06-01-2009, 05:39 PM
We all know that cigarettes have an image problem these days. You donât see them very much in films anymoreâeven the villains seem to have kicked the habit. But when it comes to cigars, thatâs not the case. Many people still think cigars are cool. The notion is helped by pictures of elegant men in tuxedos and a few famous women puffing away at their cigarsâthink of those much-circulated photos of Demi Moore and Madonna. Cigars even show up in films made for younger moviegoers. Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace, and Wolverine all feature cigar-smoking.
Indeed, the American Cancer Society notes that cigars are especially popular today among adolescents and young adults. That includes all manner of cigars: hand- and machine-rolled, stogies and cigarillos.
Cigar smokers may think theyâre taking less of a risk than cigarette smokers. Thatâs wrong, mostly. While itâs true that most cigar smokers do not inhale all the way, smoking cigars is linked to cancers that develop along the route the smoke travelsâfrom the lips to the tongue and through the mouth and throat to the lungs.
Beyond that, smoking cigars has been shown to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, heart disease, and lung disease.
Secondhand cigar smoke poses another dangerâeven more so than with cigarettes. As the National Cancer Institute points out, cigars contain greater amounts of tobacco simply as a result of their bigger size. It also takes longer to puff your way through a cigar, meaning that the exposure time to toxic chemicals lasts longer.
Finally, because of the way cigars are wrapped, the smoke has higher concentrations of toxins and irritants than cigarettes. A Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology study found higher levels of the toxin carbon monoxide at two cigar social events in San Francisco than on a busy California freeway.
As for nicotineâthe chemical that gets you hooked on smokingâcigars contain greater concentrations of it than cigarettes. For a large cigar, it can be up to 200 milligrams. Thatâs 23 times the amount of nicotine in a typical cigarette. The difference is that cigar smokersâmost of whom donât inhale smoke into their lungsâabsorb the smoke through the lining of the mouth.
About a third of new teenage smokers start after being exposed to smoking in movies. Talk to your kids. Remind them that smoking cigars isnât cool.
http://www.parade.com/health/2009/05/dangers-of-cigars.html
I say smoking cigars IS cool! [mad]
Indeed, the American Cancer Society notes that cigars are especially popular today among adolescents and young adults. That includes all manner of cigars: hand- and machine-rolled, stogies and cigarillos.
Cigar smokers may think theyâre taking less of a risk than cigarette smokers. Thatâs wrong, mostly. While itâs true that most cigar smokers do not inhale all the way, smoking cigars is linked to cancers that develop along the route the smoke travelsâfrom the lips to the tongue and through the mouth and throat to the lungs.
Beyond that, smoking cigars has been shown to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, heart disease, and lung disease.
Secondhand cigar smoke poses another dangerâeven more so than with cigarettes. As the National Cancer Institute points out, cigars contain greater amounts of tobacco simply as a result of their bigger size. It also takes longer to puff your way through a cigar, meaning that the exposure time to toxic chemicals lasts longer.
Finally, because of the way cigars are wrapped, the smoke has higher concentrations of toxins and irritants than cigarettes. A Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology study found higher levels of the toxin carbon monoxide at two cigar social events in San Francisco than on a busy California freeway.
As for nicotineâthe chemical that gets you hooked on smokingâcigars contain greater concentrations of it than cigarettes. For a large cigar, it can be up to 200 milligrams. Thatâs 23 times the amount of nicotine in a typical cigarette. The difference is that cigar smokersâmost of whom donât inhale smoke into their lungsâabsorb the smoke through the lining of the mouth.
About a third of new teenage smokers start after being exposed to smoking in movies. Talk to your kids. Remind them that smoking cigars isnât cool.
http://www.parade.com/health/2009/05/dangers-of-cigars.html
I say smoking cigars IS cool! [mad]
Freakin' ray of sunshine, ain't I.
hock: