You've heard of e-mails and e-cards but what about e-cigarettes? It might sound strange but battery powered cigarettes are already in many Midwest states.  And despite some controversy with health groups, they're proving popular with smokers.

For many smokers, the sound of a lighter is all too familiar. But it might become a sound of the past, as one company wants to change the way some smokers light up.

"Electronic cigarette. It's an alternative version of smoking," distributor Mike Wehrkamp said.

An e-cigarette looks, feels and tastes just like the real thing but it's the smoke you're seeing that's different.

"When you do see smoke, you're seeing a vapor," Wehrkamp said.

Distributors of the brand Smoke 51 say that vapor is a major asset. Because 25 states have put smoking bans in place, Wehrkamp says an odorless cigarette could be an alternative. 

"It's no smell, and it's so they can smoke it bars, casinos, in their business," Wehrkamp said.

With a cartridge of nicotine, Wehrkamp says users aren't getting most of the ingredients real cigarettes carry.

"You're not getting all the other additives and everything like you are in cigarettes. Just smoking straight nicotine," Wehrkamp said.

The leven of nicotine is adjustable, with 12 being the highest level and zero the lowest.

"When you smoke a cigarette, you light it and it feels like you have to smoke the whole thing. Here, you'll take two to three puffs and your brain will say got enough nicotine," Wehrkamp said.

Just like a cell phone, the kit comes with a home charger. Charge the e-cigarette overnight and it's good for up to 8 hours.

Comparable to the cost of 2 packs of cigarette, Wehrkamp says people are buying.

"The response has been great right now," Wehrkamp said.

The American Lung Association, along with other health organizations, has called for the cigarettes to be removed from the market, saying they have yet to be proven safe. The Food and Drug Administration has stopped shipments at the border earlier this year because of safety concerns.