No, not a joke. The pros:

• No real smoke
• Tastes like the real thing, or so they claim
• Can get in cherry and fruit flavors
• Should not kill you over timeNever needs a light
• Cheaper over time than the real thing, one pack will last decades, in a landfill.
• Can be used on airplanes and even in the citys where smoking is banned.
• Easy to pretend to be a “real” smoker because the led light makes it look like its burning.
• Get high on nicotine 

The Cons.

• You may get caught faking
• Get high on nicotine
• Can’t use the “do you have a light” excuse to talk to someone at a bar
• No chain smoking, may have to wait for the e cigarette to re-charge. 
• Made in China, may need to invest in lead testing equipment.
• May get arrested for smoking on airplane by cops who think your full-o-shit.

Here is the description of the e smoke from wiki..

An electronic cigarette (or “e-cigarette”) is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. It is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by delivering a vaporized propylene glycol/nicotinesolution. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation.   

Being a new and maybe nutty idea, it is not yet readily available and actually banned in a few countries, however, I did manage to find it on made-in-china: here is the product desc.

We can provide many flavors of the cartridge: Tobacco, marlboro, 555, orange, strawberry, coffee, mint, lemon, melon, Pineapple, ginseng, rose, grap, Almond, banana, chocolate, Kiwi, peach, hiltoin, apple and so on.    

E smoke and the handy USB charger.