The Surgeon General has valiantly been trying to warn you of the ill effects smoking causes, while those infamous anti-smoking 'truth' commercials continue to campaign hard in the hopes of convincing you to pitch those Newport 100's you regularly take to your face. But no, you remain resilient in the face of the opposition, not willing to relinquish the feeling of soaking in that euphoria on those Friday nights after a long and painfully boring day at the office.

Everyone understands the dangers of ingesting carbon monoxide, arsenic, ammonia and all the other unfriendly chemicals found in cigarettes, but most just choose to ignore them. It's hardly an easy sell convincing someone not to use a stress-relieving, buzz-inducing product.

But what if you could reap the benefits of smoking, minus the fret of ingesting hazardous chemicals deep into the fragileness of your unsuspecting lungs? The electronic cigarette could be the solution.

What is an Electronic Cigarette?

The battery operated 'E-cigg' is claimed to be a proven and effective alternative to cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Resembling a traditional cigarette, the electronic variety consists of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, an atomizer or heating element and a disposable cartridge which contains nicotine and flavoring.

When you inhale, an airflow sensor switches on the atomizer causing it to heat up the contents of the cartridge, which releases the nicotine/flavoring vapor. It provides a similar sensation to smoking, though it's not really smoking as nothing is actually being burnt. It's safer for the user and other people in the vicinity, as none of the toxic and carcinogenic substances contained in tobacco are produced.

Batteries generally last at least a day. It's normal practice to have two; one being used and the other being recharged ready for the next day. Some electronic cigarette kits are supplied with wall chargers and some with USB adapters which allow you to charge the batteries from your computer. Car chargers are generally available as an optional extra.

The cartridges come in a very wide variety of flavors, including chocolate, cherry, orange, strawberry, mint, vanilla, caramel, coffee, and of course, tobacco. As well as choosing the flavor, you also get to decide the amount of nicotine in the cartridge. They are normally available in strengths of 0 mg (no nicotine at all, just flavoring), right up to 16 mg (about the strength of a filterless cigarette).

Because electronic cigarettes don't burn tobacco, they are legal to 'smoke' everywhere, which means you can enjoy them in bars, restaurants and other areas where smoking is banned.

Owing to the high price of tobacco products and the relative cheapness of the cartridges, most Ecig users say they make savings of around 50% by switching from normal cigarettes to electronic ones.

Controversy

The makers of electronic cigarettes claim that the inhalation of nicotine vapor as opposed to tobacco, is an effective and much less harmful alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, and they have been battling both the FDA and the tobacco companies - who they claim are worried about the effect these devices may have on sales of normal cigarettes. They say that the industry is to a large extent self-regulating, in that most vendors will refuse to sell their products to people who are not of legal age to buy normal cigarettes.

Other bodies, such as the FDA, maintain that there may be health issues associated with their use and that there is a lack of regulation in the marketplace. However, because no long term studies have been conducted, it remains unknown as to whether electronic cigarettes can in fact provide an option for the struggling smoker desperate to kick their habit.