An estimation of smoking history in patients who consume loose and smokeless tobacco products

Abstract

Exposure to tobacco increases the risk and severity of many health conditions including head and neck cancer. Smoking history can be ascertained in a number of ways, including age of commencement, recency, intensity (packs per day) and lifetime exposure (pack years). One pack year equates to smoking 20 ready-made cigarettes per day for one year. However, tobacco may also be smoked in other ready-made forms like cigarillos and cigars or as loose tobacco in pipes, water-pipes and roll-up cigarettes.