Candy Cigarettes (Click to Enlarge)

I figured it out.. I think I know why so many anti-smoke / tobacco oppose e cigarettes. It’s because at some point in history these zealots must have lost a previous battle because kids can still buy candy cigarettes!

That’s right. Check it out.

I was in a store the other day and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spotted advertising for “retro-candy” on the checkout isle which included a large box of candy cigarettes!

I immediately snapped a picture with my iPhone for this article.

I am not going to say the name of the store, because if I did you probably haven’t heard of them anyway.

I mean, they are such a small store that no one has heard of and can probably afford to do this sort of thing with no worries. I will just say that it was a craft store that that starts with the letter, “Michaels.”

I know some of you must be thinking, “c-mon, everyone knows you can still buy candy cigarettes. What’s the big deal?”

Well, when you spend as much time as I do in a week analyzing arguments and proposed legislation against electronic cigarettes you realize that probably one of the top 3 arguments against them is the potential risk that they pose towards kids.

There are several variations of this argument ALWAYS cited without a shred of evidence or proof in the form of actual research because it doesn’t exist:

• available candy and fruit e cig flavors must be targeting children
• selling e cigs in malls is obviously targeting children
• e cigarettes could be a “gateway” to actual cigarette and tobacco use

And, while the vast majority of e cig distributors do NOT sell e cigarettes to minors, a couple companies have been busted doing just that creating a disproportionate amount of bad press.

Don’t get me wrong. I know kids are extremely impressionable.

Oddly enough though I rarely hear anyone argue that it’s is the responsibility of each and every individual to set a good example for ALL of the children in their lives because they are so impressionable.

Instead, business is painted as bad by the media and the negativity fuels the presses satisfying some. This is really immature when you think about it.

I started this article suggesting that there surely must have been an epic battle to ban candy cigarettes considering the reaction people have been having to electronic cigarettes. Well, I did some admittedly lame research using Wikipedia and Google and here is what I found:

First there was no epic battle of any sort in the U.S. according to Wikipedia. To this day candy cigarettes remain legal in the U.S. and are out there on some store shelves in plain view for kids and parents to see. The only interesting thing I learned from the Wiki is that candy cigarettes are called “sugar fags” in the UK.

On a side note I have heard my brothers-from-other-mothers across the Atlantic call electronic cigarettes “faux fags.” Even better!

The Wiki goes on to say that apparently a federal ban was considered in the U.S. as far back as 1970 and then again in 1991, but it was NOT passed. Also, candy cigarettes were actually banned in North Dakota from 1953-1967. Pretty boring stuff…

But, if you use Wikipedia as a measure of importance or controversy though (i.e. longer articles = more info = more important, or more controversial) then “candy cigarettes” barely registers on the scale with a Wikipedia article approximately 215 words long with 4 references. This blog post / rant is twice that already!

Compare this to the Wikipedia entry on “electronic cigarettes” with approximately 2,567 words and 32 references or the Wikipedia on “cigarettes” with a whopping 4,159 and 56 references at the time of writing this.

After noticing this trend in Wikipedia I tried Google to see if I could find any news on proposed candy cigarette bans and wouldn’t you know I actually did find a few?

I could tell just by looking at the search results though that the campaigns were nowhere near as popular as campaigns and stories regarding electronic cigarettes. But, how could this be quantified?

To try to quantify any indication of the “popularity” of an idea on Google I searched 2 term and looked at the number of results returned. I tried searching Google for “ban candy cigarettes” and “ban electronic cigarettes” in quotes and here is what I found:

"Ban Candy Cigarettes" (Click to Enlarge)

"Ban Electronic Cigarettes" (Click to Enlarge)

Google indicates there are about 11,000 results for “ban candy cigarettes” and about 1,020,000 results for “ban electronic cigarettes!” If you are buying into my ridiculous method this means that the idea of banning electronic cigarettes is almost 100 times more popular than banning candy cigarettes.

Why is this?

I’m sure it’s because of the small minority of e cigarette suppliers are moving their tacky kiosks into malls everywhere. Parents and do-gooders see this as an attack on kids and morality and rightly so.

Something must be done quickly to “save the children” before any research has a chance to prove or disprove a link between e cigarettes and actual cigarette use because some mall owners out there are too greedy, tacky or lacking in morals to reject applications for e cigarette kiosk leases.

Similar to the impetus of gun control laws, people want to attack and control the thing (guns, e cigarette) instead of confronting the people responsible and holding them accountable. Attacking the thing is easier and less confrontational.

This is a shame too, because there IS actually a study referenced in that Wikipedia entry on candy cigarettes linking candy cigarettes to real cigarette use authored by Jonathan Klein at the University of Rochester and published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2000.

This research surveyed 25,000+ Americans and found that 22 percent of smokers played with and consumed candy cigarettes while only 14 percent of non-smokers played with and consumed the candy.

I am not a scientist so I cannot judge whether these results are valid or significant for their sample size etc. My wife is the PhD with a background in research and she is shaking her head no and mumbling something I don’t understand about “effect size.”

But, since when has the mass media or politicians cared about that? They should be all over this.

Am, I saying I support a ban on candy cigarettes? No. I think the last thing this country needs is more useless laws. If we spent half our time and money promoting good morals and ethics in this country instead of trying to create a law to govern every aspect of our life we would all be better off.

Its bad enough I have to waste my time writing this.

Common sense tells you that stores shouldn’t sell candy cigarettes and most don’t anyway. It’s just not worth it.

If there is actually a market for candy cigarettes in a demographic that a store serves, they should be sold discretely behind a counter and not to kids.

Businesses should police themselves using a moral compass and not some self appointed ethics police. I have heard Wal-Mart is actually setting a good example in this area and does not sell products that simulate cigarettes or tobacco like candy cigarettes and Big League Chew.

Do I think it’s OK to smoke electronic cigarettes around kids? My opinion is no. Kids are extraordinarily impressionable.

I will not tell anyone how to raise their kids, but I will suggest that people should not smoke electronic cigarettes OR regular cigarettes around their kids AND other people’s kids as well.

I will also suggest that people don’t smoke, drink, cuss, lose their temper, or exhibit any behavior they don’t want their children duplicating later in life.

I just can’t wait for the next politician or mis-informed media personality to propose a ban on electronic cigarettes because of the risk they may pose to children. If their proposal doesn’t also include a ban on candy cigarettes, I will call them out every chance I get.

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Kids Can Buy Candy Cigarettes Despite e Cigarette Controversy

Supplies Needed for e Cig Mod

Today’s post will explain how to use the scotch tape mod to improve e cig vapor production. This mod also increases how hard it is to take a drag which can be a benefit in some situations as you will read later in the article.

First I would like to go over a few situations in which the quality of your vapor is important.

Why is Good e Cig Vapor Important

There are a few reasons you may be looking to improve, increase, or otherwise enhance your e cig vapor or “smoke” production. These reasons range from the practical to the totally impractical and even irrational.

One arguably impractical reason for being able to produce thick clouds of e cig vapor is that it may be a good way to impress skeptical friends who have never seen or heard of the devices. Among veteran e-smokers, e cig vapor production is even a status symbol these days.

Once you get used to smoking electronic cigarettes there is almost nothing more satisfying than exhaling a nice big thick, copious cloud of vapor except maybe blowing a few smoke rings!

There are more practical reasons for wanting to improve e cig vapor production other than it is just so darn satisfying though. Nicotine cravings need to be satisfied too and since the vapor is what carries the nicotine to the tissues in the back of your throat and lungs it is essential for vapor to be the right consistency.

