Herbal cigarettes are often marketed as natural, tobacco-free, and even therapeutic alternatives to conventional cigarettes. However, a new study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) found that herbal cigarettes are not safer than tobacco cigarettes and may produce emissions that are equally or more harmful.
Published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, the study compared the physical, chemical, and oxidative properties of mainstream smoke from commercially available herbal and tobacco cigarettes sold in India. Researchers examined two leading tobacco brands and four herbal cigarette brands containing ingredients such as basil, clove, cinnamon, mint, green tea, water lily, and chamomile.
Using a sealed, automated two-chamber system designed to simulate human inhalation, the team analysed smoke emissions in real time and collected particle samples for detailed chemical and physical characterisation. They also measured the oxidative potential of the smoke, a key indicator of its ability to cause biological damage.
The results challenged the common perception that tobacco-free products are less harmful. According to Professor Sameer Patel of IITGN, emissions from herbal cigarettes were comparable to or exceeded those from tobacco cigarettes across nearly all measures. In particular, herbal cigarettes wrapped in tendu leaves—the same leaves commonly used in bidis—were found to be the most hazardous.
One major finding was that herbal cigarettes emitted about 20% more ultrafine particles smaller than 500 nanometres than tobacco cigarettes. These particles are associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The researchers also found significantly higher oxidative potential in herbal cigarette smoke, with tendu-leaf-wrapped products showing approximately 49% higher oxidative potential than paper-wrapped versions. Surprisingly, one basil-filled herbal cigarette marketed as “chemical-free” contained the highest concentration of lead among all products tested.
The study also highlighted important regulatory concerns. While India’s Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) regulates tobacco products through warning labels, advertising restrictions, and public-smoking rules, many tobacco-free herbal cigarettes fall outside these regulations. Researchers noted that some products were promoted as helping with coughs, sleep, or anxiety despite limited scientific evidence regarding their emissions or health effects.
Although the study did not directly examine disease outcomes, it demonstrated that the combustion process and resulting smoke particles, rather than the product’s marketing claims, determine potential health risks. Released ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the findings underscore the need for stronger regulation of herbal cigarette marketing and add to growing evidence that so-called tobacco alternatives may pose significant public health concerns.
More information: Alok Kumar Thakur et al, The lure of ‘Healthier Smoke’: Comparative physical, chemical, and oxidative potential characterization of emissions from herbal and tobacco cigarettes, Journal of Hazardous Materials. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.142424
Journal information: Journal of Hazardous Materials Provided by Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
