Healthcare giant Humana will no long her hire smokers in Arizona, according to the Arizona Republic. Humana will start testing new hires for nicotine. The article says that if a new employee does use tobacco, they will be required to report it to the company and enroll in smoking cessation programs that include nicotine replacement therapies. The article doesn’t mention e cigs at all. It implies that the use of e cigs would also be prohibited as they are testing purely for nicotine.

The article: http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2011/06/30/20110630arizona-smokers-not-hired-by-humana.html

South Beach Smoke Promo: Free E Cigs for US Soldiers and Vets

E Cig maker South Beach Smoke has announced it will offer a free e cig Premiun Starter Kit to all current U.S. soldiers, military personell and veterans in celebration of the July 4th holiday. The campaign, which South Beach calls “Smoke-Free Soldiers” kicks off today.

The Premium Starter Kit includes rechargeable batteries and assorted e cig flavor cartridges so first time e-cigarette smokers can try multiple flavors. Soldiers can upgrade to a Deluxe starter kit and apply the price of the premium kit to the price.

Electronic cigarettes from South Beach Smoke flash vaporize a nicotine solution creating liquid vapor that looks and feel like real smoke – but is not real smoke. They look nearly identical to traditional cigarettes but are odorless, reusable and electronic, making them more convenient and affordable than cigarettes. South Beach Smoke electronic cigarettes also have disposable cartridges with a variety of cartridge flavor options including tobacco, vanilla, cherry, menthol, and chocolate.

If you’re a soldier or vet, get your Free PROMO E Cigs here.

Can Electronic Cigarettes Help Quit Smoking?

There isn’t an definitive answer to the question of whether e-cigs can help people quit smoking traditional cigarettes because there haven’t been any official studies. Browsing the Internet on e-cig information sites, you’ll find plenty of testimonials. You’ll find little counters displaying how much money people have saved and how many traditional cigarettes they’ve avoided with electric cigarettes.

But they’re still smoking, right? Well, not really.

Electric cigarettes contain no tobacco, tar, carcinogens, carbon monoxide or secondhand smoke. When puffed, e-cigs emit a vapor mist that resembles smoke. They do contain nicotine (the whole purpose) and propylene glycol, the substance used in fog machines.

Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids joined together for a press release demanding a New Jersey senator to call on the FDA to remove electric cigarettes from the market.

They argue that no studies have been done on electric cigarettes to determine if they are harmful or if they aid in quitting smoking. The FDA has said that both nicotine and propylene gylcol are safe for general use, though.

Because they don’t have tobacco in them, electric cigarettes would not fall under new anti-tobacco legislation signed by President Barack Obama on June 23.

Electric cigarettes can be used anywhere and are sold legally at kiosks and on web sites around the country, where smokers, nonsmokers and those wanting to quit are taking notice. Smokers who want to quit are finding smoking e-cigs helpful in reducing or eliminating traditional cigarettes all together, and non-smokers are happy that electronic cigarettes don’t smell. Seems to be a win-win, don’t you think?

Again, no official studies have been performed to say that electronic cigarettes can help quit smoking, but they are certainly an alternative to smoking. E-cig smokers, or vapers as they say, can generally choose their level of nicotine, or even opt for non-nicotine cartridges in a myriad of flavors. In most cases, e-cigs are about 50% to 75% cheaper than traditional cigarettes as well.