New Anoka Store Sells Only E-Cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes didn't seem to catch on after their Twin Cities debut two years ago. But an Anoka man is betting they will now, thanks to improved technology and falling prices. Steven Ryan opened the eCigs Shop in Anoka last month. The store specializes in and only sells electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes are tobacco-free. They don't emit an offensive odor and according to Ryan cost about one-tenth the price of the real thing. Ryan first tried electronic cigarettes because after trying everything from acupuncture to the nicotine patch to stop smoking, he was still a two-packs-a-day smoker. Ryan said, "This is for those people who have tried everything and they are basically stuck on cigarettes." Newer devices come in a variety of shapes and styles. Some look like cigarettes, some like cigars, some even resemble cell phones. They are customizable, unlike Ryan says, the versions that first hit the Twin Cities a couple years ago. The devices use battery-powered heat to turn a glycerin-based liquid into a mist. The liquid comes in different flavors and is refillable. Stronger batteries create a stronger taste and smoke feeling. Smokers still get the nicotine, but without the tar or carbon monoxide that comes with tobacco. They also get it at a fraction of the cost. Ryan says one 30 milliliter bottle costs $20 and lasts as long as three cartons of cigarettes, which he says can cost $180. He says the first E-cigarettes were not refillable and cost more. Customers can also choose to reduce the amount of nicotine in their refills. However the devices are not approved to be a stop-smoking tool nor are they regulated. Robert Moffitt, communications director for the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest said, "They are not checked for safety they are not checked for quality. Really no body knows who is making these or what's in them." For example, the FDA found the refillable liquid cartridges did not always contain the amount of nicotine indicated on their label. Ryan says he only buys from US-based companies. But he also thinks more regulation can only help the industry. He said, "What it's done for my life it's so significant for me that I would hate to lose something based on somebody's ignorance." 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS first reported on electronic cigarettes in 2009. Monday we learned none of the three retailers we interviewed then still sell the products now. They just couldn't find a market. The American Lung Association says there are plenty of approved ways to try to stop smoking and encourages anyone who wants to try to visit their web site.