[The wirerat]

Side effects such as?

[Role Modlin]

Originally Posted by The wirerat

Side effects such as?

Um...cancer.

http://quitsmoking.about.com/gi/dyna...Tobacco/cigars

[Ax]

Originally Posted by Lee

Um...cancer.

http://quitsmoking.about.com/gi/dyna...Tobacco/cigars

Not nearly as easily as chain smoking or getting addicted to cigarettes. OH and BTW, it's really really hard, almost impossible to get chemically addicted to cigars. (Again, you're not supposed to inhale.)

[Role Modlin]

Originally Posted by AXguitar

Not nearly as easily as chain smoking or getting addicted to cigarettes. OH and BTW, it's really really hard, almost impossible to get chemically addicted to cigars. (Again, you're not supposed to inhale.)

I'm just presenting the facts. To deny the health risks of cigar smoking would be dishonest.

[Ax]

Originally Posted by Chris

That's because his brain was suffocating.

Super Fun!!!

[Adri]

This doesn't have anything to do with the effects of tobacco but as I study and talk with people in my ancestory as being a First Nation-( In North West America) it is interesting to see and note even now that Tobacco is an important part of their life. It symbolized honesty, and was used when in teachings/questionings or prayers. During these moments tobacco would be above the heads of the persons so that honesty would be recieved respectfully and in kindness.

Yeah-um.anyway. *grins*

[H.M. Murdock]

Originally Posted by Lee

1- It has harmful side effects. I don't think it's as bad as smoking cigarettes but it isn't completely safe either.

Cigarettes aren't "bad," per se. Since about the time of WWII, it has been a common ocurrence that lower grade cigarettes are made of pressed sheets of the crap that doesn't make it into higher grade cigarettes- mentholated cigarettes, for example, which were first introduced as being more medicinal but are, in fact, only conducive to smoking more, as they make smoking completely free of what has been described as "that terrible pleasure" in years past.
Is it free of harmful side effects and risks? No. Without inhaling, the danger is isolated to the mouth and entry of the throat. Ironically, these dangers- often hailed as "the worst," and made out to be more common, though a mere 13 out of every 100,000 tobacco chewers (a habit regarded as being just as bad as cigarettes) actually suffer from any noticeable problems- are combatted by the one and only coating that your mouth has to protect you from, well... everything. A coworker has worked in multiple dairies (cow, goat, whatever) and can say firsthand that even the corporate dairies, perhaps especially the corporate dairies, go so far as to allow fecal matter to interact with the product that gets sold to us, the consumers. If our mouths and bodies can protect against that, then it can handle puffing on a cigar relatively well.
Over time, however, the agitation caused by smoking can get up enough power that it bulldozes through this protection. For this reason, we can take a page from pipe smokers at large, and a number of cigar smokers, by partaking of tobacco in moderation. Most ardent tobagophiles limit themselves to one cigar or one bowl per day, unlike the overwhelming majority of cigarette smokers who, surprisingly, don't really know why they smoke, nor do they care about smoking so much as getting a nic fix to about nic fits. The days when nicotine was hailed as La Diva Nicotine are long gone and inspirational paintings are no longer made in her honor, it would seem.
Of course, moderation doesn't have to be one's only defense. "Retainers" can be gotten from your dentist to wear while smoking to protect the roof of your mouth, which is the area most affected by long-term smoking, even in moderation. The damage is not permanent, so even a veteran smoker can get these and, with a pinch of time and consistent use, their dentist will say that they have the mouth of a non-smoker. For those who grind their teeth while or because of smoking, or who bite down too hard and get a sore jaw, or whose teeth are stained by direct interaction with tar in the smoke, there are guards for that which will keep your teeth from being spotted with tar (for those of us who smoke out of the same side of their mouth time after time, though I'll say that I'm trying to get away from that), and will also protect your lower gums inside and out.

It should be understood that nicotine itself is not "hazardous." It's a poison, of course- the late 1800s brought on its coat tails the discovery of nicotine and the precedent of putting "ine" on the end of chemical names. Nicotine (named for Jean Nicot, who first cultivated tobacco in Europe to create a domestic supply) is responsible for wiping out a number of kennels of dogs via direct injection, as well as a number of cats. The conclusion was that, if directly and fully absorbed, the nicotine contained in one cigar could kill one or two men- the number is uncertain because nobody seems to agree on the original estimate. However, the amount absorbed in a properly cured tobacco of modern standards will give you a buzz at best, unless you smoke to extremes (think a whole 2-ounce pouch of pipe tobacco in an hour or so), which will result in you being drunk, having hallucinations, and possibly entering a more-or-less fatal coma.
The real danger is in the smoke, the agitation it causes, and the further susceptibility that will ensue. Lungs have no defense and, as such, inhaling while you smoke is genuinely a bad idea. Puffing, while it has its risks, is safer, and there are measures that can be taken to help protect yourself, as mentioned above.

Cigarettes are not worse than any other kind. Nor is smokeless tobacco, whether that is defined as chewing tobacco or snuff (is there even any clinical data on snuff useage? I've seen cigar, a little but of wildly conjectural pipe data, and an avalanche of cigarette data...). Cigars and pipes are no different. The use determines the damage, and inhaling absolutely guarantees damage, while puffing reduces that to somewhere between folly and calculated risk.

Let's review.
Puff. Don't inhale. All things in moderation. Keep an eye on oral health, and if signs of deterioration show, talk to your dentist about possible methods of prevention, or just quit/severely limit your smoking habits.

