Electronic Cigarette Review

This NJOY review will take a look at their NPRO mini electronic cigarette model. Like I said in the last review of the NCIG model, NJOY reviews are mixed but still tend to be more on the positive side. The same holds true for the NPRO model.

I don’t want to go into all the same details about this U.S. company, but if you want those details, they are at the beginning of my last NJOY review of the NCIG model.

The NJOY NCIG is a fairly good mini electronic cigarette with about the same amount of occasional vaporizer and battery failures many brands experience.

There may be a disproportionate number of complaints about NJOY out there due to the fact that more people are buying this brand in the states. In the end NJOY’s customer service is good and includes a warranty which may compensate for any problems you may experience.

NJOY Review:

• Manufacturer / Supplier: NJOY
• Country: U.S.A.
• Model: NPRO
• Style: Mini
• Starter Kit Price: $79.99
• Cartridge Price (10-Pack): $13.33* (if you buy 2 and get 1 free on auto refill program)
• Number of flavors: 5
• Nicotine Levels Offered: High, Medium, Low, Zero
• Nicotine Solution for Dripping: No
• Warranty: Yes (and 30-day money back guarantee)

Starter Kit Contents:

The NJOY NPRO mini electronic cigarette, battery charger, 2 lithium batteries, 5 assorted nicotine cartridges (tobacco flavored 1 x low, 2 x medium, 2 x high), instruction manual, wallet info card.

Rating Scale:

Average

Poor 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Excellent

• Ratings and Score:
  • Batteries and Charger: 4.0
  • Atomizer: 3.0
  • Cartridges: 3.5
  • Construction / Quality: 4.0
  • Cost: 3.5
• Overall: 3.6 (Above Average)

Cartridge Rating = 3.5

Cartridges come 10 in a pack. Four levels of nicotine concentration are offered: high (18mg), medium (12mg), low (6mg) and zero (0mg). Cartridge flavors offered at the time of this review are tobacco, menthol, vanilla, strawberry, and apple.

Each cartridge is supposed to last as long as 10 traditional cigarettes, but again this will depend on individual smoking habits. The “high” cartridge does contain 18mg for those who want a nicotine hit stronger than light cigarettes.

The biggest factors driving the above average score in this NJOY review is the 18mg of nicotine offered at the “high” level and the above average tobacco flavored cartridges.

If the number of flavors offered were greater and / or there were a nicotine solution sold for dripping it would deserve an excellent score in this area, but at least NJOY is consistent offering the same flavors for all levels.

Atomizer Rating = 3.0

Like the NCIG model this NJOY review revealed that the NPRO atomizer is also a 2-hole design with a hard draw.

The smoke vapor output is slightly lower than other mini electronic cigarette models tested but the nicotine hit is better with plenty of throat sensation from the 18mg cartridge.

During this NJOY review I noticed that there is a difference smoking this mini as compared to the NCIG pen-style.

You can feel more heat from the vaporizer and the vapor is slightly warmer I would say closer to smoking a regular cigarette with less smoke than both regular cigarettes and even the NCIG model.

The taste is also slightly different between say a tobacco flavored cartridge as opposed to the NCIG tobacco cartridge. I think this is due to the atomizer being closer to the nicotine solution in the cartridge or the solution formulation is somehow different.

Again, this isn’t a bad thing. For purposes of this NJOY review I would say that the taste difference is ever slightly closer to a real cigarette.

There seem to be a lot less complaints on the internet regarding atomizer failures for NPRO but this could just be because the NCIG model has been out longer.

I have heard you can buy replacements for this part over the phone since they aren’t on the website, but I haven’t needed to do this.

Batteries & Charger Rating = 4.0

The tip on the battery has an orange light on the tip that lights up when taking a drag. Two batteries are included with the starter kit so you will have another battery to use while the other is charging.

A DC car adapter can be purchased separately so that the charger can be used in a car, but does not come with the starter kit. Recharging the NPRO batteries takes about 45 min or less for the first charge and a little over 1 hour after being fully discharged.

The batteries for the NPRO model are very good. They should last almost a day form most smokers. This is a slightly longer than other minis.

I have only heard minor complaints of batteries starting to not hold a charge somewhat prematurely, but almost nothing about batteries being DOA.

