Want create site? Find Free WordPress Themes and plugins.

The Russel County Jail in Phenix City, Alabama has been offering electronic cigarettes to inmates since August 6th. This appears to be the beginning of a major trend as another jail in Tennessee began selling electronic cigarettes to inmates around the exact same time.

There is little information available and it isn’t clear if the two jails are selling the same exact product. It seems feasible though as the article about e-cigs being sold in the Tennessee jail mentioned that the e-cigs had be specially designed for use behind bars.

There is one main discrepancy though. The e-cigs being sold to the Tennessee inmates are costing them $13.50 each. The price to Russel County Jail inmates is a somewhat heftier $18. According to a county sheriff, the jail will make $4 to $5 profit on each e-cig sold.

It is possible that the price difference means the jails are selling totally different products, but it still seems likely that someone is charging more than they should. Most likely, the e-cigs being sold are disposable. Even the most expensive disposables tend to max out around $9 or $10 in retail.

Still, as we said with the last article about this happening, someone out there had a good idea. Many jails (Russel County Jail included) want to go smoke-free — but you end up with a lot of short-tempered inmates going through nicotine withdrawal. E-cigs can fix that.

One tidbit in this article that is of particular interest to us is this:

“The alternative form of smoking is not currently regulated by the FDA, but the station reports officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said they appear to be less harmful than traditional cigarettes.”

Is the CDC really saying that e-cigs appear to be less harmful than conventional cigarettes? A press release in February this year from the CDC said much the same as many other groups that are not willing venture out on a limb about the devices. Most just say there needs to be more research done before anything can be said about them. Perhaps they are starting to recognize the potential.