First smokeless cigarette to go on sale

[Aeternitas]

First smokeless cigarette to go on sale

The world's first smoke and tobacco free cigarette is due to go on sale.
The cigarette has been cleared for commercial release and should be on sale early next year.
Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, has decided the NicStic is not a medicinal product and has cleared the path for its commercial production.
Monique Helfer of Swissmedic said: "If we had classified the NicStic as medication, the manufacturer would have had to apply to have it covered by health insurance and therefore it would have required the approval of the Federal Health Office and taken a lot longer to get to the public."
Instead the Swiss invention aimed at smokers who enjoy smoking regardless of growing condemnation of the habit should soon be available for the same cost as normal cigarettes.
The smokeless and tobacco-free cigarette uses a rechargeable heating coil in a plastic cigarette-sized stick to dispense nicotine without smoke.
NicStic's inventors say their invention will allow smokers to "light-up" without annoying others with passive smoke and therefore avoid the increasing smoking bans in public places.
The company promises that dragging on it releases "a similar taste" to cigarettes without the health issues from tar, arsenic, cadmium and formaldehyde that a normal cigarette contains.
But Janine Messerli from the Swiss Institute for Alcohol and Drug Prevention is critical of NicStic and the Swissmedic decision: "Nicotine is what makes smoking addictive, and so this product changes nothing."




Source

[Milesian]

Sounds like a great idea. I'll certainly try it out.
Of course, there are ethical concerns regarding selling addictive products. But then again, there are also health benefits connected with nicotine (particularly it's ability to create receptor sites on brain cells, which is beneficial for Parkinson's sufferers, not to mention it increases alertness & concentration).

The main problems due to the smoke should be cancelled out with this new product, so it looks like a good thing.

I remember reading that a similar product has been available in Sweden for years now. Is that true?

[Aeternitas]

Whether it solves health problems or not is not that relevant here IMO, as smoking is a personal and voluntary decision and smokers must be familiar with their health risks anyway.

It does sound like a great step if it takes care of the cigarette smoke and odour. I understand all those that hate it

I don't know about Sweden, smoking in public places was banned there, though.

[Gil]

Damn, when (if) that comes out i'll be sure to try though I think the pleasure one feels from smoking derives also from the smoke.

[Faísca]

Sounds great, no more having to bear with others' smoke.

I'll certainly not try it out.