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e-cigarette
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Is It Really Safer to Smoke E-cigarettes Instead of Tobacco?
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e-cigarette
e-cigarette E-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, are battery-operated devices that look similar to regular cigarettes.

e-cigarette

inhalation device
Also known as: electronic cigarette
Written by
Bechara Choucair
Senior Vice President for Safety Net Transformation and Community Benefit, Trinity Health, Livonia, Michigan.
Bechara Choucair
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

e-cigarette, battery-operated device modeled after regular cigarettes. The e-cigarette was invented in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who initially developed the device to serve as an alternative to conventional smoking. In addition to the battery component, an e-cigarette comprises an atomizer and a cartridge containing either a nicotine or a non-nicotine liquid solution. When the device is operated, the battery heats the liquid in the cartridge, and the atomizer vaporizes the liquid, emitting it...

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