Safe Cigarette Finally Developed?

Cigarette smoking is dangerous, nasty and one of the most difficult addictions to kick. But is using a "safe" cigarette better than the real thing?

A British inventor thinks so, and he's found support from several wealthy investors, and a licensing deal with British American Tobacco , the company that makes Lucky Strike, Pall Mall and Kent cigarettes.

Alex Hearn has designed a nicotine inhaler that will provide a consistent dose of nicotine, and look and taste like a regular cigarette. The product is expected to be available in England in two years.

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, first reached the market four years ago manufactured by a Chinese company. The e-cigarettes are battery powered cylinders that look like cigarettes, but contain a vaporizer that delivers a puff of nicotine when the user sucks on it. The tip even lights up to look like a cigarette.

But smokers find that the e-cigarettes do not consistently deliver enough nicotine to satisfy their cravings. They are also not marketed as an aid to quitting, a lucrative market.