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jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
I am sure it is possible/probable that this has been posted over and over, but it stands for the proposition that if you don't drink, pipe smoking is quite safe
Thursday, August 30, 2012

Pipe Smoking and Health
Health risks associated with cigar smoking are lower than those for cigarette smoking, reflecting a lower exposure to smoke toxicants (see my earlier post here). The same holds true for pipe smoking, as a 2004 American Cancer Society study documented (abstract here).
Dr. S. Jane Henley and colleagues examined data from the Cancer Society’s Second Cancer Prevention Survey, which enrolled participants in 1982. They compared deaths among exclusive men pipe smokers with those among never tobacco users over the next 18 years. They also considered the number of pipes smoked each day, duration of smoking, and how much smokers inhaled. The results are expressed as hazard ratios (HRs, similar to relative risks); a confidence interval spanning 1.0 means the risk elevation was not statistically significant.
The table shows that pipe smokers had small to moderate elevations for several smoking-related diseases, with the risk for laryngeal cancer remarkably high.
The Health Risks of Pipe Smoking

Disease Hazard Ratio (95% Confidence Interval)

Cancer

Oral cavity and pharynx 3.9 (2.2 – 7.1)

Esophagus 2.4 (1.5 – 4.0)

Stomach 1.2 (0.7 – 1.9)

Colon Rectum 1.4 (1.2 – 1.7)

Pancreas 1.6 (1.2 – 2.1)

Larynx 13.1 (5.2 – 33)

Lung 5.0 (4.2 – 6.0)

Bladder 1.5 (0.9 – 2.4)

Kidney 0.9 (0.8 – 1.6)

Heart Disease 1.3 (1.2 – 1.4)

Stroke 1.3 (1.1 – 1.5)

Emphysema 3.0 (2.2 – 4.1)
The Cancer Society’s analysis of pipe smoking was thorough (in stark contrast to its consideration of smokeless tobacco, discussed here), producing a wealth of insights. For example, the overall HR for lung cancer among pipe smokers was 5.0, but there was a distinct gradient related to the number of pipes smoked per day. The HR was 2.0 with one to three pipes, but it increased to 7.7 for 11+ pipes per day. There was a similar trend with longer duration of smoking, and inhalation played a major role. The lung cancer HR was 2.9 for pipe smokers who didn’t inhale, but 11.1 for those reporting moderate or deep inhalation.
Other diseases showed similar trends with dose, duration and inhalation, although some results weren’t statistically significant.
Dr. Henley also illustrated that alcohol is a powerful risk factor for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. Pipe smokers who consumed less than one alcoholic drink per day had no increased risk for these cancers. Those consuming 1-3 drinks had an HR of 4.7 (CI = 1.8 – 11.9), while those consuming 4+ drinks had much higher risk (HR = 15, CI = 5.9 – 39). Never smokers consuming 4+ drinks also had elevated risk for these cancers (HR = 2.3, CI = 1.2 – 4.3).
“These risks,” according to the researchers, “were generally smaller than those associated with cigarette smoking and similar to or larger than those associated with cigar smoking.” This confirms one of the tenets of tobacco harm reduction: it’s the smoke that kills, and the risk is proportionate to how much, how long and how deeply smoke is inhaled."
Sorry if you saw this before, but it seems to be solid info. Crack on Brothers.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Moderation is good, and abstinence is best, I think this study suggests.

 

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
I don't drink, or inhale, or smoke more than a couple bowls a day, so I am in the sweet zone as far as pipe smoking goes. One reason this study is so useful/good is that it is pipe specific. Very reassuring for me.

 
May 4, 2015
3,210
16
The HR was 2.0 with one to three pipes, but it increased to 7.7 for 11+ pipes per day
11 pipes per day?! Beyond bording on way too expensive, your mouth would be a wasteland.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
11 pipes per day?! Beyond bording on way too expensive, your mouth would be a wasteland.

There are plenty of folks that smoke that much on this board. Just check the bowls/day thread.

