With the technological advancements in the tobacco industry, various forms of nicotine delivery devices have been on the market, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, heated alternatives, oral nicotine, and so on.

Today we are going to say something about e-cigarettes, which are believed to be a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes and have become one of the most prevalent choices for those who switch to a smoke-free future.

“E-cigarette” is an abbreviation for “electronic cigarette.” Just as its name suggests, an e-cigarette is an electronic device designed to emulate the tobacco smoking experience.

How do e-cigarettes work?

The electronic device consists of a power source like a battery, an atomizer, a heating element, and a container, such as a cartridge or tank to place a liquid.

The liquid inside an e-cigarette, also called e-liquid, usually consists of a mixture of nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerin, and flavorings. The contents may vary according to users’ tastes and preferences.

Rather than burning, the e-liquid is heated to produce an aerosol that usually contains nicotine for users to inhale without smoke. Consuming an e-cigarette is also called “vaping”.

E-cigarettes are available in various shapes and sizes. In early times, e-cigarettes were made to look like traditional cigarettes and were called “cigalikes.”

The designs evolved over time with different forms available. Some look like cigars or pipes, and some simulate USB sticks, pens, and other daily items. Additionally, some contain mechanical mods or tanks and so on.  

Based on their designs or constructions, e-cigarettes are also known as “e-hookahs”, “e-cigs”, “vapes”, “vape pens”, “mods”, “tank systems” as well as “electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)”.

By using e-cigarettes, users can enjoy authentic smoking experiences and the pleasure of getting close to regular tobacco. Besides, e-cigarettes are richer in tastes, with a wide range of flavors on the market.

The flavoring molecules may be extracted from natural ingredients, organic products, or simply artificial.

Why are e-cigarettes so popular?

The number of e-cigarette users has increased rapidly in recent years.

According to the estimation of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR), as of 2021, the global number of vapers reached 82 million, whilst the number in 2011 only records 7 million.

There are several reasons why e-cigarettes are alluring to users.

For instance, people are more and more aware of their health and wellness. It is well known that tobacco smoking does great harm to human health.

Tobacco cigarettes are burnt at an extremely high temperature of around 900°C to generate smoke, which contains ash, tar and carbon monoxide, and various toxic chemicals.

It is said that there are 250 potentially toxic compositions found in cigarette smoke, among which about 70 are cancer-causing compounds.

According to WHO, there are about 8 million premature deaths from the tobacco-related disease every year. More than 7 million of those deaths are caused by direct tobacco use, while about 1.2 million are those who are exposed to secondhand smoke.

However, even though smokers are aware of the health threats posed by tobacco cigarettes, it is extremely hard for them to quit smoking, especially for those heavy smokers. This is because the nicotine contained in tobacco cigarettes is highly addictive.

Hence, they choose to insist on inhalation of nicotine by switching to new alternatives which pose fewer health dangers. Due to their high acceptance and perceived benefit, e-cigarettes have become one of the most popular choices.

Unlike tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes don’t involve actual tobacco leaves and combustion. The e-liquids are heated to turn into vapor rather than smoke. As a result, e-cigarettes expose users to fewer toxicants than traditional cigarettes.

Except for its less harm compared with regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes are also popular due to their lower cost and richer tastes in contrast to regular cigarettes. E-cigarettes are especially alluring to young adults and have become fashionable in various social occasions, such as gatherings and parties.

Who would potentially benefit from e-cigarettes?

According to the CDC, e-cigarettes are potentially beneficial to adults who smoke and who are not at any stage of pregnancy if they completely switch to e-cigarettes from traditional cigarettes and other smoked tobacco items.

Maybe you will ask, “whether e-cigarettes can help smokers quit smoking or not?” We have to say that there has not been a clear and confirmed answer yet, as there is not enough evidence to support the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking.

Anyway, for those who are unable to quit nicotine or want to continue to enjoy the nicotine throat hit, replacing traditional cigarettes with e-cigarettes is a suitable choice for them to move to a smoke-free future.

What are the differences between e-cigarettes and heated tobacco?

In addition to e-cigarettes, there is one more popular substitute for conventional cigarettes, namely heated tobacco products or heat-not-burn products.

E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products sometimes are easily confused as both of the two are heated with electronic devices and are smoke-free, but they are actually distinctive from each other.

E-cigarette devices work by heating e-liquids instead of tobacco leaves to produce steams for users to vape. In short, e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco in the delivery of nicotine.

In contrast, heated tobacco devices operate by heating compressed tobacco leaves to generate an inhalable aerosol.

We can see that the two are quite different in the sources of nicotine.  

Heated alternatives vs heated tobacco vs e-cigarettes

Tobacco industry players have been developing innovative nicotine-containing products to meet everyone’s tastes and smoking behaviors.

Except for the above-mentioned, in recent years, a newly developed type of product called “heated tobacco alternative” or “heated alternative” have also been prevalent among smokers.

Instead of heating tobacco leaves, heated alternative devices work by heating herbal tea leaves infused with nicotine and flavoring ingredients to deliver a nicotine-filled aerosol for users to breathe.

Like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, heated alternatives are considered as a safer replacement for combusted tobacco products, as they are heat-not-burn products without producing harmful smoke.

Moreover, heated alternatives come in richer flavors compared with heated tobacco products.

NEAFS is one of the leading heated alternative brands, which boasts its TEO device heats to offer an authentic tobacco experience without using tobacco leaves. The NEAFS stick consists of tea, mint, flavorings, vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol and nicotine to deliver excellent experiences for nicotine inhaling.

For those who are looking for something refreshing or something new without nicotine, NEAFS provides a line of non-nicotine products to be chosen from.

Summary

As e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and heated alternatives are all heated without combustion and smoke-free, they are all viewed as safer replacements for traditional cigarettes.

Both e-cigarettes and heated alternatives are tobacco-free in the delivery of nicotine and offer rich flavors, whilst heated tobacco products contain actual tobacco leaves to deliver nicotine.

E-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, or heated alternatives, which one will be your right answer? You can be inspired by reading this article.