It seems like every time you turn a corner, you see a stranger puffing on a glowing electronic cigarette.Well, you aren't necessarily imagining things.In the four years since smokeless e-cigarettes debuted, sales of the battery-powered devices, reputedly healthier and less offensive than standard smokes, have exploded annually.In 2010, only 750,000 e-cigarettes were sold, but the following year, sales more than doubled to 2.5 million.And in 2012, the tobacco industry moved some 3.5 million of the devices, with no signs of slowing growth.But what are e-cigarettes, exactly?And why are people using them?Here's what you need to know: How do e-cigarettes work?These deceptively simple gadgets contain just five ingredients: Nicotine, water, glycerol, propylene glycol (used in inhalers), and optional flavors like cherry, says Wendy Koch at USA Today.When you take a puff, the device heats nicotine into inhalable water vapor, while the tip glows faintly, mimicking the real thing.Since the process of "vaping," as it's called, doesn't emit any actual smoke, users can skirt increasingly strict smoking laws in public places.

Why else do people use them?There's a perception, much debated, that e-cigs are better for you than traditional cancer sticks because they contain no tar and less nicotine,  says Paula Ebben at CBS News, and now companies are even infusing them with vitamins.best vaporizer mod ukAccording to one recent survey, 70 percent of Americans believe that e-cigarettes are less harmful than the regular kind.vaporizer best flavorBut such thinking "could lure in kids who might not otherwise smoke," warns John Banzhaf, a professor at George Washington University, who's pushing for more FDA regulation.best vaporizer high timesWhy are sales soaring?E-cigs have gotten much cheaper.e cigarette store in kolkata

A few years ago, one e-stick cost $200.Now, each unit sells for $21, and replacement cartridges — which provide the effects of a pack and a half of cigarettes — cost $3 each.vaporizer mighty craftyPlus the product isn't federally taxed, although some states are considering their own fees.e cigarette sceauxTraditional cigarette sales have been falling by 3 to 4 percent annually, says Bloomberg, while sales of smokeless products are steadily increasing, growing 7.5 percent from 2010 to 2011.buy vaporizer birmingham ukCelebrity endorsements could also be a factor.vapor store 21221In the film The Tourist, for example, actor Johnny Depp whips out an e-cig.vaporizer shop southampton uk

And actress Katherine Heigl talked about her e-cigarette use on The Late Show in 2010.Do e-cigs pose any risk to passers-by?No, claim manufacturers.But with little clinical support for such claims, an increasing number of cities and states are cautiously banning the use of e-cigarettes in public places.Amtrak, for example, forbids them on trains.And the Navy now prohibits e-cigarettes below deck on its submarines.Bottom line: Are they better for you than real cigarettes?We'd like to be conclusive, but the jury is out.A recent Greek study showed that first-time e-cigarette smokers showed signs of "airway constriction — as measured by several types of breathing tests — and of inflammation" within five minutes of their first puff, says Amy Norton at Reuters.Others in the medical community see potential health benefits."E-cigarettes may hold promise as a smoking cessation method," says Boston University researcher Michael Siegel in a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine last year.

"My brain thinks its still smoking," says one former chain smoker of 51 years who made the switch to e-cigarettes."But my smoker's cough is gone.I feel a lot better."There is a better option, however, says CBS News' Ebben: "Kicking the [smoking] habit altogether."Sources: CBS News, Bloomberg Businessweek, Reuters, USA Todayacquired a maker of electronic cigarettes for $135 million, the first foray by Big Tobacco into a small but rapidly growing alternative to traditional cigarettes.The diversification push from the third-largest U.S.tobacco company by sales into battery-powered e-cigarettes—which turn heated nicotine-laced liquid into a vapor mist—coincides with aggressive moves by its larger rivals.and Reynolds... Most Popular Videos Future of City Transport: Flying Taxis Why Your Next Car May Look Like a Living Room Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Resigns Capitalism Deserves More Respect From Millennials Go-Kart Tours Turn Heads in JapanBooming electronic cigarette sales in the U.S.

will more than double this year, hitting $1.7 billion, a top tobacco analyst predicts.Analyst Bonnie Herzog of Wells Fargo Securities said "conservative data" already indicates that sales of e-cigarettes this year have already reached $700 million from traditional retail outlets like convenience stores.Throw in estimated online sales of $500 million to $625 million and total year-to-date sales are above $1 billion.The pace will only pick up this fall."We estimate that it will be $1.7 billion by the end of the year," Herzog said.Although Herzog has been bullish on e-cigarettes, she said she was "surprised to some extent" by how fast sales have grown.But, she noted, "everything we've been hearing" about e-cigs has suggested increased awareness and interest in the products—which electronically spark a nicotine-infused liquid so that users can inhale a smokeless vapor, giving the practice the name "vaping."E-cigs began being sold in earnest in the U.S.While a pack of traditional cigarettes can cost $15 in places like Manhattan, an equivalent amount of e-cigs costs about $1.50, manufacturers estimate.

"A lot of the awareness is the perceived lower health risks, and definitely the affordability," said Herzog, adding that the ability to use e-cigs in locations where traditional cigarettes are banned is another factor.E-cig sales are still dwarfed by sales of traditional tobacco cigarettes, whose sales are still about $80 billion annually.(Read more: E-cig sellers jockey for market before FDA floats regs) But the explosive growth of the electronic devices has made even the Big Three tobacco companies wake up and jump into the market with various products.Herzog, in a recent report, wrote: "We have increased conviction that consumption of e-cigs could surpass consumption of conventional cigs within the next decade."Herzog's nearly $2 billion sales prediction for 2013 comes at a critical point for the industry, which is anticipating possible Food and Drug Administration regulations.The Wall Street Journal last week reported that the FDA has recently discussed with industry officials a possible ban on online sales to prevent sales to minors.

Andries Verleur, CEO of leading online e-cig company V2 Cigs, said such a ban "would definitely lead to some retraction for the overall category.That would also be giving a substantial advantage to companies that already have a very large retail distribution."That said, V2 Cigs is dramatically increasing its presence in stores to lessen the impact of an restrictions on Internet-based sales.(Read more: E-cigarettes could slash tobacco use among smokers: study) Earlier this year, V2 announced a partnership with distributor National Tobacco Company to boost its retail presence.With more than 10,000 retail outlets now, including Hess gas stations, Verleur's company expects to be in 35,000 retail locations by the end of 2013."We've been rolling out about 1,300 stores per week for going on nine weeks," Verleur said, calling that progression "pretty phenomenal."He now expects that 30 percent of V2's ales will come from retail outlets, up from an earlier 20 percent projection.And in 2014, the company said, retail store sales are expected to outpace online sales.

Spike Babaian, co-owner of the two Vape New York e-cigarette stores in New York City, agreed."There's been exponential growth for e-cigarettes that have not reached its capacity yet," said Babaian, who is also president of the National Vapers Club."Right now, the e-cig market is not what we call saturated.There's a very small percentage of smokers using e-cigarettes.""There are more smokers that need to be converted," she said."If you can vape and not smoke, and get the same satisfaction and not kill yourself, then every smoker would do it."Smoking reduction and cessation are oft-cited reasons given by traditional cigarette users to give e-cigs a try.Because of the addictive nature of traditional cigarettes, many e-cig manufacturers focus not only on giving users enough of a nicotine "hit" in their vapor, but also on replicating the smoking experience in the design of the products, complete with what appears to be a burning ember at the end of some e-cigs."The closer that we get to making that experience feel realistic," Verleur said, "the more you're going to see acceleration for the overall category."