I can't really say as I'm not too familair with that brand, but I used to hand roll (when I could) my own tobacco smokes. I bought Players Light, and they came in taylor made style too, and the contents in the tobacco were pretty damn close in "mg" that the taylor made ones, so yes, they would probably be just as bad, maybe worse.

Filters do contain fiberglass, but, without that filter, there is nothing to lessen the intake of all the other additives in the tobacco. A filter, filters some of those out, not completly, but reduces it, for a smoother smoke. No filter, is 100% intake of all the additives.

All you have to do is look at your buddys ingredient list on his pouch of baccy, and compare it to a similair brand of taylor mades.

If it is pipe tobacco though, some brands are additive free I believe, but I'm not 100% sure on that. I'm pretty sure the government is involved with any, and every tobacco distributer out there. I can't see someone making money from tobacco without the government wanting a nice slice.

All in all though, is lighter tobbacco better for you than heavy or moderate tobacco? I don't think so. Tobacco is tobacco, nicotine is nicotine, and carbon monoxide is carbon monoxide, and so on. It's all bad for you in the end, so there is no safer tobacco out there.