They are the new "mini" cigarettes designed and timed to be smoked in the length of employee breaks. Yes, these new "Marlboro Intense" smokes are now being tested in Turkey, according to several news reports!

Since most states have adopted indoor smoking bans, we have had articles, questions, and HR Forum threads about smokers taking longer and/or more frequent breaks than nonsmokers and what effect outdoor smoking has had on productivity. But are new "snack-size" mini-cigarettes the answer?

Philip Morris International, re-spun from parent conglomerate Altria, plans to aim the product at the 50 or so countries worldwide that have indoor smoking bans, according to media reports. These compact mini-cigs contain the same amount of nicotine as their longer siblings, but are shorter and quicker to finish, allowing employees to clock back in on time--or spend less time out in the cold.

The company has partnered with a Turkish tobacco firm to test the product in that country, with hopes that it can be launched in more industrialized countries such as China and Indonesia , according to an editorial in Newsday.