Light or low-tar cigarettes safer during pregnancy?
These “light” branded cigarettes are quickly gaining popularity in the cities, several are specially targeted to women.
Many pregnant smokers might be tricked into beleiving that by choosing a light or low tar cigarette brand, the harm to themselves or their baby will be significantly smaller.
The labels on light cigarettes may say “low nicotine” or “low tar,” but the claims are meaningless. Low-tar cigarettes might be slightly ‘less dangerous’ rather than ’safe’. They are supposed to have less than 15 milligrams of tar. Cigarette companies have simply changed the design of some cigarettes so they produce fewer toxins when tested by machines in government laboratories. For instance, manufacturers put tiny vents in the filters so that the machines suck in fresh air as well as cigarette smoke. But when so-called low-nicotine or low-tar cigarettes are smoked by people instead of machines, any differences pretty much disappear.
When people smoke light cigarettes, they instantly adjust their smoking technique. Without even thinking about it, they breath more deaply and puff more quickly. Many smokers also inadvertently cover the vents in the filters with their fingers, essentially turning their light cigarettes back into regular cigarettes.
In the end, they get their full dose of nicotine, along with carbon monoxide, tar, and all of the other poisons that can harm a woman’s health and threaten her pregnancy.
If you’re worried about the dangers of regular cigarettes, switching to light or low tar cigarettes just isn’t the answer. You need to give up, and the sooner the better.
Remember: The only safe cigarettes are the ones that don’t get lit.
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