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Expert Q&A
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| By Mary Dailey Addictions Counselor | ||
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My three children are annoyed by cigarette smoke, so their father finally quit 20 years of smoking two years ago. The problem is, he smokes an occasional cigar -- and the 15-year-old has told him that a marijuana cigarette is less harmful than a cigar. Although both are harmful to your health, we feel that in order to talk to them about drugs, we want to have as many facts as possible, instead of basing the conversations on possible street myths. My husband will gladly give up the occasional cigar (3-4 a month) if this is true. Have any studies ever been done?
Congratulations to you that your three children were able to convince their father to quit smoking cigarettes. Marijuana has 403 chemicals; smoking one joint is like smoking 20 cigarettes. Because marijuana is smoked in a different way (inhaled deeper into the lungs and held longer) it is more harmful. Additionally, the paper used to roll a joint is harsh and there is no filter.
Cigar smoke is generally not inhaled into the lungs; the carcenogenic difficulties of cigar smokers tend to be concentrated in the mouth. Cancers of the tongue and mouth are much more likely than lung cancer.
The following information is from a booklet, "Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know. It is published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and can be ordered by calling 1-800-279-6686.
"Marijuana can be harmful in a number of ways, through both immediate effects and damage to health over time. Marijuana hinders short-term memory and may cause trouble handling complex tasks. The drug affects perceptions and reaction time and coordination.""
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