Surely you have in all probability heard of the dangers of passive smoke intake, and possibly you have pondered if it’s as dangerous as inhaling smoke from cigars? Unfortunately, it seems that becoming exhibited to used smoke from a lit cigar can be exactly as risky, or more, than standard cigarette smoke.

Secondhand smoke emitted by tobacco products is classified as enviromental tobacco smoke, and that refers to any smoke that is released from tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars. Many of the same irritants released in cigar and cigarette smoke have many of the same properties, research indicates. Both cigar and cigarette environmental tobacco smoke contain nicotine, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. The environmental tobacco smoke from cigars and cigarettes also releases well-known carcinogens such as vinyl chlorine, benzene, arsenic, hydrocarbons, and nitrosamines. Since cigars are greater in size than cigarettes, it is no surprise that they actually release more environmental tobacco smoke, and therefore pose more of a health risk.

There are some key differences between the way cigars and cigarettes are manufactured, even though they release similiarly toxic environmental tobacco smoke. 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.

Another reason why cigars produce greater amounts of carcinogens is in their girth and length because cigars are simply bigger than cigarettes. Much higher concentrations of toxins and irritants are released because of the greater amount of smoke that is released due to the greater size of the cigar. Since cigars smokers are encouraged to take their time and enjoy the relaxing experience of smoking a cigar, it is recommended that you smoke them much more slowly. Longer smoke times obviously result in the creation of alot more smoke. For the health of cigar smokers, it is advised that you smoke in well-ventilated areas, and for non-smokers alike, it is advised that you avoid areas where cigars are being smoked altogether!