Last week, a link to this video came across my Twitter. The claim was that there is a cigarette that is “mostly harmless”. Having smoked for several years (and having quit to be more healthy), I became intrigued pretty quickly. After watching the video, I emailed the marketing department, and Jim (the guy “not smoking” in the video) responded. As it turns out, NJOY is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ. Today, I had a chance to tour their offices, try the product, and sit down with Jim for some details on how it all works. If you decide to buy anything from NJOY, be sure to save 10% on your purchase with the coupon code, “Joe10“.

After watching the video, I had a few questions.

What is NJOY?
The short answer is that it is a non-burning, smokeless, (mostly) odorless electronic cigarette. By definition, it’s not even a cigarette. It’s really an electronic device that emits a nicotine vapor that is inhaled. There’s no flames, smoke, second-hand risk (that I am aware of) or any of the typical characteristics of a cigarette that annoy non-smokers. It’s more like a social improvement on the use of nicotine.

Can I really smoke it on a plane?
Legally, yes. When I met with Jim, he was happy to show me some helpful documentation. Included in this was a letter from the Transportation Security Administration, stating that because the device is not a tobacco product, the laws that prohibit smoking on a plane don’t apply. As a matter of fact, since it doesn’t produce smoke, it is legal to use anywhere smoking is otherwise banned. This would have been really handy when I was living in Detroit and had to brave the zero degree winter weather for my nicotine fix at work.

Does it cause cancer?
Smoking is bad, and NJOY seems to avoid the whole tar and carcinogens issue completely by providing a cigarette that produces neither. The main reason I quit smoking is because of the risk of cancer. I liked smoking, but I eventually got to a point where I decided that I was too old and too smart to continue spending money to risk getting cancer. While NJOY contains the nicotine that smokers crave, it doesn’t create the tar, it’s actually healthier than smoking traditional cigarettes. It does still feel like a cigarette, though. This is probably what I liked most about it.

It must be expensive, right?
The second motivator for me giving up cigarettes was the rising cost. I smoked about a half pack per day at almost $6 per pack. To put it into perspective, quitting smoking pretty much pays for my dedicated server at $100 per month. Had I known about NJOY, I would probably still be “smoking”, only without the health risks and at about half the cost. An NJOY cartridge provides about the equivalent of two packs of cigarettes, but only costs about $5. If you’re having a hard time quitting, switching to NJOY could be an alternative that will at least save you money.

Is there a smell?
I asked Jim about the odor. As a smoker, I hadn’t noticed it much, but as a non-smoker, the smoke odor that sticks to a smoker is pretty noticeable. I couldn’t smell it at all. While I puffed away at the cigarette model, Jim took a big drag from the cigar model and I leaned in to smell the vapor he exhaled. I had to try pretty hard to get the odor. The strawberry cigarette model smelled a bit like strawberries.

How does it work?
This is the part that has me so excited. I still don’t understand it 100 percent, but the basics are pretty clear. The cigarette comes in three pieces. There’s the battery (the “cherry” half of the cigarette), the actual vaporizing component that contains the microelectronics in the middle, and the “replaceable cartridge containing water, propylene glycol, nicotine, a scent that emulates a tobacco flavor and a membrane to suspend the ingredients” that makes up the “butt” end you inhale through.

When you take a drag, the vaporization process is triggered, vaporizing and heating the nicotine and flavor scent. This warm vapor is what you are inhaling, making it feel like a drag from a real cigarette and providing you with the tiny dose of nicotine. When you exhale, you expel the vapor, but if you are trying to not look like you are smoking for some reason, you can just hold it in. The thing I like about this process is that you can just take a drag and then not have another until you want it. Any smoker who has been interrupted during a smoke and saved that half cigarette for later knows the benefit I’m talking about.

The investment
I look at this like having a printer at home. You’ll save money printing things yourself at home, but you need to first invest in the printer. This isn’t much different. They’ve got a starter kit that comes with all the goodies you would need to get started. Then you just buy the cartridges. The starter kit is $110 ($99 with the coupon), which sounds expensive at first, but if you smoke a pack a day, you would make up that cost after just over a month of smoking. After that, you’d be saving money.

Is it for me?
For me, maybe not. I’ve quit smoking, so for me it would re-introduce the nicotine and probably start my habit back up. My brother, on the other hand would love this. He’s still a smoker and could definitely benefit from the savings and the convenience. The starter kit may actually be his next birthday gift. As for you, it really depends on where you are today. If you’re not a smoker, there’s not much reason to start, but if you’re already smoking, it makes sense to reduce the health risks and cost and be able to have that cigarette when you need it, regardless of location.

At the end of the day, I found that I really liked the product. Jim filled me in on some new things they’ve got in the works, too. I promised to not say what they are, but if the product interests you, subscribe to their updates (bottom of the site) to get informed. They’re working on some pretty cool stuff.