Jacksonville, U.S.A. — Electronic cigarette website ECigarette Hub is giving away free smokeless cigarette trial kits. It’s a one-stop shop to buy electronic cigarettes, read the best electronic cigarette reviews and quit smoking tobacco.

Electronic cigarette user Jenny Jenkins says: “I started smoking the ecigarette after I found myself having extreme difficulty trying to keep from picking up a pack of cigs. Well, thanks to the electric cigarette, I have not touched a real cigarette for a long time and I feel great. I dropped about 27 lbs, breathe better and my ecig water vapor does not offend anyone around me when I ‘smoke’.”

Like Jenny, millions of people are still trying to find an effective way to quit smoking for good. Amongst other alternatives to cigarette smoking are nicotine patches, gums, even hypnosis and medication. But none of them have been as successful as smokeless cigarettes, which have been around only for a few several years, and already, the success stories are pouring in heavily.

An ecigarette, also known as water vapor cigarette is an electrical inhaler that vaporises a propylene glycol – or glycerine – or polyethylene glycol-based liquid solution containing some amount of nicotine, which is inhaled by the user, simulating the act of tobacco smoking.

An electronic cigarette study conducted by the Boston University School of Public Health, spearheaded by Professor Michael Seigl found that 31% of smokers quit tobacco absolutely within the 6-month period of the test. Meanwhile, 49% claimed they had quit, but with no specific amount of time.

So regardless, whether one wants to buy electronic cigarette or read the best electronic cigarette reviews, they can always go to the ecig hub. Even if the person doesn’t want to quit smoking and is looking for a safer alternative, one should give ecigarettes a try, which are known by various names: smokeless cigarettes, electric cigarette, ecigarette or water vapor cigarettes.

Go to http://electroniccigarettehub.org for more information.

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Keep America Beautiful (KAB) reports an average 54 percent reduction of cigarette litter in the communities implementing KAB’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) during 2011. In 2011, the program’s ninth year, there were 252 grant-supported implementations across the country including downtowns, roadways, beaches, parks, marinas, colleges/universities, tourist spots, and at special events.

Over the past six years, the CLPP has consistently cut cigarette butt litter by half based on local measurements taken in the first four to six months after implementation.  Survey results also showed that as communities continue to monitor the program those reductions are sustained or even increased over time. For example, eight communities that started programs between 2007 and 2009 showed a total average reduction of 74 percent when measured again in 2011.

“Changing ingrained behaviors, such as littering, requires a long-term and sustained commitment,” says Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “We’re clearly seeing evidence that the longer a community focuses on anti-litter education programs, the more successful their efforts will be.”

Tobacco products, consisting mainly of cigarette butts, are the most-littered item in America, representing nearly 38 percent of all items, according to “Litter in America,” KAB’s landmark 2009 study of litter and littering behavior. In response to this issue, KAB developed the CLPP with funding from Philip Morris USA, an Altria company.  In 2010, the program received additional support from RAI Services Company.  Since its inception, the program has been implemented in over 1,000 U.S. communities.

“Our cigarette litter prevention program at Lake Ouachita was successful in reducing not only cigarette butts and ashes, but all types of litter,” said Hot Springs/Garland County (Ark.) Beautification Commission Executive Director Adam Roberts. “It seems that drawing attention to the cigarette litter issue caused our visitors to take note of all their littering habits and act accordingly.”

A partnership with Boat U.S. Foundation showed that, on average, marinas that participated in the CLPP in 2011 saw a 50 percent decrease in cigarette litter at their marina. Nearly half of the participating marinas saw substantial reductions of 70 percent or greater.

“After all of the receptacles were installed, and the pocket ash trays and car receptacles were handed out, the number of butts and cigarette trash around Lake Ericson was reduced by 75 percent,” said Linda Studnicka, Keep Loup Basin (Neb.) Beautiful’s executive director.

Research has shown that even self-reported “non-litterers” often don’t consider tossing cigarette butts on the ground to be “littering.” Keep America Beautiful has found that cigarette butt litter occurs most often at transition points—areas where a person must stop smoking before proceeding into another area. These include bus stops, entrances to stores and public buildings, and the sidewalk areas outside of bars and restaurants, among others.

