The health effects of smoking are well-known, but smoking cigars (Zigarren) instead of cigarettes doesn’t make you immune. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office reports that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease and early death in the U.S., causing 20 times more deaths than all firearms combined.
That’s one reason why the University of Maryland Medical Center considers cigars just as harmful as cigarettes: It says a cigar contains as much nicotine as several cigarettes and isn’t any safer just because it’s enjoyed less frequently.
Smoking cigars has been shown to increase the risk of several types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and larynx. Smoking cigar can also cause heart disease, lung disease, and other health problems.
Side effects of smoking cigars include nausea, vomiting, weight changes and gum irritation. Smokers also experience an increased risk of cancer of the mouth and throat, according to Merck Manuals. Additional side effects of cigar smoking include shortness of breath, bad breath, tooth staining and smoker’s cough.
