Smokeless tobacco product goes on sale

GEEZ!!! what will they think of next?

stupid

Well this will be less annoying for us non smokers but still isn't helping smokers with their health

And when will they release harmless tobacco? Maybe they are not interested in that breakthrough?

Am sure smokers will end up spitting on their neighbors so they can continue to spread second hand cancer like they do with their foul smoke in regular tobacco products.

Who knows, maybe this hew stuff is worse for others who are nearby . . .

Smokers should send their life savings to JT and then hang themselves. Would save a lot of time and effort.

Proof now that tobacco is simply an insidious drug, with any "social intercourse" argument dismissed.

Just a fix at any cost.

Why not just BAN IT ALREADY?

oops that was my point.. could you use this on a flight in secret?

They are pretty jacked up on nic... as you may notice on your next 6 or 12 hour flight... (patches)

Can someone be fined for smoking when there is no smoke? I suspect its relation to the real thing will be similar to the relation between zero alcohol beer and real beer.

This could be something like nicotine gum or nicotine patches that has been repackaged so that it looks and feels more like a cigarette. Will it result in mouth cancer?

Smokers should send their life savings to JT and then hang themselves.

If non smokers would do that then they wont have to inhale second hand smoke..... Zurc go and set an example, if we non smokers all hang ourselves then the smokers realize how far we go to make them kick this filthy habit, thatll teach them a lesson!

JT = Grubby company staffed by grubby people. If I was running a bar/restaurant and I saw a Japanese smoker trying to use this "smokeless" cigarette - they would be turfed out onto the street with the other smokers.

Smokers smoke for the nicotine but are killed by the tar which comes from the smoke.

Therefore these smokeless devices are bound to be less harmful and I can't see anything that any reasonable non- smoker or airline could have a problem with.

I stopped smoking a couple of months ago and would kill to get a hold of one of these things just now.

and we will see these cartridges and caps litter the streets, parks and beaches.

If they make those sucking noises with this thing, as Japanese dudes love to make sucking noises, I am going to crack some one in the face

so much negativity in every post.

Smoking will never be banned, not in the near future, and as a non-smoker I applaud this idea. The one thing i hate the most is passive-smoking, so can you imagine a smoke -free izakaya? restaurant? pachinko parlour?

An awesome idea if all cigarettes were like this,

the_odeman -- how can you applaud something that is nothing more than a pleasant way of keeping nicotine addicts hooked? This is like giving drup addicts loaded hypodermic needles, or IV drip bags to morphine addicts. Sorry, but this is the anti-thesis of moral responsibility -- no surprise there since this is Japan and JT we are taliking about. And, it clearly proves that tobacco should be regulated as a drug, not a consumer product, since it is all about delivering nicotine.

the_odeman.

British pubs were worried that once the smoking ban hit they would be out of customers, etc.

Actually the reverse came true, their business increased as the smoke kept a lot of people away. Same with many establishments that went non-smoking or segregated smoking and non-smoking.

I will recommend this to my father.

"so much negativity in every post."

Some people just feel better when bitching and complaining... To me that's far less attractive then a "positive" person who smokes.

Bring on the smokeless cigarettes!

I'm for anything that will let me go to an izakaya and not come out smelling like an ashtray.

British pubs were worried that once the smoking ban hit they would be out of customers, etc. Actually the reverse came true, their business increased as the smoke kept a lot of people away.

This is not true. 52 British pubs are closing every week. People prefer to stay at home and smoke in comfort, drinking cheaper beer.

Zerostyle - a very apt name.

Moderator: Stay on topic please. British pubs are not relevant to this discussion.

Kenchi -- how "positive" will those smokers be when they get lung cancer? Those that you classify as "bitching and complaining" are simply recognizing the obvious -- that we'll all be paying the social and medical costs for all these smokers for decades -- yes, decades as it takes that long for the incidence of lung cancer to drop even if the number of smokers goes down. And we don't see a need to do that. Not when the issue is not really the smoke, but the danger associated with smoking in the first place. And we all know Japan and JT are light-years behind in recognizing that and doing something about it. For obvious reasons.

Zerostyle - a very apt name.

"....Japan Tobacco Inc on Monday started selling a smokeless tobacco product, expecting demand for its use in a variety of places including nonsmoking areas"

And there you have it. I expect JT to next make a tobacco product that is "safe for children, and makes them look cool!", arguing that since it emits no smoke it is not harmful, bla bla bla.

And seriously, don't these people think a little bit before they choose a name? I mean, ZEROSTYLE?? I think they are, as usual, just taking a catch phrase (Pepsi ZERO) or word and milking it beyond what it's worth. Off topic a little, but I saw Pepsi ZERO FREE the other day... I mean, aren't the free and zero supposed to represent the same thing?

