At least two U.S. companies are marketing devices that allow smokers to dodge indoor smoking bans by providing a vaporized nicotine fix, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported May 5.

The battery-powered devices don't burn tobacco, but rather mix nicotine cartridges and water vapor that can be inhaled by users. Ruyan America Inc., one of the firms, says its products "allow users to effectively simulate the physiological and psychological attributes of smoking without creating any harmful secondhand smoke." The company makes the E-cigarette, while another firm, Crown7, markets an eponymous device.

The devices cost $80 or more, and each nicotine cartridge costs about $2. They are not marketed as smoking-cessation devices, and thus are not subject to Food and Drug Administration regulation.

"I didn't buy it to quit smoking," said casino worker Carla Westfall. "I know people who quit smoking with them. I bought it because it was too cold to go outside to smoke. I used it through the winter. Now I am going outside ... It does feel like you are inhaling nicotine."