Only Congress and the Federal Trade Commission have the power to issue warning labels, which might be good news to cigar manufacturers and retailers. But another national group, the American Lung Association, brings bad news to the cigar aficionados. Cigars do carry serious health risks, according to the association. Even though cigar smokers do not generally inhale, when cigars are puffed the smoke is held in the mouth and upper airways, which raises the risk of dying from cancer of the larynx, mouth and esophagus by four to 10 times compared to non-smokers. Cigars contain the highly addictive drug nicotine, a drug that speeds up the heart, narrows the blood vessels and reduces blood supply to the heart.
Cigars are also a major source of second-hand smoke.
Carbon monoxide emissions from cigars are 30 times as high as those for cigarettes. Most cigar aficionados, however, are probably like Stephen Wagner. They are sensitive to the health concerns of non-smokers, such as their fellow patrons at the Roosevelt, and try not to pollute the air. They believe the pleasure they take in smoking a few cigars a week outweighs the health risks. To consider that cigars are not unhealthy is stupid.