FAQ`s

As the founder of iCIG.co.uk, I will ensure that all your questions are answered as accurately as possible and in a timely manner! However I have set out below some commonly asked questions followed by my responses to those questions. Happy electric smoking! Mr Sunny Sahota, Founder of iCIG.co.uk

Does size matter?

Yes, it does! As a rule of thumb the bigger the iNTELLiGENT cigarette, the longer the battery and cartridge will last! iNTELLiGENTLY we stock 103mm cigarettes which is the perfect balance between performance, lasting power and aesthetics, as this length remains compact enough to look fashionable. Other brands sell products as small as 80mm in length, however they are not nearly as efficient and give just half the cartridge and battery length of an iCiG. Smaller products only work well if you smoke less than 5-a-day - which doesn’t apply to many of us. If you smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day, I suggest you purchase a iCIG. With its cordless changing unit we ensure powerful smoking sessions throughout the day.

I’m budget driven; I can save £5 elsewhere, why choose iCIG?

Sometimes the product you receive doesn’t match the description or live up to its promises, however you are unable to complain because the seller is in another country or there are no customer service standards. All complaints and feedback are fed back to me personally and I will respond to each person as a matter of priority. This gives you peace of mind that all complaints will be dealt with to your satisfaction, and any feedback and opinions will be personally considered by me.

Have you ever purchased a product and found it cheaper elsewhere afterwards? With iCIG.co.uk this will never happen - iCIG offer a “Price Promise” guarantee to all buyers that they will not find our products cheaper by 10% anywhere else, or we will refund 110% of the difference.

I understand that some people will always be attracted to saving 5p per cartridge (£2.50 per 50 cartridges) and my response would be to ask you to buy from the cheapest you can find and then try our products; we are entirely confident that the difference in quality will be evident from day one of consumption. For example, imagine buying a cartridge for 50p which is the equivalent of 5-8 cigarettes. Now imagine paying 55p for one which has 150% MORE lasting power during its lifespan. The facts will speak for themselves and by paying that little bit more for quality, you will inevitably realise that you are getting far more back in terms of efficiency. This is why you may be able to find a slightly cheaper product on the market but that is just what it is - cheaper. With iCIGs you are not only paying for the best quality but the best value. The contents of our cartridges come from SGS approved oil plants and can always be traced back to their authentic origins, whereas the cheaper products can contain untraceable contents which may well have been obtained from international ‘black markets’.

We have made it our mission to become a one-stop shop for your electric smoking needs. We want to serve you and we want you to look to us only for your needs. Officially launched in 2009, we are expecting to offer a huge range of products to you by the end of 2009. If you see it elsewhere you will see it here soon, but only once our products have undergone rigorous product testing and sampling. The sampling we conduct is sometimes carried out through our valued customers once the product has passed all safety tests and requirements, for example we may give an item to you for free in exchange for your valued customer opinion.

I’m not budget driven and I’m a loyal customer. I just want quality and transparency, can you offer this?

This is exactly what I demand from my suppliers! I will always be open and honest with you. Unlike some well-known internet website sellers and online-only retailers (who will move on to the ‘next’ product in a few months time) we focus only on electric cigarettes, quit smoking aids and associated items. This being our core business means that we value our customers and are always focused on maintaining and improving our main product wherever possible. I will always ensure you are not misled in any way and are given clear, honest information about our products and services. Any questions you man have can be emailed to us and we will respond accordingly. We take a long-term commitment to our product and we never forget that iCIG.co.uk will not exist without your valued custom.

Is this really safe, it sounds too good to be true!?

