any thanks for visiting the official website of my new book, The Cigarette Century. I very much hope that this site will serve to generate a vigorous debate about issues concerning the history, culture, and politics of cigarette use in the United States and around the globe.

I wrote The Cigarette Century to trace the remarkable rise and dramatic decline of cigarette consumption in the United States. Once a popular and prominent behavior, smoking has, as we have seen, become a marginalized and often stigmatized practice. My book utilizes this history to explore fundamental questions about personal, social, and corporate responsibility.

We now confront a worldwide pandemic of tobacco related diseases as cigarette use has spread across the globe. It is my hope that The Cigarette Century provides a strong foundation for a critical discussion of new strategies to avert a potential global health disaster.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Howstuffworks “how electronic cigarettes work”

The best electronic cigarette buying guide 2013

You’re at your favorite restaurant, enjoying a meal. A diner at the next table is puffing on a cigarette, letting out a cloud of smoke. Because smoking isn’t allowed in the restaurant, you’re thinking about asking the smoker to put the cigarette out. But before you protest, consider this Your neighbor may not be smoking at all.

Electronic cigarettes, also known as smokeless cigarettes, e cigarettes, or e cigs, are an alternative method of consuming nicotine, the addictive chemical found in tobacco. Manufacturers often design e cigarettes to look like regular cigarettes, but they contain no tobacco and don’t require a match or any flame at all.

An e cigarette is a battery powered device that converts liquid nicotine into a mist, or vapor, that the user inhales. There’s no fire, no ash and no smoky smell. E cigarettes do not contain all of the harmful chemicals associated with smoking tobacco cigarettes, such as carbon dioxide and tar.

Manufacturers and satisfied customers say the e cigarette is a healthier alternative to tobacco cigarettes, which cause millions of deaths every year. Some users say e cigs have helped reduce their “smoker’s cough,” sharpened their senses of taste and smell, and even improved their sleep.

The electronic cigarette was invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who patented the device in 2003 and introduced it to the Chinese market the following year. Numerous companies are now selling e cigarettes to customers around the world. But as e cigarette smoking or “vaping” as it’s sometimes called has grown in popularity, some have concerns about its safety, including the possibility that the vapor created by the devices contains dangerous chemicals.

Is the electronic cigarette a cleaner, healthier choice for smokers? Or is it a dangerous device with hidden risks? Both viewpoints have their merits, but on the next page HowStuffWorks “How Electronic Cigarettes Work”