Also, sometimes variations in hardware quality such as atomizers and batteries or nicotine solution being used to top off or completely refill cartridges can affect your e cig vapor as well so you may occasionally need a way to tweak or increase the vapor.

The Scotch Tape e Cig Mod

Enter the scotch tape mod. I remember when I started smoking electronic cigarettes almost 2 years ago now. The scotch tape mod was the first mod in the wonderful world of electronic cigarette “modding” I was introduced to as I watched YouTube videos one night. Unfortunately I can’t remember who it was that made that video to give them credit, but I thought it was pretty cool that he was able to double his vapor production in just minutes simply by using plain old scotch tape.

As it turned out, my first electronic cigarette was producing excellent vapor at the time and it wasn’t until later after I started trying other models and doing reviews that I decided to test the mod out.

If you read my latest review of Smoke51’s “Krave” disposable e cigarette, you know I recently found another use for the scotch tape mod other than improving vapor production. During the Krave review I noticed that the automatic pressure sensitive switch became quite stubborn after a few puffs. In fact, I was having a very hard time getting the battery to juice the atomizer no matter how hard I took a drag.

I wasn’t able to determine whether this was a design problem or just a defective battery, but I really wanted to finish the review because the first couple drags off the Krave were really good.

The Smoke51 Krave comes with a surprisingly high quality 4-hole atomizer for a disposable 3 piece unit. I theorized that since a higher number holes in the atomizer makes the draw easier, that if I had fewer holes then the draw would be harder and therefore the pressure exerted on the battery’s pressure switch would be greater and might energize the battery.

It turns out I was right.

To implement the scotch tape mod you simply use clear tape to cover one or more of the atomizer’s intake holes. I have included a couple pictures and a couple notes to follow as a more detain illustration of how to implement this mod.

At the end I explain why Krave is ideally suited for this mod as well as a couple reasons why the this mod actually SUCKS at times.

How to Implement the Scotch Tape e Cig Mod

Supplies Needed for e Cig Mod

Supplies Needed: Scotch tape (or any kind of cellophane packing tape), 3-piece electronic cigarette (or any type of ecig with atomizer holes near the mouth piece), pin or needle.

3-piece with Holes Next to Mouth-Piece (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Up to 3 Holes to Be Covered (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Notice how this atomizer has four holes. Before taping over them, screw the atomizer and cartridge back onto the battery.

Note Placement of Scotch Tape (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

With the atomizer screwed into the batter apply tape as shown in this picture. Notice that the Krave has a little extra white body to it toward where you push the cartridge on. If your 3-piece model doesn’t have this then just apply the tape to both the battery and the cartridge. YES, this means the cartridge will be taped on, and you will need to take the tape off to change the cartridge or drip.

Press FIRMLY all around the tape once it is applied to make sure you have a good air-tight seal.

Poke the Hole! (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Use the point of a needle or pin to poke a hole through the tape to open at least one of the atomizer holes. IMPORTANT AND OBVIOUS: You must use the needle to create at least one atomizer hole!

Poke 1 Hole at a Time (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Poke only one hole at a time, testing your vapor production between each hole poked by taking a few drags.

Leave 1 Or More Holes Covered (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

You will end up with some holes covered and some with holes that will allow the air to flow into the intake. For the Krave, I had to leave 3 holes covered to activate the pressure switch reliably which gave me a really hard draw, but also incredible vapor!

Why the Scotch Tape Mod SUCKS Sometimes

There are a couple reasons why this modification kinda stinks and why I don’t use it on a regular basis.

The biggest headache you are likely to encounter is that you will need to remove the tape in order to change cartridges and batteries.

If you are using higher quality tape this may not be an issue, but if you are just using whatever you have around the house it can sometimes be a PAIN to remove the tape because the holes poked in the tape cause it to peel off in small pieces and thin strips. This takes time and is a huge inconvenience.

As it turns out, the Krave disposable model is ideally suited for this modification because you don’t have to remove the scotch tape at all. If you study the first and fourth pictures in this article closely you will notice the placement of the tape doesn’t need to come in contact with the cartridge at all.

Since the KRAVE is a disposable and you don’t need to re-charge or change batteries, the tape never needs to come off!

Depending on circumstances, you will probably need to remove the tape eventually.

Other drawbacks of this mod include the atomizer getting hotter than normal and using cartridges / nicotine solution faster. These are both things you want in a way and are actually required to increase e cig vapor production, but if the atomizer isn’t sturdy enough it will burn out faster than normal and replacing atomizers and using cartridges at a higher rate will obviously cost more.

This is the price to you pay sometimes for good vapor!

So I hope this modification helps a few folks out there looking to optimize their e cig vapor. Please comment with questions or any other suggestions you have for modding electronic cigarettes.

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Improving e Cig Vapor – (Scotch Tape Mod)

Picture of Krave - Also available in menthol

Pros:

Copious vapor, good “throat hit” and taste, very full fresh cartridges sealed in blister pack

Cons:

Battery switch very hard to activate, expensive for a disposable unless discount code used

Smoke 51 Review Summary:

The Smoke 51 Krave is a disposable 3 piece electronic cigarette that has loads of potential and would be great if it weren’t for a cumbersome issue with the battery that requires a modification to get it to work correctly if at all.

I may have gotten a unit with a defective battery switch which is a huge shame. I ordered the cherry flavor and when the battery switch actually worked the Krave produced very thick great tasting vapor which gave me a good tingling in the back of my throat just like a real cigarette.

At first I thought it just took a very hard draw to turn the battery on, but after several puffs I started having a hard time getting the battery to turn on at all. I was able to employ the “scotch tape mod” to cover 3 of 4 atomizer holes to salvage my purchase and finish all 4 replacement cartridges for my first Smoke 51 review.

The scotch tape mod on this model was not as annoying as it usually is because I didn’t have to remove the tape to change batteries or cartridges due to the fact that this unit has a disposable battery and a little extra body to the atomizer.

Since Smoke 51 ships product very fast I still think Krave is still good for a first timer’s experiment using electronic cigarettes (with 30% discount code) because the vapor is great tasting and effective at satisfying nicotine cravings. Also, some first timers may actually find an early introduction to e cig “modding” appealing.

Overall Rating: 3.3 (Average)

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Visit the Smoke51 Website

Full Smoke 51 Review:

• Manufacturer / Supplier: Smoke 51
• Country: U.S.A.
• Model: Krave Disposable (Cherry)
• Style: Mini Electronic Cigarette
• Price: $20.97 (with 30% OFF coupon)
• Cartridge Price: n/a (disposable)
• Number of flavors: 3
• Nicotine Levels Offered: High
• Nicotine Solution Sold for Dripping: No
• Warranty: Unknown

Krave Disposable Contents:

1 battery, 1 atomizer, 4 cartridges, instruction manual

Smoke 51 review "Krave"

Rating Scale:

Average

Poor 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Excellent

• Ratings and Score
  • Batteries: 2.0
  • Atomizer: 4.5
  • Cartridges: 4.0
  • Vapor Production: 4
  • Construction / Quality: 3
  • Cost: 2.5
• Overall: 3.3 (Average)

Smoke 51 Review – Krave Breakdown:

Cartridge Rating = 4.0

The four cartridges that come with this disposable are very “juicy” and are double sealed first with a rubber stopper and then a blister pack (like OTC pills or chewing gum) which is good for maintaining freshness. The reservoirs in the cartridges are very deep for a mini e-cig, but a little narrow so I had to poke and adjust the poly-fill on a couple of them to get to all the nicotine solution.

