Light Cigarettes Still Here, Still Bad

If you're a smoker who reaches for "light" cigarettes, you've probably noticed a change.  In June, a federal law went into effect, banning tobacco manufacturers from labeling cigarettes as "light," "mild" or "low-tar."  

The words may be gone from the packaging, but the cigarettes have not changed.  Instead, many companies switched to color coding, so, for example, Marlboro Lights are  Marlboro Gold and Camel Lights are Camels Blue.

The problem is they're the same old deadly product.  Anti-tobacco activists argued for the labeling change because they felt it lulled smokers into thinking they were inhaling something less harmful.  So, why isn't lower tar and nicotine better?

For starters, research has shown that many smokers compensate for the lower nicotine by simply inhaling more deeply, holding the smoke in longer or smoking more cigarettes.  Nicotine, after all, is addictive, and smokers, consciously or not, want to get as much in their lungs as they can.

According to a fact sheet issued by the National Cancer Institute, light cigarettes are no healthier — that is, no less deadly — than regular, "full flavor" cigarettes.  Smokers inhale the same amount of chemicals and do not reduce their risk of smoking-related cancers or other diseases.  NCI notes:

Researchers also found that the strategies used by the tobacco industry to advertise and promote light cigarettes are intended to reassure smokers, to discourage them from quitting, and to lead consumers to perceive filtered and light cigarettes as safer alternatives to regular cigarettes.

There is also no evidence that switching to light cigarettes will put you on the path to quit altogether.

In fact there is no safe — or even safer — cigarette. If you're concerned about your health, the only option is to quit. The American Lung Association has created a wealth of materials to support you.