Are Roll Your Own Cigarettes Safer?

"I always thought because they are natural, they are pure tobacco and safer". I think this woman's beliefs echo many who Roll their Own Cigarettes. With the cost of cigarettes so high these days many people are turning to Roll Your Own (RYO) cigarettes, others are using RYO cigarettes because they believe them to be pure and therefore safer. Sellers of RYO tobacco have used this as a way to sell their tobacco; they call it natural", or often use the term "additive free". Please consider the following information.

RYO smokers were found to be more addicted and heavier smokers by Canadian researchers. Smokers of RYO cigarettes showed an increased risk of the mouth and pharynx and the risk of laryngeal cancer is greater. RYO tobacco is still not safe. It still contains toxins and carcinogens and the mouth and throat are at increased risk in developing problems. RYO smokers have a much higher risk of developing diabetes, and high blood pressure than the regular population.

WHY RYO smokers are more addicted and heavier smokers is an important question and so there has been some studying of the smoking techniques of RYO cigarettes and Factory Made (FM) cigarettes and the differences associated with each of them. RYO smokers smoked more intensely; they inhaled 28% more smoke per cigarette and took 25% more puffs and puffed longer. Perhaps this is because in RYO cigarettes there is no burning agent put in the tobacco to keep the tobacco burning so it requires constant puffing to keep the cigarette burning. Whatever the reason exposure to the toxins and carcinogens is determined by puffing behavior and so with more puffing comes more exposure to these toxins and carcinogens.

So is RYO tobacco pure and natural? What of the natural substances found in tobacco that comes from the soil in which the tobacco is grown in? We know that ammonia is naturally found in tobacco as is polonium; and it is because they are grown in soil that have these substances occurring naturally. RYO tobacco has these poisons as well as FM cigarettes. There is also the increased danger of toxins and carcinogens that with FM cigarettes are filtered out by the filter and with RYO are not filtered out. A person can take a filter from a used FM cigarette and see many of the things like tar etc that are filtered out. This is another reason that RYO cigarette smokers are at increased risk for mouth and throat problems.

So although they are advertised as pure, natural and without additives, we know that they are not safe. Smoking RYO cigarettes are not safer than smoking Factory Cigarettes, because smoking is harmful whether it is RYO or FM cigarettes. The way to keep from harming your body with tobacco is to quit. Please read older posts to get the help and support that can help you quit, or contact me and I will help in any way I can.