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Posts Tagged ‘secondhand smoke’

A great many people wonder if the dangers of inhaling cigar smoke is just as hazardous as the perils of inhaling second hand smoke, or more so. Regrettably, it looks as if that becoming exhibited to used smoke from a lighted cigar can be exactly as serious, or more, than regular cigarette smoke.

All secondhand smoke emitted by tobacco products are classified as environmental tobacco smoke where environmental tobacco smoke refers to all the secondhand smoke released from tobacco products that are lit, such as cigars or cigarettes. Many of the same irritants released in cigar and cigarette smoke have many of the same properties, research indicates. Environmental tobacco smoke from cigars and cigarettes contain carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, nicotine, and ammonia. Carcinogens such as vinyl chlorine, arsenic, benzene, hydrocarbons, and nitrosammines are also found in the environmental tobacco smoke from cigars and cigarettes. In fact, due to their greater size, cigars actually emit more environmental tobacco smoke than cigarettes do, causing more of a health threat.

Even though both cigars and cigarettes release similarly toxic environmental tobacco smoke, there are some key differences between the two which relate to the very different ways that cigars and cigarettes are manufactured. A long process of fermentation and aging takes place in the production of cigars. During the production of cigars, a large amount of carcinogens is produced, but once the cigar has been fermented and age, it is wrapped in a nonporous wrapper to keep it from burning too quickly. Due to the way that cigars are manufactured, by using a nonporous wrapper and fermenting it, they produce even higher concentrations of carcinogens than normal. Carcinogenic compounds produced during the fermentation process are released when a cigar is lit, which leads to an unclean burn that is high in carcinogens.

Because of their greater size than a normal cigarette, girth and length are the other reasons why a cigar produced greater amounts of carcinogens. Their size contributes to a greater amount of smoke being produced, and consequently, much greater concentrations of irritants and toxins. Also, cigars are designed to be smoked much more slowly than regular cigarettes, and cigar smokers are encouraged to take their time and enjoy the relaxing experience. Longer smoke times obviously result in the creation of alot more smoke. Make sure that if you are a non-smoker, it is advised that you avoid all areas where cigars are being smoked, and if you do smoke cigars, do so in a well-ventilated area.