Herbal Cigarette Health Risks

Contrary to popular belief, there is a huge misconception about herbal cigarettes among people. The fact of the matter is that they are not safe and are as dangerous as any normal tobacco laden alternative. No research paper or an authentic medical publication has ever stated that herbal cigarettes are good for health, and nor have there been any reports of doctors actually stating the same.

The reason why people have this strange belief, is because of the misleading advertisements made by some companies. When you think about it, publicity is all that matters to them, and all they care about is to get their products sold, under all circumstances. This article will discuss the health risks of herbal cigarettes in detail.

Herbal cigarettes are not healthier than tobacco cigarettes. Even though they may not contain tobacco, they still contain combustible material in the form of herbs. At the end these leaves are going to burn and produce smoke or fumes.

These fumes contain large amounts of carbon monoxide which is in actual an odorless, and colorless gas. This smoke when consumed in large quantities, can lead to asphyxiation, permanent brain damage, and even death. This smoke also contains tar which will eventually find it way into the lungs and accumulate there.

The American Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued herbal cigarette companies in the year 2000, for making wrongful and deceptive claims. These claims stated that herbal cigarettes were safer and had good health effects on its users. These claims obviously increased the popularity of these cigarettes among the general public.

The final order was that these companies stop making false publicity claims and were required to mention the statuary surgeon warning on their packs just like normal tobacco cigarettes.

Not all herbal cigarettes are tobacco free. Some have a 40-60 ratio, wherein 40% is herb such as clove and the rest is tobacco. Secondly, most of these cigarettes come without filters, which makes them far worse than usual cigarettes, thereby causing more amounts of smoke, and chemicals to enter your lungs.

Since these cigarettes contain herbs, and other substances, one cannot be sure if they will suit every individual who uses it. There have been cases of several emergency situations wherein, people have been rushed in with severe allergic reactions after they smoked herbal cigarettes.

These allergies may react gradually or attack immediately. We can never tell if we are allergic to a particular herb or not. Nor can we be sure that these cigarettes do not contain added additives, which may be causing the allergy. These allergies can start off as a simple rash and may cause poisoning.

Too much of carbon monoxide can kill you. It is a poisonous gas which if allowed to go overboard can result in asphyxiation, and coma. It can cause paralysis, and irreparable nerve damage. It is especially fatal for pregnant women as it can suffocate the fetus and deprive it of oxygen.

Warning sign of excess carbon monoxide are headaches, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, irritability, fatigue, shivers, and nosebleed.

As mentioned before, no matter what you do, when you smoke you are willingly allowing smoke to enter your lungs. This smoke contains tar, and harmful chemicals, which will eat into the tissues, and cells of the heart, and lungs. The accumulation of tar will lead to blockages in the lungs, and heart, causing diseases.

It can also lead to cancer, as the alien substance will instigate the growth of cancer cells and eventually lead to the disease. At the end, when you really think about it, smoke from a normal, or an herbal cigarette is the same. Both will cause equal damage to our health in the long run.

Herbal cigarette and its health risks are the same as those caused by normal tobacco smoking. To think of it, tobacco itself is derived from leaves and still causes so many life-threatening problems. At the end, it is the smoke which causes harm to our health and not what we are smoking. The best alternative is to go in for nicotine patches so as to help quit the habit.