Herbert A. Gilbert – a scrap metal business owner - created the first e-cigarette in his Pennsylvania workshop in 1963. He received a patent for his invention in 1965. Gilbert called his invention the Smokeless Non-Tobacco Cigarette, and he invented it for exactly the same reason that the modern e-cigarette exists today: to help people quit smoking.

It worked much like today's e-cigarettes, since Gilbert's smokeless cigarette contained no nicotine. A battery was used to heat flavoured water, which was then inhaled and exhaled like smoke. Gilbert created several flavours for his device, including cinnamon, rum and mint. In addition to helping smokers quit, he hoped that his invention would appeal to dieters who might like to inhale sweet flavours rather than eating them.

A tobacco company was not interested in producing a product that could help people quit smoking, so Gilbert was unable to find a company willing to produce his product. A safer product would be an admission that cigarettes were unsafe, something tobacco companies did not want to admit in the 1960s. Pharmacies did not care either. There is also a question of whether the battery technology available at the time would have powered Gilbert's device. Ultimately, the Smokeless Cigarette was a great idea that appeared just a bit too soon.

Key Features of Gilbert's Device:

• Nicotine-free operation - focused purely on breaking the smoking habit
• Multiple flavors - cinnamon, rum, and mint options available
• Dual purpose design - targeted both smokers and dieters seeking sweet flavors
• Battery-powered heating - the foundation of all modern vaping technology

⚠️ Why Gilbert's Revolutionary Invention Failed

Tobacco companies refused to produce a product that could help people quit smoking, as creating a "safer" alternative would be an admission that cigarettes were unsafe - something they weren't willing to acknowledge in the 1960s. Additionally, the battery technology of the era may not have been advanced enough to reliably power Gilbert's device. His brilliant concept was simply decades ahead of its time.

The Favour cigarette was developed by J. Phillip Ray and Dr. Norman L. Jacobson in the late 1970s. It was not an electronic device. It was a plastic tube shaped like a cigarette that contained a tissue paper filter impregnated with liquid nicotine. Upon puffing, the nicotine is released into the airstream, which is then absorbed by the lungs. A single Favour cigarette would last about a day for an average smoker.

In today's article, Dr. Jacobson discusses the issues the company encountered when it came to storing the product; if it wasn't refrigerated, the nicotine would turn bitter. Nevertheless, the Favour cigarette has an important place in history because its creators invented the terms "vaping" and "vaper." Those terms are found in the original studies the creators of Favour conducted to prove that users of the cigarette actually absorbed nicotine from the device.

🏆 Historical Significance of the Favour Cigarette

• First use of "vaping" terminology - The terms "vaping" and "vaper" were coined by the creators
• Scientific validation - Original research studies proved nicotine absorption
• Non-electronic design - Showed that vaping didn't require electronic components
• Extended use duration - Single device lasted a full day for average smokers

⚠️ Commercial Challenges

Despite its innovation, the Favour cigarette faced significant storage and distribution challenges. The liquid nicotine would turn bitter without proper refrigeration, making it difficult to maintain product quality through traditional retail channels. This storage requirement limited its commercial viability and widespread adoption.

These early innovations laid the groundwork for the modern vaping industry. Gilbert's electronic heating concept and the Favour cigarette's terminology and nicotine delivery method became the foundation upon which today's sophisticated devices are built.

The technological milestones achieved by these pioneers - from battery-powered heating to controlled nicotine delivery - solved fundamental challenges that modern manufacturers continue to refine and improve upon.

Understanding this history helps us appreciate not just how far vaping technology has advanced, but also how the core principles established decades ago continue to guide innovation in the industry today.