Cigar maker Edgar M. Cullman, dead at age 93. Remember kids, smoking is a sure path to an early grave.
I kid, I kid. The data is pretty incontrovertible that smoking is bad for you. But genetics, I think, is a greater determining factor. There are plenty of people who live the clean life that die young, and plenty to do everything wrong, and live to a ripe old age. In fact, studies on centenarians have shown that genetics probably plays more of a factor than lifestyle choices.
Sure. Why not?
We’re all gonna die anyway when those evil guns jump out of the safe and off the night stand to kill entire neighborhoods in their sleep.
Cigar smoking is substantially less bad for you than cigarettes because it’s not inhaled.
My great-grand mother’s second husband was a WWI vet who died at 101. I don’t recall ever seeing him without a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other (his hands, not mine.) Sadly, those weren’t the genes I got.
I think there is little doubt that smoking is bad for the health in the extreme. While some lucky subset of humanity might pass unscathed to ripe old age while smoking, there’s no way (as yet) to know who this will be.
Ya buys yer ticket and ya takes yer chances….
I gave them up in 1993 after my father passed. Others will do as they see fit.
What Uncle said.
According to the Surgeon General, “moderate” pipe or cigar smoking–defined as 5 (!) or fewer cigars a day–results in a doubled risk of oral cancer: 2 chances in 100 rather than 1 in 100. “Doubled” sounds bad, of course, but 2/100 versus 1/100 is not statistically significant.
No other risk, so long as the smoker does not inhale. (A lot of cigarette smokers DO inhale pipe or cigar smoke, though.)
Yeah, and I would note you won’t hear in the news about the poor dumb bastard that succumbed to oral cancer in their 50s. But you have to get a giggle when a Tobacco executive dies at 93. Just kind of defies common wisdom, and I have a vague admiration for that.
Sure, it’s not good for you. But none of the fun stuff usually is. I say toke away on that really good cigar on occasion along with that nice glass of whiskey. Why live life if you can’t enjoy it every once in a while? Moderation. Oh, there’s the key.
I fully realize this may be a dumb question, but – how does one smoke without inhaling? (Growing up in a family where almost everyone smoked at least a pack a day left me with no desire to try it myself, so I am blissfully ignorant of most of the mechanics of smoking.)
Diomed, think of puffing on something with your cheeks (like siphoning gas) vs inhaling with your lungs. You just puff a cigar. I usually close the back of my throat. Yes, some trace of smoke gets inhaled because you also have to breathe with all that smoke swirling around, but you don’t draw in with your lungs directly from the cigar. I have seen people inhale while smoking cigars and man, that’s all them. Yikes. Disclaimer: do not siphon gas while smoking a cigar. I sincerely hope I didn’t just get trolled.
“Maybe I Should Take Up Smoking”
Yes you should. Flavor, culture, relaxation, a vast improvement in your ability to focus, and a tremendous boost to your intelligence level are all good reasons to smoke tobacco.
Pipes are the way to go though if you are looking for a daily puff – the taxes are far less. Speaking of which…time to pack the pipe!