Cigar Smoking Causes Lung Cancer

Cigar Smoking Causes Lung Cancer - front of packCigar Smoking Causes Lung Cancer - Back of pack
Front of Cigar Package
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Back of Cigar Package
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Daily cigar smokers, particularly those who inhale, are at increased risk of developing lung disease compared to non-smokers. 1

The risk of lung cancer is higher among cigar smokers who inhale the smoke than in those who do not inhale. This risk increases with the increasing amount of smoke that is inhaled, that is, the more you inhale, the greater the risk. 2,3 The number of cigars smoked each day also impacts on your risk of developing lung cancer, which means the more cigars you smoke the greater the risk. 2

Cigar smokers who currently smoke, or previously smoked, cigarettes are more likely to inhale cigar smoke. These smokers have a higher risk of developing lung cancer than those who have only ever smoked cigars. 1,3

What is your risk of developing lung cancer?

    • For daily cigar smokers who do not inhale, your lung cancer risk is double that of non-smokers. 1
    • Smoking three or more cigars per day with moderate inhalation can result in lung cancer death at about two-thirds the rate of men who smoke one pack of cigarettes a day. 3
    • If you smoke five cigars a day, and moderately inhale the smoke, your lung cancer risk is comparable to that from smoking up to one pack of cigarettes a day. 1,4
Quitting smoking at any age has short and long term health benefits. Quitting will reduce the risks for diseases caused by smoking and will help to improve your health in general. 5,6

Once you quit smoking, your body starts to recover in the following ways:

    • 12 hours - almost all nicotine has been metabolised.
    • 24 hours - blood levels of carbon monoxide have dropped dramatically. This means that there is more haemoglobin in red blood cells available to carry oxygen to the body's cells.
    • Five days - most nicotine by-products have been removed.
    • Three months - cilia begin to recover, meaning your lungs regain the ability to clean themselves, and overall lung function improves.
    • 10 years - risk of lung cancer is less than half that of a continuing smoker and continues to decline. 5,6,7
Decided to quit smoking? For help, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or call the Quitline on 131 848 or visit the Quitline web site at www.quitnow.info.au .

Sources

  1. National Cancer Institute. Cancer Facts , July 2000. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cigars
  2. National Cancer Institute. Cigars: Health effects and trends , Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 9; 1998.
    http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/9/index.html
  3. Baker F, et al. Health risks associated with cigar smoking , JAMA. 2000; 284(6): 735-740.
  4. National Cancer Institute News. Cigar smoking causes several cancers and lung and heart disease , posted 10 April 1998. http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/cigar/print?page=&keyword
  5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: what it means to you . U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2004/index.htm
  6. Smoking Cessation Guidelines for Australian General Practice , 2004 Edition.
  7. Fact sheet: Women and Smoking. Department of Health and Ageing.

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Page currency, Latest update: 21 August, 2008

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