An herbal cigarette (also called a tobacco-free cigarette or nicotine-free cigarette) is a cigarette that usually does not contain any tobacco or nicotine, instead being composed of a mixture of various herbs and/or other plant material.[1] However, Chinese herbal cigarettes contain tobacco and nicotine with herbs added, unlike European and North American herbal cigarettes which have tobacco and nicotine omitted.[2] Like herbal smokeless tobacco, they are often used as a substitute for standard tobacco products (primarily cigarettes).[citation needed] Herbal cigarettes are often advertised as a smoking cessation aid.[1][3] They are also used in acting scenes by performers who are non-smokers, or where anti-smoking legislation prohibits the use of tobacco in public spaces.[4][5] Herbal cigarettes can carry carcinogens.