The present invention relates, on the one hand, to a tobacco substitute for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes based on a mixture of plant parts, wherein the mixture comprises plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis.

On the other hand, the present invention relates to smoking products comprising a tobacco substitute as well as smoking product substitutes comprising a tobacco substitute.

The present invention also relates to a method for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes in which a tobacco substitute based on plant parts is provided.

The tobacco substitute is produced based on a mixture of plant parts. This means that the tobacco substitute is limited not only to the mixture of the plant parts per se, but that the tobacco substitute may also be an extract of the mixture of plant parts or that the tobacco substitute may comprise synthetic equivalents of the extract of the mixture of plant parts, etc.

The term tobacco substitute refers to a material that can substitute for tobacco. Tobacco is a product that is derived from the leaves of the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum. Common smoking products such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, etc. nowadays comprise tobacco. In an ordinary cigarette, the tobacco is contained in a thin paper tube. In a cigarette that is a smoking product according to the invention and therefore comprises a tobacco substitute, in contrast to an ordinary cigarette, all of the tobacco or a part of the tobacco contained in the thin paper tube is replaced by the tobacco substitute. Common smoking products are further referred to as tobacco products. However, smoking of tobacco and tobacco products is harmful to health. Smoking has been scientifically established as carcinogenic, it adversely affects the skin, the blood vessels, the respiratory tract and the fertility, and it often causes cardiovascular diseases, etc. A number of chemical substances are also added during the production of tobacco products, making the smoke even more harmful to health. Moreover, smoking of tobacco products is not only harmful to those who smoke the tobacco products, but also damages the health of so-called passive smokers. Passive smokers are people who do not smoke tobacco products themselves, but inhale the smoke from tobacco products smoked by others nearby. Passive smoking is particularly problematic when tobacco products are smoked in poorly ventilated spaces.

Because of the numerous adverse health effects associated with smoking tobacco products and the adverse health effects associated with the passive smoking of tobacco products, the authorities in various countries have already taken steps to limit the smoking of tobacco products. In many countries, for example, smoking of tobacco products is prohibited in public areas such as schools, hospitals, stations, restaurants, cafes, etc. In certain countries there is a compulsory requirement that a warning be included on the packaging of the tobacco products clearly indicating that smoking of tobacco products damages the health. This warning is often accompanied by a drawing and/or photo showing a disease caused by smoking tobacco products. The minimum age for smoking tobacco has also been raised in certain countries, and the prices of tobacco products have soared everywhere because of taxes and excise duties intended to discourage people from continuing to smoke tobacco products without restraint. These extra taxes and excise duties are also necessary in order to finance health insurance funds, as smokers of tobacco products generally have a greater requirement for health insurance benefits than non-smokers.

The authorities also conduct or support campaigns in order to help tobacco smokers stop smoking. However, smoking of tobacco products is addictive, which often makes it difficult for the tobacco smoker to stop smoking tobacco products. The addiction to tobacco products is both physical and psychological. The physical component of the addiction is caused by the nicotine present in tobacco products. Like heroin and other addictive substances, nicotine has a stimulating effect, and nicotine is therefore one of the main factors that makes smoking pleasant. It increases blood circulation to the brain, and when it comes into contact with certain brain cells, neurotransmitters such as dopamine are produced. All of this results in improved capacity to concentrate, better memory functioning, an activating and/or stimulating effect, and a feeling of well-being. The activating/stimulating effect that can be induced by smoking tobacco products is referred to as the nicotine kick. Nicotine can also have a relaxing effect resulting from increased neurotransmitter production and thus alleviate stress in the tobacco smoker. Moreover, whenever the concentration of nicotine in the blood decreases, this gives addicted tobacco users a craving to repeatedly smoke tobacco products in order to avoid the coming withdrawal symptoms and maintain the nicotine kick. Among other factors, this nicotine kick is caused by maintenance of high dopamine levels by nicotine. Nicotine inhibits an enzyme responsible for the breakdown of neurotransmitters such as dopamine. A high level of dopamine causes favourable sensations. As nicotine is broken down in the body, the amount of neurotransmitters decreases, and with it dopamine levels, which increases the craving for more nicotine and thus more tobacco products. When one stops smoking tobacco products, thus stopping the consumption of nicotine, this causes withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, headache, anxiety, concentration and sleep disorders, memory impairment, a more rapid passage of food through the body accompanied by increased appetite, which can lead to considerable weight gain in the short term. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms usually disappear about 10 days after stopping smoking of tobacco products. The psychological component of the addiction is considered to be a behavioural addiction. This psychological aspect of the addiction chiefly depends on one's motivation for smoking. Smoking of tobacco products recalls the primary sucking reflex, and it is therefore satisfying in the same manner as a baby bottle or dummy in young children. In combination with a number of subjective motivations developed during the course of addiction, this forms an integrated whole that merges in the subconscious, where it is not subject to any critical analysis by the intellect, and becomes part of the behaviour of the personality. The strongly aromatic warm smoke also produces a feeling of mental well-being. Smoking of tobacco products is often linked, consciously or unconsciously, to a certain positive atmosphere. The action of lighting a cigarette quite rapidly becomes a habitual behaviour that can be more ingrained than the nicotine addiction. This psychological component of the addiction is often responsible for the fact that, after stopping smoking tobacco products, the smoker who has stopped has the impression that his/her quality of life has been reduced.

When stopping smoking of tobacco products, it is therefore necessary to deal both with the physical and psychological addiction. In order to reduce the withdrawal symptoms occurring when one stops smoking tobacco products, smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes comprising tobacco substitutes are frequently used. Tobacco substitutes are therefore substances used to suppress the craving for tobacco. In smoking products, the tobacco substitute (partially) replaces tobacco so that the tobacco substitute can be smoked.

Smoking product substitutes comprise a tobacco substitute and are used to help people stop smoking, and may comprise, for example, chewing gum, sweets, oral sprays, patches, etc. EP 0616496 describes a tobacco substitute having a pleasant taste that helps to suppress withdrawal symptoms caused by psychological addiction to the smoking of tobacco products. This patent describes the use of plant parts as tobacco substitutes in smoking products and smoking product substitutes, wherein the plant parts are at least partly derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis. This allows products such as cigarettes, cigars, pipe smoking products and rolling tobacco to be produced in which the tobacco is completely or partially replaced by the tobacco substitute. When stopping smoking tobacco products, smoking the modified cigars and cigarettes comprising the tobacco substitute makes it simpler/easier to overcome the psychological addiction to smoking tobacco products, because after a certain period of smoking these modified cigarettes/cigars, which contain no nicotine, the smoker finds that smoking does not contribute to his/her quality of life, and that the subconsciously repressed motivations actually appear to be false. Smoking of ordinary tobacco products after smoking, for example a cigarette containing the tobacco substitute, will even be experienced as unpleasant because the tobacco substitute causes impregnation of the taste buds and odour receptors, which distorts the taste of ordinary tobacco products. Moreover, the tar content and carbon monoxide content of the smoke of the tobacco substitute described in EP 0616496 is much lower than the tar content and carbon monoxide content of tobacco smoke, and it is therefore much less hazardous to health. The additional use of plants not containing pesticides/insecticides (pharmaceutical quality plants) does not cause dioxins to be released. Specifically, ordinary tobacco contains pesticides/insecticides comprising chlorine compounds. The burning of these pesticides/insecticides causes the release of dioxins.

However, the tobacco substitute described in EP 0616496 does not deal with the problem of physical addiction to smoking of tobacco products, which is primarily an addiction to nicotine. In the first few days after stopping smoking, it is the addiction to nicotine that causes smokers to go back to tobacco products because the need for nicotine is too great, and this need is not suppressed by the tobacco substitute described in EP 0616496.

Therefore, the object of the invention is to find a tobacco substitute that can be used in the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes, wherein these smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes help to suppress the need for nicotine, and therefore the withdrawal symptoms caused by the physical addiction to tobacco products in order to make it easier to stop smoking tobacco products, and wherein the taste of the tobacco substitute is pleasant.

This object is achieved by providing a tobacco substitute for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes based on a mixture of plant parts, wherein the mixture comprises plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis, wherein the mixture comprises at least 5% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts, and wherein the caffeine-containing plant parts are substantially derived from Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis.

The tobacco substitute is not produced on the basis of plant parts of the tobacco plant, and therefore comprises neither tobacco nor nicotine. With people who wish to stop smoking tobacco products, it is important to suppress the craving for nicotine and the craving for the nicotine kick in the first few days after stopping smoking of tobacco products.

The tobacco substitute is produced on the basis of a mixture of plant parts comprising caffeine-containing plant parts, and therefore contains caffeine. Caffeine is also referred to by the names theine, mateine, and guaranine. As caffeine has effects on the human body that are similar to certain aspects of the effects of nicotine, caffeine helps to suppress the craving for nicotine. For example, caffeine increases blood circulation, and therefore also blood circulation to the brain, resulting in improved ability to concentrate and an activating/stimulating effect, as well as a reduction in appetite. In a manner of speaking, therefore, a considerable part of the nicotine kick is replaced by a caffeine kick. Because the mixture comprises at least 5% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts, caffeine is present in said mixture in an amount sufficient to suppress/alleviate the craving for nicotine.

Caffeine is absorbed by the body during smoking of smoking products that comprise the tobacco substitute or during the use of smoking product substitutes that comprise the tobacco substitute. When smoked, caffeine is absorbed in forms such as vapour. Because of this, the caffeine is absorbed directly into the blood vessels via the respiratory mucosa, so that quite small amounts have a marked effect. Much lower concentrations of caffeine are therefore needed to obtain the same effect, compared for example to caffeine-containing energy drinks.

