Some truths about tobacco

Cigarettes

The popularity of the cigarette is a 20th-century phenomenon. The number of cigarette smokers skyrocketed in the early 1900s following the introduction of new mass-production technology and highly effective advertising campaigns. Decades later, reports of a connection between cigarette smoking and the incidence of diseases such as lung cancer began to appear.

In 1964, the first Surgeon General's report on the health consequences of cigarette smoking appeared. Cigarette smoking is now recognized as the single most preventable cause of disease, disability and death in the United States. Smoking contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease, bronchitis, emphysema, stroke and cancers of the lung, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, uterine cervix, kidney and bladder. Nevertheless, approximately 48 million adults in the United States continue to smoke.

Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals including ammonia, arsenic, carbon monoxide, DDT, formaldehyde and nitric acid. Inhaled carbon monoxide replaces the oxygen in your blood that is so necessary for your brain and other organs to function properly. This increases your heart's workload and likely contributes to cardiovascular disease. In addition, many of the compounds in tobacco smoke are known to cause cancer.

Cigarette smoke can also be dangerous for the nonsmoker standing nearby. Secondhand smoke is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, infant pneumonia and respiratory failure in nonsmokers.

Low-tar, low-nicotine or "light" cigarettes

Cigarette companies have implied that low-tar, low-nicotine cigarettes are safer and decrease the health risks.

However, features such as ventilated filters do not reduce your exposure to the harmful substances in tobacco. Smokers addicted to nicotine look to get their "fix" of nicotine, regardless. The use of low-nicotine cigarettes makes the smokers change their smoking behavior to compensate for the diluted smoke. Smokers will take more frequent puffs, inhale more deeply or simply smoke more cigarettes. They may actually end up taking in as much or more tar and nicotine than before. They also inhale more carbon monoxide and other dangerous chemicals. Furthermore, a switch to low-tar, low-nicotine cigarettes does not decrease your risk of lung cancer, emphysema, heart attack or other diseases. In fact, smokers of "light" cigarettes may be at increased risk for certain types of lung cancer.

Cigars

Since 1993, cigar use in Canada has increased nearly 50 percent. Much of the increased use of cigars comes from adults with higher levels of income and education. Evidence also suggests that many new cigar users are teenagers and young adult males. Unlike cigarettes, cigars vary in size and appearance. And whereas cigarettes are made from different blends of tobacco, cigars are made primarily of a single tobacco. Like cigarette smoking, the health risks from cigar smoking increase with the number of cigars smoked per day.

Although many cigar smokers do not fully inhale smoke into their lungs, they are still exposed to smoke in their oral cavity, as well as to secondhand smoke in the smoking environment. Considering that cigar smoke contains as many poisonous chemicals as cigarette smoke, cigar smokers are at risk for the same smoking-related illnesses. Cigar smokers and cigarette smokers have similar levels of risk for cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus. (And cigar smokers are still 4 to 10 times more likely to die from lung and laryngeal cancers than nonsmokers).

Pipe smoking

Studies on the risk of lung or heart disease in people who smoke only a pipe compared to people who smoke only cigarettes or cigars is probably not available. However, pipe smoking is associated with cancer of the lip and mouth and clearly increases the level of carbon monoxide in your blood. And there is enough evidence available to recommend that you become a nonsmoker, regardless of the type of smoking, in order to minimize your risk of cancer, heart disease or lung disease.

Chewing tobacco and snuff

Chewing tobacco is usually sold in loose "leaf" or compressed "plug" forms. Users generally place chewing tobacco between their cheek and gum and keep it there for several hours. Nicotine is absorbed through the cheek lining into the bloodstream. Snuff is powdered tobacco. A small amount is placed between the lower lip and the gum.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of chew and snuff. One survey showed almost half a million Canadian adults used the products in the early 1990s. Furthermore, the number of young males using snuff grew 10 times between 1970 and 1990. Chewing tobacco and snuff have been thought to be a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. In fact, they are not safe at all. Studies show that the use of smokeless tobacco can produce a high level of nicotine in the blood. The consequence of regular use is long-term nicotine dependence and its associated health risks.

These health risks include cancer of the oral cavity and throat, particularly where tobacco is held in the mouth. Frequently, a white, leathery patch forms at the place where you hold tobacco in your mouth. This condition, called leukoplakia, is pre-cancerous. Chewing tobacco and snuff can cause swollen, bleeding gums and loose teeth. They can also cause an increased heart rate, higher blood pressure and even irregular heart beats.

The bottom line is: No smoke is safe smoke, and no tobacco is safe tobacco. The road to becoming tobacco-free is the road to better health.