The battery rating suffers a little only because of the realistic orange tip. Unfortunately it looks too realistic slowly glowing on and off as you take a drag just like a real cigarette!

Some bars and restaurants may still struggling with this since many smoking bans are just starting to take effect. They have enough problems policing smokers as it is without the added confusion of electronic cigarettes might bring.

At the time of writing this NJOY review most people do not know that smoking bans do not affect electronic cigarettes.

It would still be helpful if the company gave its customers an option of purchasing a battery with a different colored light in the tip. Until then, cover your tip with your hand!

Construction / Quality Rating = 4.0

There isn’t much to the NPRO as it is very small, but the components do seem to be decent quality.

The refill cartridges fit very snug which seems like a problem at first. After using a couple cartridges however, a little bit of nicotine solution will get on the outside part of the atomizer that makes contact with the replacement cartridges.

Even after wiping the solution off thoroughly the outside of the atomizer becomes lubricated and the cartridges go on easier yet still snug. If it was not for the extra snug fit in the beginning one might have to worry about cartridges slipping off after getting solution on the outside of the atomizer.

So, the cartridge may fit extra snug at first, but you will find later that this is actually a good design.

As I write this NJOY review the NPRO is offered in four different colors black, white, burgundy and silver. The finish on the white, burgundy and silver is a very glossy almost lacquered finish that is very high quality and extremely durable.

The black graphite battery has a matte finish that is the same as the NCIG black so it may be a little less durable. After some careless handling of my black NCIG I did manage to chip a fleck of paint off. I am a little more careful now.

Cost Rating = 3.5

The cost of the NPRO seems a little high at first. Similar models are cheaper, but when you factor in the customer service, 1 year warranty and 30-day money back guarantee it seems like a better deal.

Like the NCIG the NPRO comes with an assortment of nicotine strengths which saves the customer money deciding which strength will be best for them.

At the time of this NJOY review refill cartridges are slightly overpriced compared to other brands even if you are on the automatic refill program. On the automatic refill program cartridges are buy 2 and get the 3rd free.

Style and Extra Features

The NPRO mini is fairly stylish as it is offered in 4 different colors including black, white, burgundy and silver. The black has a matte graphite like finish while the other three colors are high gloss.

There is a very small band of gold where the battery and atomizer make contact which ads a bit of style. The cartridge colors are only sold in beige and do look a bit “off” next to all the battery colors even white.

The cartridge color is supposed to resemble the filter of a regular cigarette but it is not orange enough in color.

One bonus is that since the atomizer doesn’t have any exposed finish, one can simply buy a different color battery and change the color of their NPRO.

There are no other features with this mini electronic cigarette other than the wallet card that comes with it. This wallet card will be very important to keep with you especially if you opt for the white model.

The wallet card is meant to be shown to people who have questions regarding the legality of the product in smoking bans. I guess the idea is that if something is in writing people tend to believe it more

Overall Review Rating = 3.6 (Above Average)

(Visit the NJOYCigarettes.com Website)

FTC Disclosure

The Janty Kiss box Classic has been very popular with the e cig smoking community despite shipping delays for both new orders and warranty replacements in both the U.S. and abroad.

Janty’s main claim to fame is a premium electronic cigarette that allows a smoker to choose between automatic and manual atomizer switches.

The Janty products aren’t perfect though in fact far from it and the Janty Kiss box Classic has its share of problems including keeping the units in stock.

Janty still has a loyal customers though because they have done something different with their product and offer smokers a wide selection of cartridges and even a nicotine solution for dripping that does not violate the product warranty.

So the Janty Kiss box Classic is marketed as a premium electronic cigarettes with a very classy selection of colors finishes and features, but how much of this is marketing and how much of it is real?

Hopefully this review will help you decide.

Janty Kiss box Classic Review:

• Manufacturer / Supplier: Janty USA
• Country: U.S.A.
• Model: Kiss box Classic
• Style: Pen-Style
• Starter Kit Price (Classic): $94.95
• Starter Kit Price (Classic Extended): $134.95
• Cartridge Price (5-Pack): $5.00
• Number of cartridge flavors: 22
• Nicotine Levels Offered: Zero (0mg), Low, Medium, High (16mg)
• Nicotine Solution for Dripping: Yes (31 flavors)
• Warranty: 6 months atomizer, 3 months batteries.

