Tobacco, in all of its forms, can lead to many types of cancer, but it is perhaps most strongly associated with lung cancer. Cigarettes are believed to be responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Cigarettes are the most commonly used form of tobacco, which is why they cause the most cancer deaths. However, other methods are just as or more deadly. Cigars, for instance, contain the same carcinogens as cigarettes. Depending on the size, it is not unusual for a cigar to contain the same amount of tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), cigar smoking dramatically increases the risk of oral cancers (lip, tongue, mouth and throat), as well as cancers of the larynx, lung and esophagus. In addition, there is strong evidence linking cigar smoking with pancreatic cancer as well.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cigar smoking has increased steadily since the early 1990s. In 2005, more than 5 billion cigars were consumed by Americans, a 3 percent increase from the previous year.

In the past, most smokers were men between the ages of 35 and 64 with higher education backgrounds and higher income levels. However, recent studies have indicated that most new cigar smokers are young adult males who smoke cigars occasionally.

Unlike cigarette smokers, most cigar smokers do not inhale. For those individuals who do inhale, the risk of lung cancer is lower because less tobacco smoke reaches the lungs, but the risk of oral cancers remains high. However, the risk of lung cancer is still several times higher than nonsmokers. Cigars are not considered a safe alternative to cigarettes.

Smokeless tobacco is another dangerous product. Smokeless tobacco contains up to 15 times as much nicotine as a cigarette, thereby increasing the risk of addiction, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. There are two kinds of smokeless tobacco:

• Snuff. Users often pinch the fine grain tobacco and place it between their lower lip and gums and suck on it.
  
  
• Chewing tobacco. Normally packaged in pouches that contain long strands of tobacco. Users take a wad of it and place it between their cheek and gums.

Many users, including a large number of high school students and professional athletes, mistakenly believe that smokeless tobacco is a “safe” form of tobacco. However, smokeless tobacco increases the risk of cancers of the mouth and pharynx. It is also common for smokeless tobacco users to develop leukoplakia, which are precancerous sores in the mouth that can lead to cancer.

Other tobacco products that can cause cancer include the following:

• Clove cigarettes (kreteks). Particularly fashionable among the younger generation, clove cigarettes are popular “alternatives” to cigarettes and marijuana. Imported from Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries, clove cigarettes contain approximately 65 percent tobacco and 35 percent ground cloves, clove oil and additives.
  
  
• Bidis (flavored cigarettes). Despite the fact that they contain less tobacco, bidis have much greater amounts of nicotine and other toxic substances than regular cigarettes. Bidis are hand-rolled flavored cigarettes that are offered in flavors such as chocolate, cherry and mango. Often less expensive than regular cigarettes, bidis carry all the same health risks as regular cigarettes.
  
  
• Hookah. Hookah smoking, which originated in the Middle East, is gaining popularity, especially among younger smokers. The process involves burning flavored tobacco, which is usually mixed with molasses and dried fruit. The tobacco mixture, known as shisha, is burned in a water pipe and the smoke from the mixture is inhaled through an elongated hose. Although frequently advertised as a safer alternative to cigarettes because of a lower percentage of tobacco in the product, this claim is actually false, according the ACS.
  
  
• Betel quid. Betel quid is a new form of smokeless tobacco that has appeared recently from India, Africa and Asia. Betel quid is a mixture of tobacco, areca nuts, catechu (a plant product), and flavoring, which forms a dried paste. The betel quid is then placed between the gum and cheek and sucked or chewed.