How Dangerous are Light Cigarettes?

According to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer HealthCare, smokers believe that “light” and “mild” cigarettes are not as harmful to their health as regular cigarettes.

In a GlaxoSmithKline survey, nearly half of those who said they smoked “light” cigarettes said they did so because they believed they were less harmful. More than one-third of those polled misunderstood their effects.

“Repackaged light cigarettes with different colors are just as deadly as packs bearing the lights descriptors,” said Saul Shiffman, Ph.D., professor in the departments of psychology and pharmaceutical science at the University of Pittsburgh and Senior Scientific Advisor at Pinney Associates.

According to the National Cancer Institute, many smokers chose cigarettes labeled “low-tar,” “mild,” “light,” or “ultralight” because they believed they contained less tar and would be less harmful to their health. Light and mild cigarettes, on the other hand, are no safer than their regular counterpart. To be honest, tar contents in “light” cigarettes can be just as high as regular if the smoker takes long, deep, or frequent puffs.

Smoking causes lung disease, heart disease, emphysema, aneurysms, bronchitis, stroke, and lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. According to the American Cancer Society, smoking causes 9 out of 10 lung cancer deaths, and it is one of the most difficult cancers to treat.

In addition to the obvious health risks of smoking, smokers will pay more for life insurance due to the association with a high mortality risk.

View current life insurance policies here.

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