Starter Kit Contents (Classic Only Kit):
1 Janty Kiss box Classic electronic cigarette atomizer, 1 interchangeable manual switch, 1 interchangeable automatic switch, 2 lithium batteries, 1 battery charger, 5 nicotine cartridges (customer selects flavor and strength subject to availability)

Starter Kit Contents (Classic Extended Kit):
Everything that comes with the Classic kit PLUS 1 USB battery with 100cm / 3.2ft cable, 1 USB Car Charger Adapter, Carrying Case (for battery, atomizer, switch, and cartridge)

Rating Scale:

Average

Poor 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Excellent

• Ratings and Score:
  • Batteries and Charger: 3.5
  • Atomizer: 3.0
  • Cartridges: 4.0
  • Construction / Quality: 3.0
  • Cost: 4.0
• Overall: 3.5 (Above Average)

Cartridge Rating = 4.0

Janty Kiss box Classic carts come 5 in a pack. Four levels of nicotine concentration are offered: high (16mg Nicotine), medium (~11mg), low (~6mg) and zero (0mg), but not for all flavors.

In other words, you will have to search around and check to see if your favorite flavor is offered in the strength that you want on the web site. This is not an easy thing to do since there are 24 cartridge flavors listed on the web site:

Almond, Boost, Cappuccino, Chocolate, CML (Camel), Coffee, Fargo, Fennel, French MLB, French Pipe, Green Apple, Hvy Shag Tobacco, MLB (Marlboro), Oriental, Polar Mint, RBL (Redbull ?), Ruyan, Vegas, RY2, RY3, RY4, Tobacco, Vanilla, Virginia, Apple

There are also 31 flavors of refill solution for the Janty Kiss box Classic and presumably their other models:

Almond, Banana, Black Tea, Boost, Cappuccino, Chocolate, Cloves, CML, Coffee, Fargo, Fennel, French MLB, French Pipe, Grape, Green Apple, Hvy Shag, Jasmine, Licorice, MLB, Oriental, Polar Mint, RBL, Rose, Ruyan, RY2, RY3, RY4, Strawberry, Tobacco, Vanillia, Virginia

The good thing here is that all cartridge flavors have a corresponding refill liquid listed on the web site. The bad thing is that in nine cases the refill liquid is not offered in all the same strengths of the same flavor cartridge.

I actually had to create a spreadsheet to figure all this out. I may post it if I get requests for it. Until then, happy hunting.

Overall the Janty Kiss box Classic deserves a good score in this area due to the vast selection of cartridges and corresponding refill liquid. Some of the flavors aren’t obvious so you may not know what to expect from some of them.

There are plenty of tobacco flavors though if you are really want to find a tobacco flavor that you like.

The score does suffer from too many inconsistencies across flavors and strengths and the fact that the highest strength offered for all cartridges is 16mg. The cartridges tested do give a good nicotine hit with lots of that “throat sensation.”

The web site says that the Janty Kiss box Classic cartridges can be used with similar “pen-style” electronic cigarette models but is not clear whether this is for other Janty models or other brands.

Could Janty be trying to make a business out of selling cartridges for use with other brands? I may look into this more with some experiments and report back in a separate post.

Atomizer Rating = 3.0

The Janty Kiss box Classic model uses a 4-hole atomizer which does produce a lot of smoke vapor and has a very easy draw that is much easier than a cigarette. Some people might even prefer a slightly harder draw than this model can provide.

Just because the draw is easy doesn’t mean you can draw slow. You still need to draw quick enough to produce vapor and to avoid burning the atomizer / vapor.

Janty Kiss box Classic atomizers are not immune to atomizer problems. It is hard to tell if these problems are quality related or stem from the fact that the 2 atomizer switches (manual or automatic) are unique and interchangeable.

I will talk more about the two switches included with both kits towards the end of the review, but one needs to be careful especially with the manual switch because it is possible to kill the atomizer by holding the switch down while not dragging on the device.

The atomizer problem with this model does not seem to be chronic and is covered by a 6 month warranty.

