How Dangerous is Smoking Cigarettes with Tea? What do Experts Say?

 How Dangerous is Smoking Cigarettes with Tea? What do Experts Say?

We see scenes of people taking turns drinking tea with a cup of tea in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.

Every morning, afternoon, or evening, from tea shops in squares, alleys, and carts to large hotels and restaurants, this kind of person is seen everywhere.

The smoke billows, mixing with the steam of the tea. Those who are addicted to this say with a smile, ‘The combination of these two is different. Tea refreshes the mood, cigarettes relieve stress.’

Health experts say, ‘This is not a mood-refreshing, stress-reducing tonic; it is a process of gradually emptying the body from within.’

This habit, which burns the throat and esophagus, destroys cells and causes deadly diseases like cancer, is leading many to premature death.

Why should you not smoke cigarettes with tea?

Tea is usually drunk at a temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Celsius. Caffeine refreshes the brain. Nicotine in cigarettes gives an immediate feeling of relaxation.

But when these two are taken together, a dangerous chemical reaction occurs in the body.

According to cancer specialist Dr. Arun Shahi, ‘Hot tea repeatedly burns the soft mucous membrane of the throat and esophagus. This causes small wounds (micro-injuries).

Cigarette smoke contains more than 70 cancer-causing chemicals such as tar, benzene, formaldehyde, and nicotine. These toxins easily enter the bloodstream and damage DNA in areas weakened by heat.

Normally, the mucous membrane protects against harmful particles, but hot tea destroys that protection, says Dr. Omprakash Yadav, an ear, nose, and throat specialist.

Cigarette smoke attacks the same open wound, says Dr. Yadav, “If this process continues daily, the wound will not heal, and there is a risk of abnormal cell growth.”

Science calls this combination a ‘synergistic effect’. That is, drinking them separately does not cause as much harm, but drinking them together causes double or five times more harm.

How deadly? What does the scientific evidence say?

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has already classified ‘drinks hotter than 65 degrees’ as Group A Probably Carcinogenic in 2016. But the risk increases even more when mixed with cigarettes.

The biggest evidence is a study from China in 2018. In this study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 456,155 people were monitored for 9 years.

The results were frightening. Drinking hot tea and cigarettes daily was found to increase the risk of esophageal cancer by 2.03 times. If alcohol was also added, the risk increased by 5 times. Those who only drink hot tea but do not smoke or drink alcohol did not increase the risk. That is, cigarettes are the main culprit, but hot tea opens the door to cancer cells.

Many studies in Iran, Europe, and South Asia have also confirmed this. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is also increasing in Nepal. This triad of smoking, hot tea,  and alcohol is increasing cancer patients in Kathmandu, Terai, and hilly districts.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a deadly cancer that starts in the flat, thin squamous cells in the inner layer of the esophagus. It is the most common type of esophageal cancer worldwide, which mainly occurs in the upper or middle part of the esophagus, and factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, hot drinks (such as hot tea), and the combination of hot tea with cigarettes increase its risk.

These cancer cells grow abnormally and spread to the wall of the esophagus, causing symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, sore throat, and weight loss, and treatment becomes difficult if detected late.

According to GlobeCan's Nepal Factsheet, a large proportion of the thousands of new cancer cases in Nepal annually are related to the throat and esophagus.

A total of about 22,000 new cancer cases were seen in 2022. Of these, 252 new cases were of esophageal cancer (1.1 percent of the total), which is mainly due to smoking, hot tea,  and other habits.

Although this number may seem small, this cancer is deadly in a country like Nepal. Because it is often detected late, the treatment success is low. This risk is especially high in smokers and those who smoke cigarettes with hot tea, which directly damages the throat and esophagus.

The extensive effects of addiction on the body

This habit attacks the body in many ways. First, hot tea burns the throat and esophagus at 60-70 degrees. This causes the cells to swell. Cigarette particles and chemicals easily enter through the inflamed area.

Dr. Shahi says, ‘Nicotine narrows the blood vessels. Caffeine increases the heart rate. As a result, blood pressure increases, and the heart has to work twice as hard. Tar accumulates in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Acid increases in the stomach, ulcers, and reflux occur. The liver and The kidneys accumulate toxins.’

In the long run, this process increases oxidative stress. The body’s antioxidant levels decrease. Cells age. This habit damages health from a young age. The risk is even higher in regular smokers over 40.

How to avoid this addiction?

According to Dr. Shah, prevention is simple but requires a little discipline.

1. Do not smoke immediately after drinking tea. You can decide to wait at least 10-15 minutes or quit smoking altogether.

2. Drink tea slightly cold (at a temperature below 60 degrees).

3. Use nicotine patches, counseling orr medication (such as varenicline) on the advice of a doctor to quit smoking.

4. Chat with friends while drinking tea, and consume more fruits, water, or ‘green tea’ instead of cigarettes.

5. Exercise regularly, eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water,r and manage stress.

6. If you are unable to quit the addiction, you can seek help from a doctor.