 

johnnyreb

Lifer
Aug 21, 2014
1,961
612
The reporting of alcohol consumption in any study is always confusing to me. I don't drink 4+ alcoholic beverages of any kind daily but when the occasion arises I just might do it any day...so you figure it out. That's what I always tell them when they ask at the doctors office anyway. They always seem to want to have a daily average so I just let them figure it out.

 
May 4, 2015
3,210
16
There are plenty of folks that smoke that much on this board. Just check the bowls/day thread
Oh, I know. I just can't imagine doing it. Even if I worked at a tobacco shop, I wouldn't marathon smoke like that, though.

 

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
A very accomplished head and neck surgeon I used to work with (who cut cancer out of faces for a living) explained to me to the risk of cancer with pipe smoking goes up exponentially while smoking and concurrently drinking alcohol at the same time.
He explained the alcohol causes the mucosa in the mouth and throat to more readily absorb the carcinogens in the smoke- in other words one pipe has a greater negative impact when the mouth is being influenced by alcohol. His suggestion: drink before or after, but not during.
I will say that study is disappointing, while the increased risk is better than cigarettes, its still higher than a non-smoker, and I'd say measurably so.
Do we have a link to the study- the methods of the study determine it's validity and applicability to a wider population.

 

fmgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2014
922
4
Interesting that the rate is death for former pipe smokers is less than, or at worst equal to, never tobacco users (top of table 2). I would be very interested to see a study on increase risk of death relative to stress. I image the numbers could be shocking. I also admit it might be an impossible study to do.

 

clickklick

Lifer
May 5, 2014
1,700
212
Time out everyone:
138,307 men participated

Of those:

15,263 were former or current pipe smokers

123,044 NEVER used tobacco
23,589 people died during the 18 year followup (More than smoking participants.)
And it doesn't even indicate the percentage ratio of who died from what group?!

 

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
If you don't drink, this study is quite reassuring as the Larynx 13.1 (5.2 – 33) risk factor is crazy high and is problematic here and in other studies, but, again, if you don't drink:
"Dr. Henley also illustrated that alcohol is a powerful risk factor for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. Pipe smokers who consumed less than one alcoholic drink per day had no increased risk for these cancers."

 

captpat

Lifer
Dec 16, 2014
2,265
12,139
North Carolina
Wait a minute this has nothing to do with pipe health -- all of mine are very healthy despite repeated use. :rofl:
Seriously life is full of risks, I've assessed the risks due to pipe smoking and find that they are acceptable to me.

 

jiujitsubowl

Can't Leave
May 19, 2015
434
0
Muskegon Michigan
The way I see it, we all accept the possible risks. Just like drinking beer, pop, driving our cars to work, eating greasy foods, eating processed foods....etc......At least with most of the tobaccos we smoke, there are no additives like that of chemical sticks (cigs) and we dont chew our tobacco (cigars).

 

jiujitsubowl

Can't Leave
May 19, 2015
434
0
Muskegon Michigan
Cigs:

Acetone – found in nail polish remover

Acetic Acid – an ingredient in hair dye

Ammonia – a common household cleaner

Arsenic – used in rat poison

Benzene – found in rubber cement

Butane – used in lighter fluid

Cadmium – active component in battery acid

Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes

Formaldehyde – embalming fluid

Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid

Lead – used in batteries

Naphthalene – an ingredient in moth balls

Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel

Nicotine – used as insecticide

Tar – material for paving roads

Toluene - used to manufacture paint
Pipe Tobacco:

Tobacco

Flavoring (aros)

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
The health report doesn't seem to have a "never inhales, smokes outside and hates getting smoke in his face" category, which should scratch lung cancer right off the list.

I'm still confudent a 0% lung exposure level is practical.

Keeping it out of my mouth would be a little harder.

 

seacaptain

Lifer
Apr 24, 2015
1,829
7
None of us are getting out of this alive.
That said, whatever you do is best done in moderation.

 
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