How long will it be until the electric cigarette replaces tabacco?

By Jonathan Huntley

With the news this week that the highly influential World Health Organisation have recommended that many of the ingredients that are used to flavour cigarettes be banned, things are looking grim for the tobacco industry. A number of countries have seen a decline in tobacco production in recent years. This is yet another blow for those who produce and sell tobacco and the popularity of the newest form of smoking is growing.

It has been a few years since the electric cigarette was unveiled, but the little smoking cessation gadget has been well received. It’s rechargeable and widely available throughout Europe and America, and millions of smokers are trading in the traditional cigarette for the modern form. The appeal is obvious. Not only does the “e-cigarette” come without the tar that normal cigarettes do, it does not emit any of the 4000 different chemical additives that are so dangerous to smokers.

You can buy a complete set of electronic cigarettes for less than thirty pounds, and with the yearly tobacco tax rise, smokers are seeing the so called “safe cigarette” as a sound investment. There are other advantages to the electronic version, such as the ability to be able to smoke inside clubs and restaurants as it doesn't actually give out smoke.

With most of the electronic versions only containing nicotine, it has also been claimed that smoking electronic cigarettes can in no way lead to lung cancer. It also eradicates the huge danger of passive smoking.

Maybe the most positive aspect of the electric cigarette is the belief that smoking them can be an effective way to quit smoking altogether. Of course, many people will stick with what they’re used to and some will claim that there is no substitute for a tobacco cigarette. With all the positive aspects surrounding the electronic cigarette though, it may only be a matter of time before tobacco cigarettes become the secondary smoking cessation option worldwide.