Caffeine-containing plant parts are already used in certain tobacco substitutes. In these known tobacco substitutes, however, the caffeine-containing plant parts adversely affect the taste and aroma of the product. For example, the plant parts of Thea sinensis have an adverse effect on the taste and aroma of tobacco substitutes. Plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis also have an adverse effect on the taste and aroma of tobacco substitutes.

In the tobacco substitute according to the invention, both plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and plant parts derived from Thea sinensis are used. The plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis neutralize the aroma and taste of the plant parts derived from Thea sinensis, and the plant parts derived from Thea sinensis also neutralize the aroma and taste of the plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis. By using these two caffeine-containing plant parts, therefore, the unpleasant aroma and taste properties of the plant parts per se are neutralized, and a caffeine-containing tobacco substitute is obtained wherein the caffeine-containing plant parts do not adversely affect the taste and aroma of the tobacco substitute. The addition of both caffeine-containing plant parts therefore has only a favourable effect, namely that of making caffeine available in order to suppress the craving for nicotine.

For a person wishing to stop smoking tobacco products, smoking products/smoking product substitutes that comprise tobacco substitutes based on a mixture of plant parts comprising caffeine-containing plant parts constitute a highly effective aid, because smoking or using these products makes it less likely that the person will return to using tobacco products. This is because the presence of caffeine suppresses and alleviates the craving for nicotine. The nicotine withdrawal symptoms experienced by a tobacco smoker in the period after stopping smoking tobacco products are therefore sharply reduced with the aid of the tobacco substitute according to the invention. When smoking the tobacco substitute, the caffeine is rapidly absorbed via the smoke in vapour form by the mucosa, allowing it to produce strong and short-term stimulation.

About ten days after stopping smoking tobacco products, and often even after only five days, the user is largely free of the physical addiction, i.e. the addiction to nicotine, and it is less likely that the former tobacco smoker will relapse. It is therefore extremely important to alleviate/suppress the need for nicotine in the first few days after stopping smoking tobacco products.

An additional advantage of caffeine is that it has effects on the human body that are similar to certain aspects of the effects of nicotine, but without the addictive properties of nicotine. Once a nicotine kick is no longer needed, the need for another caffeine kick is therefore minor, and can be satisfied if necessary with a cup of coffee.

The need for smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes comprising a tobacco substitute that is based on plant parts including caffeine-containing plant parts is also reduced after the nicotine addiction is eliminated, specifically because caffeine is much less addictive than nicotine. After a certain period, it therefore becomes quite easy to stop using these smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes. It is also important to deal with the psychological addiction when stopping smoking tobacco products, because if the psychological addiction is neglected when stopping smoking tobacco products, this can cause tobacco smokers to relapse into their tobacco addiction, sometimes years after stopping the smoking of tobacco products. The mixture also comprises plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis. In this case, the tobacco substitute is produced on the basis of a mixture of caffeine-containing plant parts and plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis. As the mixture also comprises plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis, the tobacco substitute is also effective in additionally helping to eliminate the psychological addiction. The reason for this is that tobacco smokers will find it pleasant and agreeable to smoke a tobacco substitute based on plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis. The taste and aroma of the smoke from a mixture comprising plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis is comparable to the taste and aroma of actual tobacco products. Plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis are also capable of suppressing unpleasant tastes or aromas of plant parts derived from plants other than Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis. In this manner, the caffeine-containing plant parts have even less effect on the taste of the tobacco substitute.

If a mixture of caffeine-containing plant parts, plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and plant parts of Myrtus communis is used wherein the percentage by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris with respect to the mixture of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis alone is greater than 60% by weight, the tobacco substitute based on the mixture will be perceived as being mild (also referred to as blond or light). If the mixture comprises more than 90% by weight of plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris with respect to the mixture of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis or comprises only Alchemilla vulgaris, the tobacco substitute based on said mixture will be perceived as being very mild (ultra light).

Conversely, if the percentage by weight of Myrtus communis with respect to the mixture of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis is greater than 60% by weight, the tobacco substitute based on said mixture will be perceived as being rather strong. If the mixture comprises more than 90% by weight of plant parts derived from Myrtus communis with respect to the mixture of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis or comprises only Myrtus communis, the tobacco substitute based on said mixture will be perceived as being very strong.

The caffeine thus suppresses the craving for nicotine, and the plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis suppress the psychological craving to smoke tobacco products. The behavioural habit remains satisfied together with the subconscious motivations that will be recognized to be false after a certain period without nicotine, with the result that a tobacco smoker who has switched to smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes, that comprise a tobacco substitute according to the invention based on caffeine-containing plant parts and plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis, will no longer crave or have almost no craving to smoke tobacco products. If one were to use only a mixture that is free of caffeine but comprises Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis, then tobacco smokers could relapse after only a few days because the craving for nicotine is too strong. If no plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis were used for the mixture, certain tobacco smokers would relapse more quickly because without a sensation comparable to that produced by tobacco and without the ritual of smoking, the withdrawal symptoms caused by the psychological addiction would be too much for them. A mixture comprising caffeine-containing plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis and plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis is therefore ideal.

