subject: Risks of Using Cigarettes [print this page] Risks of Using Cigarettes Risks of Using Cigarettes
We have all heard of the risks associated with smoking cigarettes, but what are the risks of cigar smoking? Are the risks of smoking cigars just as dangerous, or more so?
According to the National Cancer Instituted, regular cigar smoking can result in a major health threat. Scientific research has linked cigar smoking with cancers of the larynx, lungs, esophagus, and oral cavity. Newer research also indicates that cigar smoking may be strongly linked to the development of cancer in the pancreas. Doctors also caution that individuals who regularly inhale while enjoying a cigar are also at greater risk of developing lung disease and heart problems.
The health threats of cigar smoking appear to increase dramatically in those individuals who smoke regularly and inhale while smoking. All secondhand smoke emitted by tobacco products are classified as environmental tobacco smoke. Research indicates that the smoke from cigars and cigarettes releases many of the same types of irritants. Both cigar and cigarette environmental tobacco smoke contain nicotine, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. The environmental tobacco smoke from cigars and cigarettes also releases well-known carcinogens such as vinyl chlorine, benzene, arsenic, hydrocarbons, and nitrosamines. Cigars, because of their size, usually release more environmental tobacco smoke than cigarettes. Being around cigar smoke, then, can pose more of a health threat than inhaling secondhand smoke from a lit cigarette.
To reduce and prevent the risks that cigarette smoking can give, one should minimize smoking or quit smoking. You can also prevent these risks and still continue using cigarettes, and this is made possible by electronic cigarettes which are out in the market.
Read more about electronic cigarettes: Electronic Cigarette Review
