Comments on: Are youth switching from cigarettes to cigars? http://psychoanalystsopposewar.org/blog/2005/11/23/are-youth-switching-from-cigarettes-to-cigars/ Thoughts by Stephen Soldz on war, peace, politics, psychoanalysis, and research methods Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:26:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Cigars http://psychoanalystsopposewar.org/blog/2005/11/23/are-youth-switching-from-cigarettes-to-cigars/#comment-143274 Cigars Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:03:27 +0000 http://psychoanalystsopposewar.org/blog/?p=32#comment-143274 I own an online cigar retail store. Though it's obvious I have a stake in cigar smoking and that I'm most certainly an advocate of cigar smoking, I would definitely suggest that cigars are reasonably less harmful to the smoker than cigarettes. The idea behind a cigar is nothing close to the idea behind a cigarette and the manufacturers of cigars take pride in their cigar blends, wrappers, and construction - as opposed to cigarette manufacturers that want you to smoke, smoke, smoke! To be as brief as possible, cigarettes are a quick fix of nicotine combined with a cocktail of other chemicals that most believe are added to increase the speed of nicotine into the body and enhance the feeling of euphoria. This makes cigarettes extremely addictive. There is an instant buzz and euphoriic feeling associated with smoking a cigarette that makes it one of the hardest addictions to break known to man. Cigars, on the other hand, could not be more contrary. Though they do have nicotine naturally in the tobacco leaves, there are little, if any, chemicals in the tobacco other than what is there naturally. Secondly, cigars are meant to be enjoyed over 30 minutes to up to 2 hours of time. Would you consider this a quick fix of nicotine? Cigars aren't something one might necessarily crave during the day like cigarettes. There is an art to making cigars with blends, wrappers, and aging processes. If you will, consider it like comparing house Tequila to a fine wine - alcohol is in both, but one is meant to be enjoyed, sipped, savored, and scrutinized. The other is just meant to get you drunk (in general). Amazingly, the one meant to be enjoyed over a long period of time has actually been recommended by some doctors. (a glass of wine a day) I have smoked cigars for over 5 years now and I can honestly say I am absolutely not addicted to cigars any more than a golfer is addicted to golf. I recently went on a camping trip for a week. I forgot my cigars and I was bummed mostly because I promised I would bring them for my buddies because we all like to smoke a good cigar by the fire on our camping trips. I think cigars were mentioned once during the entire week and I never had more than a couple of seconds thoughts about cigars the entire week. Can you imagine putting a cigarette smoker in that situation? It would not be pretty. Am I saying I think cigars are a good alternative for someone that is addicted to tobacco? No. That's like saying wine is a good alternative for an alcoholic. Am I saying that cigars are meant to be enjoyed, studied, and appreciated in moderation? Yes. I think the more research that is done on cigars the more we will find differences in the effects of cigars vs. cigarettes. I also think it will prove just how much cigarette companies have done to keep people smoking (adding chemicals, etc). So.. go have a cigar and relax a little :-) I own an online cigar retail store. Though it’s obvious I have a stake in cigar smoking and that I’m most certainly an advocate of cigar smoking, I would definitely suggest that cigars are reasonably less harmful to the smoker than cigarettes. The idea behind a cigar is nothing close to the idea behind a cigarette and the manufacturers of cigars take pride in their cigar blends, wrappers, and construction - as opposed to cigarette manufacturers that want you to smoke, smoke, smoke!

To be as brief as possible, cigarettes are a quick fix of nicotine combined with a cocktail of other chemicals that most believe are added to increase the speed of nicotine into the body and enhance the feeling of euphoria. This makes cigarettes extremely addictive. There is an instant buzz and euphoriic feeling associated with smoking a cigarette that makes it one of the hardest addictions to break known to man.

Cigars, on the other hand, could not be more contrary. Though they do have nicotine naturally in the tobacco leaves, there are little, if any, chemicals in the tobacco other than what is there naturally. Secondly, cigars are meant to be enjoyed over 30 minutes to up to 2 hours of time. Would you consider this a quick fix of nicotine? Cigars aren’t something one might necessarily crave during the day like cigarettes. There is an art to making cigars with blends, wrappers, and aging processes. If you will, consider it like comparing house Tequila to a fine wine - alcohol is in both, but one is meant to be enjoyed, sipped, savored, and scrutinized. The other is just meant to get you drunk (in general). Amazingly, the one meant to be enjoyed over a long period of time has actually been recommended by some doctors. (a glass of wine a day)

I have smoked cigars for over 5 years now and I can honestly say I am absolutely not addicted to cigars any more than a golfer is addicted to golf. I recently went on a camping trip for a week. I forgot my cigars and I was bummed mostly because I promised I would bring them for my buddies because we all like to smoke a good cigar by the fire on our camping trips. I think cigars were mentioned once during the entire week and I never had more than a couple of seconds thoughts about cigars the entire week. Can you imagine putting a cigarette smoker in that situation? It would not be pretty.

Am I saying I think cigars are a good alternative for someone that is addicted to tobacco? No. That’s like saying wine is a good alternative for an alcoholic. Am I saying that cigars are meant to be enjoyed, studied, and appreciated in moderation? Yes. I think the more research that is done on cigars the more we will find differences in the effects of cigars vs. cigarettes. I also think it will prove just how much cigarette companies have done to keep people smoking (adding chemicals, etc).

So.. go have a cigar and relax a little :-)

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