Smoking/ingestion of these tobacco substitutes is not hazardous or much less hazardous to health than tobacco. For example, tobacco smokers who do not wish to stop smoking tobacco products but would like to lead a somewhat healthier life can smoke smoking products in which a portion of the tobacco is replaced by a tobacco substitute as described above. After smoking a smoking product comprising a tobacco substitute based on a plant part mixture comprising plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis, the smoker often finds smoking of ordinary tobacco products to be unpleasant. If the craving for a tobacco product is too great during the period after stopping smoking tobacco products, then the tobacco product will have an unusual and rather unpleasant taste/aroma because the taste buds and odour receptors have been impregnated with the tobacco substitute, with the result that persons wishing to stop smoking tobacco products have a reduced relapse rate.

In a tobacco substitute based on a mixture of plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis, the addition of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis has virtually no effect on the taste/aroma of the mixture of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis. Tobacco substitutes based on a mixture of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis, Thea sinensis and Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis are therefore highly effective in suppressing/alleviating both the physical and the psychological craving.

Smoking/ingestion of these tobacco substitutes is not hazardous to health or considerably less hazardous than tobacco, with the result that there is (virtually) no damage to health during the period after stopping smoking, and therefore during smoking/ingestion of these tobacco substitutes. Moreover, it is only necessary to use these tobacco substitutes until the tobacco smoker is free of the tobacco addiction. This takes an average of 6 to 8 weeks.

In the smoking products/smoking product substitutes, all of the ordinary tobacco or a portion of the ordinary tobacco may be replaced by the tobacco substitute. It is therefore possible to offer someone wishing to stop smoking, smoking products having a gradually decreasing tobacco content in order to achieve in this manner a gradual reduction in the content of nicotine and the addictive effect thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises at least 10% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves. The Althea officinalis leaves have a technically interesting leaf structure. This is particularly important for processing of the tobacco substitute. Specifically, these leaves allow the mixture of plant parts to be formed in a simple and rapid manner. When these Althea officinalis leaves are cut to form the mixture of plant parts, the cut Althea officinalis leaves form a mass that is capable of holding in place the smaller parts, such as those derived from the leaves of other plants having a finer leaf structure. Thea sinensis leaves have this type of fine structure and therefore make it more difficult to process the mixture. In processing of tobacco substitutes that constitute a mixture of plant parts per se and are used, for example, in the production of cigarettes/cigars, etc. and/or rolling tobacco/pipe tobacco, etc., it is particularly important that processing take place in a favourable manner. For example, if the mixture is to be used in a cigarette, it is transferred onto the cigarette paper via a ventilated flow in the machine. After this, a filter is attached, and the cigarette paper must be tightly folded and glued. The risk in machine production of a cigarette is that further fragmentation, dust formation and loss of the finer plant parts may occur. This can be prevented by extra compression of the material, but this means that excessively strong suction will be required to smoke the smoking product. Moreover, greater suction force also reduces burning temperature, thus increasing the content of tar and carbon monoxide. Because Althea officinalis leaves are used in the mixture, the above risk is avoided without requiring extra compression, as these leaves form a mass that holds the smaller parts together. In order to take optimum advantage of the benefits of Althea officinalis, at least 10% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves must be present in the mixture. A tobacco substitute comprising a mixture composed of plant parts wherein the mixture does not comprise Althea officinalis leaves is less homogeneous and results in greater loss during production of the cigarettes and falling out after production of the cigarettes, particularly during handling of the packaging containing the cigarettes. The Althea officinalis leaves also contribute to the favourable taste of the tobacco substitute. In addition, these leaves also have a favourable effect on respiratory health. This plant is therefore traditionally used in tea or compositions used to treat respiratory disorders.

