Compared to a cigarette, a large cigar emits up to 20 times more ammonia, five times as much tar, 25 times more carbon monoxide, 5 to 10 times more cadmium (a cancer-causing metal), and up to 80 to 90 times as much of the highly carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines.
When smoked in confined outdoor spaces at typical smoking and ventilation rates, cigars may produce concentrations certain regulated ambient air pollutants, including carbon monoxide (CO) and respirable suspended particles (RSP), which can violate federal air quality standards and add to the level of these compounds already in the ambient air from other combustion sources.
Researchers found that the concentration of carbon monoxide at two-cigar social events in San Francisco were higher than the levels found on a busy California freeway.
National Cancer Institute. Monograph 9, Cigars: Health Effects and Trends, Chapter 5. |
