We have all heard of the risks associated with smoking cigarettes, but what are the risks of cigar smoking and are the dangers just as risky, or more so? Well, regular cigar smoking, according to the National Cancer Institute, has been linked as a major health threat to the the lungs, voice box, mouth, and esophagus. Recent investigation has determined that pancreatic cancer is associated with typical cigar smoking as well. Lung disease and heart problems are factors to think about as cigar smokers are at much higher risk of getting these problems, according to doctors.
Apparently, regular smoke inhalation appear to dramatically increase the health threats to individuals that smoke cigars. Someone who smokes three to four cigars each day will be eight times more likely of developing some kind of oral cancer than a nonsmoker. Unfortunately, we do not yet know the health risks of smoking the occasional cigar but it seems clear however that smoking cigars on a daily basis can pose serious health risks.
Many individuals wonder if cigars are as addictive as cigarettes and why, for instance, so many more people actually become addicted to cigarettes, as opposed to cigars? Truth be told, all tobacco products can become addictive as they contain the addictive chemical nicotine in them, and this includes smokeless tobacco as well. Smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco are just as addictive as cigarettes, because they contain nicotine as well. Many cigar smokers do not inhale deeply, thus causing the nicotine to be inhaled superficially. Nicotine is absorbed much faster in cigarette smokers, however, as most of them do tend to inhale deeply. If a user smokes cigars on a regular basis, it is still very possible for them to become addicted, even if they do inhale the nicotine superficially.
If nicotine is so addictive, why don’t more cigar smokers smoke less often? It appears that less smokers become ‘hooked’ on cigars for several reasons. Since less nicotine is absorbed by the body due to superficial smoke inhalation by cigar smokers, the result is less people becoming addicted, obviously. Also, cigars are not as readily accessible as cigarettes and are still viewed by most as a luxury item, saved for special occasions and used infrequently. However, just like any nicotine product, when cigars are smoked regularly, they can become just as addictive as cigarettes, and pose the same, if not greater health risks as frequency of use increases.
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