Herbal Cigarettes and other tobacco substitutes

[avkid]

they cost 50 pounds, which is more like $90.

My mistake, that's even worse.

[Libby]

I'm mostly just seconding what is above, but Herbal cigarettes are HORRIBLE. But that is all you are allowed to smoke in nyc. As a smoker, the herbals make me cough up a storm. Also, read the ingredients, they have catnip in them! For a recent show the curtain comes up with two actors smoking cigarettes (herbals) and one actor smoking a cigar (real). We never had a show with less than 15 people coughing!

A good trick for non-smokers who have to smoke. With a safety pin, punch 3 holes in a line through the side of the filter (coming out the other side). The actor might have to pull a bit harder, but less smoke goes into the mouth and actors have told me that it's smoother.

[chops]

I don't know how common it is but I have seen more than two herbal shops which offer tobacco substitute smoking substances.  It is basically the herbal smoke mix but can be customized with different flavors and the smoothness is able to be changed also.  One of my friends smoked the stuff on occasion and it didn't even smell like wacky tobacky.  You would have to roll your own smokes but you can buy a roller and blank cig papers with the filters on them for fairly cheep. 

[austingresh]

I am working on a show in Florida where the director would like to use cigarettes.  Florida has a clean indoor air act and I have read court precedence that smoking on stage is still smoking.  The director doesn't like the fake cigarettes that blow powder because it doesn't look right.  He is afraid the the water vapor cigarettes will not have smoke that looks right.  Does anyone have any advice of what we could use or ways to get around it other than just cutting the cigarettes?
Thanks,
Ausitn

[jcarey]

I don't know how common it is but I have seen more than two herbal shops which offer tobacco substitute smoking substances.  It is basically the herbal smoke mix but can be customized with different flavors and the smoothness is able to be changed also.  One of my friends smoked the stuff on occasion and it didn't even smell like wacky tobacky.  You would have to roll your own smokes but you can buy a roller and blank cig papers with the filters on them for fairly cheep.

The important things that has been brought up to me about using the herbal cigarettes is looking into the health concerns with them as well. Since they are not a regulated industry like real tobacco there are additives and chemicals that may not be completely safe to the actors or to the audience subjected to the smoke. I have seen a few cases that the herbals come with a warning of not operating heavy machinery or driving after use of the cigarette; they also supposedly have a small affect likened to marijuana usage. Under those conditions and not fully knowing what goes into the herbals I would not feel comfortable having actors on stage with those.

One of the most important things before using herbals I think is to do a LOT of research into them before allowing their use. What EXACTLY goes into them? What affect will this have on the actor (or the audience)? Are these regulated? etc. Unfortunately under strict laws against smoking on a public stage I think currently the best options are to go with 'Puffers' or E-Cigarettes.

[loebtmc]

We used electronic cigarettes for "Tea at 5" and it worked very well. They are not cheap, but the battery lasts forever, and they look really good without any scent or (I am told) breathing issues for the actor.

[bex]

I second the e-cig option.  The one we used we could charge via USB (the future is now!) so we actually charged it using the cube for my iPhone charger, and because it's plastic we wiped it down with an alcohol wipe during our preshow every day- more sanitary than re-using a puff-puff. No smoke smell, no real fire needed (although you can "light" it with a lighter or match for extra realism), and you smoke it like a real cigarette. A little pricey, but infinitely re-usable. Just make sure that if you buy one, you check to make sure that the LED in the "ash" is the red kind and not some other color!

[jcarey]

The only problem that has been brought up by my colleagues and instructors is the fact that most (if not all) e-cigs are not yet regulated by any authority. Also, the FDA, WHO, and other national and global health organizations have not done proper testing and can't guarantee that these cigarettes are completely safe. Harmful, toxic, and carcinogenic chemicals have been found in cartridges from various manufacturers and nicotine has been known to be found in those claiming to be nicotine-free.

Personally, I see this being a great step forward for props and smoking on stage, but it really needs to be regulated, tested, and have support showing that we are not doing harm to our actors. In the mean time I would recommend that someone (props master, SM, Production manager, etc.) do the research on what exactly is in the brand of e-cig you are using and what (if any) testing has been done. Until a theatrical company produces a safe and legitimate e-cig for the stage I think we all need to be cautious and skeptical of all brands.

[MatthewShiner]

You, can however, "roll your own" liquid.  The vapor movement - which has some sketchy feet in with the drug movement - has a lot of information on these.  So, you can take out some of the risks by controlling what is in the fluid, and your have to just judge if the mechanics is harmful in any way.

But, legality wise, for non-smoking venues, this is your only options - and like smoking itself, the actor needs to make an informed decision about exposing themselves to this.

[smejs]

We, too, used an e-cig for the last show. Our options had two "flavors" - "menthol" which supposedly tasted like mint and "tobacco" which supposedly tasted like chocolate. Ours chose the latter and said it wasn't bad. Didn't know about the different liquids, but have to say it looked very good. Ours was also the USB kind with a red LED for the drag effect.

They come with varying amounts of nicotine in them (as a cessation device), so obviously use the one with 0%...

[VEsherry]

My school had this problem. We bought several e-cigs and took out the nicotine in it. It worked, however the smoke wasn't to noticeable, but it looked and acted like a cigarette. The smoke is actually just vapor and by taking the nicotine packs out its not harmful to anyone.

[maximillionx]

We have used e-cigs in the past.  We found it to work very well.  We even wrapped one in blackwrap in the shape of a pipe so a character could some marijuana.

[Caroline Naveen]

I've never actually worked on a show yet where they've had to smoke before. However, I did go to see one at a university that involved tons of smoking but the student actors were not allowed to smoke so they used rolled up lettuce leaves. It seemed to work, didn't really stink the theatre up and looked realistic. Hope that helps you...

[Jessie_K]

Due to Singapore laws, it is illegal to smoke onstage.  This is NOT due to a fire hazard or tobacco inhalation issue, it is a form of censorship to prevent corupting children.  (I'm not kidding)

Therefore, e-cigs or any tobacco substitute are also illegal.  Even a non-lit cigarette is not ok.

I recently saw a show where the actors simulated smoking using lit incense sticks.  I found it interesting because it conveyed the idea, but skirted (barely) the rules.

[jcarey]

My school recently did a show that would have usually involved a lot of smoking, but instead the director changed all references to smoking into drinking coffee instead. Not sure where exactly the idea originated, but I thought it was interesting.