"Less filling, tastes great" -- a famous slogan that touted the benefits of a popular alcoholic beverage.
Well, now . . . "less cancer, tastes great" could be a slogan for a new cigarette that's intended to taste just like regular cigarettes but contains a reduced amount of cancer causing chemicals. Vector Group Unlimited, a large tobacco company, said the new product is due to hit the market as early as this summer.
A healthier cigarette sounds like an oxymoron, but it's for real, according to the chairman and CEO of Vector Tobacco. He released a statement saying there's no such thing as a safe cigarette, but the company has eliminated what's considered to be the most serious cancer-causing agents.
However, until this new wonder cigarette arrives, The Daily Helmsman tested alternative cigarettes presently available with smokers around The University of Memphis community.
The first product tested was Ginseng, an herbal cigarette containing no tobacco or nicotine. Ginseng is made of primarily ginseng, marshmallow and herbs, according to the label. A box of 20 costs a pricey $5.50.
The second product tested was tobacco-free herbal cigarettes called Ecstasy, which cost about $4.50 for a box of 20. It contains damiana, wild lettuce, catnip, passion flowers, mint -- and love and light, according to the label.
Jinesh Jain, 24, a graduate student majoring in biomedical engineering, said he has smoked for 10 years, and Marlboro Reds are his favorite brand. He sampled Ginseng.
"It's colorful; the cigarette goes with my T-shirt," Jain said as he pulled the bright yellow cigarette from the box.
After the first puff, Jain said, "It tastes like an herbal cigarette."
However, Jain said overall, Ginseng wasn't bad, but it wouldn't help him stop smoking.
"It's just willpower," he said.
Another smoker, John Stratton, an adult student who has smoked off and on for ten years said he is also planning to quit. He said Ginseng may help.
"It's very light. I want to quit anyway, so it might just help me to quit," he said. "There's not a lot of flavor to it, (and) it's got a weird odor to it."
However, other smokers had different opinions about Ginseng.
"Oh, this is nasty. It's just not good," said 20-year-old Anna Johnson, a sophomore English major. Johnson said she smokes about a half-pack a day, and her brand of choice is Camel, lights or menthol, depending on her mood.
Johnson also tried Ecstacy, which she didn't like either, but said it was better than Ginseng.
"These, (Ecstacy), have a mild bad taste; the others tasted like cow droppings," she said.
A U of M administrator also took the plunge and participated in the cigarette sampling.
Patty Murry, systems support for the Bursar's office, said she's smoked for over 20 years. Murry said she has tried several brands, but tends to stick with Marlboro Ultra Lights.
"They cost me a cough less than most cigarettes," she said.
Murry didn't care for either of the alternative products.
After the first few puffs of Ginseng, she said, "I can tell you I won't be spending $5.50 a pack on these. I didn't like it. At first it didn't taste like anything at all, and then there was an aftertaste."
Murry couldn't get past the smell of the all-herbal Ecstacy after lighting it. She said it smelled like something illegal. After testing the alternatives, Murry quickly lit a Marlboro Ultra Light to get rid of the aftertaste.
However, some students seemed to like 'Ecstacy.'
Real estate major Shane Evans, 21, said he found the packaging of Ecstacy appealing.
"The name's kind of sexy," he said.
Evans was raised on a tobacco farm, and his father works for a national tobacco company. He said he has smoked for seven years and doesn't do it to be sociable. He said he simply likes to smoke. Evans also sampled Ginseng, but said its lightness could make him smoke more.
"I could go through two or three packs of these a day easily, but they would probably curb some of my habitual smoking," he said.
However, other smokers said the alternatives are no substitute for regular cigarettes.
"I like my nicotine," Johnson said. "I crave nicotine. You only live once."
Another smoker, Damian Selzer, refused to try a sample.
"The whole purpose of smoking is to get some nicotine in your system," he said.