It seems like purchasing a spare with your order might not be a bad idea since there have been reports of shipping delays on both new and returned products in both the U.S. and overseas.

Batteries & Charger Rating = 3.5

Janty has done something interesting with the kiss box batteries. Electronic cigarette batteries usually have a fair amount of electronics in them to regulate charging, activate and blink the led when the battery needs charging etc.

In order for the Janty Kiss box Classic to offer a choice of an automatic or manual switch and USB charging system they had to depart from the traditional design. Janty removed these electronics from the kiss box batteries and moved them to the switches.

This has several implications for both the charger and the battery; some are good and some bad.

First, if you get the extended kit with the USB battery system there are actually 2 types of batteries. The regular batteries that you charge and use “un-tethered,” and the USB system battery (Extended Kit) which is actually the same as the e-cigar battery.

Second, there is a complicated charging procedure the first time you use each and every Janty Kiss box battery (un-tethered version). You must first charge the battery for 16 hours, smoke on it for 20-min and finally charge your battery for another 4 hours.

Third, since there are no electronics in the battery there is no lighted tip that simulates smoking. Until most people know what electronic cigarettes are this will help the score because it doesn’t confuse people into thinking electronic cigarettes are real cigarettes.

What is the end result of these changes? Can we expect better battery life? The answer is no not with the regular Janty Kiss box Classic batteries with life on par with other pen style cigarettes maybe a little shorter.

The USB system battery life is technically infinite as the e-cigar battery in the cord receives a constant trickle-charge while plugged in, but you have to be “tethered” to the USB port for this to be true.

This “simple” battery is marketed as a good thing but it is really just a trade off. It’s the price you pay for having a choice of switches and the choice of plugging the USB battery / cable (Classic Extended Kit only) into the 12 volt car adapter or your computer.

The Janty Kiss box Classic starter kit does come with 2 batteries so you will have another battery to use while the other is charging after you get past the initial complicated charging procedure of BOTH batteries that is.

There is a place to plug the wall charger into a DC power source such as your car, but it doesn’t seem to be available on the web site.

The USB charging system that comes with the Classic Extended kit is kind of nice since it uses inexpensive cigar batteries and overall the batteries and charges scores above average for providing options despite all the complexities involved. So much for k.i.s.s.!

Construction / Quality Rating = 3.0

The switches cartridge, atomizer and battery all come together fairly well and are comfortable to hold despite being slightly longer than most pen-style electronic cigarettes.

The switch and battery combination did exhibit the typical problem of being crooked or misaligned relative to the atomizer. I don’t think the problem is really worse than other brands but it appears to be due to the length of the unit.

The finish and color on the switches, battery and atomizer chamber was an exact match. The titanium was an especially nice finish with metallic fleck in the paint.

The USB charging system (Classic Extended Kit) actually seems to be on the “cheaper” side especially where the wire connects to the “battery” part which gets screwed into the switch and also in the spring loaded piece that coils the cable.

For a premium electronic cigarette I was expecting slightly higher quality, but I wouldn’t say that the quality and construction of both the Janty Kiss box Classic and Classic Extended kits is disappointing.

Cost Rating = 4.0

The price for the Janty Kiss box is quite reasonable at both price points with the Classic and Classic Extended kits for a veteran e smoker that wants a different experience.

For someone just looking to get their feet wet and isn’t quite sure if they will like electronic cigarettes the price is a little on the high side.

The customer can select the flavor and strength of cartridges with their order increasing the chance of getting a flavor and strength they like or add a couple more boxes since they are so cheap.

Once a customer has found a flavor and strength they like they may be able to buy nicotine solution at the same strength to drip their cartridges and getting even more life out of them.

Style and Extra Features

The Janty Kiss box Classic is fairly stylish offering a ton of extra features. You can’t go wrong with either the matte black or the gloss titanium finishes even if these are the only two colors offered at the time of writing this review.

Most of the extra features have already been discussed but I think the switches and the carrying case deserve one more mention.

The case that comes with the Janty Kiss box Classic Extended kit is a nice way to protect your investment although it only carries one cartridge.

The manual switch is supposed to put the smoker in control by allowing them press it 1-2 seconds to warm up the atomizer before taking a drag. This can however, also put the smoker in control of destroying the atomizer even if just out of curiosity.

