Why are electronic cigarettes so popular?

At the turn of the century the electronic cigarette industry was dismissed by governments, regulators and tobacco companies as something of a "niche market". However, over the last decade we have seen the industry grow into a multibillion-dollar sector and recently tobacco companies have been falling over themselves to invest in the industry. So why are electronic cigarette so popular and what does the future hold?

The cost of electronic cigarettes

Perhaps the main element attracting electronic cigarette users at this moment in time is simply the cost compared to their tobacco counterparts. The cost of an equivalent tobacco cigarette in electronic cigarette form is very often pennies allowing smokers to save hundreds of pounds a year. This is something which will always be a major factor because the price differential, even if governments were to add specific taxes, would always be huge.

The variety of flavours available

Whether you are using disposable or rechargeable electronic cigarettes or indeed one of the many modern-day vaping devices, the variety of flavours available is enormous. There is a large range of tobacco flavours available but even this is dwarfed by the range of e liquid available. Whether you are looking for traditional mental bold, light or perhaps some of the more exotic e liquid such as bacon and egg or traditional strawberry, there is plenty for you to choose from!

The growing range of flavours has caused some issues with regulators with suggestions they are attractive to young children but this is a myth which has not been proven to date.

Are there any health implications?

From a legal standpoint no electronic cigarette company can market their products as quit smoking aids. However, customer feedback gives us a very positive picture from those moving from tobacco cigarettes to their electronic counterparts.

This is an issue which has been brought up by politicians and regulators on a regular basis and the fact remains that we need more long-term medical trials to clarify the situation. Contrary to popular belief, if you listen to politicians and regulators, the electronic cigarette industry is fully in favour of long-term trials which will help to demolish some of the unproven accusations. Slowly we are seeing trial data emerging and so far it has been very positive for the electronic cigarette industry.

The feeling of vaping

One of the issues which has hung over the quit smoking movement like a dark cloud is the fact that other quit smoking products do not offer the physical feeling of smoking which is often part of the craving. This is where the cig-a-like industry has filled something of a void allowing users to smoke what is effectively flavoured water while enjoying the physical aspect of smoking. Those who use modern-day vaping devices are a different type of customer although many have reported significant improvements and enjoyment compared to their tobacco counterparts.

Conclusion

There are many factors to take into consideration with regards to electronic cigarettes and while many of these are connected with the cost it is not all about the money. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years with regards to the regulatory structure of the industry and indeed whether the exponential growth of recent times continues. Some experts believe that electronic cigarettes will over the next decade outsell their tobacco counterparts but we will see.

For further information about electronic cigarettes please visit the OK Electronic Cigarettes website.