Smokers report a number of difficulties with current smoking tonics and smoking substitutes on the market. Smoking tonics and substitutes refers to products that are used by smokers not looking to quit the activity, but instead have something that they can use or do which substitutes for or addresses the activity or condition in places or situations where they cannot smoke by law, regulation or common courtesy. Some of these products include gums, lozenges or smokeless devices that do not contain nicotine, which is often used in nicotine replacement therapies (“NRT”) for smoking cessation. Government regulation of nicotine products is unclear. For example, the FDA is currently studying whether or not products containing nicotine can be sold without a new drug application (“NDA”) and without going through clinical studies and a formal FDA approval process. Smoking tonics and substitutes are distinguished from FDA-approved smoking cessation products.
There are a number of traditional, established dietary supplement and/or herbal remedies that offer effective tonics or substitutions for smokers in environments where they otherwise cannot smoke. One of these is the herb Lobelia, also known as Indian Tobacco.
Lobelia is currently sold by herbalists and by retailers specializing in herbal remedies and dietary supplements as a “Respiratory Tonic.” Descriptions of the herb in an online pharmacopeia published by the University of Maryland states this, “Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), also called Indian tobacco, may be used as an herbal remedy for respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and cough. Native Americans historically have smoked lobelia as a treatment for asthma. In the 19th century, American physicians prescribed lobelia to induce vomiting in order remove toxins from the body. Because of this, it earned the name “puke weed.” Today, lobelia is considered effective in helping clear mucus from the respiratory tract, including the throat, lungs, and bronchial tubes. Although few studies have evaluated the safety and effectiveness of lobelia, some herbalists today incorporate lobelia into a comprehensive treatment plan for asthma.
Various herbalists and naturalists have traditionally recommended that lobelia be vaporized using heat in order to avoid the by products of ignition and burning that accompany smoking and absorption of the herbal supplement. And, various retailers offer the advice to vaporize the supplement and sell heat implemented vaporizers. These vaporizers utilize heat to produce an ingestible vapor-like mist. And, these vaporizers are large, bulky and difficult to use in environments where smokers can no longer smoke, for example, social or workplace environments. As a result, lobelia vaporization is not considered a suitable or appropriate smoking tonic or substitute.
Accordingly there is a need in the art for an improved lobelia vaporization product and method of use.