Smokers who switch to low tar and nicotine cigarettes do not reduce their risk of smoking-related diseases. In fact, they may increase their risk by inhaling a variety of chemicals including formaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, and 1-amino naphthalene, as well as carbon monoxide, nicotine, and tar. These substances contribute to a wide range of cancers and other illnesses, including heart disease. Smokers also inhale more tobacco smoke, and if they continue to smoke for many years, the risks of lung cancer can be higher than those from non-Light Cigarettes.

The tobacco industry’s own documents show that companies were well aware that smokers of light cigarettes compensated by taking bigger puffs to get the same amount of nicotine and tar from their cigarettes. However, the companies used marketing strategies to promote and market their products by listing tar and nicotine yields on cigarette packs, and smokers believed that these low machine-measured yields were indicative of reduced health risks.

Lighten Up Your Smoking Experience: Exploring Light Cigarettes

In a nationally representative sample, most smokers of “light” and “ultra-light” cigarettes had at least one belief that these products provided a health benefit. This is at variance with the scientific evidence and supports previous findings from other countries. Smokers of “lights” were less likely to report intending to quit or to have made a quit attempt than those who smoked regular cigarettes. These misperceptions may be influenced by package design, advertising and descriptors, and the physical sensations associated with these cigarettes.

Governments need to ban the use of descriptors such as ‘light’ and’mild’ on cigarette packaging and take action to eliminate all misleading tobacco marketing. They should also introduce plain packaging, and move beyond FCTC requirements to prohibit all deceptive product labelling.