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Pipe Smoking Hazards

The symbolism behind pipes is one of sophistication and refinement, making it seem more acceptable than cigarettes or tobacco chewing, according to Drs. Michael B. Steinberg and Cristine D. Delnevo, who conducted a study on cigar and pipe smoking at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in New Brunswick. Many people erroneously view pipe smoking as a safe alternative to cigarettes because the level of inhalation appears to be less. Sadly, this poorly reasoned association of pipes belies the many health risks.

  1. Airway Obstruction

    • When Drs. Steinberg and Delnevo conducted a study on alternative forms of tobacco use the found that people who smoked cigars or pipes and not cigarettes were twice as likely to suffer an airway obstruction as those participants who never smoked at all. The higher potency of pipe tobacco was responsible for the increased risk of airway obstruction, making pipe smoking more dangerous in a different way.

    Skin Cancers

    • Smoking of any kind increases the risk of cancer and heart disease. But smoking a pipe in particular significantly increases the chances of squamous cell carcinoma, reports a 2001 study in the Netherlands that examined the link between smoking and skin cancer. These ulcerous skin lesions develop on the lips or in the mouth and esophagus, discharging bloody puss. The study dispels the belief that the hazards of smoking a pipe are limited to the chest cavity.

    Internal Cancers

    • Pipe smoking risks are not limited to aesthetic damages. A pipe specifically increases your chances of dying of cancers associated with the pancreas, lungs, larynx, colon and rectum, reports the American Cancer Society. Even though the smoker inhales pipe tobacco into his lungs, toxins permeate the organ membranes to reach other areas of the body less obviously reached by tobacco.

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