First and foremost, the electronic cigarette is undoubtedly one of the most striking inventions of the beginning of this century. It has quickly established itself as an alternative to tobacco that’s at least as effective as other smoking substitutes. And we now know scientifically that it’s twice as effective.

It’s a device for heating an e-liquid to be vaporised and inhaled. To do this, the device applies a predefined voltage to a coil. As it heats up, the coil transforms the e-liquid, which is specially designed for this purpose and which is brought into contact with it via a porous material (fibre, cotton, ceramic, etc.), into steam. An electronic cigarette is always made of two elements : the part containing the power source and the electronics; and, the part that will be used to vaporise the e-liquid.

The former is generally referred to as a "battery" for the most basic models and a "box" for the most sophisticated devices. It contains an integrated power source or one to be added in the form of tubular batteries (18650/20700/21700) as well as an electronic chip, which will determine how the energy is transmitted to the coil. A screen and buttons complete the most advanced models.

The second part, which is used to vaporise the liquid, can be a clearomizer, when it uses pre-built coils, or an atomiser, when it uses rebuildable coils. In the latter case, several acronyms define the different types of atomizers : RDA, RBA, RTA or RDTA depending on the atomisation chamber (submerged or above the tank).

What is an electronic cigarette ?