Electronic cigarettes are growing rapidly in popularity. From a couple of years ago where they were the exception rather than the norm, it has now reached a situation where vapes and electronic cigarettes seem to be more common than the traditional cigarette. People really enjoy them, the cool smoke, the flavours and the fact that works out quite cost-effective to smoke. But what does it all mean? How healthy is it? Are there benefits to smoking electronic cigarettes? Who invented them? There are plenty of questions around this new form of smoking, and here are a few answers.
Where do you buy them?
While typically cigarettes are bought over the counter at supermarkets and mainstream shops, this is not a place where electronic cigarettes are purchased. Certainly, some of the components of the set-up Cn be purchased at these stores, but for the most part, the smoking apparatus is bought at specialty stores or online. A quick Google search for something like ‘e-cigarette Australia’ should be enough to provide you with plenty of answers for buying the devices. Alternatively, if you live in any major urban center there will almost certainly be a shop at the local mall that specializes in these cigarettes and the associated paraphernalia.
Who invented them?
As much as we like to think that the e-cigarette is a new thing, the truth is that they have been around for a very long time. In fact, they have been around for close to 100 years. It was a man called Joseph Robinson, who in 1927, filed a patent in eth United States of America for a device that could turn medicinal compounds into vapour. His product was never actually manufactured or sold commercially, but it was, in its very essence, the forerunner to the devices that today are known as e-cigarettes.
What are the health implications?
This is a controversial question and one around which the answers remain unclear. It is widely thought that they are better than tobacco cigarettes, but then that is a very low starting point. Fans of vaping point out that because the product is filtered, it is cool and toxin-free. But that still hasn’t stopped there being stories of many people suffering from ailments and conditions thought to have been caused by vaping. Some countries are moving to ban electronic cigarettes, while others are very lenient on them. The reality is that the mass use of this technology is still relatively new and as such not many studies or much science is available around their long-term use.
How many people smoke e-cigarettes?
The take up of e-cigarettes has been rapid. Recent surveys have shown just how rapidly the increase in vaping has been. In 2010 there were about a million people vaping globally on any given day. Since then the number has increased exponentially with studies now suggesting that there are approximately 45 million people vaping in 2019. A huge increase in numbers and a trend that is not projected to slow down anytime soon.