Cigars and cigarettes are similar in tthat they both contain tobacco, but there are several differences. Whether you choose to smoke cigarettes or cigars, there are serious health risks to both options, including lung and oral cancer as well as tooth loss and periodontal disease.
Tobacco Content
The size of a cigar is much larger than that of a cigarette, and it takes longer to smoke. An average cigar is thick, with a circumference of about an inch, and is approximately 5 inches in length (cigars can be made longer or less wide). It takes approximately an hour to smoke a cigar, while a cigarette can be smoked within minutes. While many cigars differ with regard to tobacco content, the average cigar is approximately the tobacco equivalent of just less than a single pack of cigarettes.
Nicotene Content
The nicotene in a cigarette is approximately 10 mg, while some cigars may contain 100 to 200 mg of nicotene. Nicotene is the most crucial element in the active ingredients of chemicals found in tobacco and is widely recognized as one of the most frequently consumed addictive substances.
Inhalation
Although cigars contain more nicotene and tobacco, cigar smokers are not at as great a risk for lung cancer as cigarette smokers. The reason is that cigars are not inhaled to the lungs, as cigarettes are. Instead, cigars are smoked through the mouth, and the smoke is exhaled back into the air.
Cigarettes and Cancer Risks
According to the American Lung Association, cigarette smokers constitute 87 percent of the cases of lung cancer. Cigarette smokers are also six times more likely than non-smokers to develop some type of oral cancer within their lifetime. A cigarette contains 60 carcinogenic (cancer causing) elements.
Cigars and Cancer Risks
Cigar smokers represent a much decreased risk of lung cancer, but are as likely to develop oral cancer as a cigarette smoker. Because cigars take longer to burn, the risk of secondhand smoke exposure is greater for a cigar smoker than a cigarette smoker.
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