Cigars vs Cigarettes: What Are the Differences?

Tobacco products have been under fire for several years now, and not without reason. It’s absolutely indisputable that cigarettes are dangerous and deadly, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths per year.

But what about cigars? So many cigar smokers and aficionados insist that cigars are much safer than cigarettes. Some even claim that taking up cigar smoking can be a great way to quit the allegedly “more deadly” cigarettes.

But is that actually the case? Are cigars really a healthier alternative to cigarettes? To help you know the answer, here are some of the big differences between cigars vs. cigarettes.

What Are Cigars?

The United States tax code defines a cigar as a roll of tobacco wrapped in leaf tobacco or any other wrapper containing tobacco that cannot be defined as a cigarette. These include little cigars that look like brown cigarettes, traditional cigars of three pounds or more, or cigarillos which are longer and slimmer versions of traditional cigars.

While some consider cigar smoking to be a safer alternative to cigarettes, the reality is that cigars contain high nitrosamines, NNK, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and tar. Regular daily smokers are four to ten times more likely to die from oral, laryngeal, or esophageal cancer. These issues, along with the fact that a traditional cigar has as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, make cigars even worse for one’s health than cigarettes.

Cigar Buying Guide

Some have suggested that an occasional cigar is unlikely to do any serious damage. However, there’s no research to support such a claim. Due to the level of tar and other dangerous substances in cigars, it’s best to avoid them altogether.

What Are Cigarettes?

Cigarettes are small and thin rolls of tobacco wrapped in white paper. They contain several chemicals such as nicotine, tar, and other cancer-causing substances.

Unlike cigars, which are only supposed to be drawn into the mouth for flavor, cigarettes are made to be inhaled into the lungs. This greatly increases the risk of lung cancer and emphysema. Cigarettes tend to be more addictive than cigars. which is why more deaths are attributed to smoking cigarettes, although neither one is healthy.

Cigarettes Buying Guide

While tobacco companies try to offer low-nicotine or low tar cigarettes to curb people’s fears, the reality is that different amounts of tar won’t make much difference. Lighter cigarettes are still going to do major harm to your long-term health.

A better option would be to avoid tobacco and go with a different plant. Hemp flower cigarettes are void of all the dangerous and addictive chemicals in tobacco products, and they could prove to be a safer alternative. Consider looking into these products rather than the tobacco products that claim countless lives every year.