Cigar smoking doesn't deserve the sometimes sophisticated aura it's given by cigar bars and celebrity use, according to the American Lung Association. Cigar smoking is often viewed as being less dangerous than cigarette smoking, but a single large cigar can contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes. The secondhand smoke it produces that can cause serious illness in others can pollute a room for hours. Cigars can cause many serious diseases.
Cancers of the Mouth and Throat
Whether or not they inhale, cigar smokers expose the lips, mouth, tongue, throat and larynx to the toxic and cancer-causing chemicals contained in the smoke. Also, when saliva containing these chemicals is swallowed, the esophagus is put at risk for disease. The National Cancer Institute says cigars contain up to 90 times more of certain cancer-causing chemicals than cigarettes. Cigar smokers and cigarette smokers face similar risks for oral, laryngeal and esophageal cancer when compared to nonsmokers, according to the American Lung Association.
Heart and Lung Disease
Cigar smoking can increase the risk of serious lung diseases and heart attacks. Although cigarette smokers have twice the risk of dying of heart attacks as non-smokers, the link isn't quite as strong for cigar smokers who don't inhale. For those who do inhale, the risks for heart disease and lung disease increase--including risks of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, two chronic obstructive lung diseases that have no cure. Heart and lung diseases can cause severe disability before they cause death.
Nicotine Addiction
One large cigar can potentially provide as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, according to the American Cancer Society. A cigar smoker can absorb nicotine by inhaling smoke into the lungs or by absorbing it through the lining of the mouth, even without inhaling. Nicotine addiction causes repeated use of tobacco, exposing the user to the risks of the many diseases tobacco can cause.
Tooth and Gum Disease
Cigar smokers experience tooth loss at rates equal to those of cigarette smokers, according to the American Academy of Peridontology. Smoking increases the risk for periodontal disease. If left untreated, periodontal disease causes pockets between the teeth and gums to grow deeper, allowing more bacteria to enter and destroy tissue and bone that support teeth. Gums then shrink away from the teeth, making them look longer. Teeth may become painful and loose, and fall out. Smoking cigars also causes bad breath, stained teeth, loss of taste, less success of periodontal treatment, reduced success with dental implants, mouth sores and facial wrinkling.
