Cowley, G. (1997, July 7). "Are stogies safer than cigarettes?" Newsweek.

OVERVIEW

Carrying seven times as much tar, eleven times as much carbon monoxide, and four times as much nicotine, cigars can be just as deadly as cigarettes. Although there are only about 4.6 billion cigars smoked each year—compared to 470 billion cigarettes—cigars carry about 23 poisons and 43 carcinogenic. Michael Erickson, head of the smoking and health office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, "We can’t exactly say how many deaths are contributed to cigars, but tobacco smoke is a tobacco smoke. There’s no safe level of exposure to a carcinogen."

Cigar’s components enter the bloodstream directly though the mouth because the smoke is alkaline, whereas acidic cigarette smoke must enter the bloodstream through the lungs. Secondhand smoke from cigars is also much more dangerous, due to all of its poisons and carcinogens. According to James Repace, a government scientist of the National Cancer Institute, "If you have to breathe secondhand smoke, cigar smoke is a helluva lot worse than cigarette smoke."

Although cigar smoke contains more poisons and carcinogens, a recent study of the British Medical Journal presented those cigarette smokers who switched to cigars, obtained a 50% reduction in death from lung cancer. However, there is still risk of cancer within the mouth, larynx, and esophagus, and the risk increases if the person drinks alcohol wile smoking a stogie.

Even due to many warnings, millions of teenagers are smoking cigars, which may be due to the publicity stogies receive from celebrities such as President Clinton, David Letterman, and Michael Richards. In the year 1995, sales for premium handmade cigars rose by 30%, which illustrates a deadly habit for millions of people.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What have you learned about the dangers of smoking cigars, as well as smoking cigarettes?
2. Do you need to work on changing a habit that may be detrimental to your health?
3. Is there any way in which you can help the cause of teenage smoking?

IMPLICATIONS

1. The consequences of smoking are easily seen and are known by most people. However, most people ignore the dangers. If you know someone who is harming themselves in this way, consider talking to them.
2. We need to do some thinking in the way that advertisements appeal to the youth. Whether it be by celebrities, cartoons, or have sexual dealings, the ad agencies are really trying to get the kids, which should be stopped.

Andrew St. Martin cCYS