Questions From a Beginner

[saltydog7]

Howdy Folks,
I've been looking at pipes for a little bit now, and would like to get into the hobby. But there is a couple topics that still elude my understanding. First is health concern. I've have read many websites and articles saying one thing or another; either pipe smoking is just as bad as cigarettes or the health concern is far lower than any thing else. So I would like your honest, frank, and straightforward opinion on the concerns of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases that might arise from a non-inhaling pipe smoker.

My second question follows along the same lines as the previous question. On the topic of carcinogens, does anyone have an idea as to where the carcinogens are located? As far as, are these chemicals in the smoke, nicotine, tar, moisture, or something else?

Now for my last question. I am not fond of tobacco because of the nicotine content and some of the added chemicals in the curing process. That's why I am mostly leaning towards a homemade herbal smoking alternative that lacks nicotine and is chemical free. My question is, would these herbal smoking alternatives be safer to use rather than tobacco since they do lack nictotine and additives?
Thanks so much in advance, Saltydog7

 

[wnghanglow]

First off you should never make a life decision based off of opinions of strangers, talk to your doctor or read up on the topic yourself. With that said, smoking a pipe is not healthy for you, it can stain your teeth and it can cause oral cancer. It is healthier than ciggerets in that you do not inhale and your lungs are relatively safe. As far as the chemicals added to tobacco, the blends with the most chemicals, aromatics, usually have natural herbs as spices such as clove, liquorish and so forth. This website actually put an article out on this earlier this month. The main chemical people hate is the polyglicerin *spelling?* which is a food additive and has shown no harm being ingested in any method. The chemicals in pipe tobacco are here to enhance flavor not addiction like ciggerets so don't feel like your being healthier avoiding them. What home made herbal are you talking about smoking? Anything you smoke in a pipe will cause heat and tar both of which are irritants and can cause oral cancer.

 

[rmason]

First off welcome, and please remember that the tobacco in cigarettes and what goes into your pipe are two different beasts, cigarettes have mass amount of additives while most blends are completely natural see Kevin's post here. Second I don't really think many people are too concerned about the cancer and other risks they are usually lower for pipe smokers, but if the cancer worries you too much then don't smoke. Finally I have no idea what homemade herbal smoking alternatives are so if you would enlighten us that would be great, so once again welcome and I hope you take up the hobby its a relaxing one and definitely enjoyable. I assume others will comment and help other questions. Good Luck

 

[saltydog7]

As far as the homemade blend goes, I've been looking at websites such as...

http://herbgardens.about.com/od/herbrecipes/tp/What-Herbs-Can-Be-Used-For-Smoking-Mixtures.htm
I see the herb Mullein as a smoking base and add flavor extracts or concentrates to the base.
And thanks for the warm welcome

 

[pruss]

Hey Saltydog7, thanks for your questions, and welcome to the forums.
You will, without question, receive many opinions on the questions you pose above. Many of these opinions will be well researched, well intended and well rehearsed. This because these questions you pose are frequently posed to smokers.
Let me answer your questions by telling you how I answered them myself:
Is my health at greater risk because I am choosing to smoke a pipe than it would be if I did not smoke? -- Yes
Is one form of smokeable (tobacco or herbal alternative) better than another? Perhaps, but professional opinions are better researched, documented and defended than my personal opinions. So I did my research and determined that I would puff a pipe (I don't inhale every sip/puff) rather than smoke cigarettes or smoke weed.
Do some good research, find the answers that feel right for you, and be guided by them.
Good luck!
-- Pat

 

[tarak]

Welcome.
Obviously, this is a place for pipe smokers so you aren't going to find a lot of people speaking grossly negative of the pipe. I was an RN so I naturally do have reservations. I think we have to be honest with ourselves - smoking tobacco is not free of deleterious effects. Is it the same as cigarettes? Of course not. While there are some studies in the fringe suggesting pipe smoking "isn't so bad", they aren't the kind of studies that stand up well to the questions of the medical community. Good, double blind, peer reviews medical studies on pipe smoking in reasonable amounts just haven't been done.
+1 on the comment that you shouldn't let strangers decide health decisions for you. You have no idea what our backgrounds are, we are highly biased, and obviously there is a hear mentality on something like this
Now, there are low nicotine blends of pipes. Most of what I smoke is just not that heavy. It sounds like, perhaps this is not a hobby for you. At least not now.
And yes, discussing non-tobacco alternatives is against protocol here.
Best to you as you navigate these questions. They are wise ones to consider.

