Cigar smoking: Safer than cigarette smoking?

Answer Section

No, cigar smoking is not safer than cigarette smoking.

Cigar smoke contains more tar than does cigarette smoke. And smoking cigars might put you in contact with higher levels of other toxic substances, such as carbon monoxide, than smoking cigarettes does.

For people who smoke cigars and inhale, risks linked with cigar smoking are like those of cigarette smoking. For those who don't inhale, the cigar smoke raises the risk of disease in the head and neck.

Nicotine dependence is a health danger of smoking

A substance called nicotine is found in tobacco. Taking nicotine into the body can affect the brain. Nicotine causes a person to crave products that contain tobacco, called nicotine dependence.

How much nicotine in a cigar depends on its size. A single full-size cigar can be made of as much tobacco as a pack of cigarettes. If you inhale cigar smoke, you can get as much nicotine as you would if you smoked cigarettes.

And even if you don't inhale, large amounts of nicotine can enter your body through the lining of your mouth. Smoking cigars instead of cigarettes doesn't lower your risk of nicotine dependence.

Secondhand smoke is a health danger

Getting smoke from someone else's cigar, called secondhand smoke, has the same toxic chemicals that smoke from someone else's cigarette has. This type of smoke can cause or add to lung cancer and heart disease.

It also increases the risk of childhood asthma, ear infections, and upper and lower respiratory infections in children. And the smoke can make these conditions worse.

Long-term health dangers of cigar smoking

Cigar smoking poses serious health risks, including:

• Cancer. All tobacco smoke has chemicals that can cause cancer. This includes cigars. Regular cigar smoking increases the risk of cancers such as those of the mouth, throat, esophagus and larynx.
• Lung and heart conditions. Regular cigar smoking increases the risk of lung diseases. These include emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Cigar smoking also might increase the risk of heart disease, such as coronary artery disease.
• Conditions of the mouth and teeth. Cigar smoking has been linked to gum disease and tooth loss.

If you switch from cigarette smoking to cigar smoking, you might inhale cigar smoke the way you inhaled cigarette smoke. The more cigars you smoke and the deeper you inhale, the greater the risks.

The health effects of smoking a cigar once in a while aren't as clear. But no amount of cigar smoking is safe. Instead of choosing between cigarette smoking and cigar smoking, try to quit tobacco. There is no safe form of tobacco.