What is the difference between light and strong cigarettes. What are light cigarettes? Independent expert's opinion

It’s not clear what you expect to hear in the answer to this question and, most importantly, why you are looking for it. Because if you care about your health, then there is no other choice but to quit smoking, since there is no safe smoking. American scientists have even proven that it is not clear what you expect to hear in the answer to this question and, most importantly, why you are looking for it. Because if you care about your health, then there is no other choice but to quit smoking, since there is no safe smoking. American scientists have even proven that electronic cigarettes are no less harmful than regular ones. So you won’t be able to harbor illusions even in such an elegant way.

Most likely, you are simply looking for an excuse for your weakness, like, I can’t quit, but I will smoke less harmful ones - just be honest with yourself. But here we have to disappoint you: the official division between more and less harmful cigarettes is not listed anywhere, but the popular one is very relative. And it is simply impossible to find the most non-dangerous (or whatever you want to call them) cigarettes.

However, if you have already asked this question, then the following information will be interesting or useful to you.

Tobacco companies position so-called light cigarettes as less harmful. And they have their own benefit from this. After all, what is a cigarette? This is nicotine and. The more (read - the drug), the faster the physical dependence develops and takes root. But the more tar in a cigarette, the more the smoker’s lungs are affected, because all the carcinogens they contain settle in the lungs. If you follow the logic, then cigarettes with lower tar and nicotine content, presented as lights (ultra-light, extra-light, super-light), slims and so on, are less harmful. But in the tobacco industry the logic is somewhat peculiar.

Firstly, it is not at all a fact that cigarettes contain the nicotine and tar content stated on the pack. Even in the States, where, it would seem, the laws seem to be observed, unlike ours, this discrepancy has been repeatedly recorded.

Secondly, the “filling” of light, ultra-light and super-light cigarettes undergoes a special chemical treatment, which significantly increases the harm of smoking. Studies show that fans of such cigarettes most often die from cancer.

Thirdly, if the body is dependent on nicotine, it constantly requires its dose. It’s different for everyone, but you can’t fool him with “slims.” And until he gets what he wants, he won’t rest. In fact, this looks like smoking an increased number of cigarettes. That is, if, for example, 10 strong cigarettes were enough for your body to meet the need for nicotine, then in terms of harmful light cigarettes this is already more than a pack. And here there is a clear financial benefit for the tobacco industry. Therefore, in this way, the harm is calculated very relatively. Definitely, it is better to smoke less strong than more light. If, in any case, you smoke the same number of cigarettes per day, then, most likely, cigarettes with a reduced tar and nicotine content will be less harmful. But even here there is a “but”: when smoking light cigarettes, a person puffs much deeper and more often, trying to compensate for the low nicotine content. So everything is very, very relative.

Classic or flavored?

Even the taste of cigarettes determines how harmful they are, which is probably the last thing you thought about. American scientists have proven that flavored cigarettes are much more harmful than classic ones. All the salt is in the smelling additives - these impurities are very harmful. In addition, they also interrupt the taste and smell of tobacco, so it can be difficult to smoke with a flavored cigarette, you have to take another one...

More filter!

Today there is hardly any need to talk about this, but since we have touched on this topic, let us remind you: of course, any cigarette without a filter is always more harmful. The filter retains at least a tiny portion of carcinogens, but that’s good. In its absence, all poisons go straight inside without purification. Therefore, a filter on a cigarette is a must!

In the same way, you should not light a cigarette twice (that is, in fact, smoke “bulls”). Probably, each of us has seen how at a bus stop a guy quickly puts out a just lit cigarette on the sole of his shoe and hastily hides it in a pack: his bus has arrived. Never do this!

"Free" nicotine

In addition to other indicators of harmfulness, there is one more: this is the content of so-called “free” nicotine in a cigarette, which makes it even more harmful. It enters the brain and blood too quickly and becomes addictive faster.

Many well-known brands of cigarettes contain such “free nicotine”. Among them, for example, are Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Camel, Winston Galouises and others (according to the journal Chemical Research of Toxicology).

What about pharmaceutical cigarettes?

In general, we can say with complete confidence that there are no harmless cigarettes. Even so-called pharmaceutical cigarettes, intended for quitting, cause some harm to the smoker’s body. And even though they do not contain nicotine, during the burning and smoldering of dried plants, carcinogenic substances are also released, similar to car exhaust poisons.

I wanted to systematize information about the differences between regular and light cigarettes.

How can you “lighten” a cigarette? Tobacco manufacturers have a huge number of ways to do this.

The most common of them:

1 . Use lighter tobaccos, such as more Virginia in the blend.
2 . Use less tobacco, as a result of which the filling will suffer and the cigarette will “break off” and burn worse. Reducing the amount of tobacco most often entails adding sugar, flavorings, flavor enhancers, humectants and other additives to the mixture.
3 . Reduce the size of the cigarette itself (its length or thickness) or increase the length of the filter.
4 . Add homogenized tobacco leaf (paper made from tobacco dust, waste from cutting tobacco) to the tobacco.
5 . DIET technology is the expansion of tobacco leaves using a principle similar to the production of puffed rice. This means that under the influence of hot air, the tobacco leaf noticeably increases in volume, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of raw materials during production and reduce the levels of tar and nicotine in the smoke.

The image is reduced. Click to see original.

Now let's see which of these methods are actually used.
Method 1 cannot be used within the line of one brand of cigarettes, since the taste of the cigarette completely changes.
Method 2 actually used in ultra-light and super-light cigarettes of some brands (noticeable upon visual inspection of the cigarette).
It's obvious that method 3 cannot be used within a line of one brand of cigarettes.
Method 4, most likely works for all cheap cigarettes, not just light ones. Moving away from the topic, it can be mentioned that homogenized tobacco leaf is not only added to the tobacco mixture, but is also used as wrapping paper or cover sheet in cheap cigarillos.
Method 5: DIET technology is the brainchild of British American Tobacco. Other manufacturers have similar technologies, but with different names. Tobacco processed in this way is also used for cheap cigarettes. It is unprofitable to use such technology only for super-light and ultra-light cigarettes. Its key purpose is to reduce raw material costs.
Method 6 unprofitable, selection of tobacco leaves in this way takes place only in the production of the most expensive cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars.
Method 7 sank into oblivion with the advent way 8.

Now let’s clarify what is meant by the terms filters, lights, ultra lights, etc. Cigarettes of these types differ in the levels of tar and nicotine in the smoke (in some countries the level of carbon monoxide is also indicated). These levels are measured by an ISO standard smoking machine, which takes a certain number of puffs at a certain intensity (more precisely, 1 puff per minute with a volume of 35 ml of smoke and a duration of 2 seconds until the cigarette is completely burned).
Accordingly, tar and nicotine levels:
filters - 8-15 mg, 0.8-1.2 mg
lights - 5-7 mg, 0.5-0.7 mg
ultra lights - 3-4 mg, 0.3-0.4 mg
super lights - 1-2 mg, 0.1-0.2 mg

Let's evaluate the overall picture for a line of cigarettes of the same brand (in which there are 3-4 types of cigarettes by strength).
Different types of cigarettes may differ in the quality of the filling and the composition of the tobacco mixture. But such manipulations, at best, will change the strength of the cigarette by no more than 40 percent. The rest of the difference is covered by differences in the filtration system.
The difference in the number of perforation holes in a cigarette radically changes its “strength”. That's what it is method 8.
What are the advantages of this method for tobacco manufacturers? They can use the same mixture of certain types of tobacco, the same paper, filter and additives for cigarettes of different strengths, thereby reducing production costs to the maximum.

Let's draw conclusions. What is the difference between light and regular cigarettes?
More than 90 percent of these are the same cigarettes. They differ in the number of perforation holes.
The remaining 10 percent is the difference in the filling and the amount of tobacco (sometimes in lighter cigarettes there is simply less of it, and there are more additives in the form of sugars, flavorings, and taste enhancers). Expanded tobacco and chopped homogenized tobacco leaves can also be mixed in there.

All that remains is to describe the difference when smoking.

With the same intensity of puffs when smoking light cigarettes, less smoke enters the lungs, which means less tar and nicotine. Less tobacco taste is felt.

