12. Questions & Answers

Does a filter on the tip of a cigarette make them safer?

No, there are no safe cigarettes. One study suggests that a smoker who switches from nonfilter to filter cigarettes may actually face an increased risk of coronary heart disease, primarily because of the higher carbon monoxide levels in smoke inhaled through filters. The paper surrounding the filter is relatively nonporous, and thus more carbon monoxide is passed on to the smoker than if no filter were present.

Have cigarettes with reduced tar and nicotine made any impact on the deleterious effects of smoking?

Before the 1960s, many cigarettes contained 42 milligrams (mg.) of tar and 3 mg. of nicotine. By 1977, the average cigarette produced 16.6 mg. of tar and 1.09 mg. of nicotine. In a study of more than a million men and women, total death rates for those smoking cigarettes with reduced levels of tar and nicotine were lower than for those smoking brands with higher levels. However, death rates for those who smoked lower levels were still 30 to 75 percent above the rates for nonsmokers.

Do the harmful effects from cigarette smoking disappear immediately after quitting this habit?

Many toxic substances from smoking accumulate in the blood and tissues. It lakes a long time for the body to eliminate all of these harmful residues and much vital energy is required for this eliminative process. You can greatly assist this process, however, by going on a fast. Energy normally diverted into the digestive process can then be used for healing and repair.

What country produces the most tobacco?

China is the leading tobacco-growing country producing 1,064,000 tons annually. The United States is second with 788,200 tons. It is sad to think that so much good land and energy is going into such a worthless crop. This same land could produce enough fruits and nuts to feed millions of people and the results would be beneficial, not harmful as they are with the tobacco industry.