Cigarettes — why not put a filter on the other end?
Excerpt from “Why Knot?” Buy the book at Amazon
Today’s cigarette filters are on the receiving end — between the cigarette and the mouth of the smoker. But much of the bad effects of smoking — to the smoker and to those around — are from the smoke that comes out the other end.
So why not design a filter for the burning end, a reusable plastic or metal gadget to put over the cigarette? It would allow air to enter so the tobacco could burn. And it would filter out harmful substances before releasing smoke into the air. Such a device could eliminate the odor of smoke as well. And it could also shut down after a period of inactivity, extinguishing the burning, as a way to prevent fires.
If such gadgets existed, it would make sense to allow people who use them to smoke in public places, since their use would eliminate the danger and even the odor of second-hand smoke.