Tar and nicotine levels are standardized and approximate. Everyone smokes differently, and a smoking machine, no matter how hard it tries, cannot accurately imitate the actions of a smoker. Smoking the same cigarettes, more tar and nicotine will enter the body of one person than another (this depends on the manner, place of smoking, number of puffs, etc.) That is, if the pack indicates what is in the smoke of one cigarette tar 4 mg and nicotine 0.4 mg, this absolutely does not mean that exactly this amount will get into your lungs.

The difference is sometimes felt in the fact that light cigarettes are more difficult to “draw” and are more difficult to light. All other things being equal, a light cigarette will smoke a little longer than a regular one. But the machine took this fact into account - it “smokes” the cigarette not for a certain time, but until it burns down to the level of the filter.

Each smoker develops a certain need for nicotine. Some have more, some have less. If you are going to switch from regular cigarettes to light cigarettes, then first of all you need to think about the fact that your need for nicotine will not decrease. You will simply spend more money on cigarettes by smoking more of them (by taking deeper puffs). An indirect consequence of this: light cigarettes will not help you quit smoking.

Another example: it is better for new smokers to start with light cigarettes, since they do not yet have a need for nicotine. Gradually increasing the strength over time, you can find “your” cigarettes. Otherwise, you will have to take fewer puffs, shorter puffs, or not finish the cigarette at all.

You can also dispel the myth that light cigarettes are inferior in quality to regular cigarettes. Within a line of cigarettes of the same brand, the difference in quality is insignificant.

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Note: “light” cigarettes mean both actual light cigarettes, as well as ultra-light and super-light.

Every smoker gradually gets used to the strength of the cigarettes he uses. The process of smoking eventually brings less and less pleasure, and the person decides to try stronger products.

The production of special strength cigarettes is no different from the production of regular tobacco products. They contain the following components in increased doses:

• tobacco;
• nicotine;
• resin.

Often, strong cigarettes on store shelves differ from regular ones in the color of the packaging. Light cigarettes are sold in light-colored packs, while heavy cigarettes are traditionally packaged in dark boxes.

The strongest cigarettes from foreign manufacturers

The ranking of the strongest imported cigarettes is as follows:

1. Marlboro Original Red;
2. Newport;
3. "Captain Black."

Marlboro is one of the most famous brands of cigarettes, which produces products of different strengths. Marlboro Original Red is the heaviest cigarette from a renowned manufacturer. They are sold in packs of 20 pieces. The amount of nicotine in one cigarette is 1.7 mg, and also contains 15 mg of tar. The products are available in black and red packages, which indicates the special strength of the contents.

"Newport" are the second strongest imported cigarettes. They contain 18 mg of tar and 1.4 mg of nicotine. Products contain menthol and are made in the USA.

Captain Black brand products are imported from Belgium. It contains homogenized tobacco and many flavorings. One “tube” contains about 1.2 mg of nicotine and 14 mg of tar.

As an alternative to the brands mentioned above, we will name other imported cigarettes of special strength. Chesterfield Classic Red is the best-selling variety of tobacco products from the Chesterfield manufacturer. In terms of popularity, they are not inferior to Marlboro products. Their nicotine content is 0.7 mg, tar content is 10 mg. Cigarettes have a bitter taste, which is especially liked by heavy smokers.

L&M brand products are produced in light-colored packaging. Despite the strength (15 mg of tar and 1.1 mg of nicotine), the filter of each cigarette is painted white. The number of tobacco products in a pack is 15 pieces.

Although Camel cigarettes have an unusual mild taste, they are quite strong: one tobacco product contains 15 mg of tar and 1.10 mg of nicotine. The products are sold in packs of a yellowish tint.

"Winston" is one of the best-selling brands not only in Russia, but throughout the world. The most durable products of this company are considered to be “Winston Classic”. They are distinguished by their red packaging. One cigarette contains 1.08 mg of nicotine and 15 mg of tar.

Despite the fact that Magna Menthol products are considered mint, they are still classified as heavy tobacco products (14 mg of tar and 0.9 mg of nicotine in one cigarette). It comes in green packs.

Among publicly available products, More cigarettes are considered to be of particularly high quality. The strength of these tobacco products is quite high: 12 mg of tar and 1 mg of nicotine in each cigarette.

More producers use only the highest quality tobacco, and modern technologies are used in the manufacturing process.

