Chinese pharmacist who made e-cigs possible
July 21, 2025 by dailyexpress.com.my
Chinese pharmacist who made e-cigs possible
Electronic cigarettes owe their existence to Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who sought to quit smoking in 2001. Using nicotine patches at the time, he began experimenting with vaporizing nicotine using food additives as solvents. In 2000, he developed the concept of using a piezoelectric ultrasound element to vaporize a nicotine-propylene glycol solution, stored in a disposable plastic cartridge. After refining the device into a handheld size, he patented it in China, and the first e-cigarette was manufactured in Beijing. His innovations laid the foundation for modern e-cigarettes. Hon’s story was presented at the 12th Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN 2025) in Warsaw, where he has supported the forum since 2015, promoting tobacco harm reduction.
