Glamorous Cigars
Recent increased publicity of cigar use by celebrities, the introduction of "cigar bars" and the marketing of cigar paraphernalia such as humidors and clippers have combined to create a glamorous aura around a deadly product.
- Cigar smokers have higher death rates from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease. They are four to ten times more likely to contract laryngeal, oral and esophageal cancers than nonsmokers. This risk increases when cigar smoking is combined with heavy drinking.
- Cigar smokers may spend up to an hour smoking a single large cigar that can contain as much tobacco as an entire pack of cigarettes. Smoking even a few fat cigars could produce the same level of nicotine exposure as that of a pack-a-day cigarette smoker. Cigar smokers also absorb nicotine by holding the unlit cigar in the mouth.
- Cigars are a major source of secondhand smoke. Forty-three chemicals in the smoke cause cancer.
- Teen cigar smoking has increased dramatically, probably due to the perceived glamour and association with celebrity cigar smokers.
- In 1997, 22 percent of United States high school students reported having smoked a cigar in the previous month. Male students were more likely than female students to smoke cigars.
- Unlike cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products, cigar packages are not required to display health warnings. In addition, cigar manufacturers, importers and distributors are not required to submit to the federal government a list of ingredients added to tobacco during manufacture.
