OT: Occasional cigar, yes or no?

[PoodlesAgain]

I last smoked daily cigarettes in 1984, had a cigar a few years ago, BIL backyard after a holiday meal.

I feel like I would like to smoke a cigar now and then, say, three a month, a bit like you would have a taste of a good Cognac or such.

Yes, or no?

I note that:
- don't want to get addicted to nicotine again!
- will need to be of good quality to be worth it (no idea how to go about that)
- outdoors only
- maybe stay with Cognac... LOL

[mickey]

In 2001 I had a large chunk cut from the roof of my mouth.
The verdict was that I did NOT have cancer but they were confident that had they done it 6 months later I would have.
I walked away from the smokes at that point & never looked back!
I will say that had I realized how bad people stink after smoking (especially cigars), I would have quit decades sooner.

[tlarson58]

Probably just as well to leave it be. It could be a gateway thing and get you on cigs again.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I smoked cigarettes many years ago too and would never go back. I smoke an occasional cigar with friends, like maybe once every 5 years, so I don't call that habitual. I lost my wife to cancer, so I just would not take any more chances with it. And as a once-upon-a-time regular weed smoker who has since grown up, I do wonder how I'll react if my state legalizes recreational weed. I suspect I would just go with gummies these days. To me, that sounds so much better than a cigar.

[PoodlesAgain]

All good advice.
I am not too concerned about heath issues, just as an older used car, what would have failed already has, and this would be very occasional.
I need to make sure I enjoy it... by trying. Also, cigars seem to be living things, needs proper care.

[Partscaster]

Nicotines tough to get used to.
But if you use one of those 10 step patches methods, I'm sure one can ease into a full addiction.

[tonebender]

I quit cigarettes in 1977. In the 90's I started smoking an occasional cigar. I was at the doc's office for some reason around that time and he asked if I smoked. i told him just an occasional cigar. He told me to stop doing that so I did.

[PoodlesAgain]

One of the first things a urologist will ask you is if you ever smoked.
Mine, old pro, head of his department, asked me.

I said, "Oh.. I quit years ago!"
His terse reply was " Does not matter, did you ever?

And it seems that "ever" matters. For unknown reasons, bladder cancer is strongly linked to smoking - which can be treated successfully, if diagnosed early enough.

Unrelated: He and I ( and his ever-so-kind nurse) became acquainted over charming things like strictures, dilations, and the "French Number" series (google it). All good since 2015, though, to his credit. I like younger doctors, generally, but some old ones have seen things, developed an innate sense.

[dabbler]

You've said health is not an issue, but I like to take care not to cause early failure of my body. So, my answer is no. Simply because the human body is not designed to ingest burning gasses.

[TVvoodoo]

I smoked cigars regularly and exclusively for ten years after twenty of cigarettes.
I could not dare touch one again. Makes me ill just thinking about it actually, (hypnotism).

[andrewsrea]

My mom and older sister smoked. I tried for a week and hated it. Then spent the 80s to the 2000's in smoke filled bars, which was probably just as bad as smoking. Then in 1999, I had access to free Cuban cigars and smoked, but did not inhale. I gave it up shortly thereafter, when my 9-year old son informed me it was drugs.

Now I really dislike cigarettes and anything with nicotine in it and hate when people light up around me in a public space. It is my problem, so I just move along to somewhere the smoke is not.

[tonebender]

I sat out on the pardy pad last evening with a couple of friends while they smoked a cigar. I did not smoke one but enjoyed the conversation. Then we came in the house and played some music like buskers.

[PoodlesAgain]

I smoked cigars regularly and exclusively for ten years after twenty of cigarettes.
I could not dare touch one again. Makes me ill just thinking about it actually, (hypnotism).

I was hypnotized in 1984 - fun stuff best high I ever got (limited experience)!
Worked superbly. I would never touch a cigarette for anything, consider them very alien.

I have smoked maybe two cigars since, no ill effect.
One small part of smoking is mechanical, in a sense, breaking the link to the object,, so hypno therapy works on the kind you are using at the time?
Also, as I understand it the reason Hypno does not work for overeating: you cannot totally break from it!


By the time we are through talking about it, I may change my mind about cigars anyway..!

[jhull54]

In my 20's I smoked a pipe infrequently for a couple of years. Never could get into cigars, and especially cigarettes. Can count on 1 hand the number of cigarettes I've ever smoked. Maybe it's because my parents smoked when I was growing up. Thankfully, they quit in their 30's. I did chew tobacco for almost 20 years, which is equally gross. Wife pretty much put a stop to that. Don't miss it, either.