A new American research has discovered that smoking Chinese "herbal" cigarettes containing a blend of tobacco and therapeutic herbs is just as injurious as normal butts.

Research group at the University of California, San Francisco studied the levels of 4 markers in order to set up deviations in carcinogen and nicotine delivery between the two types of butts.

The study was led by Stanton A. Glantz, professor of medicine in the Dept. of Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute and researchers at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

To come to the conclusion, the study researchers made comparisons of 143 smokers of "regular" tobacco butts with 135 smokers who took "herbal" ciggies.

After evaluating the urine samples and assessing questionnaires, the study researches found no major differences in the levels of all four markers including cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine
(two markers of nicotine intake); and total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-butanol and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (two classes of carcinogens).

Prof. Glantz stated, "Levels of carcinogens were correlated with measures of nicotine intake, meaning that the more nicotine smokers took in, the higher the levels of carcinogens they took in."

In addition, 47% of the volunteers have had only herbal butts because of their "better taste;" 24% switched due to their health fears and the certainty that herbal ciggies were healthier than regular ones.

In actual fact, those smoking herbal butts smoked more cigs on a daily basis.

"Adding herbs to the cigarettes would not be expected to affect the nicotine, which is the addictive drug in tobacco, and cancer-causing chemicals in the smoke of cigarettes ... The Chinese tobacco industry should avoid misleading the public when promoting herbal cigarettes as 'safer' products," Prof. Glantz added

The study results appeared in the December issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.