MSN.com article on the dangers of cigar smoking

[Gophernut]

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/quit-smoking/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100240277&gt1=31036

We all know that cigarettes have an image problem these days. You don’t see them very much in films anymore—even the villains seem to have kicked the habit. But when it comes to cigars, that’s 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 cigars—think 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 they’re taking less of a risk than cigarette smokers. That’s wrong, mostly. While it’s true that most cigar smokers do not inhale all the way, smoking cigars is linked to cancers that develop along the route the smoke travels—from 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 danger—even 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 nicotine—the chemical that gets you hooked on smoking—cigars contain greater concentrations of it than cigarettes. For a large cigar, it can be up to 200 milligrams. That’s 23 times the amount of nicotine in a typical cigarette. The difference is that cigar smokers—most of whom don’t inhale smoke into their lungs—absorb 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 isn’t cool.

[NCRadioMan]

That is an editorial, passed off as "news". Typical of MSN. Blah blah blah..........:fu

The only fact cited:

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.

Big deal.

[MedicCook]

I will take my chances.

[Emjaysmash]

"About a third of new teenage smokers start after being exposed to smoking in movies. Talk to your kids. Remind them that smoking cigars isn’t cool. "

yes it is! :P LOL

[Smoking Cave Out]

Enjoy cigars and life as much as you can, so many things are bad for us.
Life is to short enjoy every minute of it!

[TheTraveler]

That is an editorial, passed off as "news". Typical of MSN. Notice there are no facts cited. Blah blah blah..........:fu

The only fact cited:

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.

Big deal.

:tpd:

I wonder how much actual NEWS we are exposed to each day through traditional outlets.

[poker]

Tomorrow there will be a "The dangers of sitting down" in its place. lol

[mikeyj23]

Written by a three-year veteran who graduated from the Georgetown University School of Medicine. She's largely unpublished and looking to get articles (scholarly or non) out there.

I have yet to see the article supporting these kinds of statements:
"...smoking cigars has been shown to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, heart disease, and lung disease."

"Finally, because of the way cigars are wrapped, the smoke has higher concentrations of toxins and irritants than cigarettes."

And this just doesn't make sense...
"While it’s true that most cigar smokers do not inhale all the way, smoking cigars is linked to cancers that develop along the route the smoke travels—from the lips to the tongue and through the mouth and throat to the lungs."

I can appreciate that this is just a non-scholarly article written in a magazine, but I still wish that it would have some support for its claims. If there is a scholarly article or research showing that cigars increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, heart disease, and lung disease, and cigar smoke has higher concentrations of toxins and irritants than cigarettes, I'd very much like to see it.

[ActionAndy]

That line at the end is so stupid. Remind them that it isn't cool...

First off, first off buddy, nothing is "cool." "Cool" is an idiot's concept. That's what I'll be teaching my (probably accidental) child. Second, it's a completely biased opinion and has nothing to do with the article.

I could write an article on how snowboarding results in X amount of accidents per year with Y percentage of those accidents leading to severe injury. Would I be right to then end it with one pussilanimous sentence about reminding your kids that they're "uncool" if they snowboard? No, I'd be a fool and I'd get fired.

There's a cancer in mainstream "journalism." The piece cannot simply persuade or present, it must enflame. Take a look at all the talking heads: do they want you to agree with them, or do they really just want you angry at their enemy?

[Fishbeadtwo]

Maybe someone should tell the author that writing bogus, opinionated articles about cigar smoking "isn't cool"............;)

[marge796]

Enjoy cigars and life as much as you can, so many things are bad for us.
Life is to short enjoy every minute of it!

^^^ I Agree ^^^


:tu


Chris.....

[SchizoFilly]

About a third of new teenage smokers start after being exposed to smoking in movies. Talk to your kids. Remind them that smoking cigars isn’t cool.

This is the same dangerous train of thought that results in video games being blamed for violence and The Beatles being responsible for the Manson Family murders. There is no rationale and there is no common link.

"Hey, your kid is shooting meth a half dozen times a day."

"Oh, that's ok. At least he's not smoking cigars."

Kind of reminds me of an e-mail I just got containing the following newspaper clipping.....

"To all you hunters who kill animals for food, shame on you; you ought to go to the store and buy the meat that was made there, where no animals were harmed."


Just makes me wonder.....if ignorance is bliss, why are there so many unhappy people? /rant

[King James]

There is also a study about the dangers of 3rd hand smoke out there....and it is (of course) just as dangerous as second hand

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html

[newlifetaxidermy]

This fact just in......1 out of 1 human beings will die at least once. The truth is that something is going to kill you...be it cancer, heart disease, car crash, lightning strike, etc. I choose to not live my life in fear of death. I will enjoy to the fullest every minute God allows me to live on this earth.

[GreekGodX]

Enjoy life and don't worry about things being "bad" for you. Do what you like. Life is too short to worry so much.

