I was reading this anti-cigar article in The Cincinnati Post and realized that non-cigar smokers really do not understand the cigar smoker or the cigar culture. I do not take for granted that cigars have the potential to be addictive and that smoking can be harmful, but smoking cigars is not the same as cigarettes. I myself kicked a 2 pack a day cigarette habit before I started smoking cigars and can tell a huge difference between the two. Cigarettes were a need when I was addicted, cigars have never become that. They are a luxury item, a way to kick back and enjoy life a bit. I could go on about how cigars don’t contain the same additives as cigarettes, but we’ve all heard that a thousand times. The problem is we have groups of people who want to impose upon on you what they think is best for you.
Stay out of my life and if you walk into a place that says “Cigar Bar” on it don’t bitch about the smoke.
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I think the proof that cigars are not as addictive can be seen in the streets outside bars and restaurants in the rain or dead of winter. You don’t see cigar smokers out there soaked, risking frostbite- we aren’t addicts. If we’re not able to properly enjoy the cigar, we aren’t going to smoke it.
I also find it ironic that cigarette smokers bitch about cigar smoke. Even before I smoked cigars, I found second hand smoke from cigars to be enjoyable. On the other hand, cigarettes always smell like ass.
I actually bought a propane patio heater so I enjoy cigars in cooler weather. If it drops below 40 or the wind picks up, I’m not smoking. During the winter I may not smoke for a couple months. The summer I enjoy one whenever I can.
I’m a new cigar smoker and I would love to hear about what additives that are in cigarettes that are not contained in cigars. For some reason, cigars fascinate me. I never smoked cigarettes, but there is such an appeal to cigars that I cannot explain. I love reading cigar catalogs–Thompson’s, for example. The photos… the copy… the whole upscale and rich imagery. Apparently I’m not alone in this. There is something ineffable about the entire thing. In any event, I’m glad to not be the only one. There’s plenty about me in that regard. :-)