Blown Away by Lighting Up
Staff photo by Ted Reckas Roberto Chavez and Debi Renshaw, who distribute InLife's smokeless cigarettes, plan a gift to the president to help him give up tobacco. Amid the red, white and blue bunting of an inauguration party last month at Laguna Beach's White House restaurant were bar patrons using what looked to be a product now-banned from most public places.
In the restaurant bar, owner George Catsouras discovered customers puffing on electronic cigarettes that realistically simulate the sensation of smoking while exhaling water vapor. "It looks like you're puffing on a flashlight," said Catsouras, a 40- year smoker who asked patron Roberto Chavez for a drag and was impressed with the result.
On the spot, Catsouras bought one for his wife, nervous about stowing her smokes on a 14-hour flight to South Africa. While some airlines apparently permit the devices, "she smoked it in the bathroom," he said.
There are at least two versions of the electronic cigarettes, developed in China in response to indoor smoking bans. One looks very much like a traditional filtered cigarette, marketed by Smoking Everywhere LLC in Sunrise, Fla. InLife LLC, based in Irvine, distributes another version that looks like a sleek pencil. Inhalation activates a rechargeable battery, which lights up an indicator light. Air is inhaled through replaceable cartridges of varying nicotine grades made from bell peppers that each cost $3.50. A cartridge is about the equivalent of 10 or 15 cigarettes. Exhaled water vapor looks very much like smoke.
"It's provocative; it's the bad boy without tars," said Patrick Reynolds, son of the late R.J. Reynolds, who supports the Foundation for a Smokefree America in Los Angeles.
Electronic cigarettes lack Food and Drug Administration approval as a smoking cessation device. While Reynolds hasn't seen research on electronic cigarettes, since one in four smokers who quit say a cigarette substitute was very helpful, he's reluctant to bash an alternative that is less injurious than cigarettes. Reynolds chewed cinnamon sticks to kick the habit that killed his father.
After trying to quit at least 10 times, Catsouras thinks the electronic cigarette could serve as his preferred substitute. "I'm going to give it a bash," he vowed.
In fact, he thinks so should President Barack Obama, who reportedly wants to quit his cigarette habit. Catsouras, along with patron Chavez, are sending a Valentine's gift from the Laguna White House to the Washington White House: a $130 kit with nicotine cartridges. "I don't know if he'll get it. But it would be pretty cool to see him on his Blackberry puffing on his flashlight," Catsouras said.
Chavez, of Capistrano Beach, said Catsouras' reaction to the electronic cigarette was typical. "We've been in places where they pass it around like a joint," said Chavez, who three months ago started marketing the devices since sales in real estate are slow.
"We're going to be the new Philip Morris," he said.
