|
Cigars Instead? Smoking one or two cigars a day doubles the risk of cancers of the lip, tongue, mouth, and throat, according to a government study. Daily cigars also increase the risk of lung cancer and cancer of the esophagus, and increase the risk of cancer of the larynx (voice-box) six-fold, say researchers at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. In addition, the report revealed that smoking three or four cigars a day increased the risk of oral cancer to 8. 5 times the risk for nonsmokers and the risk of esophageal cancer by four times the risk of nonsmokers. The health effects of smoking cigars is one of eight sections of the article Cigars: Health Effects and Trends. The researchers report that, compared with a cigarette, a large cigar emits up to 90 times as much carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines. This article provides clear and invaluable information about the disturbing increase in cigar use and the significant public health consequences for the country, said Dr. Richard Klausner, director of the National Cancer Institute, in a statement. The data are clearthe harmful substances and carcinogens in cigar smoke, like cigarettes, are associated with the increased risks of several kinds of cancers as well as heart and lung diseases, he added. In other words, cigars are not safe alternatives to cigarettes and may be addictive. | 