The automatic switch is always an option if you find you don’t like the manual and adds to the style / mystique of the Janty Kiss box Classic with a red and green LED on it. The green LED lights up under certain conditions while taking a drag.

Not a bad unit but definitely recommended more for the “seasoned” e-smoker that has another e cig they can use for a while as they work the kinks out of their Janty shipment.
Overall Score: 3.5 (Above Average)

The Doctors TV show named electronic cigarettes #9 in their Top 10 Health Trends for 2009 in an all new episode on Wednesday last week.  Check out the video on the TV show’s web site by clicking this link.

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UPDATE 3/26/2010:

The Doctors did it again.  They demo ePuffer e cigarette products on their March 8th 2010 episode. Be sure to check it out!

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This is HUGE! I did happen to catch this episode while in a waiting room and was very excited about what they said on the show.

Some things they said were a little less exciting however because they were wrong IMHO.. More on this in a minute, but first, the exciting stuff!

The fact that The Doctors TV show has featured electronic cigarettes as #9 on their TOP 10 health trends for 2009 is, let me reiterate, HUGE mainstream media attention!

The next exciting thing I noticed was all of the doctors on the TV show gave the electronic cigarettes and an electric cigar a try.

They each took several drags, with the exception of Dr. Lisa Masterson who totally faked taking a drag barely letting her lips touch the electric cigar as you can see in this video on The Doctor’s web site.

Skeptics of the potential health benefits should also take note:

None of the Doctors on The Doctors TV show are smokers but they did try the devices while I find that many people I talk to (not medical experts by any means) are afraid to even try taking a drag off one of the cartridges that contains zero nicotine.

If the doctors on The Doctors TV show didn’t hesitate to take a few puffs then does this mean the doctors on the TV show are not concerned about electronic cigarettes affecting their health?  You be the judge.

Now the doctors did give an electronic cigarette to a veteran smoker and let her try it out before filming the show and then invited her into the studio audience to give her opinion. The veteran smoker said that, “she would recommend them.”

Cool! Another smoker gives it a pass!

Finally, the last exciting thing that stuck out in The Doctors’ review was Dr. Travis Stork informing the audience that the devices are not FDA approved yet.

Now keep in mind. Regular cigarettes are NOT FDA approved and never will be. In fact, regular cigarettes bear that all too familiar surgeon general’s warning. I personally find myself reminding people of this fact whenever they suggest that electronic cigarettes need to be FDA approved to be legally sold in the U.S.A.

Although I have been labeled as an optimist by most I do want to temper this post with a little reality.

The Doctors TV show did say a couple things that were either wrong or a little misleading which may have you doubting their credibility.

First, The Doctors review stated that the products are not yet available in the U.S.A. Wrong! There are lots of suppliers here. Some of them are even selling thousands of units a month in the states.

The second misleading thing the doctors TV show said is that the starter kit would cost you $150. Ouch! At least partially wrong.. I would say the average for a decent unit is less about half that cost (which would be $75 according to my calculator) from what I have seen.

So whether you like The Doctors TV show or not doesn’t change the facts. They listed electronic cigarettes as their #9 health trend to watch for in 2009 and I am exited to see this year shaping up quite nicely already for the e smoking community. If you would like to see some video shorts of this episode be sure to check out the promo video for the top 10 Health Trends 2009 show at this link: http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_page/90

On my two flights home from Colorado I figured out a sure fire strategy to use electronic cigarettes for smoking on planes. I tried it on 2 separate flights and it worked great!

As many e cig smokers out there know, it isn’t always easy to simply “smoke anywhere” especially for smoking on planes like all the advertisements selling the devices claim. Until the use of e cigs is more wide spread and people become familiar with the devices we will have be a little creative when smoking on planes.

In my last post I wrote about how I experimented with smoking electronic cigarettes in casinos. During that experiment I covered the lighted tip with my hand and fingers while taking a drag so I would not attract attention. I think this technique could be used in many situations but certainly not for smoking on planes. Here is why:

On planes people have to be very close to other people that they don’t know. These people tend to be very aware of everything people next to them are doing even if they are reading a book or watching a movie. If one only covers the tip of their e cig on planes, people are still bound to see you exhale some vapor even when holding it for a second before exhaling.

When covering the tip of your electronic cigarette in most other situations (not smoking on planes), if someone sees you exhale vapor they may question you, but they will be way more forgiving than if you are on a plane. You can then explain what an electronic cigarette is and why they are not affected by smoking bans etc. etc.

It is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission in most situations, but not in the case of smoking on planes.

Strange activity on airplanes these days can create tension and sharp responses these days even 8 years after the 911 tragedy.

So what is an e smoker to do? It is very simple. Ask the flight attendant permission in a way that they are likely to say yes that also informs those around you what you are doing and what to expect.

I came up with this idea for smoking on planes on my first flight from Denver to Atlanta, Georgia on Air Tran airlines. Here is what I did:

• First, I use my pen-style e cig since it looks much less like a cigarette and I want to maximize my chances of the flight attendant saying yes.
• Second, I wait until drink service begins because most people are awake or will wake up and are paying a little more attention in anticipation of getting their drink and a bag of peanuts or pretzels or whatever airlines are giving out these days.
• Third, I speak loudly yet politely so the flight attendant as well as others around me can hear what I am saying.
• Fourth, I DO NOT refer to my electronic cigarette as an electronic cigarette when I am smoking on planes. I instead call it a “nicotine inhaler.”

Finally, I wait until the drink service comes around and use the opportunity to have a brief dialog with a member of the cabin crew while everyone else is listening. On both flights I did this, I got very similar responses from both flight attendants. The dialog goes something like this:

Fight attendant: Would you like something to drink?

Me: Yes, I would like apple juice, and may I ask you a question?

Flight attendant: Sure

Me: Is it OK if I use my nicotine inhaler on the plane? [I then show them my pen-style e cig]

Flight attendant: Nicotine inhaler? I don’t know. What is that?

Me: It’s a source of nicotine for smokers similar to nicotine gum or the nicotine patch. It is completely legal on airplanes and not affected by smoking bans, but I always ask because sometimes when I exhale a mist may come out of my nose and mouth and I don’t want other people to think that I am smoking. The mist is just water vapor that delivers nicotine to my lungs. May I show you what I am talking about?

At this point they will give their answer. They will be more inclined to say yes calling it a nicotine inhaler and comparing it to the gum and the patch which are obviously OK to use on a plane. Also, they are likely very curious at this point and will want a demo.

While doing a demo on the plane (also while asking) cover the lighted tip and hold the electronic cigarette by the tip so that not only does the flight attendant not see the lighted tip, but also so that it looks different than how one usually holds a cigarette. Also, inhale fully and hold it for a second or two before exhaling so there is little vapor on the exhale.

Like I said, in both cases I tried this the answer was YES!

After I got the go ahead from the flight attendants I sat in my seat on the airplane happily puffing away NEVER letting anyone see the lighted tip and tried to be conservative about the amount of vapor I exhaled.

I would be really curious to know if anyone out there has suggestions on how to improve my technique or has their own technique of electronic cigarette smoking on planes. If so please post a comment so everyone may benefit!

Since the casino business has never been that great in Colorado some had speculated that smoking ban effects would be the demise of the gambling business in Colorado. What has happened since then? I decided to take my electronic cigarettes to both gambling towns in the state to find out.

There has long been much speculation of smoking ban effects rippling through businesses like bars, restaurants and especially casinos in a bad way. Both local business owners and their employees are concerned that regular customers of some establishments tend to be smokers and will not patronize businesses with indoor smoking ban policies.

Some people argue that smoking ban effects will only be minimally negative or even positive considering that most of the population doesn’t smoke and the bans will increase the likelihood that this population will frequent businesses that ban smoking.

Colorado casinos located in Black Hawk / Central City and Cripple Creek banned smoking sometime in 2008. As part of my holiday vacation to Denver, Colorado I thought I would do a little investigation into smoking ban effects on casinos in particular since we planned trips to both of these gambling towns anyway.

So, what happened to me beside losing a significant chunk of my disposable income? Not a whole lot. The first trip was to Black Hawk / Central City, Colorado. I pulled out my pen style e cig at the Grand Central Station Casino and just take a few drags on the gaming floor.

The friends I went there with were curious so I gave them a demonstration and noticed people in the sealed smoking room adjacent to the gaming floor looking at me funny.

I walked around the slot machines puffing away next to other gamers and even passed by a cashier while taking a puff (even though I had covered the tip by this point to be a little more discreet). Nothing. No one gave me a lick of trouble.

On the way out of the casino I was somewhat disappointed so I decided to talk to an employee about it. I managed to get the attention of a gentleman wearing a suit that had a Grand Central Station badge so I showed him my electronic cigarette and asked him if he had seen the device before and if he knew what it was. He said that he knew what it was. I asked him if I could smoke it on the gaming floor. He said no, but that he would be happy to show me the smoker’s lounge and that I could smoke it there.

Ouch! Not good for Grand Central Station and the e smoking community.

Next stop was a casino called Mardi Gras. I did the same routine here except this time with my mini e cig that looks just like a cigarette. I covered the lighted tip and walked around puffing away. No one stopped me or complained. We had to leave this casino before I could find an employee to ask so I don’t know if this casino is even aware of the devices.

We were on our way back to the garage at Isle of Capri at this point to retrieve our car and head home for the night so I decided to give it one more try. Passing through the casino and waiting for a friend to cash in a ticket I repeated my routine once more. This time I found an attendant walking the slots and asked him about my mini e cig. He said he had never seen it before and that I would have to ask security if I could smoke it on the gaming floor.

Unfortunately I did not find someone from security at Isle of Capri to ask. We were in too much of a hurry to not lose any more money. This is just a blog after all! I did keep smoking my mini-electronic cigarette all the way to the garage however without incident.

It seems that casinos in Black Hawk / Central City, Colorado are either unaware of the devices or simply do not view them as a cure for any smoking ban effects they may see on their business.

Don’t despair though e smoking community! There is still one more gambling town and casino left. And, more money to be lost!

The Main Strip of Cripple Creek

The final trip was to Cripple Creek, Colorado to a pair of attached casinos called The Double Eagle & Gold Creek.

At the Double Eagle I pulled out my electronic cigar because I was in a mood and just wanted to try something different. This time since I was sitting at the bar at the Double Eagle I decided to ask the bar-tender if electronic smoking is allowed. He said YES! He also said that I can smoke any electronic cigarette, cigar or pipe that I wanted and that he believes they are also sold at the gift shop.

I didn’t check the gift shop, but after realizing that I lost another 20 in the bar machine I decided to see if Gold Creek is taking their destiny into their own hands minimizing smoking ban effects on their business.

Double Eagle & Gold Creek Hotel & Casino

I walked down stairs to Gold Creek where the table games were located, sat down at the blackjack tables and asked if I could smoke my electronic cigar there. Another YES! I even had a brief dialog with the dealer and the other two players already at the table. The dealer was curious how it compared and if I liked it. The other two players at the table had never heard of the devices and were quite satisfied at the lack of odor and very curious about all the usual details.

I talked to a couple dealers as they rotated through asking them how business was to see if I could confirm some of the other stories I heard. Sure enough, the gambling business as a whole in Colorado has been down overall every month in 2008. Everyone cites the downturn in the economy as the biggest reason. I asked everyone I talked to if the smoking ban effects their bottom line. The all agreed that the smoking ban effects it at least some, but the main cause is the economy and that if something isn’t done soon that the gambling industry will die in Colorado.

I asked all the dealers and got some more opinions from people sitting at the table why more casinos, especially those in Black Hawk / Central City hadn’t adopted wide spread use of electronic cigarettes.

The common theme seems to be that more radical measures are necessary and the community is taking action. In December 2008 voters in Cripple Creek approved raising limits to $100, allowing casinos to stay open 24/7 and more table games such as roulette and craps. Voters will vote on similar measures for Black Hawk / Central City in January of 2009.

I would persist asking if more use of electronic cigarettes might minimize the smoking ban effects to the bottom line. The answer was usually just that it could help but that with casinos building smoking lounges it wasn’t as big of an issue and that it challenging to get the word out about this smoking alternative. Several employees agreed that when people do find out about the alternative it is not main stream enough to be used by little more than the early adopters. It seems the e smoking community has some work to do. My advice? Let’s just be discrete and help get the word out.