 

[phred]

Hi, Saltydog!
I got into pipe smoking right around the time my mother-in-law went into hospice with terminal cancer - so I understand your trepidation, believe me.
If you look carefully at the websites and articles that claim the same risks for pipe and cigar smoking as for cigarette smoking, you'll find they're pretty much quoting each other, and none of them really back up their claims with reliable statistics. This was my first clue...
After doing further research, I found a European meta-study that did correct for pipe smoking vs. cigar smoking vs. cigarette smoking - and it still dealt with relative risk levels, rather than actual chances of contracting cancer. Pipe smoking was at the bottom of the list - there is still a slightly elevated risk of lip, mouth, and throat cancer compared to a control group, but I have yet to figure out what the actual numbers are. On the other hand, all three of those cancers are generally easily caught at early (read: treatable) stages - they're in the same general category as skin cancers, which can be lethal if left untreated, but which are normally caught early and successfully treated (my dad had a precancerous skin condition for his adult life, which responded well to treatment).
If you listen to the Pipes Magazine Radio Show, there was a guest on a few months back (May 30, episode 37 - Dr. Fred Hanna) that went through some of the medical and scientific literature out there on carcinogens. The truth is, nobody knows exactly what triggers the smoking-related cancers - theories include the smoke particulates themselves, the tar, the tissue damage done by the heat, the chemicals applied to (especially cigarette tobacco) - but none of the hypotheses have been conclusively proven. Oddly enough, nicotine itself is not a proven carcinogen - even the CDC lists the connection as "inconclusive". It's still a known toxin in high concentrations, but then so is alcohol...
As for a "natural", "chemical-free" alternative.... Everything is made up of chemicals. Potatoes naturally contain trace levels arsenic, and several vegetables related to tobacco contain nicotine (tomatoes, for example). Setting anything on fire releases carcinogens (witness the health-scare articles on grilling that go around every summer...). About the only "safe" herbal smoking alternative, strangely enough, appears to be marijuana. The doctor who initially published a study testing his hypothesis that the inhaling and holding action would produce more cases of cancer among MJ smokers than puffing produces among cigarette smokers recently published findings that showed exactly the opposite, leading to a number of slightly hysterical "pot cures cancer" articles that oversimplified both studies...
So.
Everything has risks. Exactly how much risk is often hard to calculate. Dr. Hanna, in the aforementioned radio show episode, tells of a conversation he had with a CU-Boulder researcher whose work was on the neuroscience behind addiction, and who smoked 3 cigars a week as his personal compromise between the increased risks associated with smoking vs. the benefits his lab has been discovering - nicotine has some benefits to the brain, including a risk reduction for Parkinson's disease and various forms of dementia.
All in all, I've come to the conclusion that moderate tobacco consumption (as with so many things) is worth the risk. Your mileage may vary. But do continue to do your homework before coming to your own conclusions.

 

[irwinmetro]

The best study I've found suggests that pipe smoking is on par with cigar smoking in that it does enhance your likelihood of contracting mouth, lip tongue, esophageal cancers. This is, of course, much lower than cigarette smoke. However, while this increase maybe sometimes be, in some cases, as high as 5 times that of a non-smoker, the overall instances of these cancers occurring are still relatively small. And while the cancers are relatively fatal, that is typically attributable to late detection after they have metastasized. Currently, HPV is credited as the strongest cause for new instances of oral cancer
Some suggestions provided by the study authors, and based on the statistical evidence:

- Don't inhale

- Smoke under 4 bowls a day

- Rinse mouth after each bowl

- Maintain proper oral hygiene and let your doctor/dentist know you smoke and want to be screened regularly
Now as for herbal stuff, I have strong doubt that it will be more beneficial to your health than tobacco. The primary reason for tobacco's contributing effect to the contraction of oral cancer is it's irritation and the mucous membrane via smoke and heat.

