Cigars have been the tobacco product of choice for screen stars such as Ernest Borgnine, Charlie Chaplin and Jack Nicholson. An accoutrement representing financial success and rugged masculinity, cigars are also perceived as having an edge over cigarettes from a health standpoint because they're leisurely "puffed" rather than inhaled. However, the National Cancer Institute warns that cigars can ultimately be just as dangerous as their svelte, less odiferous cousins--and sometimes even more deadly.
Cigars and Cigarettes
Cigars and cigarettes both contain tobacco, a source of nicotine. Cigars, however, are packaged and used differently. According to the NCI, cigarettes are fairly uniform in size and contain less than a gram of tobacco, which is usually blended. Cigars are made of a single tobacco, either air-dried or fermented. Depending on the size of the cigar, it can contain between one and 20 grams of tobacco. The NCI says that larger cigars, which can take you up to two hours to smoke, may contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes.
Cigars in General
Both cigarettes and cigars contain harmful chemicals, but cigars can be pose a greater danger to your health due to the toxins in their composition. The NCI indicates that cigars contain higher levels of nitrosamines, cancer-causing agents released when the tobacco is fermented. Cigars also contain more tar than cigarettes. Lastly, because cigar wrappers are less porous than those used to make cigarettes, this affects how quickly the tobacco burns. Cigar smoke has higher levels of toxins compared to that of cigarettes.
Cigar Smoking
If you smoke a cigar in the traditional fashion, you know that it is "puffed." The smoke is held in the mouth then released, rather than inhaled into the lungs. The NCI indicates that incidences of illnesses associated with cigarette smoking--lung cancer, coronary heart disease and other respiratory ailments--are higher in cigarette smokers than in cigar smokers. This is likely due in part to the inhalation factor. However, here's the bad news: cigar smokers are still more likely to suffer from a smoking-related illness than the nonsmoking population.
Other Concerns
Regular cigar smokers have more cause for alarm. Mayo Clinic internist Edward C. Rosenow III, M.D., indicates that this habit increases your risk of heart disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other lung diseases. Regardless if you inhale cigar smoke, carcinogens come into direct contact with your lips, mouth, tongue, larynx and throat, making these parts of your body more vulnerable to cancer, says the NCI. Second-hand smoke is another complicating factor. Rosenow indicates that cigar smoke contains far more toxins than cigarette smoke. Because cigars burn slowly for long periods of time, second-hand smoke lingers around longer, affecting you and everyone else in the room.
Cigar Safety
The occasional cigar can easily seem like a nonthreatening indulgence, the perfect ending to a fine meal or compliment to an icy martini. However, the NCI cautions that cigars can become just as addictive as cigarettes. Rosenow states that the risks associated with cigar smoking are related to two factors: intensity and frequency of use. The best way to protect yourself from the health hazards associated with tobacco use is to refrain from smoking cigars completely.