To address cigarette butt litter, KAB’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program recommends communities integrate four proven approaches:

• encourage enforcement of litter laws, including cigarette litter;
• raise awareness about the issue using public service messages;
• place ash receptacles at transition points such as entrances to public buildings; and
• distribute pocket or portable ashtrays to adult smokers.

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The following is a statement from Jason Healy, President of blu Cigs:

Flavored cigarettes and to a lesser extent, electronic cigarettes, are a topic of much debate, so I’d like to examine both sides of the argument and add some more perspective to the discussion.

First, a question for each side – slightly tongue in cheek, but pertinent to the discussion nonetheless.  At what age does one cease liking flavors?  It may sound silly but I’ll ask again. At what point does one stop liking chocolate, mint, strawberry or bubble gum? The obvious answer to the question is, never (in most cases) does one cease liking flavors. But more important than the question is the answer, which is core to the solution, and the main argument against anti-smoking groups’ claims.

Let’s remove cigarettes from the discussion for the moment, and place the same scrutiny on all products intended for adult consumption. As an adult consumer myself, let’s take a look at alcohol. Alcohol is not intended for children and has similar restrictions to cigarettes when it comes to sales and advertising.

If I place the same scrutiny on alcohol manufacturers that anti-smoking groups place on cigarette companies, then Samuel Adams and Smirnoff are the most blatant examples of companies attempting to attract children to products intended for adults. Let’s be clear – I am NOT saying these companies are attempting to market their products to children.

However, if we are simply attacking marketers of adult products based on their use of flavors, then the same must hold true for Samuel Adams and Smirnoff – with products infused with flavors like orange, blueberry, marshmallow, cinnamon, chocolate and strawberry. Aren’t these also the same flavors available in candy bars, breakfast cereals and other products intended for mostly children, and marketed as such?

Now I know many out there will say: yes, alcohol companies are also guilty of the same tactics.  I disagree, but lets assume for a moment they are correct.  Are we then saying that companies like K-Y are blatantly marketing to kids as well?  They offer their jelly in similar flavors like chocolate and strawberry.

The point I am trying to make is that the use of flavors is not an attempt to attract children.  Flavors are way of life from cradle to the grave. So if flavors are not the magic ‘child’ magnet, what leg do anti-smoking groups have to stand on? They’ll continue to use flavors as their big ‘ah-ha moment’ against cigarette companies because it’s ‘easy’ and doesn’t require too much work. It sounds overly simple but yet it’s true.

That’s because the real issue here is how and where products are marketed that are intended for adults.  At the end of the day the ‘anti’ side of any argument will always gravitate to the easiest way to attack their adversary, while maximizing their ability to get others on their side. Put yourself in the shoes of the ‘anti’ groups and think about the huge undertaking of combating alcohol and cigarette companies.

How do you get anyone to see your side of an argument or more importantly to agree with your viewpoint? It’s simple – say the opposite side is hurting children!  Gold! You win!  No one wants to hear the anti-smoking groups’ point of view if they merely take the approach of trying to change the choices of consenting adults for their own health. But claim someone is hurting a poor defenseless child? Chances are you’ll get few more ears and a lot more wins.

I am in 100% support of any regulation or restriction that prevents a child from gaining access to cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and alcohol.  But I take exception when such regulations attempt to limit the personal rights, choices and ultimately, freedom of an adult.  I also take issue with governments and regulators attempting to create laws that are essentially parenting decisions.

They would be well advised to stop taking on a job that should rest on the shoulders of the village and not the King, and undertake the far more difficult task of educating parents and adults so that they can protect their children.

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2012 looks set to be the best year yet as the European Commission offers new thinking and support to quit smoking with their innovative campaign, “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable.”

A New Year is a new start – and the European Commission is dedicated to helping smokers across the European Union to become unstoppable; finally stopping smoking and enjoying a better life. According to a recent survey, nearly 80 percent of people who make New Year’s resolutions will fail to stick to them, as many lose motivation and focus instead on the downside of not achieving their goals.

Uniquely, “Ex-smokers are Unstoppable” offers an inspiring and motivating approach to quitting smoking, inviting smokers to think again about the benefits of giving up cigarettes, which include better health, better social interaction, more money, and of course, a better quality of life.

