The research lasted six years and enrolled over 900,000 adults in the United States over the age of 30. The researchers examined the risk of lung cancer death in men and women who were current or past smokers or who had never smoked. When the study's findings were examined according to the tar rating of the cigarettes smoked, it was shown that the risk of lung cancer death was greatest for smokers of unfiltered cigarettes with a high tar content. There was no difference in the risk of lung cancer death among smokers of medium-, low-, and very low-tar cigarettes.
These findings are not entirely surprising to academics. According to a recent study, users of low-tar cigarettes compensate for the reduced tar content by altering their inhaling rhythm. Addicts can maintain their nicotine consumption (and exposure to carcinogens) with low-tar cigarettes by plugging ventilation pores in the filter, extending the draw duration, holding the puff longer and deeper, or smoking more cigarettes.
Cigarettes with less tar content were not produced until the 1960s and 1970s. Ultralight cigarettes are a more recent development. Many of the study's participants smoked medium- or high-tar cigarettes before the availability of low-tar cigarettes. As a result, the researchers were unable to assess the risk of lung cancer in people who only smoke low- or very-low-tar cigarettes. Despite this, the researchers feel that low-tar cigarettes have been available long enough and that the data suggests they pose the same danger as medium-tar cigarettes.
HOW TO QUIT SMOKING EFFECTIVELY.
Although quitting smoking is challenging, the advantages – decreased risk of lung cancer and heart disease, to mention a few – are well worth the effort at any age. To reduce your risk of illness, switching to low-tar or ultra-light cigarettes is not the answer. Numerous techniques exist to assist you in achieving your aim of stopping smoking. For further information, contact the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, or the American Cancer Society. Consult your physician to determine which approach is best for you.
