E-cigarettes were originally invented by a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik, and it was patented in the year 2003. E-cigarettes' purpose was to remove the carcinogenic ingredients of tobacco and instead have the user only "smoke" nicotine to fulfill their addictive needs.

The e-cigarette nicotine is released by an "atomizer," which vaporizes nicotine liquid into smoke to be inhaled by the "smoker". While there are no burning smells and do not contain cancer-inducing materials, some are purporting that the e-cigarette cartridges may contain more nicotine than advertised. Additionally, the e-cigarettes expel nicotine in vapor form, which has not yet been studied for possible long term harmful effects to the human body.

E-cigarettes could be more dangerous than cigarettes themselves. A new british system is doing its best to impose quality control over the e-cigarettes, making sure that they at least contain the correct amount of nicotine, so that no excess nicotine is consumed. However, this new system still will not enforce clinical trials, and consumers will have to chance their lives at the new product.

Most e-cigarettes contain a battery, with an LED light at the end to simulate the sight of a real battery. Additionally, they are shaped the same as a real cigarette, so that the feel of the device would effectually equal that of a burning tobacco counterpart. The only difference is in that some e-cigarettes are rechargeable and replaceable with cartridges so that they do not require consumers to buy an entirely new one. USB chargers are seen in China where the e-cigarettes were first invented.

Due to the lack of regulations on e-cigarettes in previous years, some minors have already been able to try the product and might have become addicted to the device. The device itself sports several different flavors, including tobacco flavor and menthol flavor. Some lawmakers are working to ban e-cigarettes from the reach of minors, so that they would be freed from the harmful effects of the addiction.