in this showroom. Except for those people with the funny electronic cigarettes.” Cruise ships currently don’t know how to classify the electronic cigarettes yet. But what about on airplanes? The FAA banned the use of e-cigarettes from flights in 2011.

This just goes to show that tech can show up anywhere and make us rethink the way we handle familiar things. Of course, I am not endorsing smoking or vaporizing, just providing you with more new technology information.

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