I too remember tobacco and cigarette adverts in the early days of commercial TV, and you'd think they were God's gift to health.
Regarding herbal cigarettes, one is still inhaling smoke as the vector. Presumably the things are lit and burn to give off the smoke from the herbs. Any kind of combustion is carcinogenic if the products are inhaled. If people want to dice with death they can, just not anywhere me or my lungs thank you.