Dreams about Harmless Tobacco




It has been proven many times that tobacco is very harmful to the human body, but people keep smoking and chewing anyway. Over the last few years there has been a surge in development of harmless tobacco products and in production of safe tobacco breeds by genetic changes. However, the question about tobacco that does not bring any harm to human body still remains open.

Medical News Today and Plant Biotechnology Journal have published a large-scale field trials report done by the scientists from North Carolina State University. They have tried to “silence” a specific gene in tobacco plants and create a harmless tobacco which could be used in various tobacco products, especially smokeless types. They came up with positive results: thanks to the changes on genetic level the tobacco plants have reduced harmful carcinogens in cured leaves.

In course of the studies the scientists from North Carolina State University teamed up with the colleagues from University of Kentucky and tried to turn off a gene that is responsible for converting nicotine into nornicotine, the chemical that turns to the carcinogen N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN). While the plant grows, some part of nicotine in leaves converts to nornicotine and when the leaves are picked up, cured and processed, this chemical turns to NNN. After some work the scientists found that the amount of NNN in the genetically processed tobacco is six times lower than in non-modified plants. In addition to this there was a 50% overall reduction in class of harmful chemicals called TSNAs or tobacco-specific nitrosamines. These are the most important tobacco-related chemicals responsible for various cancers.

Although the research brought positive results, there is still a lot of work to be done. Besides, the harmful elements were not completely eliminated. The leaders of the study, Dr. Ralph Dewey and Dr. Ramsey Lewis are emphasizing that the best way to avoid the health risks associated with tobacco use is to avoid using tobacco products all together.

Genetic engineering is not the only way for tobacco industry to draw attention to harmless tobacco. There is a line of products which have fewer health risks for users than usual cigarettes. They are called PREPs or potentially reduced exposure products. These cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products have been designed recently, so their harmful effects have not been fully evaluated. While tobacco companies advertise them as “safe”, the studies start showing that there is a lot to worry about. For example, a Swedish study, which has been discredited, shows that dissolvable chewing tobacco has three chemicals banned by FDA.

Just because some of tobacco products are smokeless, it does not mean they are harmless. They also contain nicotine and over 40 substances which lead to cancer and other health problems. Nicotine causes addiction, so it is not true to say that people do not get addicted to chewing tobacco or products alike. Besides cancer, smokeless tobacco causes cavities, gum disease, heart problems and precancerous mouth lesions.

So, tobacco is harmful in any product and in any way a person takes it. Maybe one day there will be cigarettes that taste the same, smoke the same and make smokers feel the same, but without bad impact on health, but meanwhile they keep affecting the well-being of many people. The only way to escape this is to quit using any tobacco containing products. There are a lot of ways to do so and it is up to the person which one to go.

Thomas Neal

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Posted on January 17, 2010 
Filed Under Stop Smoking, Tobacco Research

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