Cigar Smoke Dangers.
So you have heard that second hand smoke is dangerous. It is in all the newspapers, television, everywhere there is someone saying how bad second hand smoke is for you and others. However, if you are a cigar smoker you may have wondered if cigar second hand smoke is bad also or is it worse. Well unfortunately it is not talked about as often, but it is actually just as bad, if not worse than regular cigarette second hand smoke.
Whenever second hand smoke occurs what it is emitting is classified as an environmental tobacco smoke. All second hand smoke is environmental tobacco smoke that is released from any tobacco product that is lit and of course includes cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Both cigarettes and cigars release almost identical smoke with the exact same irritants. Both cigarettes and cigars release nicotine, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. They both have the very well known carcinogens which include vinyl chlorine, benzene, arsenic, hydrocarbons, and nitosamines. However, because of the size of cigars they then release much more environmental tobacco smoke then cigarettes. Thus being around cigar smoke more than even cigarette smoke, causes a larger health risk.
Furthermore, there are some differences that are important between cigar and cigarette environmental tobacco smoke. These differences have to do with the way the two products are manufactures. When dealing with cigars there is a very long process of fermentation of the tobacco and also aging of the tobacco. Unlike cigarettes that are quickly produced, manufactures, and packages ready to smoke. With cigars the production and fermentation process creates a very large amount of carcinogens. There is also the nonporous wrapper that the tobacco is then wrapped in after they have been fermented and aged. This is so that the cigar does not burn too quickly and keeps the tobacco together and fresh. Both the long fermentation process and the nonporous wrapper that is used contribute greatly to the very high concentrations of carcinogens that are found in cigars. Once a cigar is lit, the carcinogens that developed during the fermentation process are now released and the wrapper also adds to the carcinogens that are being and that have developed in the wrapper also.
Lastly, cigars produce so much more carcinogens due to the fact that they are much longer and larger around than cigarettes. They are just a much larger tobacco product and are going to produce more smoke than a cigarette. Also, cigars are made to burn slowly and be smoked slowly, allowing more time for carcinogens to burn and be released versus cigarettes that are smoke quickly and burn quickly.
Neither cigarettes nor cigars are truly good for you. Cigars are smoked for the pleasure, the relaxation, and the flavor that cigars come in. The best way to limit and lessen the amount of second hand cigar smoke you intake is to always smoke in a well ventilated room or outside. Allowing more of the smoke to move away from you and you having less chance of inhaling it.
Darren Williger is a guitar playing, tea drinking, meditating, low carbohydrate eating, wine making sales maker who writes for CigarMaven.com, SmokersWebsite.com, and SavoryTea.com.
