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Comment by threwawasy1228 | Hacker News Reader

This kind of discussion really gets on my nerves. EVERY single type of smoke is carcinogenic. Period. There is a famous study of a sample of boy scout camp councilors/leaders who are non smokers having as much of an incidence of lung cancer as smokers. Why? Because they are constantly standing over campfires inhaling the smoke. There are similar studies about how bad incense is for your lungs.

No smoke is safe for you to inhale.

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In conclusion, while both tobacco and cannabis smoke have similar properties chemically, their pharmacological activities differ greatly. Components of cannabis smoke minimize some carcinogenic pathways whereas tobacco smoke enhances some. Both types of smoke contain carcinogens and particulate matter that promotes inflammatory immune responses that may enhance the carcinogenic effects of the smoke. However, cannabis typically down-regulates immunologically-generated free radical production by promoting a Th2 immune cytokine profile. Furthermore, THC inhibits the enzyme necessary to activate some of the carcinogens found in smoke. In contrast, tobacco smoke increases the likelihood of carcinogenesis by overcoming normal cellular checkpoint protective mechanisms through the activity of respiratory epithelial cell nicotine receptors. Cannabinoids receptors have not been reported in respiratory epithelial cells (in skin they prevent cancer), and hence the DNA damage checkpoint mechanism should remain intact after prolonged cannabis exposure. Furthermore, nicotine promotes tumor angiogenesis whereas cannabis inhibits it. It is possible that as the cannabis-consuming population ages, the long-term consequences of smoking cannabis may become more similar to what is observed with tobacco. However, current knowledge does not suggest that cannabis smoke will have a carcinogenic potential comparable to that resulting from exposure to tobacco smoke.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1277837/

This. Thank you. Very insightful and to the point

No problem. Pass it on, because there's an endless stream of people saying 'smoking is smoking!!! It's all the same!!! Period!!!'

Maybe one day a collective light bulb will flicker and turn bright.

In your example you mention combustable fire created smoke, which campfires and cigarettes do.

The reason why vaping is so prevalent and popular is there is actual science behind it. When you don't reach 450 degrees there is no combustion. Vaping is from high 100s to low 400s depending on the device and user setting.

When something combusts it releases 20+ more carcinogens, when it doesn't it still isn't great for you but there are less carcinogens.

I think everyone is pro less carcinogens right? Or should we stop regulating car exhaust because "smoke is carcinogenic", less of bad things is good. Vaping does that.

Vape, or non combusted smoke, is also less invasive in public areas as non-combusted smoke doesn't have the tar and stickiness that really smells more intense.

Vape smoke also does not contain paper like rolled cigarettes or joints, so there is less paper combusted materials also going in.

No butts either that are fiberglass and a massive pollution problem.

A huge problem with this issue is that it is vaping oils that is the area of attack, vaping bud or flower is much, much safer. They are attacking vaping as if it is all one thing from dry, flower to oils, to legal market and black market all in one term. It is more nuanced than that.

Another aside, vaping removes all cigarette butts from pollution, it is one of the biggest problems in our oceans and drainage systems and they last forever. Vaping is a market solution that takes away cigarette butts and most vaping devices are reusable, both vaping and cigarettes still have packaging but eliminating butts is a huge win.

No butts about it, vaping is safer and cleaner for the environment.

I don't think he was talking about vaping. The user he was replying to seemed to be specifically referring to smoking.

This gets on my nerves.

There is a HUGE difference between cigarette smoke and weed smoke.

There has never been a study linking marijuana smoke to cancer.

Do your research before making off the cuff comments

In the case of cannabis, there seems to be anti cancer properties riding along that are not present in tobacco smoke.

Not disagreeing with you. Am saying there are differences in the compounds in the smoke.

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