It is. iCIG.co.uk does not make any false claims. It is true that the iNTELLiGENT cigarette, whether purchased from us or any other retailer, has not yet been given formal approved status by the NHS. This is because it is currently undergoing the NHS’s own rigorous and lengthy testing procedures. Its concerns are justified as the considerations for the NHS are far more extensive. Being the provider of health services to the entire country, the NHS also needs to consider budgetary and availability factors on a national level. For example, there currently is no way of preventing children from buying the product illegally online with someone else’s credit card. There is also the fact that this product is desired by the young to middle teenage population because it is cheaper and beats the smoking ban. These and many other health, social and budgetary implications will need to be considered and decided upon before the NHS can move towards formal endorsement of the product. However the benefits are immediately available to customers of iCIG! The individual components have been approved and we only use certified suppliers (CE, ROHS, SGS). The cartridge content must be certified to prove that it is safe to use, however the process itself of heating the content into a vapour is currently being investigated and tested in this country. In New Zealand, tests and research have already been conducted and it has been concluded that the process is in fact completely safe. I am confident that the same conclusion will be realised here in the UK. Our company has undertaken years of meticulous research and study, and as with any topic you will always find conflicting or outdated information. A GP told us that even if a minor health issue is associated with electric cigarettes (which would be due to the fact that nicotine is a medicine) almost anything is better than old fashioned flame-lit cigarettes and the myriad of deathly side effects they cause...and so it wins his 100% support.

How do iNTELLiGENT Cigarettes work?

The iNTELLiGENT Cigarette is a three part unit comprised of a battery (main body of cigarette), an iNTELLiGENT atomiser (the bit you can see only when you open the mouth piece) and a cartridge (mouth piece). The specially designed, rechargeable battery powers the atomizer. When you take a puff the atomiser draws nicotine from a cartridge. The liquid nicotine is heated into vapour and then delivered straight to the body via your lungs, mimicking the sensation of a traditional cigarette and giving you instant relief from cravings.

Every cartridge / filter is the equivalent to 10-12 cigarettes (10 for men and 12 for women) which may sound sexist but generally men take more aggressive and longer drags. We sell cigarette-flavoured cartridges / filters and will soon stock many other flavours toward the later part of 2009. They also come in two strengths (11 mg = Low and 24 mg = High) which means smokers can vary the nicotine content if their sole objection is to quit smoking altogether. Please note that the High content cartridge / filter is designed for people who smoke over 15-a-day.

Do you offer a warranty?

We offer a warranty on non-functioning units from purchase as well as items which do not fulfil its expected lifespan. We cannot cover damage caused accidentally or through misuse. Please see our returns policy for more information and ensure you fully read the instructions provided with each electric cigarette. Please contact us if you have any questions or queries about using the products.

Can I refill Electric Cigarette cartridges / filters?

It is possible to refill cartridges with smoking liquid. We will be supplying it in the future once we are fully confident it has been proven that it is beneficial for you, and not simply because it is saves on costs. Our current concern is that bottles of 20ml or more hold enough nicotine to do serious damage to a infant if consumed. We are considering supplying 10ml liquids because they hold less risk than high volume refills whilst remaining competitive on price. If you must use liquid I advise you refill a cartridge as normal but only until the sponge inside the cartridge gets burnt (usually after 5 refills to the same cartridge) and turns black in colour. Generally the cost of individual cartridges is around the same price as that of the liquid, and please remember that cartridges / filters were designed to be refilled only 5 times over. For example, monthly contact lenses are designed to be worn safely for a month. They can technically be worn for longer than a month, but this passes safety recommendations and is done at the user’s own risk.

Give me the technical jargon behind the cartridge itself?

The base liquid of the cartridge is a mixture of liquid-nicotine, tobacco extract flavourings and Propylene glycol. The liquid contains no harmful chemicals, unlike a typical tobacco based cigarette.

Propylene glycol:

Description: “Also known as propane-1,2-diol, it is an organic compound, usually a faint sweet, odourless, and colourless clear viscous liquid that is hygroscopic ( absorbs water from the air) and miscible (capable of mixing with water) with water, acetone and chloroform.”

Uses of Propylene:

Propylene glycol is used in some of following ways:
- As a moisturiser in medicine, cosmetics, food, toothpaste, mouth wash and tobacco products.
- In electronic cigarettes to make the produced vapour better resemble cigarette smoke.
- As a solvent for food colourings and flavourings.
- As a humectant (to keep product moist) food additive labelled E1520.
- As a carrier in fragrance oils.
- As a medical and sexual lubricant.

