Clearing the Air on Cigars

Cigars have been strongly marketed and glamorized lately, and it’s working. More people are lighting up. But don’t be misled. The addictive and toxic compounds in one cigar can be as high as that of a pack of cigarettes. Studies show that smoking cigars raises the risk for cancer of the lungs, mouth, esophagus, and larynx, as well as risk for heart attack. ^1-3

Whether cigars or cigarettes, the healthiest choice for smokers is to quit.

¹“Cigar Smoking Fact Sheet.” American Lung Association, October 2007. www.lungusa.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/facts-figures/cigars.html. Accessed 2010.

² “Cigar smoking and cancer.” National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health. Oct 2009. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cigars Accessed 2010.

³ “The Dangers of Cigar Smoking.” American Cancer Society July 1999. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_The_Dangers_of_Cigar_Smoking.asp Accessed 2010.