2- I like Romeo Y Julieta cigars.

Romeo y Julieta maduro reserve. I had never realized that peep shows into heaven cost a mere seven bucks. Go figure.

[SilverNitrate]

Originally Posted by H.M. Murdock

...unlike the overwhelming majority of cigarette smokers who, surprisingly, don't really know why they smoke, nor do they care about smoking so much as getting a nic fix to about nic fits.

I'm in the minority here. I smoke cigarettes because I actually enjoy the taste. (Depending on the brand, of course. Marlboro Lights are the worst tasting cigarettes on the market.) On top of that, I love the social aspects of it (albeit that's slowly dying thanks to the government's decision to force people to quit smoking by banning it in all buildings and raising prices). Sitting around on the porch with my friends enjoying some beer and some cigarettes is a favorite past time of mine.

Another thing, I also enjoy blowing smoke out of my mouth. It makes me feel like a dragon.

Lastly, I don't really have "nic fits". I smoke anywhere from 2 to 10 cigarettes a day... then I can go a week or more without having a cigarette and not really have a nic fit. I smoke because I enjoy it. I enjoy the conversations and the company.

There was a time where I would have nic fits, but that was back when I was smoking about a pack a day. Then again, back then I wasn't smoking just because I enjoyed it. The only way to get a break at work without getting chewed out was if you were smoking. For some reason we didn't get in trouble for standing around the "smoke pit" but we would if we decided to sit down with a glass of water for 5 minutes.

[Visirale]

I'm kickin' the kreteks... They're ok for a bit, but what a bad aftertaste. I really am enjoying cigars. I never have gum after a cigar.. the taste is so good.

I had two CAO cigars last night... a Gold Label and a Maduro. The former had notes of vanilla and nutmeg (it was fantastic) and the latter was darker with some chocolate and cappuchino notes. I enjoyed the gold label so much.

I accidentally inhaled (I was trying to blow smoke at my friend) my cigar last night, and it was like death. You just have no air, and it's horrible. I had to go run to a coke machine and get a coke... oh man I hope I never do that again.

[Nate]

Ok... we've officially moved past "the finer things" into the realm of what is generally dubbed "stupidity."

[H.M. Murdock]

Unless his (her?) friend is Ben Stiller. Then we've gone beyond it all to discover the land of keen "pretty cool."

[tropicana]

Originally Posted by AgNO3

I'm in the minority here. I smoke cigarettes because I actually enjoy the taste. (Depending on the brand, of course. Marlboro Lights are the worst tasting cigarettes on the market.) On top of that, I love the social aspects of it (albeit that's slowly dying thanks to the government's decision to force people to quit smoking by banning it in all buildings and raising prices). Sitting around on the porch with my friends enjoying some beer and some cigarettes is a favorite past time of mine.

Another thing, I also enjoy blowing smoke out of my mouth. It makes me feel like a dragon.

I smoke because I enjoy it. I like the social aspect of smoking (That is, where I can find it. Sometimes it seems like nobody smokes in this part of Vancouver. Much sadness), and, when I'm not in a sociable mood, I enjoy sitting on my deck and meditatively having a cigarette. It's lovely.

And, just for the record, Jason's post makes me NEVER want to buy milk EVER again. Until I need cereal, that is.

Originally Posted by thru the glass

True. But honestly, what's the big difference? All of the above make you feel different (and sometimes change your perception) and damage your mind and or organs in the long run.

Drinking in moderation will probably not cause you to black out or do ridiculously stupid things. It will also not make you throw up on your mother's porch, kiss your sister's ex-boyfriend, or urinate in a restaurant patio. It is also unlikely to give you liver cirrhosis.
Moderation is all about knowing one's limit and staying within those boundaries, and it is what every one of this thread's regulars advocates. What you were talking about was not moderation.

I accidentally inhaled (I was trying to blow smoke at my friend) my cigar last night, and it was like death. You just have no air, and it's horrible. I had to go run to a coke machine and get a coke... oh man I hope I never do that again.

Funny story. A while ago, when I was in the bush with my planting crew, a friend of mine and I found the rest of our crew sitting around the campfire, drinking beer and discussing whether or not they could shoot off their fireworks over the lake without getting us kicked out of our campground (side note: we asked the campground manager and he said we could). They were passing around what, for all appearences, looked like one of those cheap convienience store cigars. My friend took a long drag, and proceeded to cough her lungs out. I admonished her, "Audrey! You're not supposed to inhale!"
It wasn't a cigar. Laughter at my expense resounded.

[Jeffrey]

I'd like to amend Murdock's post from earlier. It was a solid post, but I want to highlight one thing...cigarettes are generally more dangerous than cigars.

One is that they're in bite size form, and more tempting to smoke again and again. Also, the tobacco in cigarettes tends to be treated and mixed with chemicals. These chemicals are a big part of cigarette's danger, and are not present in most pipe tobacco and cigars.

[Visirale]

Jeffrey, I'm not doubting you by any means, but could you give me some links supporting that? I'd like to print that out and show it to a few friends of mine who have flipped out over me wanting to smoke cigars...

[Jeffrey]

Originally Posted by Visirale

Jeffrey, I'm not doubting you by any means, but could you give me some links supporting that? I'd like to print that out and show it to a few friends of mine who have flipped out over me wanting to smoke cigars...

Sure thing, I'll try to get some links and/or scan some articles. Of course, if they've seen those Truth ads about ammonia and such in cigs - that stuff ain't in cigars/pipes.