"For a habit that's disgusting and deadly, smoking is surprisingly satisfying."
-- Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon
Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, yet millions of people continue to smoke. This is because quitting is very hard. Cigarettes are addictive. Also, most smokers actually enjoy smoking.
As a smoker I have tried quitting a couple of times. The results were less than pleasant. Also, it pisses me off that in a "free" country so many people think it is okay to ban things just because they don't like them. I now feel obligated to smoke as a political statement. Anyway, justifications and rationalizations are unimportant. I want to smoke, damn it.
That's why I was so excited when I first found out about electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes. These devices give a very similar experience to smoking a cigarette without producing harmful smoke and without bothering non-smokers.
All electric cigarettes function on the same principle. They work the same way as fog machines found at concerts and clubs, just on a much smaller scale. Most e-cigs are designed to look like cigarettes, although some look like cigars, pipes or even hukkas. They include a battery, a heating element, "smoke juice" or "e-liquid", and usually an led. The smoke juice is generally made of propylene glycol (an organic chemical), water, nicotine and FDA approved food flavorings.
Nicotine, though usually believed to be incredibly dangerous, is not know to cause cancer or other serious health issues. It does increase heart rate and (I think) blood pressure, but as far as I know, these effects are temporary. Little is known on the long term effects of nicotine, although it is known to be addictive. The scary sounding propylene glycol is the same thing used to make smoke in fog machines. It is also used as filler in many medications and classified as generally recognized as safe by the FDA. The heating element is just warm enough to vaporize this mixture without burning it.
I have been using e-cigarettes for about a year now. I have tried several different models and brands, but Blu is by far the best I have tried. It is smaller and lighter than most other e-cigs and does an excellent job of simulating the smoking experience. Unfortunately, it does not taste just like a cigarette. On the other hand, it does taste good. Most importantly, it gives me the same satisfaction as smoking the real thing.
The Blu pack is an innovation worth mentioning. It is a holder about the same size and shape as a regular pack of cigarettes. It holds a full Blu cigarette, 5 spare cartridges and a spare battery. The pack is also capable of charging the Blu cigarette on the go, meaning you're never left without power.
I also love the fact that, since the Blu doesn't burn anything, most smoking bans don't apply to it. More importantly, it doesn't bother people around me.
Finally, the price. For the same price of a carton of cigarettes, I was able to purchase the Blu Starter Kit which included a carton of the smoke juice cartridges. After that initial purchase, the cartridges cost about half the price of the equivalent number of cigarettes. Smoking indoors in public, saving money and even feeling healthier - I love Blu.
I have been smoking the my Blu electronic cigarette almost exclusively now, with only the occasional real cigarette. The convenience, simplicity and affordability of the Blu Electronic Cigarette makes it my number one choice for e-cigs.