Han Li or Hon Lik () is a

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

pharmacist who invented the modern

electronic cigarette An electronic cigarette is an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such ...

Early life

Hon Lik (or Han Li) was born in

Shenyang, China Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu name Mukden, is a major Chinese sub-provincial city and the provincial capital of Liaoning province. Located in central-north Liaoning, it is the provi ...

in 1956. He started smoking at age 18. He attended

Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine or LNUTCM () is a university in Liaoning Province, China, with its main campus in Huanggu District, Shenyang and a branch campus in Dalian and an additional campus in Benxi Benxi (, ) is a pr ...

and graduated with a pharmaceutical degree. He joined the Liaoning Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1982.

Career

From 1990 to 1994, Hon Lik was the Deputy Director of Liaoning Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in charge of research and development of new botanical drugs. In 2003, he become Director of Western Technologies Corp. He was a co-founder of

Dragonite International Limited Dragonite International Limited, formerly known as Ruyan Group (Holdings) Limited (Simplified Chinese:如烟集团有限公司; Traditional Chinese: 如煙集團有限公司; Pinyin: rúyān Jítuán Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī), and initially, Golden Drag ...

, a Hong Kong company in health care, pharmaceuticals, and electronic cigarettes. Hon was Dragonite's

Chief Executive Officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

and Director for eight years. Golden Dragon Group purchased Dragonite in 2007. Golden Dragon Group sold Hon's e-cigarette invention to

Imperial Tobacco Imperial Brands plc (formerly Imperial Tobacco Group plc), is a British multinational tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, England. It is the world's fourth-largest international cigarette company measured by market share after Philip Mor ...

, the "tobacco giant" in Britain, in 2013. Hon sees the e-cigarette as comparable to the "digital camera taking over from the analog camera." He has said, "My fame will follow the development of the e-cigarette industry. Maybe in 20 or 30 years I will be very famous." Hon said "I really hope that the large international pharmaceutical groups get into manufacturing electronic cigarettes and that authorities like the FDA in the United States will continue to impose stricter and stricter standards so that the product will be as safe as possible."

Invention of the e-cigarette

Hon's original goal was to help himself quit smoking cigarettes. Ultimately, this did not work. He is now a dual user, both smoking and vaping. He filed patents on his invention in China, the United States and the European Union based on his 2003 priority application in China. The first electronic cigarette was manufactured in 2004 in Shenyang, China, and was called "Ruyan." The Ruyan had the same system used today: aerosolized liquid through a heating element powered by a

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

. He is now working on another product, the "e-hookah", to be sold in the Middle Eastern and North African markets.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hon, Lik Chinese inventors 1951 births Chinese pharmacists Businesspeople from Shenyang Electronic cigarette manufacturers Living people