Herbal cigarettes are touted as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Is it safe to use herbal cigarettes? Let us find out.
Most of us are familiar with the warning that cigarette smoking is harmful for health. In their efforts to save their health, many of the cigarette users opt for alternatives that are often touted as safe. Nowadays, various products that are touted as safe tobacco alternatives are available in the market. One such product is herbal cigarette that is sold in many different types. These cigarettes that are in the form of regular ones, are actually made of herbs and so, are claimed to be safe for health. Continue reading this article to know more about the safety and health risks of herbal cigarettes.
Herbal Cigarettes
As the name rightly suggests, herbal cigarettes are made of herbs and are free of tobacco as well as nicotine. A wide range of herbs are used for this purpose and they include licorice root, ginseng, red clover flowers, lotus leaf, passion flower, corn silk, rose petals and jasmine. The herbs are powdered and mixed with liquid clarified butter, before being filled in paper tubes, to form cigarettes. These cigarettes are considered as natural products that are safe to use.
So, these products are getting increasingly popular as a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Of course, they are beneficial in various ways, the most important being lack of nicotine. Such cigarettes may prove helpful in quitting smoking tobacco cigarettes. The user may also reap the health benefits offered by the herbs. In short, they are healthier than the regular tobacco cigarettes.
Are Herbal Cigarettes Safe?
Manufacturers of herbal cigarettes are found to promote the products as safe to smoke. Though they are healthier as compared to regular cigarettes, herbal ones are actually not safe. It is a common misconception that the harmful ingredients in cigarette is nicotine. Apart from nicotine, there are various other harmful toxins and some of them are generated by the smoke.
So, those who are using herbal cigarettes are exposed to smoke that contain tar, carbon monoxide and a host of other toxins that can cause harm to the body. While, inhalation of carbon monoxide in large amounts may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, the tar in smoke may cause harm to the bronchial lining, thereby leading to respiratory problems, like bronchitis and even lung cancer.
So, the risk of developing cancer and other respiratory problems still remains, even if you switch over to herbal cigarettes. Another health risk associated with these cigarettes is allergic reactions. It may happen that some of the users may develop allergic reactions to any of the herb used in the cigarette. Such reactions may range from mild to moderate and sometimes severe too.
The symptoms can be as mild as skin rash and hives to grave ones like anaphylactic shock. These cigarettes are found to be popular among teenagers and women, who are under the misconception that being herbal, they are safe to use. It has also been noticed that a certain brands of may contain psychoactive substances.
To conclude, it can be said that herbal cigarettes can be more healthier than regular ones with tobacco and nicotine. But, these herbal products are not completely safe. If you start using them for quitting tobacco cigarette smoking, then it will be better to do so for a small duration. Otherwise, you will continue smoking herbal cigarettes that are also not good in the long run. It will be always better to seek the advise of your doctor with regard to choosing the right stop smoking product.
