Seemingly, cigar smoking does not get the same flak as smoking cigarettes does although it essentially is as harmful to one’s health. Maybe it’s because cigars have often been equated with tradition. For example, cigars are frequently associated with the birth of a baby, causing one to put the image in their mind of a father passing out stogies to his friends and colleagues (not exactly a negative connotation). Tradition and cigars are also linked when, say, a father learns that his daughter is getting married and celebrates by, again, passing out cigars, or when guys invite their buddies over for the weekly poker game where cigars are de rigueur.

Some existing cigar clubs and lounges in the USA

In addition, there are all those fashionable bars or lounges that tout the use of cigars. For example, the Big Easy in Studio City, California is a well-known cigar bar and lounge that provides art deco surroundings and close to 100 types of cigars for patrons to enjoy.

Cigar aficionados also enjoy smoking their coronas at the Buena Vista Cigar Club, located on Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. There, they can watch TV sports and savor cigars in comfortable and stylish surroundings. Another cigar club, The Grand Havana Room, is situated in the heart of Beverly Hills and boasts an exclusive membership of well-known personages.

Indeed, the cigar has been made an icon when you see it sported by such celebs as Denzel Washington or Sylvester Stallone. Needless to say, it is still considered a stylishly acceptable smoke. However, you can’t deny the fashionableness of the e-cigarette either, given its surge in popularity, what with its use by such stars as Leonardo Di Caprio, Johnny Depp, or even, now, Britney Spears.  That being the case – the electronic cigar is certainly a good alternative for those who like cigars.

After all, cigar smoking, traditional or not, is not as innocuous as some smokers may believe. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, smoking cigars increases your risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which makes it difficult for you to breathe, as well as a variety of cancers. Therefore, despite the social status that cigar smoking has achieved, it still can be risky to your health.

Switching from cigars to electronic cigars

So, for those who smoke cigars, the electronic cigar has emerged as a healthier option. After all, electronic cigars are less expensive and provide the same amount of flavor and nicotine as their tobacco counterparts. Plus, you don’t have to worry about the tars and carcinogens contained in passive cigar smoke. You can even smoke the e-cigar for several months before you have to replace it. For example, “smoking” one Veppo e-cigar is equivalent to smoking 30 cigars – 6 times more than other e-cigar manufacturers. The Veppo brand is offered in a rich tobacco flavor as well as vanilla and cherry and menthol. Who knows? Maybe e-cigar users will have a fashionable place to smoke their e-cigars one day.

Celebrities who Smoke versus Celebrities who Smoke E-cigarettes

Plenty of celebrities have found e-cigarettes to be a great alternative to smoking tobacco brands. One of the best known aficionados of the electronic smokes is Leonardo Di Caprio. You can also add Kate Moss, Ryan Seacrest, Mel Gibson, Danny Bonaduce, and Kevin Federline to that list too. Not only do these celebs find smoking e-cigs a preferable way to indulge in the nicotine habit, their peers have smoked e-cigarettes in the movies too. For instance, Johnny Depp introduced the e-cigarette in the movie, “The Tourist” and explained its benefits to his co-star Angelina Jolie.

Celebrities who have not yet switched to smoking e-cigarettes

Still, some celebrities or well-known people have not yet quit smoking or made a switch to electronic smokes. For example, one star who has not been able to kick tobacco is Jennifer Aniston. As she has made several attempts to quit but always seems revert back to smoking. The electronic cigarette, especially for her, might be a good alternative.

Another celebrity who has indicated she smoked when asked in interviews is Kate Hudson. Photographers have also captured her taking a drag every now and then. Daniel Radcliff, who is noted for his starring role in the Harry Potter movies, is a smoker too. In fact, he has been referred to as Harry “Puffer” as he’s a pack-a-day smoker. Daniel might consider transitioning from tobacco cigarettes to the personal nicotine vaporizer, designed especially for those people who smoke with abandon.

Jack Nicholson is another star who enjoys to light up and does nothing to cover the fact that he likes smoking. Both cigarettes and Cuban cigars are preferred smokes. It appears he’d be another perfect candidate for the personal vaporizer.

