Smoking just got healthier. Bravo cigarettes, made solely of lettuce leaves, look like the real thing but don’t taste like it and don’t carry health risks. They are meant to be a safer replacement for cigarettes and an aid in kicking the habit, according to the Boston Globe. “Bravo provides oral, manual and psychological satisfaction during the transition from smoking tobacco to smoking Bravo to not smoking at all,” said Puzant Torigian, the founder of the Safer Smokes Corp., located in Hackensack, N.J. “This may be the first time a new product has been introduced with the manufacturer hoping its product will become obsolete,” Torigian said.However, Samira Asma, an epidemiologist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, disagrees.”We would recommend other cessation strategies which have been evaluated, such as nicotine replacements like the patch, gum and nasal sprays, in combination with counseling and follow-up,” she told the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. At least two different kinds of lettuce, romaine and iceberg, are used in the cigarettes.The lettuce are cured by natural enzymes, pressed into sheets, shredded, then rolled much as regular cigarettes are, according to Contra Costa Newspapers Inc. The leaves also cannot be eaten – only smoked, Torigian said. The cigarettes, which are already available in South Florida, will debut in the Northeastern United States this month. They will be sold in packs of 10 and 20.Aaron Croston, a freshman in pre-medicine, said he would not try the cigarettes because he is a die-hard Marlboro man.Meghann Kennedy, a junior majoring in international business, said she was not interested either.”I would not smoke lettuce leaves because there would be no nicotine,” she said.While the cigarettes are not available for sale locally, some stores will carry them if customers show an interest in the product.Bravo is not available at Big Bear, but they will be willing to order it if customers really want it, said Keith Rogers, marketer at Big Bear. Dave Bennett, manager of Burning Leaf, also said he would order the product if customers showed an interest.

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