*Note: This reflects my personal experience and should in no way be an endorsement for these products. They are currently being evaluated by a host of medical journals and governmental bodies, and you should make up your mind for yourself.


Birmingham, AL (WIAT) - If you or a family member have ever tried to quit smoking, you know that it can be a long and difficult process. One tool I have used in successfully quitting is an electronic cigarette. For those not familiar, this is a metal or plastic device that has a button on the side of it. You depress the button, inhale like you are smoking, and get a blast of nicotine vapor that you can then exhale. The whole process looks and feels remarkably similar to actually smoking- with one important distinction- since you are not burning tobacco leaves  it would make sense a lot of the dangers associated with smoking are removed. But that is not a certainty- in fact since electronic cigarettes are a relatively new product there's plenty of discussion as to whether they are safe. 

Electronic cigarettes heat a drop of liquid that is then vaporized and that is what is inhaled. Personally,  I and a lot of other ex smokers have found that these devices replicate the act of smoking closely enough to ease the transition from being a smoker to non-smoker. Makers and distributors of these products will very quickly tell you that this is not a smoking cessation tool because that would require FDA approval as a medical device. The politics of the electronic cigarette get very complex, but I can tell you that it has definitely helped me quit.

But for another group of people, this is much more than a cessation aid, it's a way of life and business. Vulcan Vape started doing business in August of 2011 and has been experiencing 20% growth since opening its doors. Vulcan Vape distributes both the hardware and liquid required to vape, which is a verb in the world of electronic cigarettes. Jake Waltzman says the company is made of people from Birmingham who saw a business in alternatives to cigarettes. And it comes at a good time, as Birmingham City Council President Jonathan Austin is preparing another new set of harsher rules for smokers in the Magic City. 

There's just one problem for vapers- the Birmingham ordinance considers "vaping" and smoking to be the same things. Waltzman and his company disagree, naturally. 

If you'd like to learn more about "vaping" and electronic cigarettes. Vulcan Vape is holding an event Thursday February 9th from 6-9pm at Avondale Brewery (201 41st St., Birmingham). The company will have free samples and employees on hand to answer questions.