Dangers:

Propylene Glycol poisoning has apparently only occurred through inappropriate intravenous (straight into the vein) use, or accidental ingestion by children. However, you will need to ingest a lot of propylene glycol to cause harm. The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated propylene glycol to be “generally recognised as safe.” Propylene glycol shows no evidence of being a carcinogen or being genotoxic. Propylene glycol can be irritating to some individuals. The electronic cigarette is a relatively new product, and as yet does not have an internationally recognised database of clinical trials and evidence as to the long term effects on the smoker.

Who should not use Electric Cigarettes?

Use of the Electric Cigarette is undertaken at your own risk. We know that the cartridge in its liquid state is far healthier than a traditional cigarette and that UK tests are currently underway on the vaporising effects of this liquid. The Electric Cigarette contains nicotine which affects the heart and blood vessels (when you get a nicotine hit) but this is something that you cannot get away from with nicotine products. If this is a cause for concern, you can opt for the use of low nicotine content products. Products that contain nicotine are not suitable for:

1. Heart disease sufferers.
2. High blood pressure sufferers.
3. Individuals with weak or impaired immune systems.
4. Pregnant women.
5. People who are allergic to nicotine and nicotine-based products.
6. Anyone under the age of 18. Nicotine is addictive and iNTELLiGENT cigarettes are not toys.

During periods of consumer testing I also tried the products first hand. The nicotine hits you almost instantly (in 3-5 seconds) and it is very impressive. I will refuse to knowingly sell to individuals who fall into any of the above categories. I would advise non-smokers to stay away from the products, including the 0mg nicotine cartridge (offered by other companies), because:

1. They still have a small amount of nicotine in them
2. There are psychological aspects which encourage the addiction unless you actively wish to take up smoking.

The Law and the User.

The UK’s Health Act 2006 banned the use of tobacco based cigarettes in public places, which came into effect on 1 July 2007. The Act was introduced in response to the widespread damage to the health of millions of individuals in the UK caused by traditional smoking, as well as the huge financial strain on the NHS budgets in treating smoking-related illnesses. Tobacco based cigarettes can slowly kill not only the smoker but damages the health of passive smokers around them. The law has forced the nation to rethink its attitudes to smoking; technology has advanced; and it is time for discerning and health conscious individuals to take control of their approach to smoking by making an intelligent lifestyle choice.

Under the new legislation, smoking is defined as smoking tobacco or anything which contains tobacco, or smoking any other substance. Smoking includes being in possession of lit tobacco or of anything lit which contains tobacco, or being in possession of any other lit substance in a form in which it could be smoked.

The user of an Electric cigarette device is excluded from this Act as the device contains no tobacco; it is not ignited, and does not produce smoke from burning substances. This means you can smoke iNTELLiGENT Cigarettes on any type of premises regardless of the smoking ban.

I heard somewhere that these Filters contain 10 times the nicotine as 1 cigarette – that can’t be good?

This is one of the most commonly held false impressions about the product, concerning the amount of nicotine it holds. This myth is likely to have been generated by rival cigarette companies in order to spread false ideas about the product, simply by comparing true information unfairly. This can be answered simply in two ways:

1) A filter is the equivalent of 10-12 cigarettes (approximately 130 puffs) and so of course it holds 10 times the nicotine. When you buy a pack of 10 traditional cigarettes, you don’t smoke all 10 cigarettes in one go do you? For the same reason it is very unlikely you will smoke a whole replacement filter in one go. A 10-a-day smoker will smoke 1 filter a day (High filter = 24 mg per 1g liquid - so 1 cartridge which has 0.33g liquid holds 7.2mg of nicotine.) If a cartridge (high) contains 7.2mg nicotine and last 10 cigarettes; the nicotine dosage is actually 0.72 per cigarette (average analog is 0.8 - 1.0). The High content filters are designed for people who smoke more than 15-a-day and the Low content filters are for people who smoke light’s or less than 15 / day.

2) If you compare the product to nicotine patches, the strongest patch is over 24mg (the equivalent to over 10 x traditional cigarettes) however these products are deemed to be relatively safe and an effective aid to help quit smoking. This is because with nicotine patches, you get the same amount of nicotine if you were to smoke 10 cigarettes a day, but it is delivered to your body gradually throughout the day.