we are me at the first ecc southern california electronic cigarette convention, evening-cigs were invested. sales have exploded in the use, $1.7 billion worth. let's go in and see what the fuss is all about. ♪ ♪ >> whoa. ♪ ♪ >> cigarettes aren't cool anymore, believe it or not. ♪ ♪ >> with smoking you have two basic flavors, tobacco or menthol. with this, you know, there is some days you feel like you are in a sour apple mood, other days you feel like you are in a lemon mood. >> i think it's the best thing do you think for yourself in you smoke. >> after losing his father lung cancer a chinese pharmacist named hung lee invested the first electronic cigarette in 2003 as a safer alternative to cigarettes. with e-cigs there is no combustion to produce the carcinogens found in traditional significant rerbgts instead a battery powered atomizer, that heats up a mixture that turns in to vapor whe which the user inh. the habit is called va -- ping. >> when i was smoking i woke up and couldn't breathe. >> there are major differences in the experiences, for one, e-cigs don't have the heat of congres