While Kate Moss is known to smoke e-cigarettes now, she was a bona fide chain smoker before – testament to the influence of the e-cigarette as a smoking alternative. Even our President, Barak Obama, is known to smoke. Maybe he can be convinced to try the e-cigarette as an alternative. After all, his responsibilities as President probably continue to tempt him to smoke every now and then.

Convincing fellow smokers to switch

Stars like Johnny Depp and Katherine Heigl, who were confirmed smokers, have also found that e-cigarettes are good substitutions for the tobacco kind. Depp, who began smoking tobacco cigarettes at the tender age of 12, once declared that he would smoke in defiance of any smoking ban imposed in America or Great Britain. Now the star has seen the wisdom of choosing e-cigarettes to satisfy his nicotine cravings.  In fact, Depp’s mother and sister have both switched to e-cigarettes upon Johnny’s suggestion.

Men who Smoke Like the Personal Vaporizer

Cigarettes are marketed specifically to the genders. While menthol cigarettes that have a long and lean look appeal to female smokers. Cigarette manufacturers promote cigarette without the filter are naturally the preferred choice of inveterate smokers – advertised with images of construction workers and cowboys. One drag of these nicotine-friendly cigarettes and any man can be assured that he will produce a smoker’s hack in no time at all.

A little less “macho” than the fat cigarettes that feature no filter at all are those cigarettes that are made with a filter. While you can still enjoy the same amount of nicotine, you won’t experience that fiery burn that scorches your throat when you take a drag of the cigarette. However, you can still produce a smoker’s cough if you choose this variety.

Smoking “light” cigarettes urges you to smoke even more

Usually, pack-a-day smokers like smoking cigarettes that are advertised as “lights.” These cigarettes give you the illusion that you are consuming less nicotine, which also causes you to smoke more as a result. Or, if you are attempting to quit, then you might choose cigarettes advertised as “ultra-lights” to make yourself believe you are cutting down on your smoking ever so gradually. However, one frequently finds, like they do with “light” cigarettes, that smoking “ultra-light” cigarettes has just the opposite effect and they end up smoking even more cigarettes than before.

So, those “macho” cigarettes can cause the smoker quite a bit of difficulty when it comes to his health and quitting. Regardless of the kind of cigarette you choose, you still can’t help but be drawn to the nicotine. Fortunately, thanks to the development of the e-cigarette, especially the personal vaporizer, smokers of the stronger cigarette varieties have, at least, a fighting chance when it comes to improving their health or eventually quitting.

Giving you the same amount of nicotine without its toxic effects

The “macho” version of the e-cigarette, you might say, is the personal vaporizer. If you are a “macho” cigarette aficionado then, you will find this kind of e-cig to your liking. The personal vaporizer gives you a strong and plentiful amount of nicotine without producing the toxic smoke of those “macho” tobacco brands. Therefore, you can enjoy smoking without exposing yourself to the tars and carcinogens of tobacco cigarettes. What’s more, using a personal vaporizer will save you a great deal of money as the electronic device usually costs half the amount charged for the regular variety. Check out the product for yourself today on E-cigarette Direct.com.

How Switching to the E-cigarette Can Safeguard your Pet’s Health

Secondhand smoke has far-reaching side effects, not only for non-smokers, but also for pets as well. Many times, smokers do not realize that a pet’s “allergy” may be the result of his breathing in secondhand smoke, also appropriately called, involuntary smoke. For example, dogs who live in environments where they are regularly exposed to passive tobacco smoke often will chew, bite, or scratch their skin. In turn, the owner of the dog may think that his pet has fleas or is allergic to a food that he is being fed.

How it affects your pets

Smokers who own birds, such as parakeets or parrots, may notice that the bird wheezes every now and then or has a habit of pulling out his feathers. The feather-pulling behavior often results from contact dermatitis, which develops when the bird sits on the owner’s hand. That’s because the nicotine residue left on the owner’s hand from his cigarette smoking will cause irritation to the bird, and in turn, cause the skin disorder.

