Power Puff: The Inner Workings of E-Cigarettes

Smoking has long been an international issue due to the number of fatal diseases and medical complications associated with it. However, an alternative to smoking has been gaining traction in recent times: e-cigarettes. With their ability to deliver nicotine and other flavours to users without the harmful tar and additives of regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes are a growing phenomenon poised to compete with their traditional counterparts.

Effectively, e-cigarettes are miniaturised and portable versions of household vaporisers, which release scented vapours throughout a room. Inside each e-cigarette is a battery and cartridge that contains liquid flavouring; once emptied, the cartridge can be easily replaced or refilled with more “juice”. These “juices” are often solutions of liquid nicotine, although other flavours have been used as well. The liquids are mixed with either propylene or vegetable glycerine, and these two substances are responsible for generating the vapours.

When a user draws from an e-cigarette, the battery within the device heats the liquid concoction in the cartridge. This heat transforms the liquid into a water-based vapour infused with the flavour of the user’s choice. Afterwards, the device releases the atomized vapour down the user’s lungs, simulating the feel of smoking without the tar. The amount of vapour released is dependent on the amount of liquid left in the cartridge, as well as how deep the user inhales on the device.