According to the American Lung Association, clove cigarettes deliver twice as much nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide as regular cigarettes.

There are many different varieties of cigarettes: regulars, lights, filtered and various alternative types. With so many kinds to choose from, the question has been raised if there is a certain type of cigarette that is actually “healthier” for you. Everyone knows the risks of smoking regular cigarettes, but is there a cigarette out there that is truly “safer” to smoke?

Alternative cigarettes
There are several different types of alternatives: beedis, which are hand-rolled with dark tobacco, wrapped in a dried tendu leaf; herbals, which are tobacco and nicotine free, and can be sold legally to smokers of any age; and cloves, which contain about 60 percent tobacco and 40 percent ground cloves.

According to Public Health Magazine, beedi smokers inhale about 2-3 times more tar and nicotine than regular cigarette smokers, and since these cigarettes don’t burn as easily as regular ones, smokers have to inhale deeply and more often.

This can result in toxins and cancer-causing compounds ending up deep in their lungs. The Federal Trade Commission found that herbal cigarettes produce many of the same toxins found in tobacco smoke, including tar and carbon monoxide.

According to the American Lung Association, clove cigarettes deliver twice as much nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide as regular cigarettes. Cloves also produce dangerous chemicals when they burn, and burning clove oil may also raise the risk of pneumonia, bronchitis, and other lung infections.

Despite the fact that these are alternatives to smoking tobacco-only cigarettes, they cause just as much damage as a regular cigarette would.

Light and low-tar cigarettes
Both of these cigarettes contain a lower amount of tar and usually a lower amount of nicotine. The amount of tar and nicotine in different types of cigarettes is measured by smoking machines, which “smoke” every brand of cigarettes the same way, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, it would be inaccurate to assume that people smoke cigarettes the same way that these machines do.

Researchers have found that people may unintentionally compensate for the lower nicotine levels by inhaling deeper and taking puffs more often when smoking light or low-tar cigarettes.

Because of this, smokers are likely to be inhaling the same amount of hazardous chemicals as they would if they were smoking regular cigarettes.

Filtered cigarettes
Filters are common on most cigarettes, but you can still buy some without them, and these pose obvious health risks. But are the filters on these cigarettes really doing that much for your health? According to the National Cancer Institute, many smokers don’t know that cigarette filters have vent holes located just millimeters from where they put their lips or fingers when smoking. These vents are put in place to reduce the amount of smoke and tar inhaled into the lungs. Because of the location of the vents, some experienced smokers often block the vents, defeating their purpose entirely and can actually turn a light cigarette into a regular cigarette.

There are many different types of cigarettes on the market. Some may seem to be a better choice than others because of their claims of lower amounts of tar and nicotine, or because they contain little or no tobacco. Studies have proven, however, that all types of cigarettes are harmful to your health. There is no such thing as a safe cigarette.

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