When you consider, statistically, that dogs who are exposed to cigarette smoke have three times the risk of developing nasal or lung cancer than dogs from homes where their owners don’t smoke, it’s a sobering thought, especially if you are a smoker who owns a pet. What’s more, you also have to be careful about the disposal of your cigarette butts as only two butts ingested by a young dog can result in the animal’s death.

You don’t want to expose a cat to the harm that can be caused by passive cigarette smoke either. Cats can easily contract cancers, such as lymphoma, from tobacco smoke as well as develop respiratory difficulties. In addition, both cats and dogs, who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke, can suffer from such symptoms as diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting.

Indeed, cancer is often diagnosed for dogs, cats, and birds that live with a smoker. Cats, for example, have twice the chance of developing lymphoma if their owner smokes, and will only live about a year after the diagnosis.

Dogs, especially if they have long noses, are at a greater risk for developing cancer in their nasal area if they are subjected regularly to passive smoke. If they are diagnosed with nasal cancer, they, too, normally will not survive for any more than a year. Dogs with shorter noses frequently are diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of passive smoke while pet birds have an increased risk for developing pneumonia and lung cancer if they are exposed to smoke.

Can’t seem to stop craving?

If you own a pet and have a nicotine craving you can’t seem to overcome, then you should seriously consider transitioning to the electronic cigarette or personal nicotine vaporizer. The electronic cigarette can satisfy your craving for nicotine without producing the harmful smoke that can make your pet sick. Electronic cigarettes are available in various strengths of nicotine or come with no nicotine at all, making it possible for you to smoke without hurting your pet. That’s because the e-cigarette only produces a water type vapor – not only better for your health but for the health of all the members in your household as well.

Switch to E-cigarettes for your Children’s Sake

The ill effects of smoking tobacco cigarettes also extend to children. In particular, secondhand smoke, which also goes by the name of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), substantially increases the risk that your children or non-smoking members in your family will get sick. In research conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it was found that ETS or secondhand smoke was responsible for the formation of lung cancer in individuals that have never lit a cigarette. In fact, the EPA concluded that secondhand smoke or ETS contributed to the early lung cancer deaths of approximately 3,000 people who did not smoke. In addition, studies suggest that passive smoke is responsible for increasing the chance of getting heart disease in non-smokers as well.

Smoking affects your family members

Unfortunately, if you smoke and have children in your household, then they are especially susceptible to ETS. That’s because children are still in the developmental stages of growth and therefore have higher respiration rates. Constant exposure to ETS can also produce asthmatic symptoms in children who have showed no signs of the disease prior to exposure. Additionally, passive smoke has been determined to increase risk of SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome. Not only that, if you have children under school age, your passive smoke can cause such health problems as infections of the middle ear, pneumonia, and bronchitis.

Obviously, if you are going to smoke, and you live with children or adults who do not smoke, you should consider making the switch to electronic cigarettes or a personal vaporizer. If your nicotine cravings have caused you to overlook any concern for your own health, then, at least, quit smoking or switch to e-cigarettes for the sake of your children. Replace the smoke of your cigarettes with the water vapor produced by the electronic cigarette. While cigarette smoke combusts to produce thousands of unhealthy chemicals, the e-cigarette only produces a mist that quickly vanishes.

Eventually quit the habit

Smoking is a habit that is difficult to break, so make the process of quitting easier, if that is your goal, by switching to e-cigarettes. Even if you wish to keep smoking, making the transition to the e-cigarette is the right move, particularly if you are placing the health of your children or other non-smoking family members in jeopardy. It has even been shown that passive smoke can be damaging to the health of dogs and cats. So, make the decision today to reduce the health risks smoking imposes on your family. Switch to the e-cigarette.

How Safe are Electronic Cigarettes?

People who are considering making the switch from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes naturally ask a lot of questions. In addition, people who are trying to ditch the nicotine habit often wonder if electronic cigarettes are a better alternative than nicotine replacement therapy, also known as NRT. Questions start to surface, like – Is the nicotine vapor produced by electronic cigarettes harmful? Also – What have scientists found, conclusively, about the e-cigarette?

