Both the smoke particles and the heat of the inhaled fumes appear to damage the mucosa. Interestingly, unfiltered marijuana smoke causes even greater irritation to the throat and trachea than does tobacco smoke. Singers who smoke have a harsh breathy voice and a loss of clarity in their upper range. Women who smoke may suffer from polyps on their vocal cords and severe degeneration, polyps which have the appearance of big balloon blisters. Persons with chronic smoking-related inflammation often develop leukoplakia, or white patches on the lining of the throat, a known precursor of cancer.
Smoking also reduces normal breathing capacity.
Smokers cannot expect to produce a clear ringing pianissimo that will reach the far corners of a hall. Obviously, very few singers of the classical repertoire choose to smoke. Some rock and pop singers do use smoking to create a characteristic vocal quality that fits this repertoire. Some women find that deepening their normal vocal range is well suited to a blues or soul sound. The cost of this choice is high, however.