Thursday, October 27, 2005

Reality trumps the Onion

Reality trumps the Onion once again:

For years scientists at Philip Morris USA have studied how the human lung delivers a highly addictive chemical, nicotine, to the smoker's brain. Now, these same scientists are quietly laying plans to use their findings to enter, of all things, the business of treating illness.

A team of Philip Morris engineers and scientists is working on a new design for a hand-held inhaler to treat a variety of ailments, including smoking-related lung disease.
LINK: "Rx From Marlboro Man: Device That Delivers Drugs, Not Smoke" (Wall Street Journal, subscription required)

comments: 2

Joe Van Gieson said...

Apparently the Phillip Moris scientist have at last, been successful. There are now at least two products which do deliver nicotine without smoke. They operate by heating concentrated tobacco containing an inordinate amount of nicotine and disolving it into the water vapor supplied by the users exhalation. The devil will find a way and tobacco companies will find a method of maintaining their profits while the popularity of smoking wanes.

Michael Leddy said...

Yes, the electronic cigarette. Increased cigarette exports to developing nations is another noble tobacco-industry scheme.