Claims
- 1. A device for extinguishing and retaining a cigarette, comprising:
a tube having a closed end and an open end, said tube defining an inside diameter adapted to slidingly receive a cigarette, said tube further having a reduced inside diameter portion positioned between said closed end and said open end and adapted to sealingly engage said cigarette so as to extinguish a lighted tip of said cigarette when inserted past said reduced inside diameter portion.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said reduced inside diameter portion, said closed end and a portion of said tube extending therebetween define an extinguishing area for extinguishing said lighted tip.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said inside diameter of said portion of said tube extending between said closed end and said reduced inside diameter portion is larger than said reduced inside diameter portion.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said reduced inside diameter portion comprises a plurality of axially spaced reduced diameter portions.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said open end has a sloped edge arranged to define a short length side and a long length side of said tube, wherein said long length side is longer than said cigarette, and said short length side is shorter than said cigarette, whereby a cigarette positioned in said tube is both protected from crushing and accessible for removal from said tube.
- 6. A method for reducing smoking by an individual, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a device for extinguishing and retaining a cigarette, which device comprises a tube having a closed end and an open end, said tube defining an inside diameter adapted to slidingly receive a cigarette, said tube further having a reduced inside diameter portion positioned between said closed end and said open end and adapted to sealingly engage said cigarette so as to extinguish a lighted tip of said cigarette when inserted past said reduced inside diameter portion; (b) determining a starting number of cigarettes which can be smoked by said individual over a pre-selected period of time; (c) during said pre-selected period of time, smoking said cigarettes, when desired, in smoking sessions and extinguishing said cigarettes using said device at an end of each of said smoking sessions so as to provide an extinguished partially smoked cigarette which is used for a next session of said smoking sessions until said partially smoked cigarette is completed; (d) at an end of said pre-selected period of time, determining a number of cigarettes which have not been smoked; (e) reducing said starting number of cigarettes by said number of cigarettes which have not been smoked; and (f) repeating steps (c) through (e) until smoking reaches a desired level.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application S No. 60/259,456, Filed Jan. 3, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60259456 |
Jan 2001 |
US |