[trader1974]

I figure that I'm going out one way or another, I'd rather go out smokin' a cigar!:ss

[blooz4u]

Everytime I see articles like that, I turn into Charlie Brown trying to listen to the teacher

"WAH WAAH WAH WAAH WAAH WAA"

[TriStar]

Enjoy cigars and life as much as you can, so many things are bad for us.
Life is to short enjoy every minute of it!

Enjoy life and don't worry about things being "bad" for you. Do what you like. Life is too short to worry so much.

:tpd::ss

[M1903A1]

Kind of reminds me of an e-mail I just got containing the following newspaper clipping.....

"To all you hunters who kill animals for food, shame on you; you ought to go to the store and buy the meat that was made there, where no animals were harmed."


I'd like to light up a CC and ask that author to explain how meat is made in a store! :rolleyes:

[icehog3]

Frankly, I will take the slightly heightened cancer risk associated with cigar smoking. The stress relief it gives me reduces my risk of my head exploding, so I feel I will live longer smoking cigars than I would if I did not. ;)

[e-man67]

http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/health/

More interesting studies....

[Bruzee]

Frankly, I will take the slightly heightened cancer risk associated with cigar smoking. The stress relief it gives me reduces my risk of my head exploding, so I feel I will live longer smoking cigars than I would if I did not. ;)

:tpd: For sure my friend. I believe that cigar smoking keeps me from becoming an alcoholic. Seriously. :2

[icehog3]

:tpd: For sure my friend. I believe that cigar smoking keeps me from becoming an alcoholic. Seriously. :2

Me too, Dustin....not to mention a homicidal maniac. ;)

[Mugen910]

Tomorrow there will be a "The dangers of sitting down" in its place. lol

If I sit on leather seats in the sun my butt gets sweaty and that's not an editorial. :D

[Waynegro1]

That is an editorial, passed off as "news". Typical of MSN. Blah blah blah..........:fu

The only fact cited:

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.

Big deal.

:tpd:

Tomorrow there will be a "The dangers of sitting down" in its place. lol

Beware of hightened clot risk of prolonged sitting. :D

Frankly, I will take the slightly heightened cancer risk associated with cigar smoking. The stress relief it gives me reduces my risk of my head exploding, so I feel I will live longer smoking cigars than I would if I did not.

:tpd:
The way I see it, smoking cigars is adding at least 10 years to my life. Being Italian, I'm a bit high strung and cigars help calm me down a bit, not to mention, keeping me from hurting others around me. So as you see, it prolongs their life as well. :D
Everything in life has some risk, besides, how am I going to get to heaven if I don't die??

[SmokeyJoe]

Frankly, I will take the slightly heightened cancer risk associated with cigar smoking. The stress relief it gives me reduces my risk of my head exploding, so I feel I will live longer smoking cigars than I would if I did not. ;)

Exactly... well said, Tom. :tu

Pseudo-science makes my butt itch. :ss

[TheTraveler]

Exactly... well said, Tom. :tu

Pseudo-science makes my butt itch. :ss



I haven't been around the boards in a while so correct me if I'm wrong but ... doesn't your butt always itch?! :r

j/k :D

[papajohn67]

Were going to hear more and more of this, cry's for the government to get involved in saving us from ourselves. However I do find it somewhat amusing that the same government that now is so concerned about my personnel health & welfare is also the same one that sent cigars out to us in Vietnam. Sundry boxes flown out on resupply days chock full of cigarettes + plugs of chewing tobacco and five packs of machine made cigars.

[DrDubzz]

I wrote better stories than that in high school, that's not even good enough writing to be Bush League

there's a reason it's on MSN and not on a reputable info source

[yitlin]

Regardless of how you feel about MSN, the fact that it originally ran in Parade magazine is the more damning fact in my mind.

[floydpink]

Frankly, I will take the slightly heightened cancer risk associated with cigar smoking. The stress relief it gives me reduces my risk of my head exploding, so I feel I will live longer smoking cigars than I would if I did not. ;)

Well put and very inline with my own thoughts. One of the rare times I feel totally relaxed and in my "zone" is at night on the porch or in my jacuzzi smoking a cigar.

Works better than the prozac my doctor prescribed.

[NCRadioMan]

Regardless of how you feel about MSN, the fact that it originally ran in Parade magazine is the more damning fact in my mind.

But it's MSN that picked it up and ran with it. ;) That is why I said it's typical. They do this all the time and they are not the only one. There are more editorials in the "news" today, than factual news. Edward R. Murrow is turning in his grave.

For you young uns, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_R._Murrow :D

[icehog3]

I haven't been around the boards in a while so correct me if I'm wrong but ... doesn't your butt always itch?! :r

j/k :D

No offense taken, Jonathan....it is a fairly regular occurrence. :r

[wrench turner 85]

do these so called "Experts" realize that we breath this in every day. Every went to Africa or country's like that or a old car show, then you breathed in lead, carbon monoxide, CO2, and a bunch of other crap thats more toxic than cigar smoke. :mad:

[hotreds]

Don't pay attention to anything PMS NBC says or does, never heard of Parade Magazine. I'm just not cool.

