Genesee County Health Department

Better Life Through Better Health

Cigar smoking is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. Yet the use of cigars in the United States has increased by 34 percent since 1993. Many people falsely believe that cigars are safer because smokers do not inhale, do not smoke as often, or do not become addicted. But cigar smoking also risky.

Cigar smoking causes oral, esophageal, laryngeal and lung cancers. This is due to direct exposure of the lips, mouth, throat, larynx and tongue to smoke. In addition, smoke ingredients shed into the saliva and are swallowed into the esophagus. A persistent cough, phlegm and an increased risk of peptic ulcers and emphysema are more likely in cigar smokers than nonsmokers. Smoking five or more cigars per day increases the risk of dying from lung cancer 23 times more than for a nonsmoker.

Cigarette smokers who have switched to cigars are more likely to inhale their smoke. Like cigarette smokers, cigar smokers rapidly absorb nicotine through inhalation, and cigar smoking can be as addictive as cigarettes. Puffing on a cigar, but not inhaling, is roughly the equivalent of smoking two cigarettes. Inhaling increases exposure to the equivalent of as many as three cigarettes.

Cigar smokers who inhale, particularly those who smoke several cigars per day, have an increased risk of coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 400,000 deaths each year, nearly the equivalent of all residents of Genesee County dying every year. For more information, call the Genesee County Health Department at (810) 257-3612.