The aforementioned inquiries are valid concerns. However, you still have to first consider what has been proven about tobacco brand products. When you smoke a tobacco cigarette, you ignite around 4,000 varieties of chemicals, 44 of which are known to be toxic. The smoke from cigarettes produces tar – a substance which has been attributed to numerous cancers, including cancer of the stomach, bladder, lungs, throat and mouth. Heart attacks can also be prevented if you stop smoking tobacco brands. All in all, most premature deaths come about because of the smoking habit.

Satisfy nicotine cravings

That being said – nicotine is the addictive substance that causes close to a half million smokers to lose their lives to the cigarette habit annually. However, by smoking the electronic cigarette, you are still satisfying your nicotine craving without wreaking havoc on your health. The nicotine, which is found in electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers, works on the same principle as NRT treatments, which are often offered in the form of gum or patches.

Because e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco and are not combustible, they do not produce the harmful smoke that is emitted by tobacco brands. With respect to the inhalation of nicotine, a two-year controlled study showed that nicotine did not have deleterious effects on health when it was not combined with tobacco. In the study, rats were subjected to an amount of nicotine equal to twice the amount found in the bloodstreams of heavy smokers. Research did not show any evidence of increased mortality, the formation of tumors, or atherosclerosis. However, the weight of the rats did decrease as a result of exposure.

Successfully curb smoking

In addition, one scientific publication noted that people who had tried other methods of quitting smoking did not find success until switching to e-cigarettes. Those who had tried such approaches as NRT or counseling finally were able to quit when transitioning to the e-cigarette or personal vaporizer. From the evidence that has been presented so far, the e-cigarette is definitely an alternative that should be considered if you currently smoke.

E-cigs Provided the Link for the Recent Engagement of Britney Spears and Jason Trawick

E-cigarettes, it seems, are good for promoting romance. At least, that seems to be the result for Britney Spears and her finance Jason Trawick. Somehow, Britney was able to get back on track emotionally with the help of electronic cigarettes.

Spears, who was married to first husband, Jason Alexander, for less than three days and Kevin Federline, the father of her two children, for only a couple years, has given up smoking Marlboro Lights and is now a devoted fan of electronic cigarettes.

Britney Spears & Jason Trawick

The pop diva’s history, which includes losing custody of her two boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James, as well as time in rehab, made up her mind to quit smoking tobacco cigarettes as soon as she discovered the health advantages associated with smoking e-cigarettes.

Spears has been ostracized for her behavior as a parent. In February of 2006, she reportedly drove without seat belts while holding Sean Preston, her older child, on her lap. She also nearly dropped him outside a New York hotel.  When she smoked cigarettes, the toddler was seen playing with her pack of cigarettes as well. In turn, the U.S. press gave her the unflattering appellation of “Puff Mommy” – obviously, a name which did nothing for her reputation as a parent. While Britney was photographed taking the cigarettes away from Sean, it was still noted that she seemed oblivious to the fact that she was subjecting the little boy to the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Britney’s switch to e-cigarettes

Therefore, the decision to switch to e-cigarettes has given Britney a whole new lease on life and Trawick is proud of the decision she made to switch to the electronic variety. In fact, Britney is a big fan of e-cigarettes and especially likes vanilla flavored e-liquid. Britney came to the conclusion, like the majority of e-cigarette users, that e-cigarettes offer a number of major benefits. Not only are e-cigarettes safer for the environment, they also greatly reduce one’s chances of getting cancer or heart disease – the two main causes of death from smoking or using tobacco products.

If you want to quit smoking and have tried a number of methods, then e-cigarettes can, at least, help you reach that eventual goal. While Britney may not have always made the wisest choices, she has shown, by her decision to switch to e-cigarettes, that she is making an effort to erase some of her past mistakes.

With all the public service ads that condemn the use of cigarettes and tobacco products, it makes you wonder what exactly the rules are for companies that are touting cigarettes and tobacco brands.

Early Cigarette and Tobacco Ads

When cigarettes were popular back in the 40s and 50s, cigarette manufacturers sold their product using catchy logos and jingles. However, cigarette producers had to take a new tact when it came to selling their merchandise in the early 70s as a ban on cigarette advertising on TV and the radio was implemented at that time. Manufacturers of smokeless tobacco products were able to produce ads for fifteen more years before being banned from the practice as well in 1986.

