E-cigarette

Several companies are currently selling an electronic version of a cigarette.

The device takes the form of a tiny rod which is slightly longer than a normal cigarette. The mouthpiece of the device contains a replaceable cartridge filled with liquid. The main substances contained in the liquid are nicotine and propylene glycol.

When air flows through the device, it is detected by a microprocessor. This microprocessor then activates an atomizer which injects tiny droplets of the liquid into the flowing air. This produces a vapor mist which is inhaled by the user. The addition of propylene glycol to the liquid makes the mist better resemble normal cigarette smoke. The microprocessor also activates an orange LED at the tip to simulate real smoking. It not only simulates cigarette smoke but also the temperature of common cigarette's smoke (50-60 °C).

The units use a rechargeable battery as a power source.

The technology is patented by European Patent EP 1 618 803 A1.

Nicotine solution cartridges
The patent mentions four different recipes for the nicotine solution of the cartridge to be used with the electronic cigarette:

Health issues
E-cigarettes are marketed as a "healthier" alternative for the consumption of tobacco (in comparison to smoking) since the atomisation of the substance does not produce the particulate matter which results from the combustion of plant material.

A toxicity study of the nicotine solutions (text in German) has been performed by Prof. Dr. Bernd Mayer.

Legal situation in the EU
In the European Union some countries have stipulated a decision according to the legal status of e-cigarette products.

In principle, an e-cigarette is a Class IIa medical device (according to the EC directive 93/42/EEC) intended to administer medicines (nicotine solution) to the human body. The nicotine depots have to be considered as a medicinal product according to EC-directive 2001/83/EG (since the nicotine is a solution and not a tobacco plant product anymore). According to this classification, any type of e-cigarette needs to be CE-marked prior to distribution and for trade and distribution of the nicotine depots a registration as a medicinal products is inevitable. The Austrian Agency for Health-care Safety has issued their decision on April 18th 2007 expressing the above expert opinion. Since there is a first decision of a competent authority in one EU country, this decision is a guideline for all other EU countries. At present, none of the e-cigarette products can provide a medical device nor a medicinal registration. Any distribution within the European Union appears to be illegal.

List of companies/products
(in alphabetic order)
 * Cigartex (France)
 * Crown Seven (USA)
 * EMTAC (Germany)
 * Rooney (Belgium)
 * Rutoo E-cigarette (Europe)
 * Smuke Europe Ltd. (Portugal)
 * fujian mondex Ltd. (China, Wholesale)
 * Sedansa (Belgium)
 * Sottera Njoy (USA)
 * SuperSmoker (Belgium)
 * e-Cig.org (USA)