Hi

I'm pretty new to cigars and I'm not quite sure where this new interest is coming from I live in Norway and there is a lot of focus on health issue due to cigarette smoking here: you have to be 18 to buy cigarettes, the package is clearly marked with slogans such as "Smoking is lethal" and one can not smoke in restaurant, bars, public buildings etc. But I have not heard or read much about health issue due to cigar smoking. I assume that there are more issues with cigarette smoking as you inhale the smoke while when smoking a cigar your are just "tasting it".

Well, do you have any worries about health issues due to cigar smoking? Are there any reports/studies covering the effects of cigar smoking?

Smoking cigars can lead to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, nasal passages, lungs, stomach and colon (not all at the same time). It can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease.

That said; Smoking cigars can help in relaxation which can prevent heart disease, keep some sick people at bay and thus prevent colds and the flu and add to enjoyment of life.

As a medical practioner I have seen all of the above diseases in smokers (and in non-smokers) and I have absolutely NO direct evidence that cigar smoking (in moderation) is a direct cause of any of the above (with the possible exception of relaxing).

Enjoy your cigar. Relax, pour a glass of Scotch or Aqua Vite (or whatever you traditionally drink in Norway) and welcome to the forum Gard

quote:

Originally posted by Docbarry:
Smoking cigars can lead to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, nasal passages, lungs, stomach and colon (not all at the same time). It can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease.

That said; Smoking cigars can help in relaxation which can prevent heart disease, keep some sick people at bay and thus prevent colds and the flu and add to enjoyment of life.

As a medical practioner I have seen all of the above diseases in smokers (and in non-smokers) and I have absolutely NO direct evidence that cigar smoking (in moderation) is a direct cause of any of the above (with the possible exception of relaxing).

Enjoy your cigar. Relax, pour a glass of Scotch or Aqua Vite (or whatever you traditionally drink in Norway) and welcome to the forum Gard

Doc, as a fellow medical practitioner, I respectfully disagree. While there may be no "direct evidence", of the overwhelmingly obvious link between smoking and cancer, there is such an unbelievably strong association between the two, and specifically between cigar smoking and all of the cancers and other morbidities you mentioned, that many physicians (including myself) treat regular cigar smoking as an equal evil to cigarette smoking.
Bottom line is that if you smoke cigars daily for many years you are taking a major health risk akin to daily smoking or drinking beyond perhaps a beverage per day. I love my cigars, but out of respect for my body and for my family, I rarely smoke more than two per week, and try very hard not to subject others to my second hand smoke. I cannot tell you how many esophagectomies I have participated in for patients who smoked cigars all their life. If you want to roll the dice (as all of us here do), roll them, but be aware that they can come up snake-eyes.
There are much healthier ways to relax.

Gard -

Just have to say that I visit Norway frequently, just got back in fact. The most hazardous part of cigar smoking I found while there was standing outside in 30 degree weather in May. At least it was light until almost 10PM!

Hi

Thanks for the feedback guys. So basically...try to keep it to a minimum is the key word I guess.

When it comes to Norway: I'm not sure where you have been in Norway but in the south of Norway we have had a lovely May. In the North of Norway on the other hand...well, let's just say they got 10-12 inches of snow just a couple of day ago

I think, "everything in moderation" is probably a better way to look at it.