Cigar smoking poses as many health hazards to people as cigarette smoking. The smoke from cigars is absorbed into the body of the smoker and released into the air, exposing others to dangerous chemicals. As with cigarette smoking, the more a person smokes cigars the greater the health risks. No safe tobacco product exists, the National Cancer Institute notes.
Addiction
Cigar smokers who inhale can become addicted to the nicotine ingredients of tobacco. Even cigar smokers who do not inhale can become addicted to nicotine because the chemical is absorbed into the body through the lining of the mouth, according to the National Cancer Institute. Many cigar smokers spend a great deal of time smoking one cigar. A large cigar can take between one and two hours to smoke. One large cigar can contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. A cigar can provide as much nicotine as several cigarettes, according to MayoClinic.com.
Disease Risks
Cigar smokers increase their risks of getting cancers of the lung, lip, tongue, mouth, throat, esophagus and voice box or larynx. Cancers of the mouth, larynx and esophagus may be four to 10 times as likely in cigar smokers than non-smokers, according to the American Cancer Society. Oral and esophageal cancer risks are similar among cigar and cigarette smokers, the National Cancer Institute reports. Cigar smokers who inhale increase their risk for cancer of the pancreas and bladder. As with cigarette smoking, the cancer risks depend on how much a person smokes. More cigar smokers may be inhaling in recent years because the process of making cigars has added flavor and increases the amount of harmful ingredients. Many former cigarette smokers inhale cigars. The risk of death from lung cancer for cigar smokers who do not inhale is not as high as it is for cigarette smokers. However, they still have a higher risk for getting cancer than non-smokers. Cigar smokers increase their risks of heart and lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, especially if they inhale. Cigar smoking has been linked to gum disease, the American Cancer Society says. Gum disease causes the gums to shrink from the teeth and can lead to teeth falling out.
Exposure to Others
People around cigar smoke face more health risks than they do when around cigarette smoke. The secondhand smoke from cigars contains higher concentrations of toxins, MayoClinic.com points out. The cigars also burn for longer periods of time to send more secondhand smoke into the environment. Cigar smoke has higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals, according to the National Cancer Institute. Cigar smoke has higher levels of cancer-causing tar than cigarettes. More toxins are in cigar smoke than cigarette smoke because cigar wrappers are less porous than cigarette wrappers, making the concentrations of toxins higher when smoked.