I think Smoke 51 Krave was shooting to last as long as 1 pack of cigarettes since the Krave box even resembles a pack of cigarettes. Each of the 4 refill cartridges lasted about 50-60 puffs so I think overall 4 refill cartridges lasted me almost as long as a whole pack of regular cigarettes. As always, your mileage may vary.

Krave is also available in 3 flavors (regular, menthol and cherry) which is not common in a disposable model, although cherry might go away soon if the FDA begins regulating electronic cigarettes the same way they do regular cigarettes.

Finally, the good “throat hit” is mainly due to a high concentration in the nicotine cartridges which I couldn’t find listed anywhere, but I estimate it is 18mg or maybe even a little more.

Atomizer Rating = 4.5

The atomizer that comes boxed with the Krave disposable electronic cigarette is a very high quality 4 hole shiny body atomizer with brass plated copper electrical connections. The wicking is very thick and sturdy.

Some reusable 3-piece electronic cigarettes don’t ship with atomizers this good.

It’s a shame I had to cover 3 of the 4 holes of the atomizer with scotch tape (scotch tape mod) because the battery switch was not sensitive enough. After covering 3 holes the draw through the atomizer is hard which means harder than a regular cigarette.

Battery Rating = 2.0

OK, you have already heard me go off about the battery switch on this thing and the mod to get it working, so I am going to try not to mention it anymore. After all, I may have just gotten a defective battery.

I did actually give the battery a 2.0 rating instead of a 1 for a couple of reasons however.

First, the battery did actually ship with a good charge that lasted through my debugging of the switch problem and all 4 cartridges producing good vapor the whole time.

Second, there was no automatic cutoff when taking a draw. In other words, once the battery was turned on you could take as long of a drag as you want. For many people this is preferred because the experience is closer to a real cigarette than the 2-5 second automatic cut-off time with some models and I rate higher for it.

Some people prefer the automatic cut off to ensure they don’t overheat the atomizer or burn the poly-fill if the wicking action breaks down.

Finally, the last thing I noticed about the battery is that once you stopped taking a drag it kept the atomizer and the lighted tip on for about 2 seconds before turning off. This will make it burn through the cartridges faster and reduce wicking for the next puff.

Vapor Production = 4.0

As I said in the summary, probably the best thing I noticed about Krave while doing my first Smoke 51 review is the thick, concentrated and rich tasting vapor. The taste was very close to a regular cigarette.

It was hard to determine if the excellent vapor was due to the scotch tape mod, which is usually employed to increase vapor production or the overall quality of the other components.

Construction / Quality = 3

Ok, I admit. I dinged the quality rating for the battery switch problem because it is the right thing to do. There is no excuse for not testing batteries because it’s not hard and the machinery needed to do shouldn’t be complicated.

Anyway, the only other thing I noticed lacking in the construction quality was the un-matching finish between the replacement cartridges and the battery / atomizer. The battery and atomizer have a semi-gloss finish while the replacement cartridges have a matte finish and the difference is noticeable.

Other than that the cartridges and atomizers are very high quality and the fit of the components as a unit was near perfect with the cartridges being a little loose for my taste but this didn’t cause an issue.

Cost / Value Rating = 2.5

Even with the quality of the components used in this unit it is expensive compared to other disposables in my opinion unless, of course, you use the 30% discount code.

With the code I would say it’s a good value if you could be 100% sure that the battery switch will work. If you need to use the scotch tape mod, you don’t need to take the scotch tape off at all once applied though.

If I get a enough emails from folks saying they didn’t have the same experience I did I promise I will revise this whole review because seriously, the individual components are pretty high quality for a disposable and justify a $20 spot (with the 30% discount code).

Style and Extra Features:

The biggest thing that stuck out to me was the packaging. The whole reason I picked the Krave for my first Smoke 51 review over the Duo or the Trio sitting right next to it was because of the colorful cellophane covered box that looked somewhat like a pack a cigarettes. I have seen this online with other brands before, but this is the first time I have had a chance to review it.

Aside from the packaging this unit is a fairly generic branded 3-piece mini e-cig. There are some fairly fine gold banding lines around the battery up to the branded logo that says “KRAVE” and the brass band from the atomizer and battery fittings give it a classic style that makes it look pretty much like a regular cigarette. It will not stick out too much in public and draw too much attention which may be what you want.

Customer Service:

Shipping was very fast for me. It took me only 4 days with the cheapest shipping option to get all of my Smoke 51 products from the day I ordered it.

I searched the forums in preparation for my Smoke 51 review and didn’t find any major complaints with most customers seeming satisfied. There were a few mentions of people having un-authorized credit card charges from the company, but I didn’t have that problem and sometimes people get Smoking Anywere Inc., vendors of Krave, confused with Smoking Everywhere Everywhere Inc. which is notorious for “free-trials” that come with un-authorized credit card charges.

I guess I should have tried the customer service out a little more given that there is a possibility that I got a defective unit.

The reason I didn’t contact customer service myself (other than I hate dealing with customer service) is because while Smoke 51 starter kits (Duo / Trio) say they come with a lifetime warranty and no money back guarantee, I couldn’t find any warranty info on Krave for this Smoke 51 review.

I figured it didn’t really make sense for a disposable unit anyway and if I couldn’t address the issue (with the mod) then it wasn’t worth people’s time for the purposes they would buy a disposable unit.

Overall Smoke 51 Review Rating – Krave = 3.3 (Average)

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Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Smoke 51 Review (Krave Disposable)

Judge Richard J. Leon

Thursday Jan 14th 2010 Federal Judge Richard J. Leon granted electronic cigarette distributors Smoking Everywhere and NJOY preliminary injunction against the FDA’s detainment of their e cig imports calling the FDA’s arguments in the case quote:

… bootstrapping run amuck.

Judge Leon’s ruling included a court order instructing the FDA to release detained shipments of electronic cigarettes and to halt further detainments of the devices pending the completion of a full trial.

Judge Leon also submitted a 32 page memorandum opinion justifying his court order with a detailed analysis of the current law.

But, is the judge’s ruling really a win for the electronic cigarette and e cig smokers everywhere? What are the long term implications of the judge’s ruling in this case?

In order to fully understand a brief background is necessary.

Background

Early in 2009 the FDA started detaining imports of electronic cigarettes on the basis that that the FDA believed them to be drug / device combinations unsafe for their intended purposes.

Smoking Everywhere Inc., one of the larger electronic cigarette distributors, quickly sued the FDA and requested a preliminary injunction claiming that the electronic cigarette, like a regular cigarette, is a tobacco product and that the FDA had no jurisdiction to ban or regulate them.

NJOY, another electronic cigarette distributor joined the law suit when the FDA started to detain their imports of the devices as well.

In an interesting twist late in 2009, President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control act into law which actually put FDA in charge of regulating tobacco products and probably electronic cigarettes as well. I wrote about the possible implications of this in an article I wrote last year.

Summary of the Ruling

So after this sordid history and all the waiting, what are the details of the judge’s ruling on the case? What are the potential good and bad implications moving forward?

I had to read all 32 pages of Judge Leon’s memorandum opinion twice in order to get even a basic understanding of the case, but I will try to simplify here.

I also must reiterate that this ruling is only the beginning granting preliminary injunction that allows the importation of electronic cigarettes for the remainder of the trial.

