Chris has got you pointed in the right direction.
The main reason I switched from enamels to acrylics is the lack of fumes in acrylics. Most of them are water based, and while it is still not a good idea to breathe the atomized paints, they don't have the fumes associated with enamel and laquer thinners.
Cleanup is normally with water as opposed to thinner. I frequently use the MikeV's Famous Recipe Airbrush Cleaner (2 parts distilled water, 1 part Windex, 1 part Simple Green) but for in-between color changes I just blow plain old water through my airbrush.
I also like them because they dry quickly (as in minutes as opposed to hours). Once you get used to them, they are great. Personally I'd never go back to enamel again.
If you are brush painting, I'd stay away from them. I haven't had a lot of luck hand painting with acrylics, they just dry too fast. The paint dries in whatever you are using to hold pain, it dries on the brush, and it dries on the surface. Using acrylic retarder helps a lot, and admittedly I don't do much hand brushing at all, but I much prefer enamels for brush painting anything larger than small detail.