Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/550316
26 tobaccoasia By Thomas Schmid If you thought the first-generation e-cigarettes that emerged in the market around a decade ago were a revolutionary idea, think again. No segment in the rather broad smoking industry today is making bigger strides into the future than the developers and manufacturers of e-smoking devices. Indeed, the evolution of e-smoking is taking place as you are reading this. And since the beginning, the large multinationals and an ever increasing phalanx of Chinese companies have joined the battle at a metaphorical Thermopylae pass, where the fight is not against Persian hordes but for market share. Great Idea, But Where's the Taste? The original idea behind the e-cigarette was based on a simple principle: Instead of combusting real tobacco (as in a white stick) and inhaling the actual smoke laced with all kinds of harmful by-products, a nicotine solution is evaporated through battery power in a purpose-designed electronic device. Since no combustion takes place, only vapors comparable to a thin mist are generated that while carrying the nicotine are largely devoid of other dangerous substances. Yes, it was a great idea, hailed as a healthier alternative to traditional smoking. But there was a downside: While e-cigarettes were able to deliver the desired nicotine kick, they just didn't taste right. They didn't taste like real tobacco does, hence the satisfaction that could be gained from a genuine cigarette was missing for many smokers. Sure, man- ufacturers soon enough started to market flavored e-liquids, but efforts to emulate that warm, soothing aroma of genuine tobacco leaf just failed miserably. Instead we are nowadays spoiled for choice with lit- erally hundreds of other flavors that cover almost every taste preference – except tobacco. First-generation e-cigarettes were soon followed by more sophisticated second-generation devices in often very stylish and fancy designs. But they were now re-named into "vaporizers" or "atomizers" while for marketing purposes, they still adhered to the same working principle of evaporating a liquid. E-smoking: "Heat Not Burn" Is the New Vaping IMAG Plus in 5 stylish colors