Potentially Good Implications

In Judge Leon’s opinion paper he argues that he granted Smoking Everywhere’s preliminary injuction because he believes electronic cigarettes should be classified as tobacco products. More specifically, he believes they fall into the category of “modified risk tobacco products” according to Smoking Everywhere Inc.’s claims that they reduce harm compared to traditional cigarettes.

Judge Leon rejected the FDA’s argument that electronic cigarettes are drug / device combinations unsafe for their intended purposes for several reasons. First, because quote:

… electronic cigarettes as marketed by plaintiffs, are the functional equivalent of traditional cigarettes.

And also:

The “intended use” of a product is determined by “the objective intent of the persons legally responsible” for labeling the product.

Since Smoking Everywhere and NJOY both state that their product is not for smoking cessation and encourages continued recreational nicotine use, then electronic cigarettes cannot be considered drug /device combinations according to the law.

At the end of the paper, Judge Leon only barely considers denying the injunction based on “harm to third parties and the public interest,” stating:

I am not convinced that the threat to the public interest in general or to third parties in particular is as great as FDA suggests. Together, both Smoking Everywhere and NJOY have already sold hundreds of thousands of electronic cigarettes, yet FDA cites no evidence that those electronic cigarettes have endangered anyone.

If electronic cigarettes are considered tobacco products they will not require the “FDA approval” everybody seems to be clamoring for. So states with existing electronic cigarette bans such as Oregon, will probably seem to even a little more silly in their demands for FDA approval than they already do.

The Governator of California doesn’t have to worry about this though because he terminated the proposed ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes in his state at the 11th hour, largely due to this pending litigation of Smoking Everywhere v. FDA.

Potentially Bad Implications

If you read the article I wrote after the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed into law giving the FDA power to regulate tobacco products you probably have an idea what some bad implications of this ruling could be.

Right now, all evidence suggests that at the conclusion of the Smoking Everywhere v. FDA trial electronic cigarettes will probably be classified as tobacco products and the FDA will regulate the heck out of them.

Judging by what the FDA has already done and is talking about doing this means that fruit, candy, and otherwise tasty electronic cigarette refill cartridge flavors could be banned and also nicotine levels could be reduced.

To enforce this bureaucracy surly will not be cheap which means that taxes may begin to plague electronic cigarette sales reducing their cost advantage over traditional cigarettes.

Its All Good Though

From reading Judge Leon’s opinion paper I learned that the current law doesn’t allow banning tobacco products completely or forcing the nicotine level to absolute zero.

Overall, I think the Judge Leon’s ruling in Smoking Everywhere v. FDA is a win for the electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette community.

Even if they FDA bans flavored e cig cartridges and reduces the nicotine levels there will be “after-market” ways to flavor and amp up the nicotine level

Happy vaping for now.

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Smoking Everywhere v. FDA – Electronic Cigarette Wins First Round?

• Pen-Style
• Mini
• Cigar
• Pipe

These four styles shouldn’t be confused with what I call the 4 different types of electronic cigarettes. The difference between the 4 styles and the 4 types is that the term “style” refers to appearances and the term “type” refers primarily to function.

Ironically, style can also be a practical matter, especially when it comes to smoking, so I will cover some functional aspects of style here as well, but as always appearances are first.

Pen-Style

The pen style electronic cigarette is so named because most of them closely resemble an ink pen in shape, size and color, but almost never include a pocket clip. Some pen-style e cigs are designed to mimic short cigarette holders / filters with a cigarette in them since they are approaching this size anyway.

Gamucci Pen-Style Electronic Cigarettes

Mini-Electronic Cigarettes

The mini-electronic cigarette style most often strives to be about the same shape, size and color as a regular filtered cigarette.

At the time of writing this article more and more mini-electronic cigarettes are coming out in colors other than white.

Also, many e cigarettes that are smaller than a pen-style are usually fall into mini-e-cig category. In fact mini-electronic cigarettes that are closest to size as a regular cigarette are actually often referred to as “super-mini.”

Blu Cigs Mini Electronic Cigarettes

Cigar-Style

NJOY Electronic Cigar Style

Electronic cigars range in length and diameter from a medium sized cigar all the way up to large Cuban and Cohiba cigars. Some even have paper wrappings on the outside to more closely resemble the look and feel of a real cigar.

Disposable Electronic Cigars

Pipe-Style

The distinct appearance of a pipe style “electronic cigarette” is somewhat obvious. What is a little less obvious is that the nicotine cartridge and atomizer are actually in the mouth piece of the pipe-style which leaves the rest of the unit to keep the battery and the light that resembles glowing embers.

An Electonic Pipe

All of the styles usually have a lighted tip to simulate glowing embers when taking a drag, but sometimes the lights are a color other than orange, such as blue or green, which helps to communicate to people that you are not “smoking” although many may still be confused wondering what in the heck you ARE doing!

Which Style is Best?

This depends on what you goal is overall or at the current time or place. Most people that start smoking or as it is sometimes called “vapeing” these devices usually buy a couple different styles over time to suit their needs.

The great thing about smoking electronic cigarettes, pipes and cigars is that a variety of flavors is available in all the styles.

In other words, you are not limited to Cohiba flavor for your cigar style, you can get vanilla or coca-cola for it too.  So, the style you decide you decide that you like or that is most functional for you doesn’t predispose or limit you to any 1 or small number of flavors.

There are however, a number of functional aspects that relate to a particular e-cig style.

In general the bigger the “electronic cigarette” device style the longer the nicotine cartridge and the battery lasts.

If you desire to charge your battery and replace your cartridges less and don’t have a strong space constraint or preference then a larger device such as an electronic cigar might actually suit you better even if you don’t normally smoke cigars.

One important decision to consider that impacts your choice of style is whether or not you intend to smoke your electronic cigarette in an area where smoking regular tobacco cigarettes is banned.

If you do then you will likely feel more comfortable and secure smoking something that least resembles a real cigarette, cigar or pipe.

I suggest a pen-style, mini, cigar and pipe, (in that order) with a unique color light such as blue or green when “smoking” your e cig in a non-smoking area.

Different Color LEDs For Electronic Cigarettes

It is easiest to find pen-style and mini-electronic cigarettes with blue or green lights than it is to find an electronic cigar or pipe with a special color.

I do not recommend smoking an electronic cigarette that doesn’t have a light in a non-smoking area because people will still see some vapor and may mistake it for cigarette smoke without some other visual indicator (such as a blue or green light) to indicate you aren’t smoking.

My personal preference when smoking electronic cigarettes is to reach for a pen-style or medium sized cigar style as the capacity of the batteries and nicotine cartridges are last the longest and produce the most vapor.

There are some mini electronic cigarettes that produce awesome vapor, but they don’t last long enough for me. I also find that the pipe style is a little over the top for my personality.

Hopefully if you are new to smoking electronic cigarettes this brief description of the ins and outs of various e cig styles will help you as you begin to search for the best models and suppliers for you.

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

4 Styles of Electronic Cigarettes

Blu Cigs

You will notice I am modifying my review format a bit starting with the Blu Cigs electronic cigarette review.

At the beginning of the review I will now have my “executive summary” for folks that are trying to make a quicker decision.

This summary includes pros, cons, a bottom line and overall rating upfront.

If the initial summary doesn’t give you enough information on a given electronic cigarette the new full review format has even MORE information which now also includes a vapor production rating AND a section for customer service review and complaints.

