Herbert A. Gilbert: The Inventor Who Could Have Changed the World

Vapes are now a global industry, a technological innovation offering an alternative to traditional cigarettes. However, few people know that the first e-cigarette was invented as early as the 1960s by a man named Herbert A. Gilbert. It’s staggering to think that his vision and invention could have saved millions of lives and transformed global tobacco culture if he had managed to commercialize his idea.

Gilbert's Revolutionary Idea

In 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert filed a patent for a "smokeless cigarette." The invention was simple yet ingenious: a device capable of vaporizing flavored liquid to produce a vapor that the user could inhale. This would mimic the sensation of smoking but without burning tobacco—thus avoiding the toxic byproducts of combustion, such as tar and carbon monoxide.

Gilbert had recognized the dangers of smoking long before the tobacco industry openly acknowledged them. His patent description emphasized that his e-cigarette was a healthier alternative to conventional cigarettes. However, at that time, there was neither a market nor interest in investing in his idea. The tobacco industry, one of the world's most powerful sectors in the 1960s, actively resisted any threat to cigarette dominance.

What Could Have Been Different?

If Gilbert's vape or e-cigarette had been commercialized and accepted by the public, the course of history might have been entirely different. Smoking’s health consequences are devastating. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 9 million people die every year due to tobacco use, including 1.2 million from secondhand smoke. This is a pandemic that could have been mitigated—or even prevented—had Gilbert’s innovation gained traction.

Vapes Could Have Saved Hundreds of Millions of Lives

If vapes had become mainstream as early as the 1960s, hundreds of millions of lives might have been saved. Instead of smoking cigarettes filled with harmful chemicals, people could have used a product that eliminated many of the most dangerous substances. Cancer, heart disease, and other smoking-related illnesses could have been drastically reduced.

Reduced Environmental Impact

Cigarette butts are one of the largest sources of plastic pollution in the world. Each year, an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded globally, making them the most common form of litter worldwide. Approximately 65% of these end up directly in the environment rather than in proper waste disposal systems. This extensive littering has severe environmental consequences. According to A Non Smoking Generation, cigarette filters contain cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that can take up to ten years to decompose. During this time, they can leach harmful chemicals like nicotine, arsenic, and heavy metals, polluting soil and water and posing risks to both wildlife and humans. If e-cigarettes had become the norm, the environmental damage caused by cigarette butts could have been significantly reduced.

Electric Cars and E-Cigarettes: Two Inventions That Could Have Saved the World?

A comparison can easily be drawn to another invention that also took a long time to commercialize: the electric car. If electric vehicles had been commercialized and gained global acceptance in the early 20th century, the world’s environmental destruction might look very different today.

Emissions from fossil fuels are one of the largest contributors to climate change and environmental degradation. An early transition to electric vehicles could have weakened the oil industry's grip on the energy sector, and pollution from exhaust fumes, oil spills, and oil extraction could have been greatly reduced.

Just as Gilbert’s e-cigarette could have saved millions of lives from smoking-related illnesses, an early acceptance of electric cars could have spared the planet decades of environmental damage—a missed opportunity that still affects the world today.

Why Did Gilbert Fail?

Gilbert’s invention never became a commercial success. A major reason was the prevailing culture of the time. In the 1960s, smoking was still glamorous and socially acceptable. The health risks were not widely known, and there was little motivation to switch to an alternative that didn’t satisfy the same addiction. Additionally, Gilbert lacked the resources to bring his idea to market, and he faced resistance from powerful economic and political forces.

Pharmacist Hon Lik Brings Gilbert’s Vision to Life

It would take more than 40 years before e-cigarettes became a commercial success. It was the Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik (a heavy smoker himself) who, in 2003, developed a modern version of Gilbert’s idea. Hon Lik’s version of the e-cigarette used piezoelectric ultrasound technology to vaporize a nicotine solution and laid the foundation for vapes as they are used today by millions of people as an alternative to traditional cigarettes.

While Herbert A. Gilbert was the first to invent the e-cigarette, it was Hon Lik who turned it into a commercial reality.

New Ideas Can Transform the Tobacco Industry

Herbert A. Gilbert was a pioneer whose invention could have altered the course of world history. If his idea had been accepted and developed earlier, tobacco-related deaths and illnesses could have been dramatically reduced, saving millions of lives. His story serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing and supporting innovative ideas, especially those that challenge powerful industries. The future may have missed a revolution—but it’s never too late to learn from history.