# How dangerous is very-low level smoking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413 "2006-04-27T03:10:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/1 "2006-04-27T03:10:19Z")
Now, I realise that tobacco smoke in even the tiniest quantities isn’t good for you. That’s pretty much a given. Basically, I’m looking for stats (or anecdotal experience, if nothing esle) on how much a person endangers his or her health with really quite minor amounts of smoking. I’m talking about the girl who has a monthy cigarette, or the man who packs his pipe once every few months and smokes it on-and-off over several weeks, or the college student who smokes a few cigars every summer while playing poker with his buddies. How at risk are these people? ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/2 "2006-04-27T03:29:02Z")
I can’t f\*\*_king_ believe it. [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=362788), and [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=367720). Hattrick for me. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/3 "2006-04-27T11:17:08Z")
[QUOTE=II Gyan II] Hattrick for me. [/QUOTE] Three for three not answering the question? C’mon, I work with all kinds of graphs and plots for a living, and there’s nothing here that addresses any of the OP’s. The questions all pertain the the dangers per _quantity_ smoked. The table and study that you cite all pertain to “smokers,” i.e., people that we would identify as being addicted to smoking. For example, I am an ex-smoker. Given that, I occasionally indulge in a good cigar and even rarer the occasional cigarette, and there’s no way that I regard myself as a smoker given the frequency\*. So for all of these OP’s that may smoke 1 to 5 cigarettes per month the “smoker” statistic doesn’t apply to them. So what’s the danger of their (and my) infrequent indulgance? I admit I didn’t read the entire study, but only the portions you quoted or directly referred people to. If I’m missing something out of laziness, I’ll accept the shame. \*Insurance companies may, though. If you’ve ever used tobacco products even once in the previous year, you must select the “smoker” option in your cafeteria plan – depening on the insurance company. ---
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/4 "2006-04-27T16:36:39Z")
You’re not going to find reliable information to answer this scientifically. For example, you can find wildly varying “statistics” for the simple question of what percentage of smokers develop lung cancer. I’ve seen cites as low as 10% and as high as 90%. Lies, damnable lies and statistics… ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/5 "2006-04-27T17:16:18Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] TThe questions all pertain the the dangers per _quantity_ smoked. The table and study that you cite all pertain to “smokers,” i.e., people that we would identify as being addicted to smoking. [/QUOTE] I guess I’ll just what to paste it here again, and explain it this time. In the first thread, I said: > [@](#): > > No direct studies have been done on your specific question, but this study should illuminate. in response to the risks of smoking a cigarette a day. Then the same blurb from the epidemiological study (with my emphasis): > [@](#): > > The **mean cigarette consumption** in 1951 (or when last smoked, if this was before 1951) was **similar to that in continuing smokers** for those who **stopped at 45-64** and was only slightly lower for those who **stopped at 25-34 or 35-44**. Thus, the latter had, on average, had **substantial exposure to cigarette smoking for about 20 years** before giving up the habit, yet they still **avoided most of the excess mortality** that they would have suffered if they had continued to smoke. From the study, Median daily consumption = 18 cigarettes. Median age of starting = 18. The group that stopped between 25-34 had no excess mortality. To elaborate, Age of stopping, on average = 30 (authors took the middle, for each age interval) Average daily consumption, on average = say, 16 (“only slightly lower”) Number of years smoked, on average = 12 (18 to 30) Hence, total cigarettes smoked = 16 \* 365 \* 12 = 70,080 = approx 70,000 cigarettes. Excess mortality for this group = 0. (Check the first graph in [figure 4](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=437139&rendertype=figure&id=fig4)). ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2006, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/6 "2006-04-28T10:32:53Z")
[QUOTE=II Gyan II] To elaborate [/QUOTE] It’s all clear now. Thanks for the clarification. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/7 "2006-04-29T01:06:50Z")
[QUOTE=II Gyan II] Excess mortality for this group = 0. (Check the first graph in [figure 4](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=437139&rendertype=figure&id=fig4)). [/QUOTE] I don’t mean to seem dense, but this is is the answer to my question, right? ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/8 "2006-04-29T01:34:52Z")
[QUOTE=Speaker for the Dead] I don’t mean to seem dense, but this is is the answer to my question, right? [/QUOTE] I’d guess that your existing health is an important input factor. If you’re in good health, I’d say, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/9 "2006-04-29T03:56:30Z")
All right. Thanks a lot for putting it into Speaker-speak :D. ---
**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/10 "2006-04-29T10:28:36Z")
This info is out of date, and I no longer have a cite (paging irishgirl the fresh minted MD), but when I was training in surgery in the late 80’s, our attendings told us that there is a temporary paralysis of the cilia in the tracheobronchial tree after even one cigarette, which interferes with moving secretions out of the lungs. For this reason they would beg smokers not to smoke for three days before they had any elective surgery that was going to require anesthesia and intubation. Intubation gives everybody atelectasis and retained secretions. I have also heard it said that less than three cigarettes a day has no effect on mortality. But it will have a significant effect on your ability to clear secretions, that is, to hawk up lungers, because the mucociliary ladder (what a great name) stops acting like the conveyor belt it should be. So it seems as if you won’t die from rare tobacco use, but you will blunt the edge of your physiological reserve if, for instance, you are training for a race. And you will make it likelier that you come down with pneumonia after surgery, because you won’t hawk up lungers as effectively. Also, for most people “less than three cigarettes a day” is like telling a food addict “less than one half chocolate candy a day”. Most people would rather quit than hang onto an addictive substance at very low levels. It’s tough to do. But I’ll bet your three cigars a year won’t have much effect on your life - and I’m a doctor and I hate smoking. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-very-low-level-smoking/354413/11 "2006-04-29T14:12:10Z")
[QUOTE=gabriela] Also, for most people “less than three cigarettes a day” is like telling a food addict “less than one half chocolate candy a day”. Most people would rather quit than hang onto an addictive substance at very low levels. It’s tough to do. [/QUOTE] I think it’s unusual for former addicts to cut down to a few cigarettes a week or less. But there are a lot of people, in my observation, who have _never_ smoked more frequently then 2-3 cigs a week, but at the same time never become addicted. The most common time I see this is with people who go to a bar a few times a month and have a cigarette while drinking, but not in any other situation. Which is why **Speaker’s** question is interesting, it’s about a behavior a lot of people (including myself) engage in, but which I have no idea if it is harmful or not.