I am not sure if I will go back and modify all my other reviews at this point, but please give me feedback on how you think it worked for the Blu Cigs electronic cigarette. Enjoy!

Blu Cigs Electronic Cigarette Review

Pros:

Incredible value on starter kits and refill / replacement parts, free shipping on kits and cartridges, small size, portable battery charger included

Cons:

Short battery life, charging indicators confusing, vapor production below average unless foil seals are removed from cartridges, shipping delays possible.

Bottom Line:

Blu Cigs are a great 3-piece electronic cigarette once you actually receive it and get used to a few quirks with the charging indicators and cartridges.

The starter kits are a great value (probably one of the best) since they include a spare battery, atomizer and 25 cartridges to start all shipped free (at the time of writing this). If you are lucky to not encounter any shipping delays some have had you will probably still have somewhat of a learning curve to climb once you receive your shipment even if you have smoked another electronic cigarette in the past.

Blu Cigs are extremely small which is good, but this causes battery life to be very short. It is great to have both a USB and Blu-Pack portable charger in such an economical starter kit to mitigate the short battery life, but neither charger clearly indicates when a battery is fully charged and are not explained well in the instructions. I do my best to explain in the full review.

Finally, the Blu Cigs replacement cartridges have nice foil seals to keep them fresh until the foil is punctured by the atomizer. Unfortunately, the foil needs to be peeled off in some cases before the atomizer will be able to produce adequate volume of the very mild tasting vapor.

Overall Rating: 3.9 (Above Average)

Visit the Blu Cigs Website

Full Blu Cigs Electronic Cigarette Review

• Manufacturer / Supplier: Blu Cigs
• Country: U.S.A.
• Model: Starter Kit “Black”
• Style: Super Mini
• Starter Kit Price: $59.95
• Cartridge Price (25-Pack): $25.00
• Number of flavors: 5
• Nicotine Levels Offered: High, Medium, Low, Zero
• Nicotine Solution Sold for Dripping: No
• Warranty: Yes 1-year (and 30-day money back guarantee)

Starter Kit Contents:

2 Lithium Batteries, 2 Atomizers, 25 Cartridges, Wall Charger, USB charger, Blu-Pack Portable Charger, Quick Start Guide, Instruction Manual.

Blu Cigs Electronic Cigarette Review

Rating Scale:

Average

Poor 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Excellent

• Ratings and Score:
  • Batteries and Charger: 4.0
  • Atomizer: 4.0
  • Cartridges: 3.5
  • Vapor Production: 3.0
  • Construction / Quality: 4.0
  • Cost: 5.0
• Overall: 3.9 (Above Average)
  

Cartridge Rating = 3.5

The Blu Cigs electronic cigarette offers 5 cartridge flavors (Tobacco, Menthol, Cherry, Vanilla and Java) that are all available in 4 different nicotine levels (0mg Non, 8mg Ultra Light, 12mg Light, 16mg Full).

Cartridges can be purchased in “cartons” of 25, but this will NOT last you as long as a carton of cigarettes. In fact I was getting only 80-100 puffs per cartridge which means for me 2-3 cartridges = about 1 pack of cigarettes, but as always your mileage may vary.

One somewhat unique thing about the Blu Cigs cartridges is that the reservoir that contains the nicotine solution is sealed using plastic backed foil. This foil gets punctured by the atomizer when the cartridge is installed and twisted slightly to come into contact with the nicotine solution.

I found this foil seal to be both good and bad.

First, the foil keeps the cartridge very fresh and keeps nicotine solution out of the other parts of the cartridge (at least initially) and as a result I never experienced the common problem of getting excess nicotine solution in the mouth when taking a drag.

Unfortunately, I sometimes didn’t have good vapor production with the Blu electronic cigarette using only the atomizer to puncture the foil seal. I was able to improve vapor production by first using a paper clip to force the reservoir out and then peeling the Blu Cigs foil seal off as much as I could.

Of course, you have to peel the seal off anyway if you intend to drip refill your cartridges, you will have to buy nicotine solution somewhere else because Blu Cigs web site doesn’t sell it.

Once I got the foil seal off and started producing good vapor I noticed that the Blu Cigs flavor is more subtle than other 3-piece electronic cigarette vendors out there, but at least there is some “throat sensation” with the 16mg cartridges.

Overall, I like the foil seal despite the peeling and for this I gave the cartridges an above average rating. I would like to have seen more flavor and higher nicotine levels, but nothing that isn’t overcome by drip refilling with 3rd party nicotine solution.

Atomizer Rating = 4.0

The Blu Cigs electronic cigarette starter kit comes with 2 nice shiny 4-hole atomizers that will give you a medium draw (a little easier than a real cigarette).

Since you get 1 spare atomizer with the Blu Cigs starter kit you don’t have to worry as much if one of the 2 atomizers happens to be dead on arrival or if you burn one out quickly learning how to use your first electronic cigarette.

I wish all 3-piece vendors included a spare atomizer as it makes so much sense.

The Blu Cigs atomizers strike me as being durable with a nice thick “wick” needed to puncture the foil seal and withstand a fair amount of heat.

I think the Blu Cigs atomizers are very good, but they do seem to need primer puffs to get going. Fortunately, they can withstand the heat, but with this mini electronic cigarette the reservoir seems to have a hard time keeping the atomizer saturated with nicotine solution.

Of course if you drip, then just put a small drop of nicotine solution directly on the wick after you top off your cartridge for the best results.

Batteries & Charger Rating = 4.0

The batteries and charging system that comes with Blu Cigs electronic cigarette is an excellent value since it includes 2 lithium batteries a USB charger, wall charger AND the much touted “Blu-Pack” mobile charger and carrying case.

First, the batteries are extremely small in fact the smallest I have seen yet. Fully assembled the Blu Cigs are not even a centimeter bigger than a regular cigarette. Blu Cigs batteries of course have a Blu LED on the tip so they will never be confused with regular cigarettes thus making it easier to smoke in non-smoking areas.

The extremely small battery size does make battery life a little shorter as expected however, I found that a battery lasts almost exactly as long as a stock cartridge so you can expect to change your cartridge and battery at about the same time in most cases.

The Blu Pack doubles as a mobile charger and carrying case and does a good job of making up for short battery life by providing a convenient way to both hold and charge a spare battery no matter where you are.

The Blu Pack also holds and protects the fully assembled electronic cigarette, 5 cartridges and even a spare atomizer if you install the spare atomizer onto one of the cartridges. Since the Blu Pack easily charges 5 batteries before it needs to be recharged itself it is possible to smoke all 5 replacement cartridges with a fully “stocked” and charged Blu Pack.

Can you say cocked, locked and ready to rock!?

But, seriously.. I really liked the Blu Cigs charging system except for 1 thing that actually hurt the rating a lot. Both the USB charger and the Blu Pack mobile charger have charge indicator LEDs, but neither clearly indicate when the battery is fully charged. The directions aren’t much help either. In fact, I am still trying to figure it out.

The Blu Pack has a blue light on the side that is supposed to turn off when the battery is fully charged.

Unfortunately, after 45 minutes of charging time the blue light goes off and then it comes back on for varying lengths of time before going out again.

The blue light comes back on and tends to stay on longer at first and shorter as time goes on while the battery is left screwed in. Eventually the blue light just flashes briefly once and a while if you leave the battery screwed in long enough.

The instructions don’t mention this behavior or how to deal with it. After charging half a dozen batteries or so I tended to just leave the batteries charge for 5-15 minutes after the light went off the first time making charging time 45-60.

