The increase in lung cancer risk above baseline is similar for smokers of cigarettes with medium tar levels, low tar levels, or very low tar levels, according to an article in the January 10th issue of the British Medical Journal. However, the authors re-emphasize that smokers of nonfiltered cigarettes with high tar levels have the highest risk for lung cancer and all current smokers have a significantly greater cancer risk than people who have never smoked and people who have quit smoking.

In the current study, American researchers analyzed the relation between the tar rating of the brand of cigarette smoked in 1982 and death from lung cancer over the following 6 years among 364,239 men and 576,535 women aged 30 years or more.

Men and women who smoked very low tar (7 mg or less) and low tar (8-14 mg) brands had risks of lung cancer indistinguishable from those who smoked medium tar (15-21 mg) brands. This pattern did not change after demographic factors, dietary habits, and occupational and medical histories were taken into account.

Men and women who smoked non-filtered cigarettes with tar ratings of 22 mg or more had even higher risks of lung cancer. In addition, the researchers noted that people who smoked non-filtered cigarettes with a high tar level had a significantly higher risk of lung cancer than smokers whose cigarettes had a lower level of tar.

These findings are consistent with other evidence that people smoke low tar cigarettes more intensively, and challenge the assumption that the link between tar rating and lung cancer risk is necessarily linear, wrote the authors.

They suggest that reducing the use of high tar non-filter cigarettes may provide limited public health benefits in those countries where these products are commonly used.