History: Invention of the E-Cigarette

The history of the e-cigarette: the invention

Would the e-cigarette exist without the discovery of tobacco and the invention of the traditional cigarette? To understand the history of the e-cigarette, one must also delve into the general history of tobacco and the birth of the first cigarette.

1- The birth of tobacco

It is estimated that the first tobacco plants began to be cultivated several thousand years ago. The date fluctuates between 8,000 years ago for the American continent and 3,000 years ago for the European continent.

In Europe:

As early as Antiquity, the consumption of "tobacco" appeared in Europe. Similarly, in Africa, during the Egyptian era. At the time, it was not tobacco as such, but rather the practice of burning plants and using the smoke for healing or prayer. Eucalyptus and pear tree leaves were then used for smoking in a pipe. However, it is thanks to the plants cultivated in South America and Central America that the tobacco we know today came into being.

In America:

The earliest cultivation of tobacco is thought to date back to the Mayan era, approximately eight thousand years ago. The Mayans used tobacco for healing, but also in their religious and magical rituals, various social rites, and important ceremonies.

The arrival of tobacco in Europe:

However, Europeans only truly discovered tobacco after Christopher Columbus's discovery of America in 1492. Tobacco was then imported to our continent and commercialized. Its trade continued to grow in the centuries that followed.

It was not until 1843, however, that the first official cigarette was invented. It was then seen as an effective and inexpensive way to consume tobacco. Half a century later, it established itself as an everyday product and even became a fashion item, much to the dismay of health professionals.

Cultivated on every continent, tobacco became fully embedded in customs. Technical and industrial advances made it easier to produce cigarettes, which established themselves over chewing tobacco, the pipe, and even the cigar.

The filtered cigarette as we use it today made its appearance in Switzerland in the 1930s and arrived in French households in 1950.

2- The birth of the e-cigarette, a tobacco substitute

The creation of the e-cigarette

The e-cigarette as we know it today had a turbulent birth. Its creation date fluctuates around the year 1963. One thing is certain: it was the American Herbert A. Gilbert who originated it. He filed a patent in 1965, describing the very concept of a tobacco-free e-cigarette that could substitute for the traditional cigarette. However, this patent was never exploited.

It was not until 40 years later that a former Chinese pharmacist by the name of Hon Lik built upon the concept. Desperate about the state of his father's health, weakened by lung cancer that kept worsening due to his tobacco addiction, he sought an alternative. He then presented the first true e-cigarette operating with ultrasound, capable of vaporizing a nicotine-based liquid. The first patents for this device date from 2006. Subsequently, however, the ultrasound system was replaced by a vaporization technique using heat.

The launch of the e-cigarette on the market

The commercialization of this invention was delayed by a few additional years. Very recent, it only dates back to 2009. But it was not until 2010 that the operation of these cigarettes finally became safe. This marked the beginning of the development of the e-cigarette.

While the early days of the e-cigarette were marked by low-powered tube-format devices, manufacturers subsequently competed in ingenuity to offer increasingly high-performing models: powerful high-wattage box mods or slim and flat e-cigarettes. Today, every smoker can aspire to find the model that suits them best to quit smoking. We also invite you to read our article How to choose your e-cigarette? for more clarity.

The birth of the website: levapoteur-discount.fr

Faced with prices considered far too high by many consumers, levapoteur-discount.fr entered the market in 2014 to offer a range of products centered around the best e-cigarettes at lower prices. Aware of the benefits of using an e-cigarette rather than a traditional tobacco cigarette, levapoteur-discount.fr took the opportunity to develop its range of affordable vapes and cheap e-liquid for e-cigarettes across the whole of France. Unfortunately, the company quickly noted that switching to the e-cigarette was more financially challenging. Its affordable range therefore came at just the right time and offers a pleasant and complete alternative to the regular cigarette.