Some smokers turning to e-cigarettes for fix

By Rodger Mullen
Staff writer

Andy Stockert loves his cigars. But he can't smoke them in the Harnett County barn where he keeps his horses.

So a couple of years ago, Stockert switched to electronic cigarettes. He puffs them when he can't light up the cigars he prefers.

Beyond the practical benefit of being able to smoke in places where it's normally outlawed, Stockert says e-cigarettes have other advantages over traditional smoking.

"They don't leave that nasty breath," Stockert said. "They don't leave an odor when you use them."

Since North Carolina banned most indoor smoking in January 2010, e-cigarettes have emerged as an alternative. Smokers have been lighting them up in bars and restaurants, where tobacco is not permitted.

"I see people walking around smoking them all the time," said Ben Anstead, manager of Anstead's Tobacco Co. in Cross Creek Mall. "I've had a number of people who say, 'If you're going to smoke, smoke an e-cigarette.' "

Electronic cigarettes are electrical or battery-powered inhalers that vaporize a liquid solution into an aerosol mist, which the user inhales. They contain no tobacco, but most do use nicotine.

The amount of nicotine in an e-cigarette varies depending on the type of liquid used. Some solutions contain no nicotine, while others have as much or even more than regular cigarettes.

The cigarettes come with chargers that can be plugged into home or car adapters. Many companies offer a variety of flavors, including tobacco, menthol or even grape and strawberry.

Anstead said he started selling e-cigarettes a few years ago. He said there was an initial flurry of interest in the product, but it gradually subsided over time.

"We used to have a waiting list," he said. "We couldn't get them in fast enough."

Anstead said he attributes the drop-off in sales to the fact that more places, including many convenience stores, are now selling e-cigarettes. Today, Anstead said he probably sells four or five kits a month of Encore brand e-cigarettes.