Alternatively, a tobacco substitute for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes based on a mixture of plant parts can be provided, wherein said mixture comprises at least 5% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts, wherein the caffeine-containing plant parts are substantially derived from Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis, and wherein the mixture comprises at least 10% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves. In this case, the caffeine-containing plant parts provide the required caffeine without imparting any adverse taste or aroma properties to the mixture. The Althea officinalis leaves provide favourable workability of the mixture and contribute to the favourable taste of the mixture. The favourable and pleasant taste of the mixture can be provided in this case by plant parts other than plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the ratio of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis to the sum of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Thea sinensis is between 0.285 and 0.57. From this it follows that the ratio of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Thea sinensis with respect to the sum of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Thea sinensis is preferably between 0.43 and 0.715. At these ratios, the plant parts of Thea sinensis and the plant parts of Ilex paraguayensis have the most favourable effect on one another, and the adverse aroma and taste properties derived from both types of plant parts are most favourably neutralized. At these ratios, the caffeine-containing plant parts have virtually no effect on the taste and aroma of the tobacco substitute and therefore mainly play the role of contributing to the caffeine supply. The extent of the preferred range of these ratios is due in part to the fact that the caffeine content of these plants is season-dependent, location-dependent and climate-dependent. The mixture more preferably comprises 1 to 94% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris plant parts, 1 to 94% by weight of Myrtus communis plant parts and at least 5% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts. With this composition, the most favourable results are obtained for the tobacco substitute based on this mixture. The final ratios of the mixture are season-dependent and climate-dependent. The reason is that the composition of plants is also season-dependent and climate-dependent. If at least 10% by weight of Althea officinalis is also present in the mixture, the preferred percentages by weight of plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and plant parts of Myrtus communis are between 1 and 84. Further preferably, the leaves of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis are used. These leaves are the most suitable for use in the mixture of plant parts as they do not cause any technical problems in drying, remoistening and then cutting into tobacco substitutes for use, for example, in cigarettes, cigars, etc. In the production of tobacco leaves are also used, such that the leaves of other plants can be dried, cut and processed in a similar manner to leaves of the tobacco plant. In cigars, cigarettes, etc., the tobacco substitute will therefore primarily comprise the mixture of the plant parts per se.

In a preferred embodiment the mixture comprises 20 to 50% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves. These percentages by weight allow the most favourable results to be obtained with respect to processing of the mixture, for example in the machine production of cigarettes. If Myrtus communis leaves, which provide smaller parts during processing, are used, the Althea officinalis leaves make sure, among other things, that these smaller parts are not lost. The percentage by weight of Althea officinalis leaves may be 30 or 40, for example.

A content of Althea officinalis ranging from 20 to 50% by weight also has a favourable effect on the taste of the tobacco substitute and has a favourable effect on the respiratory tract health.

The mixture preferably comprises 2 to 20% by weight of plant parts of Ilex paraguayensis. At these percentages, a tobacco substitute containing sufficient caffeine is obtained, and optimum taste of the tobacco substitute is also achieved. The extent of the preferred range of percentages by weight is due in part to the fact that the caffeine content of the plant Ilex paraguayensis is season-dependent, location-dependent and climate-dependent.

The mixture preferably comprises 5 to 15% by weight of plant parts of Thea sinensis. At these percentages, a tobacco substitute is obtained with sufficient caffeine, and an optimum taste of the tobacco substitute is also achieved. At percentages of more than 15% by weight of plant parts of Thea sinensis, deviations in taste will be too great. The extent of the preferred range of percentages by weight is due in part to the fact that the caffeine content of the plant Thea sinensis is season-dependent, location- dependent and climate-dependent.

Further preferably, the caffeine-containing plant parts are derived from Ilex paraguayensis leaves and Thea sinensis leaves. The leaves of the abovementioned plants are the most effective for use in the mixture, as they do not cause any technical problems in drying and cutting thereof into tobacco substitutes for cigarettes and cigars, for example. In the production of tobacco, leaves are also used, therefore the leaves of other plants can also be processed in a similar manner. In this way it is possible to obtain a tobacco substitute that is a mixture of cut leaves and therefore has a uniform appearance as cut tobacco. If Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis leaves are used, moreover, additional antioxidants will be contained in the mixture of plant parts. These anti-oxidants are primarily present in Thea sinensis, and these anti-oxidants can neutralize the radicals which are formed on burning of the tobacco substitute and which can be inhaled via the smoke.

The mixture preferably comprises at least 1% by weight of plant parts derived from Myrtus communis. Myrtus communis comprises myrtenol, a volatile oil. Myrtenol neutralizes the harmful free radicals released on burning of the tobacco substitute, with the result that no or far fewer free radicals enter the respiratory tract. Myrtenol also has an antitussive effect. The mixture preferably comprises 2 to 20% by weight of Myrtus communis.

In a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises an average of 7 to 35% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts. The percentage by weight of the caffeine - containing plant parts is preferably greater than 7% by weight so that sufficient caffeine is present to suppress/alleviate the craving for nicotine. However, the caffeine content should preferably not be too high in order to prevent adverse affects caused by excessively high caffeine content such as cardiac rhythm disorders. An excessively high content of caffeine-containing plant parts also has an adverse effect on the taste and aroma of the tobacco substitute based on this mixture. For example, an ideal content is 15 to 20% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts in the mixture of plant parts. The caffeine content is then optimal, and there is no risk of deviations in the taste and/or aroma of the tobacco substitute based on this mixture. In a specific embodiment, the mixture comprises plant parts of aromatic plants, extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of aromas of aromatic plants. The term aromatic plants refers to plants comprising components that can contribute to a certain favourable taste and/or favourable aroma of the mixture. If the mixture also comprises aromatic plants, extracts of aromatic plants, and/or synthetic equivalents of aromatic plants, it is possible to obtain a broad spectrum of various odours and/or tastes so that the tobacco substitute based on the mixture takes on the odour and/or taste properties of the most popular tobacco varieties, such as classic blonde Virginia tobacco, dark strong African tobacco, or aromatic Turkish tobacco.