In less than half a year, over 150,000 smokers in the European Union have registered with the European Commission’s innovative digital tool iCoach, launched in June 2011. This step-by-step personalized support tool has already helped thousands of smokers across the EU to quit and aims to support thousands more to achieve their New Year’s resolutions and become unstoppable ex-smokers in 2012.

iCoach offers:

- Personalized tips and advice to support smokers to kick the habit

- Regular emails to provide support at every step of the journey to a smoke-free life

- A forum to allow smokers to support each other and share their own inspiring stories

- Graphs showing the user’s progress towards their end goal: Becoming an unstoppable ex-smoker

“I am delighted that “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable” has helped 150,000 smokers so far,” said Commissioner Dalli. “We look forward to supporting many more thousands of smokers to achieve their goal of a smoke-free life in 2012.

As we enter this new year, there is an opportunity to make 2012 the best year it can be as the “Ex-smokers are Unstoppable” campaign will be even bigger and better. I gave up smoking myself some years ago, and I really understand just how great it feels to be an ex-smoker.”

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New results from a national survey show that over one in ten smokers (13%) in the United States did not disclose their smoking status to their health-care providers (HCP), who are among the most important resources that a smoker could have in quitting successfully.

Furthermore, social stigma around smoking may contribute to why smokers sometimes keep their smoking status a secret from their doctors. The survey of 3,146 adult participants in the U.S. (smokers and former smokers) was conducted using the web-enabled KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population.

Researchers from Legacy, a national public health organization dedicated to building a world where anyone can quit, say that while a majority of smokers did admit their smoking status, only one-quarter sought help from their doctors or health care providers during their last quit attempt. Although most smokers surveyed stated they are honest with their health care provider (HCP), one in ten smokers reported they do not disclose their smoking status. The findings have important implications for how HCPs can more effectively reach smokers with resources to help them quit.

“Health care providers play a critical role in reaching smokers with appropriate messages and resources for quitting, especially now that insurance coverage has expanded to include some smoking cessation treatments. It becomes a missed public health opportunity if what amounts to more than six million smokers in the United States do not talk to doctors and nurses about smoking and quitting,” said Cheryl G. Healton, Dr. PH, President and CEO of Legacy.

Using a nationally representative panel, researchers surveyed smokers and former smokers to examine issues that might affect a smokers’ decision to conceal their smoking status. The results found that smokers who concealed their smoking from HCPs were more likely to perceive high smoking-related stigma compared to those who had not ever concealed their smoking.

“There has been a significant shift in the social climate around tobacco and smoking in our country in recent years as people recognize the health consequences of tobacco and second-hand smoke. As an unintended result of higher prices of cigarettes, increased measures to ban smoking in public places, and create smoke-free workplaces, many smokers may feel marginalized and less compelled to discuss smoking with their physicians and other providers,” said Healton.

To address the void between doctors and all smokers, Legacy has developed a guide for HCPs with strategies on how to conduct more meaningful and effective conversations with their patients about smoking and quitting. “If we can start the conversation by acknowledging smoking behavior, we can get smokers on a path to quit,” Healton said.

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Picture Audrey Hepburn, the beautiful, classy movie star, sitting to eat (perhaps breakfast?), walking through a crowded party or sitting in the backseat of a car.  What is the consistent image?  Take a look at the 1961 film classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where Hepburn plays Holly Golightly, a role she called “the jazziest of my career.”  What is the one thing that is undeniably classy and memorable about her role in this and other films?  It is her extra long cigarette holder.  How was the iconic Hepburn, or Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and other classic “Bogie” films, as well as many, many other movie stars of the golden era of Hollywood, allowed to be shown smoking in public virtually anywhere they desired?  They, and the public at large, were unaware of the dangers of smoking.  The deadly dangers.

Now, you can sit down to dinner or cozy up at your favorite bar and channel your inner Audrey Hepburn.  Heads might turn, but you will be completely within legal limits.  Cigarettes indoors, in public?  How can that be?  It might not be at the end of an extra long cigarette holder, like the one Hepburn favored, but it will be completely healthy and harmless.  Electronic cigarettes are the newest trend, and a very good one at that.  What better way to quit smoking than to continue going through the motions without any actual tobacco intake?  Well, as long as it’s an e-cigarette, you can.

