Cigar smoking
is still a big thing among the Lebanese male population. Contrary to Europe or
the US, where men go smoke their cigars in select bars, Lebanese do smoke their
cigars wherever and whenever they feel like it.
I remember an
eve having dinner at Napoletana, a pizzeria in Hamra where families come enjoy
Italian food. A couple sat next to us, and the man pulled a thick cigar that he
started smoking. The odor was so aggressive that it spoiled our dinner, so we
decided to continue our dinner on the terrace even though it was a bit chilly.
I don’t understand how restaurants allow cigar smoking indoors. But this is
another subject. The purpose of this article is to rebuke a myth: “Not inhaling
the smoke means it’s less harmful.”
Most cigars
smokers do not inhale the smoke like cigarette smokers do, and they do have
less cases of lungs cancer as a result. But on the other hand, cigar smokers
are exposed to cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, and esophagus. In addition,
they are more exposed to lung cancer than the non-smoking population.
The National
Cancer Institute notes that
“All cigar
smokers, whether or not they inhale, directly expose their lips, mouth, tongue,
throat, and larynx to smoke and its toxic and cancer-causing chemicals. In
addition, when saliva containing the chemicals in tobacco smoke is swallowed,
the esophagus is exposed to carcinogens.”
Second Hand Smoke Hazards
Smoking cigars
is unhealthy for smokers but also for the people exposed to their smoke. In
fact, second hand smoke from cigars is more harmful than from cigarettes.
According to
the same institute:
Cigar
smoke has:
◦
A
higher level of cancer-causing substances: During the fermentation process for cigar tobacco, high
concentrations of cancer-causing nitrosamines are produced. These compounds are
released when a cigar is smoked. Nitrosamines are found at higher levels in
cigar smoke than in cigarette smoke.
◦
More
tar: For every gram of
tobacco smoked, there is more cancer-causing tar in cigars than in cigarettes.
◦
A
higher level of toxins:
Cigar wrappers are less porous than cigarette wrappers. The nonporous cigar
wrapper makes the burning of cigar tobacco less complete than the burning of
cigarette tobacco. As a result, cigar smoke has higher concentrations of toxins
than cigarette smoke.
Cigar smoking is also addictive. Even if the smoke is not inhaled, high levels of nicotine (the
chemical that causes addiction) can still be absorbed into the body. A cigar
smoker can get nicotine by two routes: by inhalation into the lungs and by absorption
through the lining of the mouth. Either way, the smoker becomes addicted to the
nicotine that gets into the body. A single cigar can potentially provide as
much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
So if
you are a cigar smoker, and smoke a cigar a day, you need to seriously consider
slowing down. First, to prevent developing complicated cancers, second to protect
your loved ones, and lastly by simple “savoir vivre”.
If the
smoke of cigars annoys us as much as it annoys me, share this article!
