Tea + Cigarette, Why This Seemingly Harmless Habit Hides Deadly Risks
Kazi Nasir | Oct 13, 2025, 12:23 IST
Cigarette And Tea
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The popular “Chai Sutta” combination has become a cultural ritual across India, especially among youth. Yet, beneath its charm hides a dangerous reality. When hot tea and cigarette smoke mix, they amplify harm to your body—weakening the food pipe, straining the heart, and raising the risk of deadly cancers. Tea’s antioxidants lose power against tobacco toxins, and the false sense of calm from nicotine and caffeine only deepens addiction. What feels relaxing is actually a trap that worsens stress and health over time.
Tea in one hand and a Cigarette in the other became a casual ritual for Desi cigarette lovers. You can easily spot a familiar sight whenever you pay a visit to any chai tapri. Tea contains caffeine which temporarily raises heart rate and cigarette contains nicotine which is highly addictive and also stimulates the nervous system. Combining they adds harmful chemicals that can strain the lungs and heart. So what we think is comforting can push towards endless disease over time.
When one takes a sip of hot tea and a puff of a cigarette at the same time, the heat of the tea and chemicals of the cigarette create a dangerous effect. The hot liquid weakens the tissues of food pipe making it easier for the toxins of smoke to invade. Studies show that drinking hot tea, alchohol with cigarettes is linked to a five times higher risk of esophageal cancer compared to those who did not have any of these three habits. The smoke comes with tar, carbon monoxide and many cancer causing substances that reches to lungs and overtimes this duo (Tea and Cigarette) can strain your heart, raise blood pressure and inflame one's airways.
Generally tea like green or black tea comes with antioxidants, polyphenols and other compounds which has the potential to neutralise damage and reduce certain cancer risks. But the moment it mix with cigarettes these benefits get overshadowed by certain cancer risks. In animal models tea alone can reduce lung inflammation from smoke but in humans the high toxin load from tobacco often drowns out that benefit.
Those are practising this habit they perceive that combining chai and sutta comfort them or calm them for a while. But this perception is a physiological illusion, the relaxation is deceptive. It is true that nicotine can reduce withdrawal symptoms (feeling restless, trouble concentrating, mood changes, feeling depressed or anxious etc.) for a moment and caffeine can sharpens alertness for a short time. But once their effects are gone soon those cravings, irritability or anxiety retun. Truth is, over time this loop actually worsens stress rather than reducing it.
A moment of coolness and pseudo comfort can lead to multiple health issues. It is widely known that smoking damages the lungs, increases risk of cancer and weakens blood vessels and excess in caffeine may tigger poor sleep, increase acidity and rise in heartbeat. These are instant but in long term they lead to high addiction which can cause heart attack, chronic lung disease or development of cancer overtime. Sacrificing one bad habit makes space for the beginning of multiple good habits.
How the Combo Stirs Trouble Inside Your Body
Smoking and Addiction
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Tea’s Good Side is Blunted
Tea Has Potential to Neutralize Damage
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Is Chai Sutta a Stress Reliever?
Chai and Sutta
( Image credit : Freepik )
A moment of coolness and pseudo comfort can lead to multiple health issues. It is widely known that smoking damages the lungs, increases risk of cancer and weakens blood vessels and excess in caffeine may tigger poor sleep, increase acidity and rise in heartbeat. These are instant but in long term they lead to high addiction which can cause heart attack, chronic lung disease or development of cancer overtime. Sacrificing one bad habit makes space for the beginning of multiple good habits.