We understand that, for true smoking addicts, it’s all about the experience – the feel, the smell, the taste. A stick of gum or a plaster on your arm just don’t cut it.

So, for those desperate to quit, the Gamucci could be the answer. It’s an electronic cigarette, which apparently has all the taste of the real thing but none of the tobacco.

A cartridge in the pen-sized device creates a vapour of smoke flavoured nicotine for the user to inhale. Smokers can get their kick, and also have that little moment of peace and pleasure.

And yes, the vapour is harmless vapour, so it bypasses the smoking ban.

We may have spent five minutes laughing hysterically when we first saw it, but we’re impressed.

There’s just one problem, though – it looks like you’ve stuck a biro in your mouth and set it on fire.

(Image: from SuperFantastic's flickr stream)