Sounds good...this could be less harmful, revolutionary innovation of the good old cigarette. Many people want to leave smoking after the age of 40, this could be good for them as it sounds less harmful.

I am not a smoker but would like to try this smokeless cigarette sometime..any idea when and where can I buy this???

herefornow--- Well then, the fact that JT has come out with a product that takes the smoke and cancer causing agents out of the picture should be making you happy. But it doesn't... Should we also get rid of other addictive things like alcohol, the internet, caffeine and the other countless physically or psychologically addictive things in the world? Whats the difference and where do we (or more specifically "you") draw the line?

I say JTs new product is a step in the right direction.

as for your question... " how "positive" will those smokers be when they get lung cancer?" Well, I guess that depends on the personality. I doubt being a smoker or not has an effect of a persons outlook on life.

Comments such as " Smokers should send their life savings to JT and then hang themselves. Would save a lot of time and effort" and " If they make those sucking noises with this thing, as Japanese dudes love to make sucking noises, I am going to crack some one in the face" are not made by those that are simply recognizing the obvious. They are made by insensitive hypocrites that decide to take the high road. totally unattractive...

On one side this is good that it is not poisonous to non-smokers. On the other side JT and other such organizations are still peddling drugs, obviously dangerous poisonous material with absolutely no positive contribution. As for users, why are you so compelled to continue to suckle on this rod-shaped object?

I'm a non-smoker, probably would be called a non-smoking activist because of my sad history with smoking and cancer (lots of family members have died of smoking-related cancers unfortunately) but if this thing contains ONLY tobacco leaves and none of the other filth usually present in cigarettes, it's probably a step in the right direction. I hope it makes it easier for people to quit. Here's hoping!!

As for its usage, will it last longer than one day if you use it sparingly? Or is one day its shelf limit once you start sucking on it? If so, wouldn't that make people smoke more?

where are these being sold. As a smoker I am curious and would like to try one..

If they don't emit secondhand smoke, I don't see why people shouldn't have them. Even if they are harmful to the user, its their choice to do it, and if the harm to others is removed from the equation its not really a big deal at that point. Cigarettes have been proven to be harmful for decades at this point and people still smoke like crazy so if this helps clean up the air for those of us who don't, I'm fine with it.

I am so glad to see something like this on the market. With this product, Japan should have no problem going ahead and making a lot of places non-smoking! Maybe they will be less cowardly about banning cigarettes in restaurants, bars, etc.! Yay!!

I have always thought smokers should be allowed to smoke if it can be done in a way that does not harm others. I drink, I am aware of the dangers of alcohol and what it can do to my body but I am also aware if I consume alcohol, it is not harming someone else's health. Cigarette smokers, however, can harm others around them when smoking...or at the very least, cause others to go home with their clothes and hair stinking. This new product, if it is chemically similar to a cigarette, well, smokers know the damage they might be doing to their bodies if they suck those chemicals into their bodies. Their choice, it is their will. Now, I don't have to worry about "second-hand smoking" against my will. Great product. Bring it!!

Hey, as long as it's legal it's anyone's choice so long as they don't inconvenience others. As for the "we'll be paying the medical costs for these smokers" argument, wtf? How about all the fat people in western countries who suffer heart problems? And smith, this is Japan. The name wasn't created to please you.

"Consumers can use the product for approximately half a day to one day on a single refill cartridge"

Wow, 12-24 hours with a cigarette in your mouth! How much nicotine is ingested during all that time?

I'm curious as to whether or not they have done any scientific testing on this new 'product'. Sure it sounds as though it would be less harmful but who knows what kinds of chemicals they put in there. I find it rather disconcerting that JT can just suddenly whip up a new 'product' and put it on the market. Nicotine is a very addictive drug and yet they can sell it as if it were just chocolate.

Well, anyway, on a positive note, maybe there will less smoke in restaurants and bars. Then again, being an ex-smoker myself, I think most smokers will agree that half the pleasure of smoking is the feeling of inhaling & exhaling the smoke. Like the difference between swinging down a shot of tequila or sipping on a cocktail. So my guess is that only some smokers will try this product and many of those will revert back to their regular brand shortly after.

