vs (say) 0,2,5,10,20,30,40? For men and women. I don't care if the
numbers are exactly these, but I want fine granularity, particulary in
the low range. By risk I mean big picture, death rate, or life
expectancy.

Light smoking tends to be defined in absurdly large chucks ("less than
20", "1-14"). I almost get the feeling this is done intentionally in
order to make very light smoking look more serious than it actually is
(probably a worthy goal, but still misleading). I'm aware of a recent
study done in Copenhagen that concluded that as little as 6 cigarettes
per day (for men) and 3 (for women) has a significant health impact.
But I'm interested in cigarette numbers even lower than this and I
want some comparable numbers for non-smokers and heavy smokers.

Ideally I want someting like this:
          
#cigs     annual deaths per 100,000
0                17
1                21 
2                26  
3                etc.
4-5
6-7
etc.
50+

But since 1 per day is the number that interests me most I'll settle
for whatever you can get me on that. If there are no hard numbers for
the very low range I'd be interested in hearing that too.

Thanks!

I have found statistics that smoking 1 cigarette per day gives you a
39% higher chance of getting Coronary Heart Disease than a non-smoker.
This compares with a 78% increased risk if you smoke 20 cigarettes per
day. However, there is a 25-30% increased risk if you live with a
smoker.

http://www.healthnet.org.uk/new/facts/level3/f008.htm

On the other end, I have seen opinionated suggestions, using the EPA
as a source (though without quoting any exact document) that smoking 1
cigarette per day is of no consequence to health.

http://www.forces.org/humor/files/ltimes.htm

I have also found other studies being criticized for their 1-20
definition of a "light" smoker (as you suggest).

http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n6/ffull/jlt0214-1.html

I, however, have not found anything that specifically discusses the
overall combined deaths per 100,000 of people who smoke 1 cigarette
per day, so I am, so far, keeping this as a comment and source for
anyone else researching the information.

Thanks for using Google Answers

I gave up smoking after reading Allen Carr's book, "Easy way to stop
smoking".  Amongst the arguments which convinced me were NOT the it
harms your health type argument, but the it stops you enjoying other
activities argument.  And it was true - I'd sit through a concert, a
theater performance, a church service, just waiting for the interval
or the end, and as soon as I was through those doors - up I would
light.  That argument, and the awareness Carr gave me that the
nicotine which causes addiction is out of your system within three
weeks of giving up entirely, and after that any craving is purely
psychological.  The number of times I had given up for three weeks,
six weeks, six months...  Carr's book did it for me, gave me the
confidence and the awareness, and I have not smoked once in the last
thirteen years.

So to your question: Carr would argue that one cigarette a day is too
many. It gives enough nicotine to create that addiction, to feed that
addiction, to make you crave a second a day (and a second one can't
hurt, can it?), and a third (can it?).  Carr argues that it is no good
cutting down, you've got to cut out, completely, or you will always
increase.

That said, my wife manages to smoke just one a day.  She can go for
weeks on end without smoking any, can go to a party and smoke a
packet, go for weeks again without smoking any, smoke one a day for a
couple of weeks and then not smoke at all for three months.  It's not
fair!  But I'm not tempted, I refuse to be tempted, the very thought
of smoking again makes me remember that first cigarette after a long
lay-off, makes me gag...

That does not really answer your question, what physical harmdoea 1 a
day do?  But it does give an indication: one a day could lead to
greater addiction, could lead to three a day, ten a day, twenty a day.
 It's not the physical harm of itself, it is the risk of nicotine
addiction...

If you are trying to give it up, try the Carr book.  If you are asking
for other reasons, good luck, hope you get an answer.


Best, read2live

Hello brainheart,

I recently answered a very similar question (see below) Having
researched the question I was unable to find any definitive studies,
and I suspect that the variables are just too many ie. is the
cigarette filtered or not?, is it king size or regular? what is the
tar content level..etc.....

"What are the risks associated with light cigarette smoking? What are
morbidity and mortality rates in smokers who smoke 1-3 cigarettes per
day, compared to non-smokers?"
https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=69388

Best regards

THX1138