Furthermore, the aromatic plants are preferably selected from the group Trifolium pratense, Asperula odorata, petals of the genus Rosa (Rosa (flos)), Vanilla planifolia, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Mentha piperita, Salvia officinalis, Thymus vulgaris and Eucalyptus globulus. Asperula odorata and petals of the genus Rosa in particular, are highly suitable for obtaining a tobacco substitute having the desired aroma and taste properties. For example, the percentage by weight of the plant parts of Trifolium pratense can account for between 6 and 10% by weight of the mixture, the percentage by weight of the plant parts of Asperula odorata can account for 1 to 10% by weight or 6 to 10% by weight of the mixture and the petals of the genus Rosa can account for 1 to 20% by weight or 4 to 8% by weight of the mixture, etc.

The addition of aromatic plants to the mixture from the group Mentha piperita, Salvia officinalis, Thymus vulgaris and Eucalyptus globulus is advantageous in that the smoke of the tobacco substitute based on the above mixture has an analgesic, expectorant and/or antiseptic action depending on the respective properties of the plants added and their ratio by weight. This action can significantly alleviate the common disorders suffered by smokers. For example, morning cough, susceptibility to respiratory infections and bad breath can be alleviated/improved. As the mixture in this specific embodiment comprises caffeine-containing plant parts and/or Myrtus communis and/or Alchemilla vulgaris and one or more plant parts of aromatic plants, extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of aromatic plants, it is possible in this way to obtain various types of mixture, each having its own taste and/or aroma, with the result that the user of the tobacco substitute based on this mixture can select his or her favourite taste and/or aroma. With certain mixtures, even the unpleasant effect of smoking tobacco products after having smoked a smoking product containing a tobacco substitute, is intensified. The mixture preferably comprises plant parts of aromatic plants, wherein said plant parts of each aromatic plant make up a maximum of 20% by weight of the tobacco substitute. If excessive amounts of parts of a particular aromatic plant were added, this would have an adverse effect on the aroma and taste of the tobacco substitute. If one aromatic plant accounts for more than 20% by weight and/or several aromatic plants together account for more than 35% by weight of the total mixture, the Myrtus communis and/or Alchemilla vulgaris plant parts can no longer suppress the excessive effect of plant parts of aromatic plants.

Preferably, the extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of the aromas of aromatic plants make up a maximum of 5% by weight of the mixture. In the case of extracts and/or synthetic equivalents, it is not necessary to add more to the mixture in order to obtain a tobacco substitute based on this mixture having a favourable aroma and/or taste. If too much is added, the aroma will be too penetrating. In certain cases, moreover, these extracts and/or synthetic equivalents can cause an increase in the content of tar and carbon monoxide when the tobacco substitute comprising this mixture is smoked. In order to limit such an increase, therefore, it is preferable not to add more of these extracts and/or synthetic equivalents to the mixture. At a maximum percentage of 5% by weight, the content of tar and carbon monoxide, when the tobacco substitute comprising this mixture is smoked, is significantly lower than the content of tar and carbon monoxide when tobacco products are smoked. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises

• 10 to 30% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris;

• 2 to 20% by weight of Myrtus communis;

• 2 to 20% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis;

· 5 to 15% by weight of Thea sinensis;

• 20 to 50 by weight of Althea officinalis;

• 1 to 10% by weight of Asperula odorata;

• 1 to 20% by weight of petals of the genus Rosa.

The most favourable results for the tobacco substitute based on a mixture of plant parts are obtained if the composition of the mixture is as described above.

In an alternative embodiment, the mixture comprises

• 1 to 61% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris

• 1 to 61% by weight of Myrtus communis

· 15 to 20% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis

• 10 to 40%) by weight of Althea officinalis

• 1 to 10% by weight of Trifolium pratense

• 4 to 10% by weight of Asperula odorata

• 4 to 10% by weight of petals of the genus Rosa

· 1 to 5% by weight of extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of aromatic plants.

The aforementioned object of the present invention is also achieved by providing a method for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes, wherein a tobacco substitute based on plant parts is provided and wherein the tobacco substitute is a tobacco substitute as described above.