“Lucky Strike” is another block of foreign-made strong cigarettes. They are made in a rather unusual way: tobacco leaves are roasted rather than dried.

The strongest cigarettes from domestic manufacturers

Especially strong cigarettes were produced in Russia during the Soviet era. It is noteworthy that all of them were produced without filters. “Astra”, “Prima” and “Polyot” are the most popular among them.

There are relatively few strong cigarettes on the modern Russian market. "Belomorkanal" are considered the strongest products produced in the country. The content of resins is extremely high - about 29 mg. There is less nicotine than in other heavy cigarettes: approximately 0.6 mg. The demand for Belomorkanal products has remained stable since Soviet times.

Pegasus cigarettes are somewhat behind Belomorkanal tobacco products: they contain 20 mg of tar and 1.3 mg of nicotine. Products "Maxim" and "Peter I" are also considered strong.

The strongest cigarettes in the world

The strongest cigarettes in the world are bidis. They are homemade products, common in Asian countries, and have become especially popular in India. Bidi are classified as “roll-your-own” cigarettes. They are made from raw tobacco leaves and various herbs.

The strength of bidi has not been officially confirmed, and there is no exact information regarding the composition. However, the symptoms that accompany users of these homemade cigarettes are very similar to the signs of nicotine poisoning.

According to statistics, the largest number of smokers live in India. Cigarettes are smoked in this country by men, women and even small children. The standard amount of nicotine in cigarettes from most Indian manufacturers is 1.6 mg of nicotine and 25 mg of tar. The strongest Indian cigarettes contain 39 mg of tar and 2.3 mg of nicotine.

The fight against smoking in our country has acquired a truly colossal scope. Cigarette prices are rising, advertising of this product in the media is prohibited, and doctors constantly talk about the dangers of tobacco. And yet, it seems that there are no fewer smokers in Russia. According to statistics, more than half of the country's men and about 30% of women are susceptible to this bad habit.

The myth about the harmlessness of light cigarettes

You need to take care of your health, and therefore you should quit smoking. However, everyone knows that this is not easy to do. Therefore, many smokers try to start by at least simply switching to cigarettes that are not too harmful. In fact, there are currently a truly huge number of brands of tobacco products produced by a variety of companies, both domestic and foreign. So which cigarettes are best to smoke? Let's look at this in more detail.

Many Russians still believe that so-called “light” cigarettes are less harmful to health. However, according to doctors, this type of tobacco product is practically no different from its strong varieties in terms of the degree of negative impact it has on the body. Everyone knows that the most harmful substance in cigarettes is the tar, which settles in the lungs during smoking. The drug nicotine is also a carcinogen, which, among other things, is also addictive. As you know, one drop of it “kills a horse.”

Of course, light cigarettes contain less tar and nicotine than strong cigarettes. However, doctors warn that, in addition to these two poisons, tobacco also contains other carcinogens - tobacco specific nitrosamines. And they are concentrated in light cigarettes as much as in strong cigarettes, and often more. The largest number of them, by the way, was found in weak female ones, which are currently considered practically harmless by the people.

Thus, by misleading consumers, tobacco product manufacturers increase their income. After all, often smokers who are accustomed to strong cigarettes, when switching to light cigarettes with less nicotine, simply start smoking more. The benefit for the seller is obvious. Instead of one, a person buys two packs of cigarettes. The harm a smoker causes to his health is simply colossal.

Features of tobacco production in Russia

Unfortunately, finding the answer to the question of which cigarettes are best to smoke is quite difficult. Moreover, in our country the certification of tobacco products was completely abolished some time ago. Therefore, information about the tar and nicotine content on packs purchased at tobacco kiosks may well turn out to be unreliable. Currently, Russia has virtually no own cigarette production enterprises. Most of the factories were bought by foreigners.

But in any case, the taste of domestic cigarettes is quite different from foreign ones. The point here is not in the production technology, but in the varieties of tobacco. Cigarettes from foreign brands are softer and contain less tar and nicotine. Since manufacturers do not provide information on the concentration of nitrosamines, it is not possible to make a comparison on this parameter at all.

