World No Tobacco Day 2025: Doctors share why smoking with morning tea on empty stomach harms gut and lungs

You are inviting a health disaster when you take a drag while sipping your morning tea. This toxic combo hits both your lungs and gut.

A cup of steaming tea while taking a puff of a cigarette has been glorified. But this habit may be doing you more harm than you realise, adversely affecting your lungs and gut, setting up for digestive and respiratory conditions in the long run.

World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on May 31, which advocates for cutting down on tobacco consumption, is an appropriate time to draw attention to this health-wrecking habit.

HT Lifestyle reached out to experts, who explained how this simple combination of tea and a cigarette in the morning may be dangerous for your lungs and gut health.

How is the tea-cigarette pair dangerous for your respiratory health?

Chronic bronchitis risk increases when you pair tea with cigarette on empty stomach. (Shutterstock)

Dr Sarat Kumar Behera, senior consultant pulmonologist, Manipal Hospital, Bhubaneshwar, shared with us how tea combined with smoking in the morning can impair respiratory health.

He said, “Smoking a first cigarette in the morning, when the lungs are most vulnerable, immediately reduces lung function. While sleeping, the lungs are in a resting state, in which they recover from the respiratory system. A first-morning cigarette jolts this system with a hit of poisonous chemicals, which impairs oxygen exchange and destroys the delicate hair-like structures (cilia) that remove mucus and other debris. This interference can result in difficulty breathing, lower energy, and an observable loss of appetite as the body fights to restore balance."

Here are some more ways it can damage your respiratory health, as shared by Dr Sarat:

1. Higher risk of chronic bronchitis

• Research has demonstrated an association of early-morning smoking with chronic bronchitis, defined by productive cough and a recurring production of mucus. Chronic bronchitis, in turn, is a known trigger for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• A morning cigarette can relax the lower oesophageal sphincter and worsen acid reflux, making smokers more vulnerable to heartburn and indigestion, particularly when compounded by hot beverages.

2. Irritates the respiratory airways

• The hot tea and the cigarette smoke both irritate the respiratory mucosa, the body’s protective lining of the airways.
• This irritation can, according to pulmonary doctors, set off systemic inflammation and impair the body’s ability to defend itself, leaving it more vulnerable to infection and potentially putting it at risk for long-term lung damage.

3. Less oxygen

• With no food acting as a cushion for nicotine absorption, it quickly gets into the blood, magnifying its systemic impact.
• This results in an increased heart rate and an increase in blood pressure, less oxygen to the organs and an increased acid production in the stomach, all before you’ve even had breakfast.

How is it dangerous for your gut health?

When you take a drag while sipping tea in the morning, you may experience gastrointestinal discomfort throughout the day. (Shutterstock)

Now that you know the ill effects of cigarettes on your lungs and overall respiratory health, let's also take a look at how the tea-cigarette combination impacts your gut when consumed on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

Dr Gyan Ranjan Rout, consultant gastroenterologist, Manipal Hospital, Bhubaneshwar, explains how this seemingly harmless habit can trigger a chain of negative reactions in your gut, from acid reflux to suppressed appetite.

He said, “From a digestive standpoint, nicotine is a major disruptor. It stimulates excess gastric acid secretion, which is particularly harmful when the stomach is empty, as it usually is in the morning. Combined with caffeine from tea, this creates a hyperacidic environment that aggravates conditions like gastritis and peptic ulcers.”

Dr Gyan shared these negative consequences of smoking and sipping on tea in the morning:

1. Increased acid reflux

• Smoking also weakens the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES), the valve that prevents stomach acid from entering the oesophagus.
• This impairment is a key contributor to GERD and acid reflux, both of which are exacerbated by the caffeine and warmth of morning tea.

2. Disturbed gut motility and nutrient absorption

• Nicotine slows gut motility and interferes with the absorption of essential nutrients.
• When paired with caffeine, which has a mild laxative effect, it creates an unpredictable gut environment, often leading to bloating, cramps, and irregular bowel habits.

3. Suppressed appetite

• The combined stimulant effects of nicotinamide and caffeine may suppress hunger cues.
• This can result in a reduced appetite and inadequate nutrient intake throughout the day, leading to fatigue and gastrointestinal discomfort.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.