don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

I'm amazed at the number of times people ask, are cigars as bad as cigarettes? A variation on this popular question is something like, "Can I smoke an occasional cigar and still live a self-managing, wellness-oriented lifestyle?" My response to both questions is yes. Does this surprise you? I'll explain.

A wellness lifestyle is anything you say it is, thus anyone can declare or otherwise conclude that she is so engaged, however amazing and unlikely it may appear to others. Furthermore, scientific research and investigators worldwide have yet to document aliens (not that this proves there is none in the Bush Administration), Bigfoot, or an individual whose lifestyle is perfect! There are no entry exams or other qualifying standards associated with a self-management lifestyle, nobody has to pass a test to be allowed to register for the National Wellness Conference, and no government or other agency has been empowered to assess who does and does not have the right to consider whether a citizen's attitude and behavior patterns are wellness oriented!

It's truly a free country, in this respect anyway. So, you can hold whatever bizarre attitudes and engage in any truly odd behaviors you bloody please and you will still be absolutely entitled to call your lifestyle anything that suits your fancy -- even while you smoke that cigar just like Arnold or some other celebrity whose photo appears on a monthly magazine produced by the tobacco industry.

Of course, smoking cigars occasionally or frequently and cigarettes (at all) suggests that you might not be the brightest light on the block. And it also might hint that you have a pretty odd idea of what constitutes a worthy wellness lifestyle. Still, the first point of this essay is that a single attitude or behavior or cluster of attitudes and behaviors does mean you are not aware of or seeking a healthy and satisfying lifestyle, in your own fashion. The second point is that even those who actively seek to live well have some bad habits. The third is that smoking cigars, any cigars, is a really bad idea. Here's why -- in brief.

The cigar merchants have cleverly marketed their product to make it seem hip, sexy, and cool. Some celebrities, regrettably, are too willing to participate in this charade. Of course, no mention is made in these glamour ads of the health risks of cigar smoking, which are substantial though under appreciated by the public.

Cigar sales increased over 65% in the last five years. Yet, these noxious weeds are more alkaline than cigarettes, therefore, tar and nicotine and other chemicals pass through the lining of the mouth and throat and into the bloodstream rapidly. Cigar smokers are four to 10 times more likely to die from cancer of the mouth, larynx, and esophagus than cigarette smokers. Smoking two or three cigars is the equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes.

Cigars are, like cigarettes, a deadly product. The two questions I quoted at the start are a form of asking, what's worse, shooting myself or jumping off a roof? I don't know -- it depends, I suppose, but neither one will extend your life span or improve the quality of your existence!

In summary, my bottom-line answer to the two questions is that cigars are at least as bad as cigarettes and while you can indeed smoke an occasional cigar and still live a self-managing, wellness-oriented lifestyle, I'd never recommend it. Nor would I advise shooting yourself or jumping off a roof. Among other examples of positive attitudes and behaviors, I recommend that you have as much fun as possible, find and pursue your passions, and try to look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of adaptations and challenges. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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