Cigars are often perceived as less hazardous than cigarettes, but cigar smoking has a number of health dangers. Smoking cigars instead of cigarettes does not protect you from smoking-related cancers and other health problems, according to the American Cancer Society. In some cases, cigar smoking can be more dangerous than cigarette smoking.
Toxins Concentration
A study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" reports that cigars contain higher concentrations of toxic and carcinogenic compounds than cigarettes. This is due to differences in the aging and fermenting of cigar tobacco and the fact that the cigar wrapper is not as porous as cigarette paper, according to the ACS. One large cigar can take one to two hours to smoke. The National Cancer Institute states that the longer smoking time and larger size of most cigars result in more exposure to toxic compounds compared to cigarette smoking.
Cancer
The ACS says smoking cigars regularly increases the risk of many cancers, including lung, throat, mouth, lip, esophagus and larynx cancer. People who regularly smoke cigars are four to 10 times more likely to die from cancers of the mouth, larynx and esophagus than non-smokers, according to the ASC. For cigar smokers who inhale, smoking cigars appears to be linked to death from cancer of the pancreas and bladder, as well. The ACS notes that the health dangers of occasional cigar smoking--less than once a day--are not known.
Lung & Heart Disease
Cigar smoking increases the risk of heart disease and lung diseases, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, according to the ACS. This risk is higher for cigar smokers who inhale. The link to heart disease and lung diseases, however, is not as strong for cigar smoking as it is for cigarette smoking, the ACS notes.
Tooth Loss
Cigar smokers are more likely to lose their teeth than nonsmokers. The ACS says that cigar smoking, like cigarette smoking, increases the risk of periodontal disease. This disease causes the gums to shrink away from the teeth and increases the chance that eventually your teeth will loosen and fall out.
Sexual Problems
In a study of more than 500 men ages 40 to 70 in the journal "Preventive Medicine," cigar smoking was found to significantly increase the risk of erectile dysfunction. Cigarette smoking almost doubled the likelihood of experiencing moderate or complete erectile dysfunction according to the study, but the association wasn't as strong for cigar smoking.
Addiction
Cigars contain nicotine, the chemical that causes addiction. Nicotine in any form is highly addictive, according to the ACS. Smoking cigars instead of cigarettes does not reduce the risk of nicotine addiction. Even if cigar smoke is not inhaled, high levels of addictive nicotine are absorbed into the body, according to the National Cancer Institute. This absorption can occur through the lining of the mouth for cigar smokers who don't inhale. Either way, the nicotine that gets into the body is addictive.
References
- American Cancer Society: "Cigars and Risk of Cancer and Death"
- American Cancer Society: "Secondhand Cigar Smoke"
- National Cancer Institute: "Cigar Smoking Fact Sheet"
- Journal of the American Medical Association: "Health Risks Associated with Cigar Smoking"; F. Baker; August 2000
- Preventive Medicine: "Erectile Dysfunction and Coronary Risk Factors: Prospective Results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study": H.A. Feldman; April 2000
