CHISINAU, Feb 14: Scientists in the former Soviet republic Moldova on Thursday unveiled what they called a “virtual” cigarette, Infotag news agency reported.

The pseudo-smoke, already under production at the Chisinau Tobacco Factory (CTF) “creates the complete illusion and sensation of conventional smoking,” said factory boss Petr Poyan.

The tobacco-based product is suckled rather than set afire, and so may safely be used on aeroplanes and in smoke-free environments, he claimed.

A near-cigarette costs 10 to 20 per cent less than the real thing, Poyan added.

CTF has signed a contract with an Italian company to market the product in five European countries, with initial production of half-a-million dollars worth of smoke-free smokes every month, he said.—dpa