Most smokers are always on the lookout for a new way to kick the habit.

But the owner of a new shop in Brighton claims they don’t even need to give up.

The Vapour Trail in Elm Grove is selling what owners describe as a healthier way to spark up – electronic cigarettes.

Owner Jason Lee said his store is the first in the city devoted to selling the gadgets.

He said: “Since we started it’s been crazy. People of all ages have been coming in to buy them.

“It appeals to a mixture of all ages, including young people who might have just started smoking.

“But I’ve even had a pensioner who has switched to electronic cigarettes after smoking 20 a day for more than 70 years.”

The e-cigarettes are filled with liquid nicotine which gives off a vapour when inhaled, known as ‘vaping’.

Instead of the 4,000-plus chemical compounds given off by normal smoke, electric |cigarettes produce just three, none of which are believed to be harmful to humans.

After giving up his own 20-a-day habit at the age of 40, Mr Lee now smokes his |electronic substitutes “constantly”.

He said: “The great thing is, I can smoke wherever I like, at work, in the pub or in the |living room.

“I’m in the warm and with other people rather than huddled outside in the rain with a normal cigarette.

“That’s the joy of vaping – it gives you the freedom to smoke however you want.”

Mr Lee said the new gizmos were exploding in popularity – and said business showed no signs of running out of puff.

Each cigarette costs from £29.99 to £34.99 with the rechargeable battery lasting for around eight months.

A bottle of liquid nicotine costs £4.99 and lasts a week.

Have you switched from cigarettes to e-cigarettes? Tell us your story by writing to our letters page, emailing letters@theargus.co.uk or by leaving a comment.