The USB charger exhibits similar behavior except that it has a red light that is on while charging then turns blue when the battery is charged. The USB charger also takes about 45-60 minutes to charge a battery.

The instructions do warn you that you MUST unscrew the battery when it is finished charging. If only I knew… The instructions go on to say that if you don’t unscrew the battery it gets discharged as a safety feature.

Finally, you have to use the wall charger to charge the Blu Pack and in that scenario there is a cool looking blue light in one end of the charging cable itself that is blue while charging, but actually stays off when the Blu Pack is fully charged. What a concept.

Anyway, it really isn’t that bad once you get used to it especially if you have someone like me to warn you about it ahead of time. I may check the forums later to see what people say about these “features” there and post an update to this review.

Vapor Production = 3.0

With some tweaking, I was able to achieve copious vapor with the Blu Cigs when doing primer puffs (not inhaling), but the vapor was much more whispy and evaporated very quickly when I fully inhaled.

I still got a little throat sensation with 16mg though making this electronic cigarette an excellent way to “smoke” in stealth in non-smoking areas.

On occasion I was able to achieve good vapor just by using the atomizer puncture and twist to break the foil seal in the cartridge, but I had the best results by peeling the foil off when the vapor production seemed to be lacking.

My suggestion is to experiment a little to see what is best for you. Try the atomizer puncture twist and if that doesn’t work or vapor starts to diminish prematurely, keep a paper clip or something handy to force out the nicotine solution reservoir and remove the foil.

Keep in mind that you can’t continuously take drags on the Blu Cigs as the hard thick atomizer wick has a hard time staying saturated with the nicotine solution.

If the vapor starts tasting “burnt” then take longer breaks in between puffing sessions to give the atomizer a chance to re-saturate. Otherwise, you run the risk of burning your atomizer out prematurely.

Construction / Quality Rating = 4.0

Everything in the black starter kit was glossy black except the USB and wall charger and I believe the white starter kit is the same.

The finish on the batteries is a very durable glossy lacquered black finish. The refill cartridges are also glossy black and seem to match the batteries almost exactly.

The atomizers are high quality shiny stainless steel, and brass plated copper.

Battery, atomizer and cartridge all connect together with a near perfect fit and finish.

My only problems in the construction / quality department for the Blu Cigs is with the Blu-Pack which for the most part is durable, but has a somewhat flimsy thin plastic near the door hinge that I know will break given enough time.

Also, the assembled Blu Cigs electronic cigarette and spare battery rattle around in their slots a little when the Blu Pack door is closed because the fit in these 2 slots is less than perfect.

To keep the spare battery from rattling when it is not charging leave it screwed in just a little and make sure it is not making an electrical connection.

To keep the assembled electronic cigarette from rattling around in its slot, try shoving a small piece of styrofoam in the hole and push it to the bottom of this slot. Be careful you don’t put so much foam in this slot that you can’t close the door because it may be very hard to get out.

Cost Rating = 5.0

Like I said at the beginning of the review the Blu Cigs starter kits and all refill / replacement parts are very economical. Starter kits and refill cartridges also ship free which is great.

Batteries are maybe just a little expensive considering they don’t last long, but they are extremely small and sometimes you pay for small.

Blu Cigs come with both a 1-year warranty and 30-day money back guarantee.

You will not find a better value unless you buy another product from an extremely dedicated mom and pop shop or import in enough bulk on your own. Enough said.

Style and Extra Features

I have already covered the Blu-Pack mobile charger extensively which is the main feature about Blu that stands out so I will briefly cover style.

Design and style seems to be an important consideration to Blu Cigs. All the charging elements incorporate the Blu theme by having blue charging indicators. Check out this picture I took one night while charging a battery with the Blu pack.

Blu Cigs Blu Pack Got Style

Talk about style.! This gives Blu Cigs that night club appeal when you blow the vapor towards the Blu Pack light. Between this and the blue light on the tip of the battery and the consistency of the black and white color selections Blu Cigs have a very compelling and cohesive style.

Customer Service

Only very intermittent reports of shipping delays still persist and are the only major customer service complaint I have heard. In a way, Blu Cigs is a victim of their own success. Earlier in 2009 their popularity caused shipping delays as long as 4 weeks, but you would get an e-mail letting you know right after you placed an order.

Blu Cigs also had to e-mail their customers earlier this year recalling all of the Blu Packs because of a dangerous flaw in the design that could cause the batteries within them to explode.

While there were no credible reports of the batteries actually exploding Blu Cigs customer service replaced all Blu Packs affected at no-charge to its customers.

I would say that is to be expected and that this type of customer service is adequate and responsible.

Overall Review Rating = 3.9 (Above Average)

Visit the Blu Cigs Website

FTC Disclosure

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Blu Cigs Electronic Cigarette Review

Picture of Krave - Also available in menthol

I don’t usually promote a product before I am finished reviewing it, but I just had a great idea for adult stocking stuffers for the smokers in your life! My idea is the Krave electronic cigarette from Smoke51.

It is a low cost disposable electronic cigarette that is a bit larger than a regular cigarette and a pretty hard draw, but other than I am impressed with it so far.  There is a 30% off coupon code and a link to the Smoke51 website at the bottom of this article you can use if you like the idea.

If you are new to electronic cigarettes you can read one of the many other articles on my website regarding how these break-through devices work. In general though, there are a couple main benefits of an electronic cigarette over regular cigarettes that also make them a great idea for adult stocking stuffers:

• There are far less harmful chemicals because there is no combustion
• They are virtually odorless making it possible to smoke indoors

Imagine your wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, brother, sister, mom, dad or friend not having to go outside to smoke on a cold Christmas day! What a great stocking stuffer for smokers!

In addition to these benefits I have managed to also obtain a 30% off discount code from Smoke51. I actually got this discount code a while back and thought it wouldn’t work at the time of writing this because I heard a rumor the company was deactivating them, but I just went to the web-site to check it out and it still works!

The Krave is usually $29.99 but with the 30% coupon code you will only have to pay about $21 and probably about $5 on top of that for shipping making this a very inexpensive option for adult stocking stuffers.

There are really only a few on-line shopping days left to order to ensure you will receive your shipment before Christmas, but fortunately Smoke51 has very fast shipping (I have ordered from them a few times now).

The bottom line is stocking stuffers are usually a difficult after-thought for many people. Good adult stocking stuffers are even more difficult to think up, so when you are presented with such a great idea (really not trying to gloat here) AND a great deal then don’t delay. I am not sure how long this coupon code is going to work.

Before you do go over to the web site I want to give you a few quick suggestions if you have decided to buy the Krave disposable “eCig” for your friend or loved one.

Tips

First and foremost I don’t call these electric cigarettes adult stocking stuffers for no reason! Please PLEASE use caution if you have children in the house!

These electronic cigarettes do have nicotine in them which is highly addictive just as much if not more so than regular cigarettes. Don’t buy this for anyone younger than 18 years of age as they are NOT a toy and they are NOT for minors. Don’t buy this thing for a non-smoker either. This is for committed smokers only as it DOES contain nicotine.

If there are small children in the house make sure the stockings are out of their reach and don’t put the Krave in the adult recipient’s stocking until the last possible moment to make sure that this doesn’t fall into the hands of children.

Second, if you or the person you give these eCigs to likes the concept THEN suggest that they buy a full starter kit.