According to a study conducted by the American Heart Association, approximately 25.6 million men and 22.6 million women in the United States are smokers.  Would many of these Americans quit smoking if it wasn’t a constant, difficult struggle to do so?  Sources say yes.

E-cigarettes are the new electronic smoking alternative that look and feel like real cigarettes, and allow smokers to get the sensation of smoking without any tobacco.  E-cigarettes have no carcinogens.  Instead of burning tobacco or a comparable smoking product, the e-cigarette atomizes a liquid into a tar-free and odorless vapor.  It is up to the smoker whether the cigarette’s liquid contains nicotine or not.

The device is a battery-operated, long-shaped tube.  Most of these cigarettes mimic the appearance of a cigarette or cigar, giving the e-cigarette the most authentic look possible.  Others look like a ballpoint pen (biros).  While there are disposable e-cigarettes on the market, the majority are reusable and come with replaceable and refillable cartridges.

An electronic cigarette is broken down into several components.  The mouthpiece, often referred to as the cartridge, is fixed to the end of a tube.  There is a small cup inside the mouthpiece that contains an absorbent material that is drenched in a liquid.  This liquid contains varying levels of nicotine, if any at all.  The cartridge can be refilled or replaced once it’s empty.

The cartridge contains a liquid referred to as e-liquid.  The e-liquid can contain hundreds of flavors, including menthol.  For smokers who want nicotine, they can get an e-liquid containing nicotine that has been dissolved in propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin — both common food additives.  According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are recognized as one of its GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substances.  There are no known serious side effects with these ingredients and they have been used since the 1950s inside nebulizers and asthma inhalers.

The battery in most e-cigarettes is a lithium-ion battery and is rechargeable.  The battery powers the heating element, called an atomizer, and allows the liquid to heat up and vaporize.  Once vaporized, the liquid can be breathed in — inhaled.

In addition to the cartridge, there can also be a cartomizer.  A cartomizer is a one piece unit combining the cartridge with the atomizer.  It is screwed into the battery and used only once.  It is meant to be disposed of afterward, although, some people do refill them.  Cartomizers are the optimum choice for beginners because the cartomizers are sold prefilled with the flavor of choice.

The newest versions of e-cigarettes have a sensor that automatically starts the heating method when the device is sucked on.  Older versions use a button that needs to be pressed in during inhalation.  Most versions, especially the newer ones, have an LED, light emitting diode, that lights up when the device is made active to simulate the burning tip of a cigarette.

More research needs to be conducted, however, to test the safety of electronic cigarettes.  The FDA has refused some entry of shipments of these products coming into the United States since the components of e-cigarettes have not yet been tested for safety.  E-cigarette buyers will have to provide customs with a letter explaining the electronic cigarettes are for personal use.  “We basically don’t know anything about them [e-cigarettes],” Dr. Richard D. Hurt, director of the Nicotine Dependence Center at the Mayo Clinic said.  “They’ve never been tested for safety or efficacy to help people stop smoking.”

All the same, e-cigarettes are the latest trend and can even be seen on the big screen.  Johnny Depp “smokes” electronic cigarettes in the film “The Tourist.”  Depp plays Frank, an American tourist in Italy, who meets Elise (Angelina Jolie).  Depp’s character explains the benefits of e-cigarettes throughout the movie to Angelina Jolie’s character.  On a much smaller screen, e-cigarettes have been seen on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Whatever your motivation for trying out electronic cigarettes, it should be acknowledged that the choice to move toward a tobacco-free lifestyle is a difficult, but important decision.  E-cigarettes can, and have, helped smokers quit completely.  When reformed smokers feel a nicotine craving, they can “light up” an e-cigarette, feel the simulated sensation, and curb the craving.

Since e-cigarettes produce no second hand smoke, your neighbors and friends will be happy that you chose the alternative method of smoking.  Smokers will no longer have to struggle with the health and social stigmas associated with smoking.  One day, they will not have to struggle with smoking at all.

For now, sit down at your favorite bar, take out your electronic cigarette and try to remember how Hepburn did it.  You might get some unwelcome, uneducated glares, but let that be your cue to start educating others.

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