Cigarettes have been smoked for centuries and have become part of society as being seen as stylish, hip and cool. While many smokers began smoking for the social aspect, many more continued smoking due to the addictive properties of nicotine. However, of the over one billion smokers worldwide, there are many misconceptions about smoking that can be easily rectified—one is the debate behind light tobacco cigarettes being a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.

For years, many have been deceived by big tobacco companies into believing that light cigarettes are actually healthier for the smoker than regular cigarettes. The terms "light," "low tar," and "mild" have caused smokers to believe that choosing light cigarettes, law tar cigarettes or mild cigarettes would lead to a better choice when it comes to smoking. While it might seem that a "light" or "ultra-light" cigarette would be less harmful or healthier than a regular cigarette, especially considering the fact that lighter cigarettes have a smoother and milder taste, the truth is that they contain the same toxins and carcinogens as regular tobacco with less nicotine. In fact, those who smoke light cigarettes tend to smoke more cigarettes or take longer puffs or more puffs on a single cigarette, which can lead to the blocking of holes within the cigarette filter that allow for proper ventilation.

Many tobacco companies that mislead populations by terming their cigarettes "light," "low tar," and "mild" have been sued by people and states claiming that their misleading has caused many people to unknowingly smoke cigarettes that are not truly a healthier option, but actually the same thing.

A class action law suit was filed by cigarette smokers against Big Tobacco companies such as Philip Morris, stating that the tobacco companies concealed the health risks of light, low tar and mild cigarettes such as Marlboro Lights. The case that began in 1998 claimed that cigarette companies did not properly disclose the addictive nature of nicotine and the dangerous nature of cigarettes due to incomplete and misleading advertising. The original suit, filed in 1998, was amended in 2000 and expanded in 2009 and dismissed in 2011 along with the following:

"We hold that the mere violation of a consumer's legal right to know about a product's risks, without anything more, cannot support a claim that the manufacturer unjustly retained the revenue from the product's sale to the consumer's detriment," wrote Judge Daniel Manion as a part of a 3-judge panel on the class action case against big tobacco companies such as Philip Morris.

While Philip Morris and other big tobacco companies dodged this class action suit, which ended in August 2011, the fact remains that tobacco cigarettes are harmful and potentially deadly regardless of the amount of nicotine in them because the toxins remain the same. Light, low tar and mild tobacco cigarettes are still cigarettes and the only way to avoid their detrimental effects is to quit smoking or switch to cigarette alternatives. For some, kicking their tobacco cigarette habit was easy with the help of electronic cigarettes and patches.

Electronic cigarettes, or e cigs, are electronic devices that transform nicotine liquid into nicotine vapor that is when inhaled like a normal cigarette, thus satisfying the nicotine addiction without the over 4,000 toxins and chemicals that tobacco cigarettes contain. Electronic cigarettes contain no tobacco, no tar, no smoke and no smell. E cigs look and feel like real cigarettes and their natural look and feel help smokers better adapt and satisfy their psychological needs, without the harmful effects of tobacco.

One of the hardest aspects of stopping smoking is that the body works in patterns and cycles, when a cycle is broken, the body seeks to satisfy that cycle. When a smoker moves their hand to their mouth dozens of times a day, every day, for days on end, they form a habitual action. By choosing to quit cold turkey or switch to the patch, some smokers fail almost instantaneously because their habitual cycle prevents them from moving forward.

Electronic cigarettes on the other hand provide a solution for the psychological aspects of quitting smoking and many provide lower dosages of nicotine to help satisfy nicotine cravings without the harmful effects of tobacco. While choosing to quit smoking entirely is the best option to avoid negative side effects of smoking and nicotine, if quitting smoking is not an option, find a solution that works for you like e cigs or patches, or a combination of both. Talk to your doctor for more information.