Im a 30 year + smoker and have used ALL the other smoking cessations (patch, gum, zyban, chantix, etc) and, while they have all helped me quit, it was only for a short time. I bought an ecig about a week ago and its similarity to smoking really helps the habit (hand/mouth affiliation) and there is the vapor that appears as smoke (you can even blow smoke rings). They taste pretty good but its different than a real cigarette. At this point I have not experienced any adverse side affects but it definitely relieves my cravings (which is a great!). While there may be some "unknown" health risks, I can't imagine that they could be worse or even as bad as smoking tobacco! I think ecigs are great! They are much cheaper than the real thing and I haven't smoked a real cig in 6 days! I hope they do some clinical studies to find out if they really are safer but in the meantime, I'll still use mine. I'd even be willing to participate in a study to determine its affects.