TOP: ten cigarette brands in Russia

Recently, specialists from the Romir Monitoring holding conducted a survey among Russian smokers about their preferred brands of cigarettes. The TOP 10 included:

1. "Winston" are cigarettes that have the best reviews from smokers. This brand is preferred by 12.4% of Russians.
2. In second place are also foreign-made cigarettes - the L&M brand. 8.9% prefer to buy them.
3. The third position is occupied by Kent. This brand is smoked by 7.8%.
4. In fourth place is Bond Street - 6.3% of smokers.
5. The legendary Marlboro is preferred by 5.5% of Russians.
6. In sixth position is Alliance - 5.4%.
7. The domestic “Balkan Star” takes seventh place - 4.4%.
8. In eighth place is “Java” - 4.1%.
9. Troika is in ninth position - also 4.1%.
10. And the last place in the top ten was taken by the inexpensive Optima - 3.7%.

As for the motives for preferring a particular brand, both long-term habit and various types of advertising play an important role here. Thus, judging by the opinion of the majority of smokers, the best cigarettes are Winston.

So how to choose the most harmless cigarettes?

It is almost impossible to determine with a high degree of certainty the relative harmlessness of a particular brand due to the lack of information on the content of nitrosamines. Therefore, when choosing a specific manufacturer, pay attention at least to the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes. The fewer there are, the better, of course. Those who want to find the answer to the question of which cigarettes are best to smoke should also know that, according to the standards adopted in our country, tobacco sold for sale should not contain more than 14 mg of tar and 1. 2 mg of nicotine (per piece). This is a fairly high figure, especially compared to the maximum permissible concentration level adopted in Europe and America. However, it is encouraging that a new amendment to the law “On Restricting Tobacco Smoking” is currently being developed, which proposes slightly lower standards.

Are hookahs and cigars harmful?

Of course, not only regular cigarettes are harmful to health (you can see photos of some popular brands on this page), but also cigars and hookahs. Some smokers believe that smoking a hookah is an absolutely harmless activity. However, this is absolutely not true. Concinogens are contained in any smoke without exception. Pipe and cigars are also harmful. The latter usually smoke without inhaling. However, although smoke does not have a harmful effect on the lungs, it can cause cancer of the larynx and nasal cavity.

Which cigarettes are considered the most dangerous?

Oddly enough, thin cigarettes produced specifically for women are considered the most dangerous. And the point is not at all that they contain an increased amount of carcinogens. As a survey (800 thousand people) conducted in countries such as the USA, Australia, Canada and Great Britain showed, it is the inscriptions on the packages that mislead people about the safety of people. On women's cigarettes, manufacturers usually provide information about a reduced tar content. Meanwhile, it does not correspond at all to the current state of affairs. In fact, there is no particularly big difference in the percentage of tar content in strong cigarettes and in women's cigarettes.

But, as the survey showed, a huge number of women living in Europe, the USA and Australia unconditionally believe that the products they buy and smoke are absolutely harmless.

Menthol cigarettes

Today, cigarettes are produced with a variety of flavors - apple, strawberry, raspberry, etc. They cause no more and no less harm than regular ones. However, for example, in the USA such tobacco products are prohibited from sale. The fact is that the government decided that pleasant aromas make cigarettes more attractive. As a result, people smoke more.

One of the most popular types of flavored cigarettes is menthol. There is no mint in their tobacco. Only the paper in which the tobacco is wrapped, or the filter, is impregnated with menthol. Smoking such cigarettes is much more pleasant than regular ones. However, they are also considered more harmful. The fact is that the anesthesia effect they cause allows the smoker to puff harder. In addition, menthol affects the metabolism of nicotine, as a result of which its concentration in the body increases.

Who invented cigarettes

Perhaps those who want to know which cigarettes are best to smoke will also be interested in the history of their invention. Tobacco, as everyone knows, was brought to Europe and Russia from America. However, at first it was only smoked in pipes or snorted. The history of the appearance of cigarettes is quite interesting. It is believed that the first to come up with the idea of ​​wrapping tobacco in paper were Egyptian artillerymen during the war between Egypt and Turkey in the early nineteenth century. In 1832, one of the artillery crews invented a method for improving the rate of fire of a cannon. The soldiers simply began wrapping gunpowder in paper tubes. For this innovation they were rewarded with a pound of tobacco each. However, their only tube for the entire crew broke. Therefore, they decided to do the same with tobacco as with gunpowder. That is, just wrap it in paper.