 

[petes03]

As for me, I've been a welder/metalworker/industrial mechanic for the biggest part of my working life. My current working environment is a dusty, chemical filled plant. All of this taken into account, I'd say pipe smoking is probably BETTER for me than what I breath in on a daily basis! Just my humble opinion.

 

[bryanf]

Yes, it's dangerous. Yes, there's a risk. If it's worth it, smoke. If not, then don't.
The risk is much lower than with cigarettes, but higher than with snus or snuff, both of which have never been linked to any health problems, whatsoever and in fact, have health benefits.
The benefit is enjoyment and relaxation that is greater than anything I have found, which I can find anywhere, anytime, as often as I like.

 

[numbersix]

All fair questions saltydog. Some good info has already been posted.
For most of us here, the benefits of pipe smoking outweigh the risks. Some people are just drawn to smoking (I know I have been all of my life) and pipe tobacco and pipe smoking offers the least of health issues. In fact, a 1964 Surgeon General report stated that pipe smokers live longer than non-smokers. This report may seem dated, but I think there's still truth to it.
Pipe tobacco has none of the chemicals and additives that cigarettes do, plus you don't inhale. And there are many tobaccos that have very low amounts of nicotine, so if that bothers you, it won't be such an issue with many tobaccos.
Right now, there is a serious lobby to ban all forms of tobacco - these folks separate the issue into very simplistic arguments of good and bad - no middle ground. So when you read reports or talk to your doctor, you are unfortunately going to get a very one-sided POV.
If you're young, I would recommend smoking a pipe only once in a while. Once a week or every few days, really take your time and enjoy it.
As for smoking herbal concoctions, my feeling is that they may very likely bring their own health issues. As they say, you cannot have good without bad, so if you ask me, I would go with natural pipe tobacco over herbs.

 

[easterntraveler]

Sorry but if you are this concearned with the health risk. Don't do it.

 

[05venturer]

Sorry but if you are this concearned with the health risk. Don't do it.

+1 easterntraveler

 

[cigrmaster]

Real men could care less if they get cancer, now load your pipe and join the club. :lol:

 

[tbradsim1]

15 yrs ago after comeing back from M.D. Anderson in Houston with Drs saying TBrad make your will, well I"m still here F#>K um they don"t know a damn thing,you only get one shot at being happy, and if its smoking your pipe Smoke The Damn Thing.

 

[bigvan]

Based on your concerns I'm not sure this is for you, especially if you're "not fond of tobacco".

 

[Perique]

The "not fond of tobacco" comment threw me as well. On the face of it, pipe smoking would seem first and foremost a hobby for those who appreciate fine tobacco.

 

[irwinmetro]

15 yrs ago after comeing back from M.D. Anderson in Houston with Drs saying TBrad make your will, well I"m still here F#>K um they don"t know a damn thing,you only get one shot at being happy, and if its smoking your pipe Smoke The Damn Thing.

Thanks for sharing that, an excellent reminder.

 

[northernneil]

It has already been said, but if health issues are a concern, then any smoking is a bad idea. That being said, I read an article once that claimed in Japan that over 50% of the male population still smoked cigarettes, yet they only have a cancer rate at around 2%. This tells me there is something elese going on in North America (diet, environment) above and beyond tobacco use that is leading to cancer.

 

[locopony]

Well your going to find my answer less hospitable.
If you are not fond of tobacco, why in bloody hell would you want to take up pipe smoking?

The rest then becomes a moot point.