Moreover, the present invention also provides smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes comprising the tobacco substitute as described above. Smoking products may include cigarettes, cigars, pipe filling and roll tobacco. In smoking products comprising a tobacco substitute, all of the ordinary tobacco or part of the ordinary tobacco is replaced by the tobacco substitute. Preferably, the tobacco substitute is therefore the mixture, such as that described above, per se. Smoking of the tobacco substitute described above is significantly less hazardous to health than smoking of tobacco. This is due to the presence of substances, anti-oxidants such as volatile oils that bind free radicals, the absence of nicotine, and the fact that the weight by volume of the tobacco substitute is less than the weight by volume of tobacco, resulting in more favourable burning of the tobacco substitute and therefore resulting in the production of fewer harmful substances when the tobacco substitute is smoked.

The term smoking product substitutes refers to chewing gums, sweets, oral sprays, etc. that suppress the craving for tobacco products. The tobacco substitute according to the invention may be composed of a powdered mixture of plant parts and be included in the smoking product substitutes in powder form, or the tobacco substitute may be an extract of the mixture of plant parts according to the invention, and this extract may be included in the smoking product substitutes. Extraction is conducted using a suitable solvent. The extract may then, for example, be dissolved in a liquid or mixed with a powder and then used in an aerosol device, metered aerosol device (puffer), powder inhaler, etc. Aerosol devices, puffers, and powder inhalers are advantageous in that they can be used without violating non-smoking regulations. It is also possible to place the extract in capsules for use in an electronic cigarette. The present invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the following detailed description of a number of preferred and alternative compositions of the tobacco substitute according to the present invention. This description is given solely for the purpose of providing explanatory examples and indicating further advantages and particular characteristics of the present invention, and it therefore cannot by any means be interpreted as a limitation of the scope of application of the invention or of the patent rights set forth in the claims.

An example of a possible composition of the mixture is:

% by weight

Alchemilla vulgaris 25

Myrtus communis 20

Althea officinalis 26

Ilex paraguayensis 5

Thea sinensis 10

Asperula odorata 8

petals of the genus Rosa 6

Of course, other compositions are also possible. In this case, the tobacco substitute is the mixture of the plant parts per se. For the plant parts of Myrtus communis, Alchemilla vulgaris, Althea officinalis, Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis, only the leaves thereof are used in the mixture. The tobacco substitute is therefore highly suitable for smoking and use as a tobacco substitute in cigarettes, cigars and pipes, etc. This is because the appearance of the tobacco substitute, with the exception of its colour, is similar to the appearance of cut tobacco, and because the processing/production process of smoking products comprising the tobacco substitute is similar to the production process of smoking products comprising tobacco. This is due to the fact that cut tobacco is also formed from leaves. Of course, the tobacco substitute may also be an extract of the mixture.

The tobacco substitute according to this example comprises caffeine-containing plant parts. Specifically plant parts of Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis. These caffeine-containing plant parts cause caffeine to be present in the tobacco substitute taken in by the user of said tobacco substitute. Therefore, persons wishing to stop smoking tobacco products by using smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes containing the tobacco substitute according to the present invention will absorb caffeine when using said products or substitutes. This caffeine is important in suppressing the craving for nicotine and the craving for the nicotine kick. The caffeine present in the tobacco substitute helps to suppress/alleviate this craving for nicotine as caffeine has effects on the human body that are similar to certain aspects of the nicotine effect. In these smoking products/smoking product substitutes, all of the tobacco or only part of the tobacco may be replaced by the tobacco substitute. For example, one can gradually reduce the amount of tobacco so as to gradually reduce the nicotine content and therefore its addictive effect. In persons who are strongly addicted to nicotine, it is helpful to replace the amount of tobacco in their smoking products/smoking product substitutes by the tobacco substitute to a steadily increasing extent.

When a person who has stopped smoking tobacco has not had any nicotine for more than about 10 days, the addiction to nicotine has disappeared in most cases. After this nicotine addiction has been eliminated, the chance of relapse is much smaller. The tobacco substitute is therefore beneficial in helping the person make it through these crucial first days after stopping smoking tobacco products. The total percentage by weight of these caffeine-containing plant parts is 15% by weight of the total weight of the tobacco substitute. The content is therefore greater than 7% by weight, with the result that sufficient caffeine is present to provide the body with a caffeine kick, with the result that the craving for nicotine is suppressed/alleviated. The content is also less than 35% by weight, with the result that possible adverse effects resulting from an excessively high caffeine concentration in the body are prevented. Moreover, the content of caffeine- containing plant parts, in this case leaves, is between 15 and 20% by weight, and the percentage by weight of leaves of Thea sinensis is not greater than 15% by weight, so that the aroma and taste of the tobacco substitute are not adversely affected. The ratios of the caffeine-containing plant parts Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis are selected in such a manner that these substances have a favourable effect on each other, with the result that they have little effect on the taste of the tobacco substitute. The mixture of caffeine-containing plant parts consists of 1/3 Ilex paraguayensis and 2/3 Thea sinensis.

