Electronic cigarettes, better known as "vapes," are a new technology that is sweeping the nation. Even if you've never heard of one, you've probably seen people with them all across campus. They look like boxes with a tube on top and when people smoke them, they emit a large cloud of water vapor.

Along with these boxes comes "e-liquid," a syrup-like substance that goes into the tank of the vape. They come in a wide variety of flavors ranging from original tobacco to chocolate-covered strawberry to apple Jolly Rancher, giving vapers a wide variety of choices to pick from. You can also choose the amount of nicotine you want to ingest, ranging anywhere from no nicotine to 32mg of nicotine. Are vapes making cigarettes a thing of the past?

While this new technology is still in its early stages, it's gaining popularity and very fast. These vapes are supposed to help smokers quit by providing the same sensation as smoking, but without all the harmful chemicals. A regular cigarette contains thousands of carcinogens and chemicals, while the vaporizer juice only contains three or four ingredients, none of which has proven to be harmful.

Since the fad is still new, there isn’t much scientific evidence to ultimately tell people whether or not these devices are actually harmful, but there have been some studies in progress. One study that was conducted by the British American Tobacco Company claimed that smoking a vape does just as much damage to air passageways as breathing in regular air. This also eliminates the presence of second hand smoke or any odor that a traditional cigarette gives off.

Another major study was conducted by the British Health Department. They concluded that smoking an electronic cigarette is 95 percent safer than smoking traditional cigarettes. They also concluded that vapes are in no way causing more teenagers and non-smokers to start smoking.

Vapes are also very customizable. There are many different brands, sizes of tanks, and boxes. If you are interested in just trying to quit smoking, go for a simple vape and a juice with a high amount of nicotine. Gradually work your way down until eventually, you don’t need nicotine at all. If you’re looking to just enjoy the flavor and exhale a lot of smoke, go for a more expensive vape with less nicotine in it.

With every product there comes pros and cons. Many rechargeable vaporizers cost somewhere around $100 plus, not including e-juice, extra parts and batteries. If you’re on a budget and still want to try vaping, there are low-cost disposable options sold in many convenience stores.

Also, since they use batteries and electricity, they can be flammable. While the chances of this happening are very low, it is still possible. When you buy your vape, you should go to a vapor store and have a professional assemble it for you just to make sure it's properly set up.

I’m in no way advocating the use of electronic cigarettes and am not an owner of one, but this is the future. Cigarettes kill more than six million people per year, more than double the amount of people killed by alcohol. Once people learn not to be afraid of vapes and accept them, then we could be the generation that ends smoking cigarettes for good.