The History of E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes were developed mostly as a means to quit smoking, but they also offer a host of other
benefits. They leave no odor on your clothes or in your car or home, many believe them to be safer than
traditional cigarettes and, after the initial investment, e-cigarettes are cheaper than tobacco cigarettes.
The earliest e-cigarette can be traced back to American Herbert Gilbert who invented a smokeless non-
tobacco cigarette in 1963. Herbert’s invention replaced burning tobacco with heated, moist, flavored air,
but it was met by poor response. It seems this version of the e-cigarette was never commercialized
because traditional tobacco cigarette smoking was still very much in fashion.
Then, in 2001 when cigarette smoking had fallen out of favor, Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist created a
vapor alternative to smoking. A more modern version of the e-cigarette was designed – again by Hon Lik
– in 2003. It was first introduced to the Chinese domestic market for retail sale in 2004, and made its
way to the United States and Europe by way of the Internet through small marketing firms in 2006.
Most e-cigarettes today use a battery for power rather than Hon Lik’s ultrasonic technology design, and
they have continued to evolve. Today, smokers can choose from disposable cigarettes, which are the
easiest, yet least powerful; cig-a- likes, which offer a familiar look and feel; e-cigars, which are realistic in
both look and taste; vape pens which tend to appeal to heavier smokers; vape mods, which are more
cumbersome, but more powerful; and box mods, their more compact version.
For the best selection of an enormous variety of e-cigarettes and so much more, visit BeBe’s Tobacco, a
full-service tobacco outlet. BeBe’s, located in Sebring and known as “The Best in the Highlands,” has
been providing high quality tobacco products since 2007.