The tobacco substitute comprises 25% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris leaves and 20% by weight of Myrtus communis leaves. Because tobacco substitutes are used that comprise Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis, not only the nicotine addiction is suppressed, but also the psychological addiction. This is due to the fact that tobacco smokers will perceive smoking of a tobacco substitute containing plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis to be pleasant and agreeable. The taste and aroma of smoking these plant parts is indeed comparable with the taste and aroma of smoking actual tobacco products. The percentage by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris and the percentage by weight of Myrtus communis are similar. The percentage by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris and the percentage by weight of Myrtus communis with respect to the mixture of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis alone is less than 60% by weight, with the result that the tobacco substitute in this case does not have a distinctly mild or strong taste, but is more comparable to a neutral tobacco taste. Of course, the contents of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis may be adjusted in order to obtain a more distinct light and/or heavy taste.

More than 1% by weight of plant parts, specifically leaves of Myrtus communis, is present, with the result that sufficient myrtenol (a volatile oil contained in Myrtus communis) is present. Myrtenol neutralizes the free radicals released on burning of the tobacco substitute.

The tobacco substitute comprises 26% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves. The use of leaves of this plant in the tobacco substitute thus also has a favourable effect on the respiratory tract health. The Althea officinalis leaves have a technically interesting leaf structure. When these leaves are cut to form the tobacco substitute, a mass is formed that is capable of holding in place the smaller parts, such as those derived from the leaves of Myrtus communis and Asperula odorata. A tobacco substitute composed of a mixture of plant parts, wherein the mixture comprises Althea officinalis leaves, is also more homogeneous than a mixture that does not, with the result that there is less loss during production of the cigarettes and less waste after they are produced. The presence of 26% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves has a favourable effect on the production process provided in the machine manufacturing of cigarettes comprising the tobacco substitute.

The tobacco substitute comprises additional plant parts of Asperula odorata and petals of the genus Rosa (Rosa (flos)). These are plants containing components that contribute to a favourable aroma and/or favourable taste of the tobacco substitute (aromatic plants), and they impart an even better taste and aroma to the tobacco substitute, wherein the aroma and taste of the tobacco substitute more closely resembles the aroma and taste of tobacco.

The plant parts of both Asperula odorata and the petals of the genus Rosa each account individually for not more than 20% by weight of the total tobacco substitute. The low content of these aromatic plants in the tobacco substitute provides an even better taste and aroma. However, if these aromatic plants are present in excessive amounts, the Myrtus communis and/or Alchemilla vulgaris plant parts can no longer suppress the excessively strong taste and aroma properties of these aromatic plants. In an alternative embodiment, the mixture comprises:

% by weight

Alchemilla vulgaris 25

Myrtus communis 20

Althea officinalis 15

Ilex paraguayensis 5 Thea sinensis 10

Trifolium pratense 9

Asperula odorata 8

Rosa flos 6

Syrup with Glycyrrhiza glabra extract 1.82

Vanilla aroma/ethanol 0.18

In this case, the tobacco substitute also comprises extracts of aromatic plants. It is important that the percentage of each of these extracts be from 0.01 to 5% by weight of the total tobacco substitute without the total percentage by weight of these extracts exceeding 5% by weight of the tobacco substitute. In the example given here, this is indeed the case. These small amounts of extracts contribute toward providing an even better taste and aroma without increasing the content of tar and carbon monoxide when the tobacco substitute is smoked.

In another alternative embodiment, the mixture comprises:

• 1 to 54% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris

• 1 to 54% by weight of Myrtus communis

• 10 to 40% by weight of Althea officinalis;

• 15 to 20% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis

• 20 to 30% by weight of Asperula odorata and/or petals of the genus Rosa.

Smoking products comprising a tobacco substitute which is a mixture according to the above alternative embodiment were given to 10 test subjects. Two of the test subjects reported that the taste and aroma of the smoking product differed too greatly from their usual tobacco smoking products and that it was therefore difficult to get used to the new products. However, all test subjects found that after about 10 days of using only the smoking products containing the tobacco substitute, the need for their usual tobacco products was sharply reduced or even eliminated completely. In yet another alternative embodiment, the mixture comprises:

• 1 to 64% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris

• 1 to 64% by weight of Myrtus communis

• 15 to 20% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis

• 10 to 30% by weight of Althea officinalis

• 5 to 10% by weight of Asperula odorata

• 5 to 20% by weight of Rosa flos

• 1 to 5% by weight of Trifolium pratense.

Smoking products comprising a tobacco substitute which is a mixture according to the above alternative embodiment were given to 10 test subjects. Only one test subject reported that the taste and aroma of the smoking product differed too greatly from his usual tobacco smoking product and that it was therefore difficult to get used to the new product. However, all test subjects found that after 3 to 5 days of using only these smoking products, the need for their usual tobacco products was sharply reduced or even eliminated completely.