When you go to the smoke 51 website you will see some starter kits and you may consider purchasing one of those instead. In my opinion though, a full electronic cigarette starter kit doesn’t make a good Christmas present unless 1. the recipient specifically asked for it, or 2. you know the recipient really well and you are willing to take a risk.

Smoking is a very personal thing. You can’t make a person quit and you will be hard pressed to get them to switch to electronic cigarettes long term unless it is their choice. If you buy full starter kit and it doesn’t go over well YOU will likely have to pay for return shipping etc. etc. since you can only buy these things online.

Buying the Krave disposable electronic cigarette as adult stocking stuffers however, is a great, cheap, (i.e. low risk) way of testing the waters to see if your loved one will like the concept. If they do like it then tell them to come to this web site and read the reviews on the latest models. If they don’t like it they will at least appreciate the though you put into purchasing such a unique gift.

My third and final tip is don’t wait any longer. If you like the concept and are at least 70% sure you agree with me on this idea go to the Smoke51 website and order now to maximize the chances you will receive your Krave before Christmas. Good luck !

30% OFF coupon is:    DSC-234

Visit the Smoke51 Website

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Great Idea for Adult Stocking Stuffers

Sometimes people are surprised to find out that something they purchased to improve their health and safety is still not totally safe OR healthy!

This is what happened to me when I purchased a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 yesterday.

I very was excited to get my new space age looking addition to my office home and start using it as I have developed the dreaded “twinge” of pain from some yet to be identified musculoskeletal disease (MSD) after working on computer keyboards for over 25 years.

I was disappointed when I opened the box and unwrapped the packaging to find the following warning labels on the USB cord and the back of the keyboard:

Attached to ergonomic KB cord. Do no remove!

Warning label on back of ergonomic KB.

To be honest, I didn’t even know what musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) were until I read this label! I now know they include, “carpel tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis (huh?), and other conditions.” My spell checker didn’t even know what that last one was so now I am really afraid!!

The real kicker here is that these warning labels are much bigger and colorful on my new Microsoft ergonomic keyboard than they are on the old Logitech wireless keyboard it is replacing.

Does this mean that since the warning labels are more pronounced on the ergonomic keyboard that the danger is greater than with my inferior flat straight layout keyboard from before? Probably not, but the point is that sometimes companies just want to CYA to prevent or lessen the impact of being sued in our law suit happy society.

Microsoft doesn’t want me to think that just because I bought their keyboard that it will halt, eliminate or cure my MSD. (OUCH! I think I just felt some pain all the way up in my ring finger that time!)

What does this have to do with eCigs?!

If the FDA gets its way with eCigs (and they probably will) I think people are about to get a similar answer to the question of, “are electronic cigarettes safe?”

As long as regular cigarettes (with all their warning labels) continue to be sold in this country the only logical thing the FDA can do without a major public revolt is to require that eCigs continue to be sold, but have a warming label allowing the end user to judge electronic cigarettes safe enough for their usage.

No one knows at this point what the electronic cigarette warning labels will look like or what they will say. If eCig warning labels happen to be bigger, brighter, or use scarier language than tobacco warning labels, this does little to answer the question, “are electronic cigarettes safe?”

Also, the fact eCigs are NOT required to be labeled by the FDA at the time of writing this article does not make electronic cigarettes safe.

One thing that drives me crazy is that the FDA and many other people, mostly non-smokers, that are trying to figure out whether or not electronic cigarettes are safe are trying to hold them to the same safety standard as so called FDA approved nicotine replacement therapies such as the patch, gum, and nicotine inhaler.

To me it makes more sense to compare regular cigarettes to eCigs and ask the question, “are electronic cigarettes safer than regular cigarettes?”

The funny thing is when comparing regular cigarettes to electronic cigarettes you begin to realize that you might as well compare the safety of electronic cigarettes to diet soda, automobiles, or ergonomic keyboards for that matter!

The intent of this article is not to go into all the details of 10-20 substances (most individually recognized by the FDA as safe) that get inhaled after being vaporized (as in eCigs) vs. 4000 that get inhaled after combustion (as in regular cigarettes), but seriously..

There is tons of research out there already that you can find, but until the FDA, AMA, ACS, or any other TLA (three letter acronym) organization get off their butts and come up with their own research they are comfortable with only you can judge electronic cigarettes safe based on what information is out there and your own logic and common sense. Until that day comes, I hope my hands and wrists begin to feel a little better.

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Electronic Cigarettes Safe as My Ergonomic Keyboard?

• 1 Piece Electronic Cigarette Kit
• 2 Piece Electronic Cigarette Kit
• 3 Piece Electronic Cigarette Kit

These 3 types of electronic cigarettes shouldn’t be confused with the 4 different styles of electronic cigarettes I wrote about in another article. The difference between the 4 styles and the 3 types is that the term “type” refers primarily to function and the term “style” refers primarily to appearances.

1 Piece Electronic Cigarette Kit: Disposables

The 1 piece electronic cigarette kit is the most convenient and usually the most economical option to start with especially if you are not sure smoking electronic cigarettes will be for you.

The disposable electronic cigarettes and cigars come with a pre-charged battery and non-refillable nicotine cartridge(s). These units usually require some type of activation procedure before they can be used such as pushing or twisting the mouth piece to break a foil seal and connect the battery.

A Box of Disposable Electronic Cigars

Disposable electronic cigars seem to be more popular when it comes to 1-piece design and disposable electronic cigars last much longer than disposable electronic cigarettes. Disposable electronic cigarettes are usually mini-style electronic cigarettes intended to mimic real electronic cigarettes and maximize portability.

2 Gamucci Elite Disposable Electronic Cigarettes

While most disposable electronic cigars and cigarette kits adhere to the 1 – piece design there are a few that actually follow the 2-piece or 3-piece designs described below that simply have a pre-charged battery that is meant to be disposed of and cannot be recharged.

2 Piece Electronic Cigarette Kit: Atomizer Built Into Nicotine Cartridge

Two piece electronic cigarettes are also the second most convenient type as they consist only of a rechargeable battery and a replaceable cartridge. The atomizer is actually built into the nicotine refill cartridge and is sometimes called a “cartomizer.“ Replacing the atomizer with the nicotine refill cartridge every time has its pros and cons.

One thing people do not realize before they buy an electronic cigarette kit is that e cig batteries and atomizers are semi-consumable meaning they usually needs to be replaced approximately every 6-12 weeks. Also atomizers are easy to damage especially if you are not very experienced smoking electronic cigarettes.

The benefit to the 2 piece type of electronic cigarette kit is that atomizer gets replaced each time you use up and replace the nicotine cartridge. Also, you can switch to a different flavor cartridge, even if the current cartridge you are using isn’t used up, and switch back to previous flavor simply by unscrewing and screwing in the different cartridges and you don’t have to worry about the previous flavor of nicotine solution tainting your atomizer because they are complete and separate atomizers.

A Red Dragon 2-Piece Electronic Cigarette Disassembled

There are 2 main down sides to the 2 piece system. First, you will have to deal with the occasional “bad cartridge” which doesn’t work from the start and needs to be thrown away and replaced immediately.

Second, similar to inkjet printers one can refill nicotine cartridges themselves if they purchase the nicotine solution separately, but the cartridges with the built in atomizers are sealed which makes them harder (but not impossible) to refill the cartridge using a practice known as “dripping.”

3 piece Electronic Cigarette Kit

The 3 piece electronic cigarette kit consist of a separate battery, atomizer and nicotine cartridge. The battery screws into the atomizer and the nicotine cartridge is either screwed or “forced” onto the atomizer where it is held securely until it needs to be unscrewed or pulled off to be replaced or refilled.

