An electronic cigarette includes a housing having an opening, an ascending/descending means which is positioned inside the housing in order to move a cartridge up or down, the cartridge which contains a solution therein, and is moved up or down by the ascending/descending means so that the cartridge is positioned inside the housing or protrudes from the housing through the opening, an opening/closing means which opens or closes the opening by operating in cooperation with the ascending/descending means, and an ultraviolet (UV) lamp which is positioned inside the housing, and sterilizes the cartridge by irradiating the cartridge with UV radiation. When the electronic cigarette is not being used, the cartridge can be positioned inside the housing in order to prevent the cartridge from being contaminated by impurities such as dust and the cartridge can be sterilized by UV radiation emitted from the UV lamp.
