Delivery of premium cigars anywhere in the World.
Of course the answer is ‘yes’. Cigars are made of tobacco. Smoking tobacco in any form is going to have health consequences.
However lots of things are bad for your health if you indulge in them too often – alcohol, Big Macs, chocolate, ice cream, coffee, cheese – however, in moderation, the risks are minimized.
Is that same true for cigars?
According to the most comprehensive report completed on the subject, the same report referenced by the U.S. National Cancer Institute:
“When cigar smokers don’t inhale or smoke few cigars per day, the risks are only slightly above those of never smokers.”
(page 8, paragraph 2).
But how can that be? Aren’t all tobacco products equally as dangerous?
According to the research, most cigar smokers only indulge occasionally.
From the report:
The fraction of adult cigar smokers who smoke cigars every day is much smaller than the fraction of cigarette or smokeless tobacco users who use every day.
Most cigar smokers also don’t inhale.
Most cigarette smokers report inhaling the smoke into their lungs, while over three- quarters of the males in CPS-I who have only smoked cigars report that they never inhale.
So, in terms of health risks, the majority of cigar smokers fall into the summary quoted up top:
“When cigar smokers don’t inhale or smoke few cigars per day, the risks are only slightly above those of never smokers.”
The report I referred to at the beginning is called “Cigar Smoking: Overview and Current State of the Science” by David M. Burns that you can find on the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s site. This report is the most comprehensive scientific study of cigar smoking and is referenced by most cancer councils (including in the US and Australia).
The report says that cigar smoking can be very dangerous to your health under certain circumstances. So, if you *are* going to smoke cigars, then please make sure you are aware of the risks.
“Cigar smokers who inhale deeply, particularly those who smoke several cigars per day, have higher rates of coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”
“Tobacco smoke produced by cigars contains most of the same toxic and carcinogenic constituents found in cigarette smoke.”
So if you are going to smoke, do it either outside in a well ventilated area, or do it in private rooms with extraction fans.
When we were in Nicaragua recently, we met a couple of old Cuban men in their late 70s who had been smoking cigars every day all their lives and they are as fit as a bull. These gentlemen spent most of their lives in the cigar business and certainly don’t think cigars are bad for your health. A 2006 report on centenarians by Dr Nancy Nepomuceno in Cuba claimed that
“Cuba’s high number of centenarians say their longevity is down to laying off alcohol, but indulging in coffee, cigars and sex.”
Think about some of the most famous cigar smokers of all time:
Winston Churchill – Died Age 91. The man for whom the imposing Churchill cigar size is named smoked eight to 10 cigars a day.
Fidel Castro – currently 84. Until he gave up the habit in 1985 (to try to reduce cigarette smoking in Cuba), the man who has ruled Cuba with an iron fist for 50 years was synonymous with cigars.
George Burns – Died Age 100. Credited his 10- to 15-cigar-a-day habit over a 70-year span with not only keeping him spry on stage but also with helping him outlive his physician.
Groucho Marx – Died Age 87. Rarely seen without a cigar.
Sigmund Freud – Died Age 83. He began smoking at 24, enjoyed an average of 20 cigars a day, and was rarely photographed without his tobacco companion.
Mark Twain – Died Age 85. The author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn smoked at least 22 cigars a day, maybe as many as 40. Twain, née Samuel Clemens, supposedly once declared, “If smoking is not allowed in heaven, I shall not go.”
Orson Welles – Died Age 70. Welles was a lover of the good life, especially fine cigars; he intentionally wrote cigar-smoking characters, such as Touch of Evil’s police captain Hank Quinlan, into his films.
Charlie Chaplin – Died Age 88.
Let me end this post by repeating what I think are the main points we all need to know regarding cigars and health.
1. Cigars are made of tobacco. Tobacco isn’t good for you. So if you are going to smoke cigars, do it in moderation, the same way you might eat pizza, cheese and chocolate. Or the same way a sensible person drinks alcohol or coffee. Be sensible.
2. According to Burns’ report, “When cigar smokers don’t inhale or smoke few cigars per day, the risks are only slightly above those of never smokers.”
3. Avoid environmental smoke by smoking cigars outdoors or by making sure you smoke in a very well ventilated room.
I’ll report back when more evidence comes out about moderate cigar smoking. Until then, enjoy your cigars in moderation, folks!
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Well this is good news!
Personally I have always had the belief that with a cigar one is smoking a more tobacco, smoking less than the average cigarette smoker and not inhaling.
It’s a case of all things in moderation.
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