Herbal cigarettes (also called tobacco-free cigarettes or nicotine-free cigarettes) are

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...

s that usually do not contain any

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

nicotine Nicotine is a naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and '' Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As a pharmaceutical drug, it is use ...

, instead being composed of a mixture of various

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicina ...

s and/or other plant material. However, Chinese herbal cigarettes contain tobacco and nicotine with herbs added, unlike European and North American herbal cigarettes which have tobacco and nicotine omitted. Like herbal smokeless tobacco, they are often used as a substitute for standard tobacco products (primarily cigarettes). Herbal cigarettes are often advertised as a

smoking cessation Smoking cessation, usually called quitting smoking or stopping smoking, is the process of discontinuing tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, which is addictive and can cause dependence. As a result, nicotine withdrawal often m ...

aid. They are also used in acting scenes by performers who are non-smokers, or where anti-smoking legislation prohibits the use of tobacco in public spaces. Herbal cigarettes can carry

carcinogens A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive sub ...

Construction

Paper and filter

Herbal cigarettes are most often made using standard-issue

rolling paper Rolling paper is a specialty paper used for making cigarettes (commercially manufactured filter cigarettes and individually made roll-your-own cigarettes). Rolling papers are packs of several cigarette-size sheets, often folded inside a cardboa ...

s and cigarette filters, bundled together.

Herbal blend

A wide range of consumable products may be used as a filling, in lieu of tobacco.

Corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...

silk and a number of flavorful herbs, such as

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAE ...

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakf ...

lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

, have been utilized by a wide number of herbal cigarette producers. Other manufacturers have included non-herbs like

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

petals or

clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

leaves. Some use the flavorless

bagasse Bagasse ( ) is the dry pulpy fibrous material that remains after crushing sugarcane or sorghum stalks to extract their juice. It is used as a biofuel for the production of heat, energy, and electricity, and in the manufacture of pulp and building ...

and make the herbal cigarette depend on the flavoring; this is especially common in shisha. Some are made with dried

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, ...

leaves or shredded

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...

leaves.

Toxic chemicals

Tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bi ...

: The tar level was found at 5.5 mg/cig, which was higher than the package indicated. In South Korea, a study found that tar levels were higher than the tolerance range set by the South Korean tobacco business law. Chinese herbal cigarettes were found to have the same amount of tar as regular cigarettes. *

Carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide ( chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simpl ...

(CO): In a South Korean study there was carbon monoxide detected at 12.30 ± 0.30 mg/cig. Vegetable-based herbal cigarettes can produce carbon monoxide equivalent to regular cigarettes. *

Aromatic amine In organic chemistry, an aromatic amine is an organic compound consisting of an aromatic ring attached to an amine. It is a broad class of compounds that encompasses aniline Aniline is an organic compound with the formula C6 H5 NH2. Consi ...

4-aminobiphenyl 4-Aminobiphenyl (4-APB) is an organic compound with the formula C6H5C6H4NH2. It is an amine derivative of biphenyl. It is a colorless solid, although aged samples can appear colored. 4-Aminobiphenyl was commonly used in the past as a rubber anti ...

, a group 1 carcinogen, was marginally higher in herbal cigarettes than in regular cigarettes and

1-aminonaphthalene 1-Naphthylamine is an aromatic amine derived from naphthalene. It can cause bladder cancer (transitional cell carcinoma). It crystallizes in colorless needles which melt at 50 °C. It possesses a disagreeable odor, sublimes readily, and turns ...

, 2-aminonaphthalene, and 3-aminobiphenyl was lower in herbal cigarettes than in regular cigarettes. *

Smoke Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-produc ...

condensate Condensate may refer to: * The liquid phase produced by the condensation of steam or any other gas * The product of a chemical condensation reaction, other than water * Natural-gas condensate, in the natural gas industry * ''Condensate'' (album) ...

: The

mutagen In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations can cause cancer i ...

ic aspect of the smoke condensate of herbal cigarettes is similar to regular cigarettes.

Health effects

Research shows that herbal cigarettes compared with regular cigarettes can be just as harmful in terms of the

they carry. Dr. John Moore-Gillan, chairman of the British Lung Foundation, states the addictive qualities to herbal cigarettes may be taken out, however other harmful elements remain. A study on Chinese herbal cigarettes found they had about the same amount of carcinogens as regular cigarettes. There are toxic components of the smoke of herbal cigarettes which are similar to regular cigarettes. Aminobiphenyl can cause bladder cancer. CO can be fatal in "low concentration of approximately 667 μg/mL." CO can cause coronary artery disease as well. Short term symptoms of CO include headaches, dizziness, irritability and difficulty breathing.

Herbal cigarettes in different countries

China

The Chinese tobacco industry markets herbal cigarettes as having health benefits, yet scientific studies show there is no difference to peoples' health between Chinese herbal cigarette brands and regular cigarette brands. Chinese cigarette brands are equally as addictive as regular cigarettes, although they are marketed as healthier. Chinese herbal cigarettes are sold in Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Canada, and Taiwan. People observed in a study showed they smoked more herbal cigarettes than regular cigarettes. Herbal cigarettes started in the 1970s and became popular in the 1990s. Two of the biggest herbal brands in China, Jinsheng and Wuyeshen, sold 1%, or 20 billion cigarettes, of all cigarettes sold in China in 2008.

South Korea

In South Korea regular cigarette prices have risen making herbal cigarettes a more popular smoking alternative. Evidence shows that South Koreans choose to use herbal cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid. Sales of herbal cigarettes increased by 118% in 2014.

United States

A study investigated smokers' perception on cigarette products thought of as "less harmful" than regular cigarettes. It found that there was 3.3% nicotine in some herbal cigarettes, which was higher than medical nicotine at 2.4%.

History

Originating from the United Kingdom in 1947, the presumed oldest brand of herbal cigarettes are Honeyrose and Black Swan. They are currently sold worldwide.

References

External links

* {{Cigarettes Cigarette types Smoking cessation Products introduced in 1947