How Cigarettes can be Advertised

Cigarette manufacturers, however, can still advertise their products. There are just, of course, more restrictions in place. For example cigarette ads can be featured in adult-only facilities where there is no chance that any young person, under 21, can see the ads. The ads can also be put up by retailers as long as they are not placed on windows. In addition, cigars can be marketed on the TV or radio as long as they meet certain rules established by the Federal Communications Commission or FCC.

How Cigarette Ads Must be Represented

Cigarette ads, however, cannot be shown in any media—TV, radio, or magazines—where anyone under 21 years of age can view the ads. Advertisements, as well, cannot be displayed in college programs for sporting events or performances either. When ads are created, they cannot represent cigarette smoking as being a socially “cool” activity. What’s more, models used in ads must be, at the minimum, 25 years of age and cannot look athletic in any way.

The Word “Cigarette” is Forbidden

If a retailer operates as a smoke shop, then the word “cigarette” cannot be mentioned in his advertising. Therefore, if the name of your retail outlet is Bill’s Cigarette Store, you can’t advertise your establishment using the name as it includes that ignominious word, “cigarette” in the marketing. As a result, you can’t advertise little cigars, cigarettes, or smokeless tobacco electronically. The offense is a misdemeanor and subjects you to a fine of up to $10,000. Even if the advertisement does not endorse the use of smoking products, if it has the word “cigarette” included in the advertiser’s name, it is not allowed.

What Can be Promoted

So, any retailer or manufacturer with an ad that does not mention cigarette or cigarettes, smokeless or chewing tobacco, or little cigars can advertise products, even if they are smoking-related. Therefore, you can advertise such items as pipes, humidors for cigars, and advertised brands of pipe tobacco and regular cigars.

WRetailers wanting to carry electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes can contact us here for a wholesale inquiry.

Philip Morris USA Set to Hike Cigarette Prices Next Week

RICHMOND, Va. — Cigarettes will get slightly more expensive next week, as tobacco industry insiders report that Philip Morris USA (PM USA) is set to hike the price of its cigarettes by 5 cents a pack across all its brands.

According to Bonnie Herzog, managing director, Beverage, Tobacco & Consumer Research, at Wells Fargo Securities, tobacco industry contacts reported that PM USA is also reducing its off-invoice promotion allowances on L&M to 34 cents a pack (down from 55 cents) through Jan. 28, 2012. She noted this price increase should bode well for R.J Reynolds’ Pall Mall brand.

In an e-mail this morning, Herzog wrote that PM USA’s list price increase “is encouraging in light of its recent modifications to its controversial MLP (Marlboro Leadership Price) program since this increase will appease most retailers as it allows them to increase their margins.”

A spokesman for The Altria Group, the parent company of PM USA, could not be reached for confirmation or comment.

“Overall, this price increase is positive and the industry still does have some pricing power. Given that consumption will likely continue to decline in the mid-single-digit range, pricing is necessary to drive top-line growth,” Herzog wrote.

R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard Inc. are expected to follow suit with their own price increases in the coming days, she said. Their hikes are expected to be in line with PM USA’s nickel increase.

These increases come five months after the big three tobacco companies raised prices this summer. Lorillard began that round of hikes by raising the price of its Newport Menthol brand by 5 cents a pack and Newport Non-Menthol by 11 cents a pack.

PM USA followed with a 9-cent hike, and R.J. Reynolds reduced its off-invoice promotions, effectively increasing its cigarette prices in line with Lorillard and PM USA, as CSNews Online previously reported.
Original Story:

http://www.csnews.com/top-story-pm_usa_set_to_hike_cigarette_prices_next_week-60075.html

Nicotine in Food Studies

None the studies that we researched extrapolated data to see how much of the ingested nicotine reaches the bloodstream or its equivalent to the nicotine consumption in cigarettes.  However, we can safely say that consuming nicotine in food is probably a safer way than inhaling it in a cloud of smoke.   As a side note, green peppers and black tea contain no nicotine.