China Expands Smoking Ban to 7 Cities

Chinese authorities plan to expand smoking bans in indoor public places across 7 major provincial capitals. But the numbers just don't look too promising.

Smoking is a huge business in China: 2 trillion cigarettes are sold in the country every year. The country accounts for more than one-quarter of the world's 1.3 billion smokers, with about 60 percent of Chinese men and 3 percent of women indulging in the habit.

Taxes from tobacco sales topped 416 billion yuan ($61 billion) last year, up 26.2 percent from 2008, according to a report issued last week by the state tobacco industry regulator. Interest on government loans to the industry added another 97 billion yuan ($14 billion).

A lot of this money is raised by the provinces rather than central government, making it even harder to curb cigarette sales. Stressed out local administrators will probably need a few extra packets now.

[Yahoo Finance]

Electronic Cigarettes - Quit Smoking or Quit Nicotine?

The electronic cigarette was developed in China in 2004 and designed to replace the smoking of tobacco cigarettes and cigars. In spite of indoor smoking bans sweeping across the globe, many smokers are finding it difficult to quit. There are a variety of nicotine replacement products but these drug delivery systems in no way replicate the smoking experience. The e-cigarette is different in that it aims to both deliver nicotine and also simulate to some extent the experience of smoking a traditional cigarette.

Using an E-cigarette

The e-cigarette, or e-cig, consists of a mouthpiece containing a cartridge with a nicotine solution, a heating element or atomizer, a lithium-ion battery holder and finally an LED at the tip of the e-cig. The way e-cigarettes function means they also contain some electronic circuitry and an airflow meter. They come in different designs, often made to look like a fountain pen so can be discreetly kept in one's pocket but also available as a replica cigarette.

Using an electronic cigarette is pretty much like one of those nicotine inhalers one can buy in the pharmacy. There is no need to switch it on but rather just inhale through the mouthpiece. The airflow sensor then becomes activated and switches on the heating element. A short burst of heat vaporizes a little of the nicotine solution which is then inhaled. At the same time, the LED at the tip of the e-cig lights up showing that the battery is functional and the device operational but also simulating the burning tip of a tobacco cigarette. The nicotine vapour is largely absorbed through the lungs, just like tobacco smoke. Exhaling actually creates a “smoke” vapour even though, obviously, the tip of the e-cig doesn't emit smoke. After an e-cig puff the device switches itself off automatically.