May 30, 2009
-by Ariel Perez

Henry sits in a noisy diner near Kendall Florida wondering how he's going to earn money to support his family next month. Henry just got let go from his job of five years with a marble and stone company where he took measurements and made precision cuts. "It payed the bills and even thought it was not the most exciting job, it payed the bills" says Henry about his former job. Now he, like many other Americans has to wonder how he and his family are going to survive. Unemployment benefits are an almost guarantee but that just wont cut it.

To make matters worse, he is a heavy smoker and admits this is going to be one hard habit to break. He spends about $100 a month in the habit sometimes more if he buys premium brands but now he has bigger issues to face.
"My smoking urges just increased since I smoke more when I get anxious" he says and out of all other issues, he feels this one (the smoking) will just make matters worse. "I want to quit but now's not the time".

Henry has two options: quit cold turkey or cut back. Or does he have three options? Actually, he does. The electric cigarette offers the nicotine he needs and wants and also solves the money problem since it costs much less. In this economy, people are making drastic cuts. The electric cigarette comes at an opportune time since there was a recent tax increase and wages and jobs are static. Henry is going to take a stab at using electric cigarettes for a while or at least until he gets back on his feet.

For those that are not familiar with the e cig, it is a plastic look alike with internal workings that transform liquid nicotine into vapor that can easily be inhaled. Each kit runs about $100 but you can find them for much less on line and in specialty stores. There are some good ones out there and some not so good ones so its important to do some homework.

Recently the FDA has blocked shipments from China where they are manufactured but have since then been allowing shipments through. As far as this reporter knows, there are no manufacturers in the U.S. but there are plenty distributors. Henry might have found a possible solution to a problem with the e cig but finding a job won't be so easy.