Smoking cigarettes is a highly addictive habit that damages your health in more ways than one. It causes multiple health problems, including respiratory issues, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. As awareness about the dangers of smoking increases, cigarette companies have had to come up with ways to attract smokers who wish to cut back on their cigarette consumption or quit smoking altogether. One such strategy is the production of light cigarettes.
Light cigarettes, also known as “low-tar” or “low-yield” cigarettes, are marketed as a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes. They contain filters or ventilation holes that supposedly reduce the amount of tar and other harmful substances that smokers inhale. In this article, we’ll examine light cigarettes in detail, including their history, dangers, and regulatory status.
History of Light Cigarettes
The concept of light cigarettes dates back to the 1960s. Cigarette companies developed filtered cigarettes that contained less tar and nicotine than regular cigarettes. This innovation was a response to the growing awareness of the dangers of smoking and the consequent decrease in cigarette sales.
The first light cigarettes were marketed as “slim” or “extra-light.” Later, the terms “light” and “ultra-light” became more common. The new cigarettes were marketed as less toxic and less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The marketing worked, and light cigarettes became popular among smokers who believed they were a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.
Rationale behind Light Cigarettes
Cigarette manufacturers claim that light cigarettes are less toxic and dangerous than regular cigarettes. They base this claim on the fact that light cigarettes contain less tar and nicotine than traditional cigarettes.
According to cigarette manufacturers, light cigarettes reduce the risk of several health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Manufacturers have also claimed that light cigarettes help to reduce smoking-related health problems by cutting down the amount of tar and carbon monoxide that smokers inhale.
However, these claims are disputed by independent studies and government organizations. Several studies have demonstrated that light cigarettes are no less dangerous than traditional cigarettes. Despite the claims by cigarette manufacturers, research suggests that the reduction in tar and nicotine levels in light cigarettes doesn’t actually translate into a lower risk of smoking-related diseases.
The Risks of Smoking Light Cigarettes
Light cigarettes are not as “light” as they are marketed to be. In fact, they are just as harmful as traditional cigarettes. The reduction in tar and nicotine levels in light cigarettes doesn’t necessarily equate to a decrease in risk. Because of their lower nicotine content, light cigarettes can be more addictive than traditional cigarettes, causing smokers to inhale more smoke to get the same amount of nicotine.
Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes are likely to have a false sense of security regarding their smoking habit. They believe that they are smoking a less dangerous product and feel less pressure to quit. This leads to prolonged smoking, putting them at an even higher risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and other smoking-related illnesses.
Regulatory Responses to Light Cigarettes
Government organizations have been responsive to the dangers of light cigarettes. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken legal action against cigarette manufacturers for false and misleading health claims. The FTC now requires that all light cigarette packs carry a disclaimer stating that “light” and “low tar” do not necessarily mean reduced health risks.
Several countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, have gone even further by banning the use of terms like “light” and “low tar” on cigarette packaging and advertising. The European Union has issued regulations to cease the production of light and ultralight cigarettes.
Conclusion
Despite being marketed as a “healthier” option for smokers, light cigarettes are just as harmful as traditional cigarettes. Cigarette manufacturers have misled consumers into believing that light cigarettes are less toxic, but this is not the case. Research has shown that light cigarettes pose the same health risks as traditional cigarettes.
It is essential to be informed about these issues, so you can make the best decisions for your health. If you are a smoker, quitting smoking should always be your priority. If you are struggling to quit, consider seeking support from a healthcare professional or a cessation program provided by your local government.
What are Light Cigarettes?
Light cigarettes were developed in the 1970’s by the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry claimed that light cigarettes have reduced levels of tar, nicotine and other chemicals inhaled during smoking. The cigarettes, known by the names “light”, “mild”, and “ultra light” are distinguished by the filter that is used in making the cigarette. The filters have holes in them that are intended to add more air into the lungs and decrease the percentage of chemicals taken into the lungs when breathing in the cigarette smoke.
Light cigarettes, in actuality, are no different than regular strength cigarettes in the amount of chemicals taken into the lungs. The idea of light cigarettes was developed by tobacco companies in order to “trick” new government regulations on tar and nicotine consumption. Where the FTC, in 1967, developed a machine to gauge the amount of chemicals taken in through cigarette smoke the machine was flawed. This is because of many factors that show the difference between human consumption of cigarettes and machine consumption of cigarettes.
What are the Side Effects of Smoking Light Cigarettes?
The smoking of light cigarettes carries with it the same health effects of normal cigarette consumption. As with normal cigarettes, smoking is a major risk factor in strokes, heart attack, emphysema, pulmonary disease, and cancer. It is also a factor in Crohn’s disease and is the number one cause of bladder cancer.
Government Regulation
In 2009 the Senate passed legislation that effectively limited the marketing of “light” cigarettes. This legislation required tobacco companies to cease using terms such as “light”, “mild” and “ultra light.” In addition the legislation passed forbids tobacco companies from marketing these types of cigarettes as being lower in chemicals such as tar, nicotine, etc. However, the tobacco companies have been proactive in countering this legislation be re-designating these types of products by color codes. What were once Camel Lights are now Camel Blues. The reclassification of the product has been shown to have little effect on smoking habits and does little as a deterrent.
Lawsuits
The current trend in tobacco litigation is to sue tobacco companies for unfair business practice. Many of these class action lawsuits claim that the tobacco industry not only misled the government, but consumers when they gave the impression that cigarettes with designations such as “light” had less chemicals and were thus healthier. Plaintiffs in these suits allege that the tobacco industry was aware of the flaws in the FTC machines used by the government to test for chemicals and purposefully developed the cigarette filters and paper in order to defeat detection of increased amounts of chemicals. They site data from the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Disease Control that indicates that smoking machines numbers are artificially low.
In 2003 Phillip Morris, the producer of Marlboro lights, lost a case based on the “deceptive practices” theory and were ordered to pay $10 billion in both compensatory and punitive damages.
The main defense by the tobacco industry is that they are within federal regulations and state laws are preempted. However, in a 2008 Supreme Court case the Justices found that common law legal duties, such as manufacturer’s duties, were not preempted by federal law. This has opened the door to tobacco misrepresentation suits in the states.
