Does tobacco turn your lungs black?

Answer 1

The substance in the cigarettes that creates the black color is tar. The tar coagulates in the lungs and turns them black............................The Black Lung Lie.........................

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Frank Davis

A discussion of 'smokers' black lungs' started in the comments today. It's the widespread belief that smokers' lungs turn black. Rose pointed out that it all started with James I about four centuries ago. She also dug up some refutations:

"Dr. Duane Carr - Professor of Surgery at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, said this: "Smoking does not discolor the lung."

Dr. Victor Buhler, Pathologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City: "I have examined thousands of lungs both grossly and microscopically. I cannot tell you from exmining a lung whether or not its former host had smoked."

Dr. Sheldon Sommers, Pathologist and Director of Laboratories at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York: "…it is not possible grossly or microscopically, or in any other way known to me, to distinguish between the lung of a smoker or a nonsmoker. Blackening of lungs is from carbon particles, and smoking tobacco does not introduce carbon particles into the lung."

And Brigitte even found a YouTube video:

There is even this (in German) in which a forensic medic states that these "tar" lungs do not exist.

Rich White's Smoke Screens reports the same:

This was confirmed by Dr Jan Zeldenrust, a Dutch pathologist for the Government of Holland from 1951 - 1984. In a television interview in the 1980's he stated that, translated from Dutch, "I could never see on a pair of lungs if they belonged to a smoker or non-smoker. I can see clearly the difference between sick and healthy lungs. The only black lungs I've seen are from peat-workers and coal miners, never from smokers".

Answer 2

Yes. Pot is probably as bad for your lungs as tobacco is.

It seems that marijuana smoke is less noxious than tobacco smoke. For example, if you smoke marijuana in your living room, the whole room will smell of it. But if you smoke a few cigarettes, the marijuana smell will disappear, and you will only be able to smell the cigarette smoke. Marijuana smoke doesn't linger on your clothes and furniture anywhere near as much as tobacco smoke does.

But it would be safe to assume that marijuana smoke is as unhealthy for your lungs as tobacco smoke is.

Answer 3

Smoking in general may darken your lips, but it's not something that is weed-specific.

Answer 4

No, but it will turn your lungs black. Joints have 4 times the carcinogenic tar of a cigarette, and are much worse for your pulmonary health.

Answer 5

Yes, it can give you lung cancer just like cigarettes can. Also, every once and a while you will get a nice strong hit that makes you cough alot. That hurts.

Answer 6

yes your lungs go black if you smoke witch is why we do not recomend it at all thank you xxx

Answer 7

Yes. Don't do it