Herbal cigarettes are cigarettes made up not from tobacco but from a blend of a number of herbs and other plant material. They were created in 1947 in the UK.

Other names for herbal cigarettes are nicotine-free cigarettes and tobacco-free cigarettes. However, they should not be confused with natural or non-addictive cigarettes. They look like regular cigarettes: have filters, standard rolling paper; and are smoked regularly. Next ingredients are commonly used in tobacco-free cigarettes: corn silk, mint, lemongrass, cinnamon, clover leaves, rose peatals, dried lettuce.

Herbal cigarettes are becomong more popular because smokers choose them to smoke in public spaces where tobacco is banned. Also it is considered that they do help to quit smoking.

Manufacturers of these cigarettes claim they are not just safe for the body but have healthy benefits. For example, they say herbal cigarettes help to remove toxins from lungs and increase metabolism, which improves digestion.

However, scientists have they own look on herbal cigarettes. Medical journal The Lancet published a study made by the University of Vienna which revealed that herbal cigarettes produce a level of carbon monoxide similar to that produced by tobacco cigarettes. A number of previous studies suggest that herbal cigarettes produce toxic substances.

According to Dr John Moore-Gillon, chairman of the British Lung Foundation, lack of nicotine in herbal cigarettes does not make smoking safe, because they still produce tar.

Clive Bates, director of Action on Smoking and Health, said that herbal cigarettes do have a lot of chemicals that cigarettes have, and therefore are not effective in smoking cessation.

It is up to you to choose what to smoke and in order to make the right choice you should be informed about the cigarettes. .