As an alternative to lighting up cigarettes which has been banned in public dining and drinking establishments in the U.K., a British firm will introduce to the market in December liquid smoking.

The drink, made of a South African herbal extract, mimics the sensation of puffing a cigarette, minus the cancer-causing smoke and nicotine. The manufacturer, United Drinks and Beauty Corporation, claims, quoted by Guardian Unlimited, "the drink has a slight energizing effect, followed by a euphoric sense of calming and relaxation, like the satisfaction of your cigarette."

To help Germany's millions of smokers quit the habit, the country's Federal Medical Society proposed Tuesday to reclassify tobacco addiction as an ailment.

According to German physicians, the idea behind the reclassification is to add pressure on nicotine addicts by placing a sick label to spur them to seek medical assistance.

Convicted "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski has written a letter complaining to a three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals panel about the display of his 10-by-12-foot cabin as a central artifact in an exhibition at the Newseum marking the FBI centennial.

The Smoking Gun article, "Kaczynski Angered By Predatory Home Loan: Unabomber raps feds for allowing cabin's display at D.C. museum," includes a three-page, handwritten letter from Kaczynski, dated July 15, that relates how Kaczynski learned about the display when he received a "full-page, full-color advertisement that features my cabin, which is being displayed publicly at something called a 'Newseum.'"

For some people the first puff of smoke they tried felt repulsive while for others those puffs came with a rush of pleasure. Researchers have identified a gene variant that may help explain why some smokers get addicted from their first cigarette while others seem immune to the addictive properties of tobacco.

The paper published online in the journal Addiction reports an association between a variant in the nicotine receptor gene CHRNA5, initial smoking experiences and current smoking patterns. This gene is far more common among smokers than in those who have the occasional cigarette.

The European Union wants members of the 27-member bloc protected not only against lung cancer from cigarette smoke, but also deaths caused by cigarette fire.

By introducing self-extinguishing cigarettes, 2,000 lives could be saved in the EU annually, the EU Commissioner for Consumer Affairs said. The German Fire Departments' Association supported the initiative.