E-cigarette sales on the rise

Marlboro-maker Altria is expected to jump into the e-cigarette market, as sales heat up.

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It’s been decades since cigarettes like Virginia Slims were considered trendy and fashionable when Don Draper of Mad Men fame could light up at will and giving a carton of cigarettes was considered an appropriate holiday gift.

-“It looks so bright and colorful under my dear Christmas tree.”

But today with the dangers of tobacco smoke plastered on every packet,

-“We are having a LED light here.”

A new generation of smokeless cigarettes are gaining investor attention and even celebrity support.

-“This is remarkable.”

-“I know!”

With these cigarettes, nicotine is heated up, creating a smokeless vapor and to the dismay of some in the health industry who worry about their safety, sales are rising. E-cigarette sales are expected to double this year to a $1 billion market with dozens of brands to choose from. Investors who used the smoke out opportunity in the trendy dotcoms are seeking cash and into the smokeless products. Former Facebook president and brains behind Napster, Sean Parker, is among the investors pouring a whopping $75 million into NJOY, one of the leading e-cigarette makers.

Bedford Slims, a smokeless cigarette startup based in Brooklyn, is also attracting outside interest.

-"I started with about a $5,000 investment and throughout that course of the year, I raised about $15, 000,"

And don’t think smokeless tobacco isn’t sniffing out of opportunity.

-"Today we are unveiling our latest transformative product that is Vuse digital vapor cigarettes."

Last week, RJ Reynolds, the makers of Camel, Winston and Salem cigarettes, rolled out Vuse.

Reynolds is not worried that people will turn away from traditional tobacco just yet.

"There will be some level of cannibalization; however it's aligned with our transformation strategy. We’ve got to provide smoke-free alternatives."

Smoke-free alternatives are only lightly regulated by the government.

-“Developed in the USA.”

But there's nothing stopping them from being advertised on TV and in magazines. Without government intervention, big tobaccos may be back on the airwaves in a big way.

Meggie Lake, CNN, New York.