Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/550310
40 tobaccoasia Common consensus even among the most die- hard tobacco consumers is that smoking is bad for one's health due to the plethora of hazardous sub- stances contained in regular tobacco products. Yet most smokers are unable or unwilling to kick the habit, either because they need the nicotine rush or simply because they enjoy the taste of a sophisti- cated cigarette, cigar, or pipe. China, the world's most populous country, has an extraordinarily large proportion of smok- ers. Depending on the source consulted, it is es- timated that up to 60% of Chinese males are ha- bitual tobacco consumers. Ironically, it is also this very country that as recent as three years ago gave birth to a new range of non-tobacco, nicotine-free cigarettes made from various blends of herbs and flowers. "More and more people seek to eliminate the harm that nicotine and tobacco additives do By Thomas Schmid A Rather Flowery Business to their health, so I was beginning to think how I could assist these consumers without forcing them to stop smoking altogether," recounted Matt Zhou, inventor of the TK-SAN® range of tobacco-less cigarettes and c.e.o. of Shenzhen-based TK-SAN Group Limited. However, Zhou wouldn't just set- tle for creating yet another herbal cigarette brand, but instead came up with a non-tobacco formula that very closely emulated the taste and aroma of genuine tobacco. Burying himself in botany textbooks for sev- eral months, Zhou embarked on a quest to labo- riously identify plant species that could serve as viable alternatives to tobacco. Another important stage was to experiment with curing methods that would bring out the distinctive aromas of the se- lected plant species. "For example, I eventually found out that tomato leaves developed a texture and aroma reminiscent of regular tobacco when Selection of product boxes Flower cigarettes Colorful array of flower cigarettes Chinese company offers a viable smoking alternative with its unusual range of tobacco and nicotine-free flower-based cigarettes.