The main benefit of the 3 piece kit is that the nicotine cartridges in this system are very easy to refill, taking only seconds to top-off before a smoking session.

NJOY 3 Piece Type Electronic Cigarette Kit Disassembled

There are 2 drawbacks to the 3 piece system. First, nicotine solution permeates the atomizer so it is best to also switch atomizers if you are going to switch flavors. This will require having spare atomizers on hand that range from about $5 – $25 in price. The second drawback to the 3 piece type is that since the atomizers are semi-consumable they will wear out and need to be replaced approximately every 6-12 weeks. This second drawback makes it even more important to have even more spare atomizers on hand again at a cost of about $5 – $25 apiece.

Which is Best?

Again, which one is best for you will depend on a number of factors. If you have never owned or smoked an “e cig” before but have decided to give it a go for the first time then a disposable electronic cigarette kit is a great low cost first option. The only thing to worry about here is that occasionally a disposable will not work correctly from time to time or may even be dead on arrival.

If you think you will want to switch flavors frequently then a 2 piece electronic cigarette kit may be a good option for you, but if you think you will really want to refill or “drip” nicotine cartridges for even more cost savings and flavor options then you may want to consider the 3 piece type.

One clear difference between the 2 piece and the 3 piece electronic cigarette kits is that most people agree that the vapor from the 3 piece electronic cigarette kits are more flavorful where as the vapor from the 2 piece kits have more of a subtle flavoring to them.

If you are having a hard time deciding between a 2 piece and 3 piece kit then find good suppliers with 30 day money back guarantees an then order both. You can decide which type you like better that way or you may even decide you like both for different reasons and decide to keep them both.

Just like the other article on the 4 e cig styles this article was meant to be informative so I am sorry if it was a little dry!! Hopefully this will help you decide which type of electronic cigarette kit will suit you best.

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

3 Types of Electronic Cigarette Kit Easy as 1, 2, 3

An official press release from the California State Governor’s office announced yesterday that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 400 that proposed electronic cigarette ban in the state of California.

The latest revision of SB 400 did not propose a complete ban on electronic cigarette use, but rather to,

… authorize action to halt the sale, distribution, or offering for sale of electronic cigarettes.

The famous actor and now Governor of CA had this to say in his official response letter to justify his veto:

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 400 without my signature.

While I support restricting access of electronic cigarettes to children under the age of 18, I cannot sign a measure that also declares them a federally regulated drug when the matter is currently being decided through pending litigation.

Items defined as “tobacco products” are legal for anyone over the age of 18. If adults want to purchase and consume these products with an understanding of the associated health risks, they should be able to do so unless and until federal law changes the legal status of these tobacco products.

For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

I’m sure this news comes as great relief to electronic cigarette smokers everywhere especially in the state of California!

It also seems that the scales may be tipping back in the favor of electronic cigarettes in spite of this proposed ban.

This may be a result of electronic cigarette supporters I have seen all over the internet organizing letter writing and telephoning campaigns through Facebook, Twitter, forums and blogs (like this one).

Organizers really had to scramble on this California legislation because, as I documented in the call to action (CTA) in a previous post, there was only a little over a month to take action once it became clear what was going on.

I didn’t find out about it myself until 2 days before the legislation was to be signed.  Here is a compressed timeline of what happened:

• 2/27/09: SB 400 was introduced as a “green vehicles bill”
• 6/24/09: SB 400 totally re-written as a change to existing tobacco legislation (huh?)
• 9/3/09: SB 400 totally amended to “ban” the sale of “electronic cigarettes” in the state
• 10/11/09: SB 400 to be signed into law unless vetoed
• 10/11/09: SB 400 vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger

Electronic Cigarette Ban Veto Response Letter Analysis

The SB 400 veto response letter is very short, but I wanted to do a little analysis and commentary on it as well as talk about some of the implications for those who are involved in the fight against electronic cigarettes bans.

In the first substantive paragraph of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s response he states his position supporting restrictions on the sale of the electronic cigarettes, but then passes the buck on the ban and basically says that his hands are tied because of litigation in federal court.

Gov. Schwarzenegger doesn’t specify, but I assume the litigation he is talking about is the case against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in which two electronic cigarette distributors based in the U.S. that sell the NJOY and Smoking Everywhere brands are suing the FDA for detaining their imports of electronic cigarettes.

The two distributors in this case claim that their electronic cigarettes are tobacco products and not drugs and are against any type of ban because the nicotine used in the cartridges is extracted from natural tobacco.

The FDA is currently considering this definition, but is probably just having a hard time figuring out how to make it up to Pfizer after the FDA undoubtedly accepted tons of cash from the Pfizer branch of “Big Pharma” to approve their Nicotrol™ nicotine inhaler.

Sounds impossible right? Not really because…

The difference between electronic cigarette distributors and Pfizer is that Pfizer is making health claims and selling their device as a smoking cessation product which requires FDA approval and electronic cigarette distributors are not.

Responsible electronic cigarette companies, make no such health claims. They don’t need to when the health benefits seem to be obvious to many people anyway.   Also, they would love for you to keep smoking the electronic cigarette refill cartridges all day long and would rather not be troubled even trying to spell or pronounce the word, “cessation.”

So, it looks like Gov. Schwarzenegger has saved himself some time and trouble now and in the future by vetoing this bill. Wouldn’t it look bad if a state banned the sale of electronic cigarettes and then the FDA cleared them? Watch out Oregon! It seems like the governor is very busy with budget problems in CA anyway so when he saw an easy way out he took it.

In the second paragraph, the CA Governor seems to support the idea of electronic cigarettes being tobacco products while siding with the freedom of choice for his constituents and NOT electronic cigarette companies:

Items defined as “tobacco products” are legal for anyone over the age of 18. If adults want to purchase and consume these products with an understanding of the associated health risks, they should be able to do so …

One of my favorite definitions of freedom is that a person can do what they please so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.  In this case the definition seems to fit.

Hopefully, the implications here are positive for those needing to halt an electronic cigarette ban at a state level. The most powerful ammunition one can employ is probably, “Hey, look at CA! They vetoed the bill because it’s tied up in a federal court that will probably result in federal legislation anyway.”

I have one final comment. I know Governor Schwarzenegger’s position in government has been controversial in some ways, but I am surprised at how smart this move and the speech in his letter seems to be.

I am not just saying this because I am anti-electronic cigarette ban either! And, yes I know he may not have written it and probably has a lot of aides doing his research.

It just really seems like the CA Governor’s office did their homework well enough to find out about the case against the FDA  in Washington and thought about it long enough to realize  its smart to see electronic cigarettes as simply another tobacco product and to NOT ban them.  Oh, and I guess avoiding the potential for, “egg on the face,” once the FDA creates its own legislation was prudent motivation also.

Also, we never know how much the e-mails / letters we wrote and the phone calls we made influenced the decision, but I believe he and others in the Governor’s office listened based on the choice of words used in the response letter and their similarity to letters I saw that were sent to Gov. Schwarzenegger.

That being said, if you want to participate in the next Call to Action to possibly help prevent another electronic cigarette ban in the future then visit the visit the article I put together that explains the cause and then subscribe to the e-mail list and check the box listed subscribe to CTAs.

Post from: Electronic Cigarette Review

Governator Terminates Proposed Electronic Cigarette Ban