I suspect it would be hard for dividend investors not to salivate at the potential offered by British American Tobacco's (NYSE: BTI) 9.5% dividend yield. But dividend investors also know that yields that high usually come with material risks, which is exactly the case here.

If you are looking for a reliable dividend stock with a high (though not quite this high) yield, you might be better off switching gears and examining Realty Income (NYSE: O) and its roughly 6% yield. Here's why.

British American Tobacco has a massive dividend yield, and it's a dividend that is likely to hold up over the near term. But I invest in stocks with the idea that I'll own them for decades. Given that mindset, I prefer to buy companies that I think have long-term growth potential. Right now, British American Tobacco does not.

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Source Fool.com