Several companies in China have begun to market a new “”smokeless”” cigarette. They claim that it is healthier than regular cigarettes because it emits no secondhand smoke. However, the cigarette is created to look like a normal cigarette, so it emits puffs of smoke. The electronic cigarette uses unnecessary resources, such as batteries, which most people do not correctly recycle and can leak mercury into landfills. If you have gotten to the point where you care enough about other people’s health that you do not want to expose them to secondhand smoke, then you are just about ready to quit smoking.

A fake cigarette is not a cessation device; it is a cute supplemental toy for smokers. It is so new that its effects have not been evaluated; who knows what types of poisons could be in this liquid nicotine cartridge? The manufacturers are marketing this as a smoking cessation device and as a healthy alternative to smoking, rather than what it is, a novel toy. Manufacturers need to be honest with the consumer, especially when it comes to claiming that this fake cigarette will somehow improve their health.

-ÿAlexandria Kassman is a creative writing and Spanish senior.