What is wrong with pipe smoking?
Question:
I am interested in hearing your comments about pipe smoking. I don't know anything about it, but one engaging in it says he does not inhale. I have encouraged him to quit, but to no avail and could use some help as to how to do this.
Answer:
The argument assumes that the only danger from tobacco comes from inhaling the smoke, which is false. Those using chewing tobacco face a far higher probability of having mouth or throat cancer.
In 1986, the U.S. Surgeon General concluded that the use of spit tobacco is not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes or cigars, as these products can cause various cancers and noncancerous oral conditions, and can lead to nicotine addition. Some of these conditions are listed below.
- Cancer of the mouth and pharynx
- Leukoplakia (white sores in the mouth that can lead to cancer)
- Gum recession, or peeling back of gums/li>
- Bone loss around the teeth
- Abrasion of teeth/li>
- Bad breath
The most serious health effect of spit tobacco is an increased risk of cancer of the mouth and pharynx. Oral cancer occurs several times more frequently among snuff dippers compared with non-tobacco users. The risk of cancer of the cheek and gums may increase nearly 50-fold among long-term snuff users.
[Spit (Smokeless) Tobacco, American Cancer Society]
Pipe smoking does increase the chance of cancer.
A study of 15,000 male pipe smokers conducted by the American Cancer Society found that pipe smoking carried a similar risk of cancer and other disease as cigar smoking. Compared to non-tobacco users, pipe smokers had five times the risk of lung cancer; nearly four times the risk of throat cancer and more than double the risk of esophageal cancer. Colon cancer risk increased by forty percent, pancreatic cancer by sixty percent and cancer of the larynx by thirteen percent. The study also found pipe smokers were at greater risk of other tobacco-related diseases. They had a thirty percent risk of heart disease and nearly three times the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
[Pipe and Cigar Smoking, Action on Smoking and Health]
A Christian ought to look at his life as one on loan from God. To shabbily treat what someone has loaned to you is a poor attitude.
