Cigarette filters are specifically designed to absorb vapors and to accumulate particulate smoke components. Filters also prevent tobacco from entering a smoker’s mouth and provide a mouthpiece that will not collapse as the cigarette is smoked.

Filters may be made from plastic cellulose acetate fiber, paper or activated charcoal (either as a cavity filter or embedded into the plastic cellulose acetate fibers). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have also been used. The plastic cellulssose acetate filter and paper modify the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption).

Filters are intended to reduce the harm caused by smoking by reducing harmful elements inhaled by smokers. They have been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer.While laboratory tests show a reduction of “tar” and nicotine smoke, filters are ineffective at removing gases of low molecular weight, such as carbon monoxide. Most of these measured reductions occur only when the cigarette is smoked on a smoking machine; when smoked by a human, the compounds are delivered into the lungs regardless of whether or not a filter is used.

Is it OK to smoke a cigarette without the filter?

 There is no such thing as a safe way to smoke tobacco. Perhaps you’ve seen a recent study out of the Medical University of South Carolina that found people who smoke unfiltered cigarettes are almost twice as likely to die from lung cancer as those who smoke filtered cigarettes