[icehog3]

Don't pay attention to anything PMS NBC says or does, never heard of Parade Magazine. I'm just not cool.

I think Parade Magazine is the little rag that comes with the Sunday papers.

[Smoking Cave Out]

I think that we gave her alot more attention that she deserves. Probably she is thinking Mission accomplished .

[drob]

Frankly, I will take the slightly heightened cancer risk associated with cigar smoking. The stress relief it gives me reduces my risk of my head exploding, so I feel I will live longer smoking cigars than I would if I did not. ;)


True, dat!

[BlackIrish]

What the author probably doesn't realize is that my cigar smoking likely allows her to live longer. If I didn't have a chance to kick back and relax with a cigar, I'd probably act on my pent-up rage and throttle paternalistic busybodies like her.

[cbsmokin]

For me the bottom line is smoking a cigar has it's health risks. I believe that in moderation the risks are tolerable. For now I'm in good health. If that changes and doc says quit, I will. Seems fairly simplistic to me.

[M1903A1]

do these so called "Experts" realize that we breath this in every day. Every went to Africa or country's like that or a old car show, then you breathed in lead, carbon monoxide, CO2, and a bunch of other crap thats more toxic than cigar smoke. :mad:

Absolutely agree. I'm a lot more concerned about things I breathe at work (bus engine exhaust, chemical fumes) or at the railway museum (solvents, paint overspray, sawdust and metal grinding dust) than about my periodic cigars.

[DocLogic77]

There have been NUMEROUS studies done on cigar smoking and health over the years. I have a link at home with most of those studies and the conclusions listed.

The greatest majority of those studies come to similar conclusions. When talking about ONLY smoking cigars...no alcohol involved. There has been no direct correlation to cancers and smoking 3 or less cigars per day.

It has been shown though that moderate cigar smoking with alcohol abuse can indeed increase the risk of cancers...more of a risk than the alcohol abuse alone.

Also, cigarettes contain many more toxins...and despite less nicotine have a delivery system that allows nicotine to cross the blood brain barrier faster. There is no doubt from personal experience cigarettes are much more addictive. Even 4 cigarettes a day have been linked to numerous disease processes.

My opinion when it comes to cigar smoking...smoke like you should do everything else...in moderation. Even too much exercise has been linked to disease...too much water can kill you...and if you smoke 7-8 cigars a day you have to know that it isn't good for you.

[troutbreath]

Now wait just a gosh darn minute here . . . there are people who think smoking is BAD?!?

[M1903A1]

It has been shown though that moderate cigar smoking with alcohol abuse can indeed increase the risk of cancers...more of a risk than the alcohol abuse alone.


I've heard this correlation before. How is "alcohol abuse" defined?

[DocLogic77]

I've heard this correlation before. How is "alcohol abuse" defined?

Very good question. I will look again at the study when I get home but I don't believe it was defined. I would personally guess abuse is defined much like the C.A.G.E. questions for alcoholism assessment...which is 14 drinks/week. I do not know this as fact and I will check tommorow.

[Jack Straw]

What about the alcohol combined with a cigar increases cancer risk? I'd be interested to know.

[rizzle]

Were going to hear more and more of this, cry's for the government to get involved in saving us from ourselves. However I do find it somewhat amusing that the same government that now is so concerned about my personnel health & welfare is also the same one that sent cigars out to us in Vietnam. Sundry boxes flown out on resupply days chock full of cigarettes + plugs of chewing tobacco and five packs of machine made cigars.

We're treading dangerously close to turning this political here....but, I think it's the government doing the crying for more government invlovement, not us.

[rizzle]

Don't pay attention to anything PMS NBC says or does, never heard of Parade Magazine. I'm just not cool.

I think Parade Magazine is the little rag that comes with the Sunday papers.

I don't know how cool you've got to be to read the Sunday paper?
:r:r

[lightning9191]

I don't know how cool you've got to be to read the Sunday paper?
:r:r

As cool as me.....I rarely miss one:banger

[SeanGAR]

Hey Ranit, salt will kill you too, whats your *&^%$#@ point?

[boonedoggle]

Good read! I had no idea my cigars had so much wonderful Vitamin N!:banger

[M1903A1]

What about the alcohol combined with a cigar increases cancer risk? I'd be interested to know.

I've wondered about this myself...I figure either it increases absorption of something malevolent from the cigar (or combines with it in the bloodstream), or makes hazardous practices (e.g. inhaling the smoke) more likely.

As to mouth/throat issues, sometimes I wonder if the heat of the smoke (esp. towards the end) and consequent burn/cell regeneration issues could be a factor to lips, mouth lining etc.

[jjirons69]

The mighty spin. Reminds me of a local town. Newspaper said the murder rate was up 100% from last year. Something to gasp at?? Well, 2 murders this year, one last.