Re: Scientific investigation
The non-scientific policy position of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is that no tobacco product or mode of consumption is safer than any other. Clearly that is false.
Some "Virginia" type tobacco varieties have been modified to generate lower levels of TSNAs (tobacco specific nitrosamines)
when they are flue-cured. In this specific case, those commercial tobaccos, when flue-cured, are somewhat less carcinogenic than your home-grown tobacco--
if you flue-cure your own tobacco. If you do flue-cure your own tobacco, TSNAs can be minimized by using a heat source that does not expose the tobacco to the combustion products of petroleum fuels. [Forum members Jitterbugdude and BigBonner have explored this subject more than I have, and should correct me if I've misstated this.]
In a broader sense, home-grown tobacco is contaminated only with the chemicals you choose to put on it, whereas commercial tobacco is exposed to dozens of different chemicals during growing, and processing. These are considered "safe" chemicals, but are frequently used in combinations that have never been fully tested, and are not declared in the tobacco you purchase.
The choice is one of these:
- commercial tobacco with many chemicals (unknown to you)
- home-grown tobacco with only the chemicals you choose (if any)
Bob