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DocLogic77 · 10-03-2010, 05:13 PM

This is an article I wrote on another cigar message board.

------------------------------------------

I know some of you are wondering how bad my cigars are for me? Well, here I will will present some of the evidence...NCIs interpretation of the studies and the dispute about their conclusions.

In 1998 the National Cancer Institute took a hard look at the studies of cigar smokers. Their conclusions dropped a bomb on the cigar world who always believed theirs was the safer way to enjoy tobacco. You can read their 1998 conclusions here...

http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/cigar

There was quite a stir in the medical community and many believed NCI had some political motivations to coming up with those conclusions.

Here Dr. Marc J. Schneiderman, M.D. writes a 2002 rebuttal of the 1998 NCI's conclusions. He sites the sources of their studies and breaks them down.

http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/health/

Both are well worth a full read...but here is his conclusion about the 1998 monograph.

Political agendas further complicating the cigar research field abounded in 1998. The World Health Organization studied second hand tobacco smoke (ETS or "environmental tobacco smoke") and found a small, and statistically insignificant protective effect from ETS with regards to heart disease. The WHO chose not to release the report as these results did not coincide with their mission. In 1998 U.S. District Court Judge William Osteen overturned the 1993 Environmental Protection Agency's report on secondhand tobacco smoke. He ruled that the authors approached the study with a predetermined mindset, manipulated the research and analyses to reach a conclusion they deemed favorable to their cause. Judge Osteen felt the report was internally flawed. Unfortunately that original EPA report had already resulted in considerable damage by fueling many an anti-cigar engine and created untold havoc and fear among the non-smoking public.

The National Institutes of Health, with the National Cancer Institute, published its long awaited Monograph number 9, Cigars, Health Effects and Trends in February, 1998. This publication is to date the most complete compilation of cigar research and health risks. NCI's conclusions regarding cigars and health are easily contested. But the papers they present should interest any student of the heath risks of cigar smoking. This monograph is highly recommended.

The relative risk values are the relative risk of occurrence of a certain disease compared to the general non-smoking population (which is considered a standard of "1"). It should be emphasized that the National Cancer Institute states that a "relative risk of less than 2 are considered small and are usually difficult to interpret." The NCI report then is encouraging to the moderate cigar smoker. According to the NCI the relative risk ratios of death are all less than 2 for smokers limiting cigar consumption from 1 to 2 a day for: 1) all causes of death, 2) lung cancer, 3) pancreatic cancer, 4) emphysema, and 5) coronary artery disease. Cancers of the oral cavity and larynx have higher risk ratios but are intimately associated with heavy alcohol use.

At the end of the last article are summaries of each study. It's obvious that heavy cigar smoking is linked with cancer. Which means we are at an increased risk. But according to Marc J. Schneiderman's conclusions limiting yourself to 1-2 per day significantly decreases your risk.

My suggestions
- Moderation is the key...and limiting your cigar smoking will go a long way to decreasing overall risk.
- Limit your alcohol intake.
- Don't hold the cigar in your mouth when not taking a draw
- Don't inhale
- Wash mouth and brush teeth after each cigar...use a tongue scraper.
- If you nose exhale I would recommend using a neti pot to irrigate the sinuses regularly. (I plan on going over use in a later post)

I fully recommend each of you discussing the risks of cigar smoking with your physicians.

10-03-2010, 05:13 PM	#3
DocLogic77 Feeling at Home Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Shawn Location: Deliverance Country Posts: 504 Trading: (1)	Re: Health concerns This is an article I wrote on another cigar message board. ------------------------------------------ I know some of you are wondering how bad my cigars are for me? Well, here I will will present some of the evidence...NCIs interpretation of the studies and the dispute about their conclusions. In 1998 the National Cancer Institute took a hard look at the studies of cigar smokers. Their conclusions dropped a bomb on the cigar world who always believed theirs was the safer way to enjoy tobacco. You can read their 1998 conclusions here... http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/cigar There was quite a stir in the medical community and many believed NCI had some political motivations to coming up with those conclusions. Here Dr. Marc J. Schneiderman, M.D. writes a 2002 rebuttal of the 1998 NCI's conclusions. He sites the sources of their studies and breaks them down. http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/health/ Both are well worth a full read...but here is his conclusion about the 1998 monograph. Political agendas further complicating the cigar research field abounded in 1998. The World Health Organization studied second hand tobacco smoke (ETS or "environmental tobacco smoke") and found a small, and statistically insignificant protective effect from ETS with regards to heart disease. The WHO chose not to release the report as these results did not coincide with their mission. In 1998 U.S. District Court Judge William Osteen overturned the 1993 Environmental Protection Agency's report on secondhand tobacco smoke. He ruled that the authors approached the study with a predetermined mindset, manipulated the research and analyses to reach a conclusion they deemed favorable to their cause. Judge Osteen felt the report was internally flawed. Unfortunately that original EPA report had already resulted in considerable damage by fueling many an anti-cigar engine and created untold havoc and fear among the non-smoking public. The National Institutes of Health, with the National Cancer Institute, published its long awaited Monograph number 9, Cigars, Health Effects and Trends in February, 1998. This publication is to date the most complete compilation of cigar research and health risks. NCI's conclusions regarding cigars and health are easily contested. But the papers they present should interest any student of the heath risks of cigar smoking. This monograph is highly recommended. The relative risk values are the relative risk of occurrence of a certain disease compared to the general non-smoking population (which is considered a standard of "1"). It should be emphasized that the National Cancer Institute states that a "relative risk of less than 2 are considered small and are usually difficult to interpret." The NCI report then is encouraging to the moderate cigar smoker. According to the NCI the relative risk ratios of death are all less than 2 for smokers limiting cigar consumption from 1 to 2 a day for: 1) all causes of death, 2) lung cancer, 3) pancreatic cancer, 4) emphysema, and 5) coronary artery disease. Cancers of the oral cavity and larynx have higher risk ratios but are intimately associated with heavy alcohol use. At the end of the last article are summaries of each study. It's obvious that heavy cigar smoking is linked with cancer. Which means we are at an increased risk. But according to Marc J. Schneiderman's conclusions limiting yourself to 1-2 per day significantly decreases your risk. My suggestions - Moderation is the key...and limiting your cigar smoking will go a long way to decreasing overall risk. - Limit your alcohol intake. - Don't hold the cigar in your mouth when not taking a draw - Don't inhale - Wash mouth and brush teeth after each cigar...use a tongue scraper. - If you nose exhale I would recommend using a neti pot to irrigate the sinuses regularly. (I plan on going over use in a later post) I fully recommend each of you discussing the risks of cigar smoking with your physicians. __________________ Talent wins games...heart wins championships. Go Steelers!