Eclipse (cigarette)

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Eclipse is a cigarette brand that was developed and is marketed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. They were first tested with consumers in 1994, and brought into limited market distribution in 2000. They primarily heat tobacco, giving off a vapor, instead of burning it as traditional cigarettes do. The makers claim that this produces significantly less smoke than normal cigarettes and no ashes. The company also claims that this creates a better environment around the user. Because of this attribute, the cigarettes are marketed as "present[ing] less of a risk of certain smoking-related diseases".

The American Cancer Society^[1]^[2] argues that the cigarettes are not as safe as the marketing campaign suggests, and that they should be removed from the marketplace: although they produce less tar and produce less second-hand smoke, this leads to a false sense of security, since the cigarette still contains high amounts of carcinogens. Other concerns are that they produce more carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes. R. J. Reynolds has countered by claiming that the company is not trying to market a "safe" cigarette, only a better alternative.^[3]