Share

Share Quitters Unite!

Tobacco 101


Cigar and Chew Facts

You probably know smoking cigarettes is brutal health wise and smell pretty rancid too, but what about those little cigars? Here you’ll find out why quitting other tobacco products is just as important as quitting smoking cigarettes.

Little cigars have the same toxic chemicals as the smoke of cigarette. Sure they look different, and might taste like vanilla, but you’re ingesting harsh chemicals that cause cancer.

Think you’re off the hook for smoking little cigars? These facts may make you reconsider:

  • Health Canada considers smoking little cigars poses the same risk of harmful health effects as smoking cigarettes sold in Canada.
  • Cigar smoke, like cigarette smoke, contains toxic and cancer-causing chemicals that are harmful to both smokers and non-smokers. 
  • During the fermentation process for cigar tobacco, high concentrations of cancer-causing nitrosamines are produced. These compounds are released when a cigar is smoked.
  • The larger size of most cigars (more tobacco) and longer smoking time result in higher exposures to many toxic compounds (including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, ammonia, cadmium, and other substances).
  • Cigar smoking can cause cancers of the oral cavity (lip, tongue, mouth, and throat) larynx (voice box), esophagus, and lung. It may also cause cancer of the pancreas.
  • A cigar smoker can get nicotine by two routes: by inhalation into the lungs and by absorption through the lining of the mouth. Either way, the nicotine that gets into the body is addictive.

 

Smokeless doesn't mean harmless. The fact is, chewing tobacco is every bit as dangerous as smoking it.

  • Smokeless tobacco use causes oral cancer, lesions, and gum recession.
  • Long-term smokeless tobacco users may be up to fifty times more likely to have cancers of the cheek and gum than non-users.
  • Beyond the 3,000 chemicals found in smokeless tobacco, snuff and chew also contain carcinogens (the stuff that causes cancer), at least 28 of them!
  • Lesions and white, leathery sores can appear on the gums, cheeks and tongue (some of which may be the start of cancer) of snuff or chew users.
  • Smokeless tobacco can also lead to periodontal disease (which can lead to tooth loss) and cause your gums to recede (ouch!).
  • Nicotine addiction is tough to kick and people who use smokeless tobacco have been shown to go through the same withdrawal symptoms as cigarette smokers when they quit.