A new study shows that smokers who think that they might be taking a step in the right direction by switching to a “ light “ or “ mild “ cigarette might not be actually as beneficial as thought . Researchers say the reduction in nicotine is minimal, and in the end, the light or mild cigarette could actually increase a person’s risk for problems. Previous studies have shown that low-yield cigarettes can be just as hazardous.
Researchers conducted a study looking at nicotine and health hazards of light and mild brands of cigarettes in Japan. For the study, researchers assessed the nicotine dependence of 458 smokers and questioned them about their smoking habits. The concentration of nicotine in the smokers urine was also measured .Researchers report that smokers who smoke more than 40 cigarettes per day would hardly reduce their nicotine intake by switching to a mild brand. They point out that smokers who switch to cigarettes with 0.1 milligrams of nicotine from cigarettes that have 1.1 milligrams of nicotine only reduce their intake by less than two-fold.
Smokers who are heavily dependent on nicotine obtain no advantage by smoking low-yield cigarettes and researchers says they may actually increase their risks by inhaling more carbon monoxide or tar through taking more puffs per cigarette or increasing the depth of their inhalation.
Thus researchers say that public should be made more aware of the labeling practices so as to avoid the above effects.
