The earliest electronic cigarette can be traced to Herbert A. Gilbert, who in 1963 patented a device described as "a smokeless non-tobacco cigarette" that involved "replacing burning tobacco and paper with heated, moist, flavored air." This device heated the nicotine solution and produced steam. In 1967, Gilbert was approached by several companies interested in manufacturing it, but it was never commercialized and disappeared from the public record after 1967.
Because of the relative novelty of the technology and the possible relationship to tobacco laws and medical drug policies, electronic cigarette legislation and public health investigations are currently pending in many countries. Current regulations vary widely, from regions with no regulations to others banning the devices entirely. Most electronic cigarettes are similar enough in appearance to be mistaken for regular cigarettes, but one look inside and you'll see the main difference: E-cigarettes don't contain tobacco. Instead, there's a mechanism that heats up liquid nicotine, which turns into a vapor that smokers inhale and exhale. Manufacturers and satisfied customers say that this nicotine vapor offers many advantages over traditional cigarette smoke. Proponents of the e-cigarette say they feel better using the device than they did when they were smoking tobacco cigarettes, and that because the e-cigarette is reusable, it saves them money.
Electronic cigarettes should theoretically have fewer toxic effects than traditional cigarettes. Nevertheless, concrete evidence is insufficient as of 2013, although tentative evidence suggests they are safer than real cigarettes, and possibly as safe as other nicotine replacement products. The electronic systems appear to generally deliver less nicotine than smoking. The amount of nicotine delivered is believed to vary between different brands of electronic cigarettes. A 2012 review states that electronic cigarettes may aid in smoking cessation and are likely to be more effective than traditional pharmacotherapy. The American Association of Public Health Physicians view electronic cigarettes as similar to other nicotine replacement therapy and recommend them as a harm reduction method for those who have failed to quit by other means. In one study, nicotine cessation was observed in 10% of users six months after beginning use of electronic cigarettes. In that same period, 31% of users had ceased smoking and a further two-thirds had reduced their tobacco consumption.
Whether electronic cigarettes could be regarded as falling under Directive 93/42/EEC on medical devices depends on the claimed intended use and whether this intended use has a medical purpose. An EC orientation note stated that "It is for each national authority to decide, account being taken of all the characteristics of the product, whether it falls within the definition of a medicinal product by its function or presentation."
Because of the relative novelty of the technology and the possible relationship to tobacco laws and medical drug policies, electronic cigarette legislation and public health investigations are currently pending in many countries. Current regulations vary widely, from regions with no regulations to others banning the devices entirely. Most electronic cigarettes are similar enough in appearance to be mistaken for regular cigarettes, but one look inside and you'll see the main difference: E-cigarettes don't contain tobacco. Instead, there's a mechanism that heats up liquid nicotine, which turns into a vapor that smokers inhale and exhale. Manufacturers and satisfied customers say that this nicotine vapor offers many advantages over traditional cigarette smoke. Proponents of the e-cigarette say they feel better using the device than they did when they were smoking tobacco cigarettes, and that because the e-cigarette is reusable, it saves them money.
Electronic cigarettes should theoretically have fewer toxic effects than traditional cigarettes. Nevertheless, concrete evidence is insufficient as of 2013, although tentative evidence suggests they are safer than real cigarettes, and possibly as safe as other nicotine replacement products. The electronic systems appear to generally deliver less nicotine than smoking. The amount of nicotine delivered is believed to vary between different brands of electronic cigarettes. A 2012 review states that electronic cigarettes may aid in smoking cessation and are likely to be more effective than traditional pharmacotherapy. The American Association of Public Health Physicians view electronic cigarettes as similar to other nicotine replacement therapy and recommend them as a harm reduction method for those who have failed to quit by other means. In one study, nicotine cessation was observed in 10% of users six months after beginning use of electronic cigarettes. In that same period, 31% of users had ceased smoking and a further two-thirds had reduced their tobacco consumption.
Whether electronic cigarettes could be regarded as falling under Directive 93/42/EEC on medical devices depends on the claimed intended use and whether this intended use has a medical purpose. An EC orientation note stated that "It is for each national authority to decide, account being taken of all the characteristics of the product, whether it falls within the definition of a medicinal product by its function or presentation."