Often referred to as e-cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and e-vaporizers, these devices run off a battery and allow users to inhale an aerosol or vapor. E-liquids or e-juices used in the devices often contain nicotine, although not all do. They also contain flavorings and other ingredients.

Vaping devices often look like conventional tobacco cigarettes or might resemble a pen or USB memory stick. Certain devices look like a box or rectangle with a mouthpiece, and users find they can choose a device with a design and appearance they love. However, all devices of this type have certain things in common and certain distinctions.

What is an E-Cig or Electronic Cigarette?

Electronic cigarettes or cigalikes look and feel like traditional tobacco cigarettes. They serve as basic vaping devices and come with very few parts. The e-cigs make use of a disposable or rechargeable battery and disposable e-liquid cartridges. Users simply pop a cartridge into the device and begin vaping.

At least one manufacturer offers e-cigarettes that look and feel like conventional cigarettes. This product differs from other cigalikes on the market, as there is no visible battery or e-liquid cartridge.

The user removes the cigalike from the package and takes a puff, just as they would with the conventional tobacco cigarette. The only difference is the user need not light the cigalike. A puff activates the battery with no other action required.

Most electronic cigarettes, however, activate when the user presses the device’s power button. When they push this button, the battery heats the cartomizer within the device.

The cartomizer comes with a heating coil wrapped in polyfill. This wrapper absorbs the e-liquid and converts it into vapor for the user to inhale. The entire process only takes seconds.

Men and women looking for a straightforward way to try vaping without spending a fortune to do so should look into electronic cigarettes. They need not purchase an expensive device or learn to refill their tank. Additionally, they need not worry about maintaining the device. All they must do is charge the battery and enjoy their vaping experience or use the product and dispose of it when it is fully consumed.

What is a Vape?
A vaporizer differs from a cigalike because it uses a rechargeable module and an e-liquid. As the e-liquid may be changed based on the user’s momentary preference, men and women find they have more variety when choosing this option over a cigalike.

They pick the device and the liquid used based on what they like. Vaporizers are slightly larger than electronic cigarettes and offer more battery life.

However, vaporizers and electronic cigarettes have things in common.

Both devices use a battery to heat the coil responsible for converting the e-liquid into a vapor for inhalation. However, vaporizers come with a rechargeable battery and a tank used to hold the desired e-liquid. When the tank runs low on liquid or the user wants to switch to a distinct flavor, they add this liquid to the tank.

Certain vaporizers sell pre-filled capsules for use in place of a tank, but this depends on the vaporizer selected. Experienced vapers often prefer to fill their own tanks as they can experiment with various combinations or purchase multiple tanks and switch them out as desired.

The Health Effects of Vaping

Men and women want to know about the health effects associated with vaping. Research suggests cigarette smokers benefit from making the move to vape products. People observe the maximum benefits when they give up conventional tobacco products completely and move to vaping.

Vape products lack the tar and other carcinogens present in conventional cigarettes. Users find they may wean off of nicotine as e-liquids come in multiple nicotine concentrations, and users find they breathe easier as oxygen levels in the bloodstream increase.

The vapor from electronic cigarettes doesn’t introduce carbon monoxide into the lungs.

The lungs are better able to remove mucus and pollutants that have accumulated, and vapers cough and wheeze less than their counterparts who make use of conventional cigarettes.

The EVALI Scare

Some individuals hesitate to try vaporizers or electronic cigarettes as they worry about permanent lung damage or death resulting from use of these products. The Centers for Disease Control and other government entities blamed vape products for a rash of illnesses and deaths in 2019 only to learn at a later time that the overwhelming majority of those who became ill or passed away used THC-laced products, items obtained on the black market or created in someone’s garage and shared with others. These products contained Vitamin E acetate, and that led to the health issues. Men and women purchasing products from legitimate sources need not be concerned about contracting one of these illnesses or passing away from use of vape products or electronic cigarettes.

Vaping as a Smoking Cessation Tool

Although the FDA has yet to approve electronic cigarettes or vaporizers as a smoking cessation aid, many people find they kick their tobacco habit with the help of these devices.

The cigalikes allow individuals to continue with their nicotine habit without taking in many of the chemicals found in tobacco products. The look and feel of these devices mimic those of conventional cigarettes which allows them to back off without many of the withdrawal symptoms or other barriers to quitting.

Once the person becomes comfortable using electronic cigarettes, they may turn to vape products to get more control over their nicotine consumption. Manufacturers frequently offer the same e-liquid in different nicotine concentrations so users can determine how much nicotine they wish to ingest and back off on their nicotine consumption when they feel comfortable doing so.

Men and women interested in vaping find they have many options open to them. Quite a few individuals choose to start with cigalikes because they feel comfortable with conventional cigarettes and this is less of a change for them.

Other people start with vape products with disposable cartridges to try different flavors. It’s a matter of preference, but individuals wanting to try vaping will find they have a way to do so. It’s simply a matter of finding which products they wish to try.