Smoking weed, cigarettes, vaping, nicotine pouches, cigars, and pipes linked to higher type 2 diabetes risk

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I was a social smoker of cigarettes, that is, there was a time in the 70s and 80s when if everybody else was smoking cigarettes, I’d smoke them, too. At which point, I told my mother which prompted her to say, every time, “So if everybody jumped off the bridge, you would, too?” My reaction, every time she said that: 🙄 But I digress.

I don’t smoke now because of my stroke. But the title of my blog, research says, smoking anything gives you a greater risk for type 2 diabetes including cannabis, cigarettes, vaping, nicotine pouches. I couldn’t understand why the connection so it was time for research.

CANNABIS, ALSO KNOWN AS MARIJUANA, MARYJANE, AND WEED

From the American Diabetes Association: “Cannabis may complicate diabetes management, adversely affecting glycemic control and self-management behaviors.” So what does that even mean?

I smoked cannabis a total of 3 times and it irritated my throat, so that’s why I stopped. But all the times I DID smoke it, I went right to the refrigerator afterwards and took out a lot of things I could easily open. That’s because marijuana, or cannabis, can significantly increase appetite, a common occurence known as the “munchies.” This effect is primarily caused by the psychoactive component of marijuana, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

THC colllaborates with the a network of receptors in the body that regulates various factors, including appetite. When THC clings to these receptors, it triggers the release of hormones that encourages hunger. Also, THC can enhance the notion of taste and smell, making food even more appealing and thus make food take on the tendency of “right now” behaviors.

CIGARETTES

From the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): Cigarette smoking is one cause of type 2 diabetes. People who smoke cigarettes are 30%–40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who don’t smoke. People with diabetes who smoke are more likely than those who don’t smoke to have trouble with irregular dosing by the pancreas with dosing enough insulin and with managing their condition. Thus, the more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your risk for type 2 diabetes.

Lifestyle changes has been proven to help people make the changes needed to prevent or pause type 2 diabetes, improve their overall health, and build healthy habits. First, don’t smoke, or cut it back til you zero. Next, find out your risk by taking the 1-minute prediabetes risk test.

No matter what type of diabetes you have, smoking makes your diabetes harder to manage. If you have diabetes and you smoke, you are more likely to have serious health problems from diabetes, including:

Poor blood flow in the legs and feet that can lead to infections, ulcers, and possible amputation (removal of a body part by surgery, such as toes or feet)
Heart disease
Kidney disease
Retinopathy (an eye disease that can cause blindness)
Peripheral neuropathy (injured nerves to the arms and legs that cause numbness, pain, weakness, and faulty coordination)

If you have diabetes and you smoke, quitting smoking will benefit your health right away. People with diabetes who quit are better able to manage their blood sugar levels. For free help to quit, call 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit CDC.gov/tips.

VAPING

Vaping is still a pointless habit, but there is some evidence for use in weaning people off cigarettes. That is because of the cancer-inducing effects of smoke items, likely not there with vaping.

In a 2025 study, researchers examined responses to an annual survey conducted in the U.S. Compared to nonsmokers, e-cigarette users were 7% more likely to lead to prediabetes. Ask any psychologist if they have for strategies against oral fixation, that is, a term for a persistent, obsessive behavior involving the mouth, such as excessive gum chewing or vaping, in this case, which can act as a coping mechanism for stress or anxiety.

Vaping has been known to cause other health issues, such as vaping-associated lung injuries. And most e-cigarettes still contain highly addictive levels of nicotine and other unknowns. Also, without any prior habit of cigarette smoking, the strong increase in e-cigarette use is primarily among youth, who are often introduced to vaping.

NICOTINE POUCHES

A nicotine pouch is linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and can worsen existing diabetes by causing insulin resistance and increasing blood sugar levels. Nicotine stops the body’s ability to use sugar for energy and can reduce insulin flow from the pancreas. Think of it this way:

Nicotine can make your body’s cells less susceptible to insulin, a condition called insulin resistance. This phenomenon prevents glucose from landing on cells used for energy, causing it to build up in the blood.
Nicotine can directly alter blood glucose levels. It can cause insulin resistance, leading to higher blood sugar levels. For people who already have diabetes who use insulin, this can lead to a need for larger insulin dose.
Nicotine can increase triglycerides and hormones that counterbalances insulin, contributing to higher insulin resistance.

If you already have diabetes, have a conversation with your healthcare provider about nicotine use and your diabetes plan. Healthcare professionals can help you develop a plan to quit and manage any withdrawal symptoms.

If you are using nicotine replacement therapies, such as nicotine pouches, speak with your doctor about increasing the recurrence of your blood sugar checks. Nicotine pouches are not a harmless alternative to traditional cigarettes. They carry compelling peril, especially for people with or at risk of expanding diabetes.

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CIGARS

Cigar smoking is a significant risk factor for both developing and making diabetes worse.

Studies have shown that cigar smokers have a 30-40% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to non-smokers. This increased risk is likely due to the detrimental chemicals in cigar smoke, which can damage insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and increase insulin resistance.

For people who already have diabetes, cigar smoking can worsen their condition. Cigar smoking can increase blood sugar levels, making it harder to control diabetes. It can also damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to complications such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetic neuropathy.

The chemicals in cigar smoke, including nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, can:

Raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Damage insulin-producing cells in the pancreas
Increase insulin resistance

Promote inflammation, which can contribute to diabetes. Within a few weeks of quitting, complications and blood sugar levels can start to decrease.

PIPES

“Pipes” can refer to a few different topics related to diabetes, including tobacco pipes, plumbing pipes, and waterpipe smoking, all of which have documented links to diabetes. Tobacco pipe smoking, like other forms of tobacco use, is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, though research is still going on for waterpipe use. Exposure to chemicals from certain plastic pipes may also increase the risk of obesity and prediabetes.

Tobacco pipe smoking and diabetes risk including:

Insulin resistance
Tobacco exposure can directly cause insulin resistance, a key factor in the development of type 2 diabetes
Studies have shown an association between waterpipe smoking and the risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to diabetes

Waterpipe (hookah) smoking and diabetes risk:

Waterpipe smoking is strongly associated with diabetes mellitus (a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) levels) and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of biochemical and physiological abnormalities associated with the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes).
Waterpipe smoking can increase body weight and abdominal circumference, which are risk factors for diabetes.
Waterpipe smoking is linked to pulmonary inflammation and DNA damage, which is a precursor for diabetes.

Plastic pipes and diabetes risk:

Exposure to chemicals from certain plastic water pipes, such as those made from PVC, may lead to an increased risk of prediabetes and obesity.
Studies have shown that mice exposed to a specific chemical used in PVC pipes were more likely to develop prediabetes and obesity.

As Mark Twain used to say, “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

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Mark Twain was a lifelong and avid cigar smoker. He started as a boy and famously claimed to smoke up to 40 cigars a day, though he also joked, “I smoke in moderation. Only one cigar at a time.”

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He began smoking cigars around 8-years-old , and continued throughout his life, often smoking constantly and calling himself a “human furnace.”

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Twain died at 74 of a heart attack along with complications of angina, rheumatism, and chronic bronchitis. So there you go.