Wrong!

A report by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows just how wrong that line of thinking is.

The report says, "people who switch to ‘low-tar’ or ‘light’ cigarettes from regular cigarettes are likely to inhale the same amount of cancer-causing toxins and remain at high risk for developing smoking- related cancers and other diseases."

Cigarettes were linked to a higher risk of lung cancer in the 1950s. As a result, the tobacco industry added filters to cigarettes and then offered cigarettes that had less tar. “Low-tar” and “light” cigarettes first appeared in the late 1960s. By the end of the 1970s, over 40% of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. were low-tar.

“Low-tar” and “light” cigarettes usually have vent holes in the filters, which – when open – let air enter and dilute the smoke. But, many smokers cover the holes with their lips and fingers … and there goes the supposed benefit.

It’s also been shown that smokers who switch to "low-tar" or "light" cigarettes from regular cigarettes compensate by inhaling more deeply; taking larger, more rapid, or frequent puffs; or by increasing the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

The report concluded, among other things, that:

• When smokers switch to cigarettes that are called "low-tar," "light," "ultra-light," or "filtered," they change the way they smoke.
• Many smokers switch to these cigarettes for health concerns, believing that they are less risky or a step toward quitting.
• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) way of testing the amount of tar and nicotine that smokers inhale doesn’t copy real-life smoking.

In short, there’s no such thing as a safe cigarette. The only proven way to reduce the disease risks associated with smoking is to quit.

Sources: National Cancer Institute, "Risks Associated with Smoking Cigarettes with Low Machine-Measured Yields of Tar and Nicotine," November 2001, and National Institutes of Health, “The FTC Cigarette Test Method for Determining Tar, Nicotine, and Carbon Monoxide Yields of U.S. Cigarettes,” 1996.

Updated: 5/23/07