“ECigarette” Sparks Interest From FDA

High-tech alternative claims to help kick the habit

Everyone knows it's unhealthy to smoke cigarettes but, how can you stop such an addictive habit?

Enter the "ECigarette."

The ECigarette looks just like a real cigarette with a filter. The power indicator light at the end glows red so it really does look like a real lit cigarette. Inside the high-tech smoking stick are a computer chip and an atomizer that help create a nicotine vapor.

The company that makes the ECigarette touts it as the best way to stop smoking but the Food and Drug Administration wants to take a closer look at it.

A video on the ECigarettes Web site demonstrates the product and calls it the healthier alternative to smoking.

"Your family will love your new cigarette choice...and your house will eventually lose the stale smell of real smoke," claims the Web site.

The manufacturer says you can now light up on airplanes, restaurants and other areas where regular smoking is banned.

But the ECigarette is drawing fire from health experts.

"It goes counter to what the public health community is trying to do." Serena Chen, with the American Lung Association said. "It raises the possibility that, because nicotine is in liquid form, people can get nicotine poisoning from this product."

If the product does what it claims, the FDA says it needs to be inspected, tested, and regulated.

The Web site sells the ECigarette with a rechargeable battery and a spare, a handful of cartridges and a charger for $150 but, of course, there's a "special TV offer" deal offered for smokers who take a three-week challenge.

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