Kathy Sippo doesn't miss the stench from an ashtray, isn't worried about South Carolina's higher cigarette tax and she isn't replacing lighters that she's lost. But, she's still getting the satisfaction of smoking.

Sippo, who smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 10 years, started using an electronic cigarette a month ago. "I still carry a pack with me, but so far I haven't used it," she said. "I absolutely love (e-cigarettes)."

E-cigarettes debuted in Europe a few years ago, and the products are receiving increased exposure in the United States. A WestGate Mall kiosk, Vital Vapors, sells the battery-powered cigarettes, and its owners often hear passers-by mutter about how they're not supposed to smoke in the mall, by they don't realize they're puffing odorless water vapor.

Cam Lathlean and Joe Trudeau own Vital Vapors, which has been open since April. They describe their customers as ranging from 18 to 80, parents not wanting to smoke around young children and those trying to break the habit because of health issues. Some are looking for a way to quit smoking and others simply want to enjoy some of the rituals of smoking in places where the habit is taboo.

"I didn't buy it to quit," Elwood Sampson said. "I bought it to use it where I wasn't supposed to."

Sampson went from smoking two packs of cigarettes a day to a half pack on his own. Now that he's using an e-cigarette, he's smoking less than half a pack. He's enjoying his savings.

"The truck is always filled with gas and my air conditioner needs to be fixed," said Sampson, who said he won't have to scramble to pay for the repair.

(Por Dudley Brown, Goup State, 06/07/2010)