Such rolling papers turned out to be much cheaper than the cigars common at that time. Therefore, they began to enjoy enormous popularity not only among Egyptian, but also among Turkish soldiers. During the Crimean War in 1854-1856. The British adopted the habit of smoking hand-rolled cigarettes from the Turks. After some time, the fashion for smoking cigarettes spread throughout Europe. The first cigarettes did not have a filter. They looked more like cigarettes.

The first cigarette factories

The very first cigarette factory was built in London. At the end of the 19th century. In the USA, the first machine was invented that made it possible to automatically wrap tobacco in paper. The first filter cigarettes were produced in England. It was the Kent company that is still widely known today. Even later, menthol cigarettes appeared.

Why you should quit smoking

Smoking is one of the leading causes of death from various diseases in the world. Every year, 3-5 million people die worldwide as a result of health problems caused by cigarette addiction. Nicotine is a powerful poison that can cause pathologies in a wide variety of organs. The fact is that this carcinogen blocks the body’s absorption of beneficial vitamin C. As a result, a person develops hypovitaminosis C. The walls of blood vessels especially suffer from this. The respiratory system is most often affected in smokers. Lung tissue irreversibly degenerates from constant exposure to various types of poisons contained in cigarette smoke. Absolutely all types of cigarettes provoke cardiovascular diseases and are one of the main causes of the development of malignant tumors.

The body of smokers ages much faster than that of non-smokers. According to scientists, cigarette lovers live approximately 13 years less than those who do not have such a habit. Not only does the smoker’s health suffer, his appearance also changes for the worse. The teeth turn yellow and the skin takes on an ashy gray appearance. So the harm of cigarettes is not an invention of doctors, but a very real and proven fact.

A little about nicotine

Nicotine, as already mentioned, is a powerful poison. For example, if you bring just a stick dipped in this substance to a bird’s beak, it will die. A rabbit needs ¼ drop of nicotine, and a dog needs half. A person dies from 2-3 drops of this substance. This is exactly how much it contains in a standard pack of 20 cigarettes.

Light cigarettes are the product of the tobacco industry's attempt to bring to market what appeared to be safer cigarettes in the late 1960s. The difference between light and regular cigarettes is not the amount of tobacco they contain (it is the same), but the filters. For light cigarettes, the filter is usually covered with white paper, rather than tan or cork-patterned paper. The difference in color, however, is not significant.

R difference, which has meaning, is more difficult to discern, it related to ventilation: There are many tiny holes in the paper that covers the filters of light cigarettes. Under laboratory conditions, these holes cause the proportion of air in each puff of a light cigarette to be greater than that of a regular cigarette. For someone used to regular cigarettes, these small holes can really make it difficult to inhale enough smoke.

It is important to know:

More than 80% of cigarettes are light. People may prefer them to regular, full-grade cigarettes because the diluted smoke produced by smoking such cigarettes seems softer and less dense, and therefore less irritating to the throat. Ultra light cigarette filters have even more holes than light cigarette filters, so their smoke is even rarer. Most brands of full-grade cigarettes have a light counterpart, while there are cigarettes that exist only in a light or ultra-light version.

Preference for light cigarettes may also be due to the idea that they are not as harmful as regular cigarettes. Since the smoke is diluted, laboratory indicators of the amount of tar, nicotine and other components in it are lower.

Resin quantity indicator:

• in ultra light cigarettes it is equal to 1-6 mg in laboratory tests;
• in light cigarettes - approximately 6-15 mg of tar;
• whereas regular cigarettes contain more than 15 mg of tar.

However, due to the way people smoke in reality, the lower numbers of light and ultra-light cigarettes may not be observed in practice. Fingers and lips can block the holes that a special laboratory test machine leaves open, so the proportion of air in smoking is not as high as in ideal laboratory conditions. Additionally, people who smoke do so until they get their nicotine fix, which can mean smoking more cigarettes.

Thus, light cigarettes offer no demonstrable health benefits over conventional cigarettes, which is why cigarette manufacturers are prohibited in Canada and the European Union from producing cigarettes labeled as “light.”

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