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Cigars, a healthier habit? What are the real effects of cigar smoking on your health? Are you a cigar smoker, regular or occasional? Maybe you have had only one cigar in your life or come into contact with persons who smoke cigars. If you are involved in any way with cigars or considering becoming a cigar smoker, this article about is for you. Read on and learn about the has on your health and determine whether you are at risk or not.
You may have heard it advertised that cigar smoking is not as risky to your health as cigarette smoking is. This belief is fueled by the difference in the manner cigars are smoked. Propagators of this belief argue that cigars are smoked only on special occasions as they are not as readily available as cigarettes. Premium cigars have been reported to cost more than $10. Advocates of cigar smoking also argue that cigar smokers do not inhale the smoke to their lungs but rather hold the fumes in their mouth for extended periods so that the flavors are absorbed in the mouth and not the lungs as with cigarette smoking.
It is true that many cigar smokers will smoke a cigar only on special occasions and the method of smoking a cigar is different from that employed when smoking a cigarette. However there are substantial health risks in smoking cigars that all cigar smokers must consider every time they reach for a cigar lighter. Propagators of cigar smoking argue that cigar smokers are less likely to get addicted to cigar smoking as compared to cigarette smoking. They claim that cigar smokers only reach for the cigar box once in a while. It is true that cigar smokers do not smoke as regularly as cigarette smokers. However, the tobacco in the cigar is the same as that in a cigarette. Tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive even in small amounts. It has been reported that about 75% of cigar smokers smoke regularly. Almost 80% of these have been reported to smoke more than 5 cigars in one day. Cigar smoking is addictive and the number of addicted users is rising.
There are those who claim that the risk of developing lung cancer as a result of smoking cigars is minimal. When compared to cigarette smoking this statement is true. However, there are other types of cancer that are more common in cigar smokers than in any other groups of people. Cigar smokers generally do not fully inhale the smoke of their cigars. They prefer to hold it in their mouths for long period then exhale it. This practice allows the chemical compounds in the smoke to be absorbed even more efficiently through the mucous lining in the throat and mouth of the cigar smoker. The smoke inhaled contains chemical compounds that are well known carcinogens. Cigar smokers therefore end up developing throat, oral and head cancers.
Even though cigars do not come with a health warning they pose a significant health risk. These risks should be considered by the cigar smoker the next time they reach for their cigar box and cigar lighter.