The Link Between Cigarette Consumption and Cancer: How Much Is Too Much?

Smoking has long been associated with a variety of health complications, with cancer being among the most devastating. There are decades of past and ongoing research that establish the link between cigarette consumption and various types of cancers, including lung, throat, mouth, bladder, and oesophagal cancers.

Despite ongoing awareness and discussions around the subject, addiction to smoking remains a significant public health issue to this day.

In understanding the depth of this relationship, a critical question arises: how much smoking is “too much,” and is there a “safe” level of cigarette consumption? We will be covering that and more about how many cigarettes cause cancer in this article.

What is the Science Behind Smoking and Cancer?

Before we elaborate on this subject, it is essential that we get the basics straight. Cigarettes contain roughly 7000+ chemicals, of which at least 70 are known to be carcinogenic.

Chemicals like tar, formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia damage DNA and cellular structures directly, often leading to cell mutation, which is the primary basis of cancer. Smoke causes mutations in the DNA of cells in the lungs and other organs exposed to it.

Following the cellular damage from the chemicals, smoking further triggers abnormal cell growth, which leads to tumour development. Also, carcinogens impact the immune system, further inhibiting its ability to fight foreign bodies.

How Much is “Too Much”?

When talking about the link between smoking and cancer, one common recurrent question people have is, “How many cigarettes a day lead to cancer?”

The thing is that there is no “safe” amount of smoking involved because research indicates that even smoking one cigarette a day significantly increases one’s chances of cancer. A study published in The BMJ (2018) found that smoking one cigarette daily led to a 48% increase in the risk of lung cancer in men and a 57% increase in women, compared to non-smokers.

So, whether you are a light smoker smoking 1-2 cigarettes a day or a chain smoker smoking two packs a day, your risk of cancer is prevalent in either case.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each cigarette shortens its lifespan by approximately 11 minutes, indicating the long-term impact on health even for light smokers. So, if you have already negatively impacted your body with years of smoking, the best thing you’d do now is quit the habit with nicotine replacement therapies like Ryze’s Nicotine Flavoured Gums.

What are the Common Types of Cancer that Smoking Causes?

Different cancers have unique links to cigarette smoking, meaning that direct exposure to smoking often manifests as different kinds of cancers in the body.

Some of the most common ones include:

Lung Cancer

It goes without saying, but the most common type of cancer from smoking is lung cancer. When you inhale the smoke from the cigarette, it directly enters the lungs, exposing the carcinogens to the lung tissues, potentially contributing to cancerous growth down the line. Nearly 85% of the lung cancer diagnosed is due to cigarette smoking.

Throat and Oral Cancer

Smoking also exposes the carcinogens and chemicals into the throat, mouth, and larynx, leading to throat and oral cancer. The lining of these areas absorbs these carcinogens, resulting in mutations and a higher likelihood of cancerous cell growth.

Bladder Cancer

An often overlooked type of cancer that’s caused by smoking is bladder cancer. The chemicals from the smoke enter the bloodstream and are filtered out by the kidneys. During this process, the bladder, which holds the urine, is exposed to the carcinogens, leading to increased chances of cancer in the bladder.

Pancreatic Cancer

Even your gastrointestinal tract isn’t safe from the cigarette you are smoking. Studies have shown a marked increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer among smokers, which may be attributed to carcinogens entering the bloodstream and impacting pancreatic cells.

Can Quitting Smoking Reverse Cancer Risk?

When you have already put your body through years of smoking, quitting this habit won’t reverse the impacts in a day or even in a week. It might take your body years to recover fully from the effects of smoking, and even then, you’d need to make healthy lifestyle choices continually.

There are two things that you need to be aware of when quitting smoking:

• It starts with the short-term benefits wherein, within 24 hours of quitting smoking, the body begins to eliminate carbon monoxide, a toxic component of cigarette smoke, from the bloodstream. You will notice that your blood pressure and heart rate will stabilise. Over the next few days and weeks, even the lung function starts to improve.
• If you stick to your quitting journey over the next few years, you will have successfully reduced your risks of cancer. However, we have to look at things in a realistic way and without rose-coloured glasses because it's impossible to 100% eliminate the cancer risks after years of prior smoking.

What are the Myths About “Safe” Smoking Levels?

Now that all your concepts about smoking and cancer have been addressed, we also need to focus on the common myths circling the subject of “safe” smoking levels.

We again have to reiterate that there is no such thing as “safe” levels when it comes to smoking. The impacts and consequences are prevalent whether you smoke 1 or 100 cigarettes.

Some of the common myths include:

“Social Smoking” is Harmless” – This is not true because infrequent or “social” smoking carries risks of lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases down the line.

“Switching to Light Cigarettes Reduces Cancer Risk” – If you were a heavy smoker and gradually became a light smoker, the cancer risk might be reduced to some extent. Still, it can never be eliminated entirely or within a short period. It takes years for the body to compensate.

“Quitting Later in Life Won’t Make a Difference” – It is never too late to make healthier choices, especially when it involves a habit as harmful as smoking.

Time to Choose a Healthier Life

The link between cigarette consumption and cancer is clear, and even small amounts of smoking carry substantial health risks. So, if you have been smoking for years and are looking for ways to reverse the damage and cancer risks, the only way to do so is by quitting.

Let Ryze be your partner in your quitting journey. With our vast range of Nicotine Gums, you can effectively let go of your addiction and prevent the onset of debilitating diseases.