Q: I am a 26 years old chain smoker. Lately, my friends introduced me to a herbal cigarette called Nirdosh. I have surfed the Internet and even spoken to an ayurvedic medicine vendor, who said that there is no harm in smoking Nirdosh. I really want to quit smoking and smoke around 10 Nirdosh daily. Is it safe for me to continue smoking herbal cigarettes?

A:Herbal cigarettes are popular in Indonesia with no known advantage over nicotine and are probably as dangerous. They were once popular in asthma treatment with some success but the fumes can be irritating.