Electronic Cigarettes…The Best Alternative To Smoking

I am as average as it gets.  My wife and I have average jobs, live in a nice community in Florida and live our lives to the fullest within our means.  We’ve been talking about quitting smoking for a long time, so back in March of 2009, we heard about this new phenomenon, the e cigarette and decided to invest in a starter kit to help us cut down and hopefully quit smoking.

Before we made the purchase, we did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews.  Our first endeavor was unsuccessful.  After months of trying and buying, we finally hit on a few models that worked well enough to satisfy.  I quit back in September and my wife is down to a few cigarettes a day.  I’ve been a Marlboro smoker for over 30 years and I can finally say I don’t care for one thank you!

There was a lot of trial and error involved, and I would like to thank the members of ECF for their useful opinions and unbiased reviews.  We created this website to help anyone interested in an alternative to traditional tobacco products make informed choices about ecigs.  The  products we tried and currently use has its advantages and disadvantages.  We wanted to share our experiences about the ones that impacted us most and implore you not to give up too easily on ecigs as we almost did.  The transition from traditional tobacco products to ecigs can be challenging for some, but worth the effort in trying an alternative.

E Juice is the flavored nicotine liquid that most ecig makers provide to refill the cartridges that accompany your e cigarette, making the cartridges re-usable for a period of time.  This liquid comes in a variety of nicotine strengths ranging from 36mg to 0mg depending on manufacturer. Some companies like Blu, make a pre-filled cartridge of this same liquid that gets thrown away once the juice is all used up. Many manufacturers that make e juice suggests that you start out with a nicotine strength of 24 mg and over time, work your way down gradually weaning yourself off the dependence on nicotine.  Personally I advise against this.  This is because in the beginning, you’re probably still smoking traditional tobacco, so you don’t want to take in too much nicotine.   The first day after I got my e cigarette, I was so excited, I tried every juice that came with my starter kit.  Within a few hours Iwas getting a serious nicotine buzz that turned into a two day headache. I learned from my mistakes and now I’m sharing this with you.

Another huge mistake I made was deciding on a model by its size.  I so wanted to replicate the image of smoking a regular cigarette, I went out an purchased a device that was the exact same size as my Marlboro’s.  I thought I could fool my brain into thinking I was still smoking regular cigarettes. For me it was less about holding the cigarette and flicking the ashes, and more about taste and getting a satisfying throat hit.  I found out bigger is better on the models I tested.

There are mainly two types of e cigarettes on the market today.  A three piece and a two piece version.  The three piece ecig is made up of an atomizer (the heating element), a lithium battery and a cartridge.  The two piece e cig is made up of just a  battery and a cartridge which houses the atomizer.  I have had a more satisfying experience with the three piece models, as it produces more vapor and a better throat hit than the two piece models.  The three piece requires a lot more maintenance though, as you will be constantly refilling the cartridges with e juice when it dries up.  I’ve turned it into a fun event and truly enjoy dabbling with all the juices and equipment I’ve ordered over the past months.

Click here for starter kit and e juice reviews!