ECigarette Intrigues FDA

CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- What looks like a cigarette and is used like a cigarette, but isn't a cigarette? The ECigarette, a new smoking cessation device meant to replicate the activity of smoking, which, like the real thing, is under scrutiny from health advocates and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The ECigarette even has a power indicator light at the end, which glows red to emulate a lit cigarette. Inside are a computer chip and an atomizer that help create a nicotine vapor, according to an MSNBC report.

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

A video on the ECigarettes Web site -- www.ecigarettesusa.com --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, adding users would be able to use the device in places where real cigarettes are banned, such as airplanes and restaurants.

If the product does what it claims, the FDA said it would need to be inspected, tested and regulated.
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