Actually I agree with most posters on this board, these cigs are no solution, they should ban those things completely, and anything what even resembles them, chocolate cigs, chupa chups, etc. Last week I almost smacked a kid for the head for making "sucking" sounds when he was sucking his thumb. Instead of that, I lectured his brainless mother about the danger of this behavior and the indirect link to lung cancer and high insurance costs. I think I convinced her, because she gave her kid a snicker bar to stop that sucking habit. Mmm I even dumped some ignorant girlfriend just because she wouldnt stop making those sounds in bed...better lonely and healthy than happy and sick. I understand the stance "I hate smoking, because my uncle died a horrible death"many people have, me too, for that matter I stay away from donuts, far away, I curse those round despicable pathetic excuses for a cake, after my dear step-uncle got hit by a Mister Donuts truck on the way back from a round of golf. He wasnt immediately killed by the impact of the truck, no what finally did the trick was suffocation by the thousands of donuts which rolled out of the truck. Anyway I hate smoking, smokers, smoke and that thing kindergarten kids have to wear here in japan called a smok so of course smokeless is completely unacceptable! At the moment Im trying to get some teachers fired at my sons elementary school, because they smelled like they had smoked, as an active pta member I think its my duty to inform the other parents of the dangers of fourth hand smoke, and even these smokeless cigs could still be smelling, it doesnt say smelless cigs. I rest my case

I've been using my electronic cigarette since January. After a weaning period (2-3 cigarettes per day) of about three and a half months, I finally put the real thing down for good. After smoking for fifteen years I now find the taste of a real cigarette to be what it is - bad. Unlike Mismo and a handful of other Japanese brands (until now I suppose), the cartridges that I buy do contain liquid nicotine. However, they don't contain any of the 4,000 chemicals that regular cigarettes do, produce no smoke or fire, are not a fire danger or a second-hand danger, emit no smell - in fact, they are ostensibly no more dangerous than a cup of coffee.

Kudos Kenchi - I started writing out all of the same arguments and then rechecked the board. Thanks for making the point.

For those that are interested in trying such a product, don't wait. Every "real" cigarette you don't smoke is a step closer to lung-cancer-free future (though, they are not a "stop smoking" aid - I now puff away as much as I ever did). Plus, I find time on a long flight or a train ride to take a "bathroom break" and curb my, yes, addictive habit.

Nagoyalove - I take special exception to you. You "almost" physically assaulted a child that wasn't yours for sucking on his/her thumb. And then convinced his/her mother that a sugary sh*t habit was preferable. Rethink that "brainless" comment. Perhaps someone ought to send the authorities around to your family's home based on your proclivity for violent intervention. And you're trying to get elementary school teachers fired because they do something that is perfectly legal? Good luck with that. WTF is "fourth-hand smoke" anyway? If your locked in an personal existential struggle against offensive "smells", I hope you continue to be disappointed at every noxious turn.

Ah, the smoking Nazis are in a lather about banning tobacco again. That will work great, see how well it worked with booze in the US. These are nothing new and I still prefer a real smoke but if I can use this thing on an airplane they might sell me.

Smokers are so pathetic, really no better than any other loser junkies.

Heard yesterday that 50% of all smokers in the US try to quit every year but only 2.5% of all smokers succeed. JT has you hooked. If they put tobacco in cow dung you smokers would eat it.

This new product may be better but there is no way to trust JT or any other tobacco company. For years they promoted lite tobacco as safer which was an outright lie. JT cares about one thing, profits. If it makes them money they will say or do anything to get their addicts to buy more. In the US Reynolds is putting tobacco in candy so kids can get hooked.

First off, Nagoyalove was being sarcastic and mocking about the fourth hand smoke stuff, smoks and Mr. Donuts truck. Unfortunately chose to do so after about 10 cups of straight caffeine, apparently! If you had been saying that stuff out loud, Nagoyalove, I think you would have passed out for failing to take a breath!!! LOL

Secondly, although I am on the anti-smoking side of the fence, I have to say...huh????:

Heard yesterday that 50% of all smokers in the US try to quit every year but only 2.5% of all smokers succeed. JT has you hooked.

How did JT manage to get folks in the U.S. hooked on cigarettes? I am confused.

I might be against smoking but I am not close-minded and don't think smokers are pathetic. I don't like the smoke, abhor being subjected to second-hand smoke, and yes, I wish cigarettes didn't exist. However, they aren't going to go away tomorrow and in the meantime, if there is a tobacco product that I don't have to share, against my will, with the person smoking it, I am all for it. As for people smoking, yep, cigs are horrid, poisonous and awful...but people who smoke them know this; the education and information is out there, they are grown adults, let them poison the crap out of themselves if they are consciously choosing to do so. As long as the poison is kept from harming others who do not choose to partake in smoking, I can live with that.

If I was running a bar/restaurant and I saw a Japanese smoker trying to use this "smokeless" cigarette - they would be turfed out onto the street with the other smokers.

The inanity is astounding.

Nagoyalove - spot on.