Are Herbal Cigarettes Safe?

If you’re looking for a way to stop smoking cigarettes — or cut down on how much you smoke — you may have heard of herbal cigarettes. Herbal cigarettes are advertised as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes. 

These products are tobacco free. But they can still contain harmful chemicals and increase your risk of developing cancer and other health problems. Here’s what to know about herbal cigarettes and their safety. 

What are herbal cigarettes?

Herbal cigarettes are cigarettes made from a combination of plants or herbs that don’t contain tobacco. These plants and herbs are rolled in cigarette paper, and then lit and smoked like tobacco-containing cigarettes. Herbal cigarettes may be filtered or unfiltered. 

There are some important things to know about herbal cigarettes.

Not always tobacco free

Herbal cigarette brands made outside of North America may mix tobacco in their products. Clove cigarettes, for example, contain a mixture of ground cloves and tobacco. So, just because a product is labeled as an “herbal cigarette” doesn’t mean it’s completely tobacco free.

Not regulated

Herbal cigarettes aren’t as carefully regulated as regular cigarettes. That means products aren’t checked for safety. And it’s up to manufacturers to decide how transparent they want to be about what’s actually in their products. 

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It’s important to check products to make sure they really are tobacco free, if you’re trying to avoid nicotine. This may be easier to do with certain brands than others. 

What’s in herbal cigarettes?

The contents of herbal cigarettes vary from brand to brand. The exact combination of plants, herbs, and flavoring depends on which brand you choose. Popular ingredients in U.S. brands include:

• Yerba santa

• Damiana

• Passion flower

• Jasmine

• Ginseng

• Green tea

• Cherry

• Vanilla

• Menthol

Herbal cigarettes that don’t contain tobacco don’t contain nicotine either. But even without nicotine, we don’t know if herbal cigarettes are addictive or not 

Some manufacturers claim that switching to herbal cigarettes can help people stop smoking. They may even highlight how their specific herbal blend can help you quit. For example, some note that damiana and lavender can help relieve anxiety and that ginseng can improve your overall sense of well-being. 

But herbal cigarettes haven’t been studied as a way to help people stop smoking. They aren’t used as treatment for smoking cessation. And they aren’t a safe substitute for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or prescription medications for smoking cessation.

How safe are herbal cigarettes?

Herbal cigarettes aren't harmless, even if they’re completely tobacco and nicotine free.

Research suggests that the burning and inhaling of plants like mugwort, coltsfoot, and damiana has been linked to a higher chance of developing health conditions like:

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• Type 2 diabetes

And herbal cigarettes, just like regular cigarettes, contain chemicals that can harm your health. In fact, some research shows that herbal cigarettes contain similar amounts of tar and carbon monoxide as regular cigarettes. Both of these substances can harm your health and increase your risk of cancer. 

Other harmful chemicals found in herbal cigarettes include:

• Benzopyrene

• Phenolic compounds

• Aromatic amines 

These toxic substances have also been linked to higher risk for developing cancer and other health problems.

Keep in mind that some of these chemicals are only created and released as the herb burns. So these items may not be listed on ingredient lists. But you’ll still be exposed to them when you smoke herbal cigarettes.

It’s also important to know that herbs and plants found in these cigarettes aren't completely harmless. There have been reports of people developing side effects from exposure to plants in herbal cigarettes, including:

• Overstimulation and sleep disturbances from ginseng

• Difficulty breathing and coughing up blood from clove

• Liver inflammation from samiana

• Blots from coltsfoot

Are herbal cigarettes safer than regular cigarettes?

Right now, there’s no clear evidence that herbal cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes. Some studies suggest that smoking herbal cigarettes exposes you to fewer toxins than tobacco-containing cigarettes. But other research suggests the opposite. 

What’s clear is that smoking herbal cigarettes isn't risk free. Smoking herbal cigarettes exposes you to tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful substances that can increase your risk of cancer and other health problems. 

Plus, inhaling hot smoke of any kind is also harmful to your lungs. This is especially true if you have a condition that affects your lungs — like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In these cases, any kind of smoking may worsen your condition. 

There’s no “safe” type of smoking. Not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. 

If you already smoke, it’s never too late to quit. Herbal cigarettes aren't the safest way to cut back on regular cigarettes. And there’s no solid evidence that they can help you cut down or quit smoking. 

Instead, work with your healthcare team to come up with a plan. There are well-studied products that can help you stop smoking, like NRT and prescription smoking-cessation medications. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, PhD

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist who has been practicing anesthesiology in a community hospital for 30 years. He has taught in the honors program at George Washington University for over 10 years and works as a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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