What is the difference between smoking a cigarette, a cigar, and a pipe?

Question

What is the difference, are they smoked differently?
Are some worse for you than others?
Why?
And besides the fact that it is smoked, is there any other health issues that come from them or is it just because of the smoke?
Is there something in the nicotine or something?

Answer 1

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Well I'm sure you're looking for a little more than the "Don't do it you're gonna die" answers that people generally give to any question about smoking. Pipe and cigar tobacco are prepared differently than cigarette tobacco, they are cut in longer strips and are much more moist and have a different pH (I believe they are more acidic than cigarette tobacco). Because of this pH difference, cigar and pipe tobaccos absorb nicotine more efficiently through the mucous membranes in your mouth, while cigarettes absorb best in your lungs. This is why it is extremely harsh to inhale cigar or pipe tobacco as opposed to cigarette tobacco, which feels less harsh on the lungs. Inhaling cigarette tobacco gives an instant hit of nicotine, as opposed to cigars and pipes which take a little while to kick in. Most problems come from the crud in the smoke, and not the nicotine. Nicotine is a pretty harmless substance in the doses you'll get out of a cigarette (pure nicotine is toxic, but in smoke the concentration is so small that there is very little risk of any toxic effects). Nicotine's effects are similar to caffeine (a mild stimulant). Smoking causes lung problems (obviously) as well as problems with the mouth, nose, and throat. More striking than any of these effects is the effect on the circulatory system though. A smoker is more likely to die of heart and circulation problems than lung disease. This is caused by chemicals in the smoke, not just nicotine but all the other stuff that comes out too. Cigarettes decrease lung efficiency much more than pipes and cigars do, although pipes and cigars also increase lung cancer risk (you can't avoid inhaling a small bit of smoke). On occasion, maybe a few times a year, smoking does not really have many bad health effects. But even smoking "in moderation" can have nearly as bad effects on heart and circulation as smoking two packs a day. From a social standpoint, cigarette smoking is generally frowned upon, while cigar and pipe smoking is seen as more of a novelty or leisure activity than an addiction. Smoking a pipe is a lot of fun when you get the hang of it, because you have to get it burning at just the right heat, pack it right, and hold it just right to get the best taste. I don't recommend smoking for two major reasons: It gets expensive and addicting. Most smokers don't give a damn about the health effects, but it costs money and the addiction can cause unpleasant effects. In general, cigarettes have worse immediate effects (decreased lung efficiency, people turning their noses up at you), while all three probably sum up about equally in the long term. Generally cigarette smokers tend to smoke a lot more than pipe and cigar smokers.

Source(s):

Apprentice tobacconist.

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Asker's Comment:

Thanks also to Josh but yeah this guy gets the cake thanks!

Answer 2

Cigarette smoke is inhaled, pipe & cigar smoke should not be. They can all cause all kinds of smoking-related diseases from emphysema (now called COPD), lung cancer, mouth cancer, tongue cancer, etc. It may trigger other cancers (women who smoke are more at risk of developing cervical cancer).
On the lesser side, smoking also causes advanced wrinkling of the face, hair damage, discolouration of the teeth and smoking hand, causes a smoker's cough that is disgusting to listen to, and changes a person's voice. You can tell a person smokes by listening to them talk and breathe. You can often visually pick a smoker out of the crowd, smell nothwithstanding.
The nicotine itself is highly addictive. Many people liken it to kicking heroine but it can be done, even cold turkey.

Answer 3

heres the difference: cigarettes will likely give u lung cancer. cigars will give u throat and mouth cancer, pipes will give you all of the above plus make ur breath unbearable. good luck picking the right product. good day

Answer 4

The main difference is that cigarettes are inhaled, while pipes and cigars aren't. This makes pipes and cigars safer than cigarettes, but they still aren't completely safe since they can for example cause oral cancer. Nicotine is the drug that's responsible for the pleasurable effects of smoking, such as relaxation and mild euphoria. It's also what makes smoking addictive. The health hazards come from tars, which cause cancer; gases in the smoke, like carbon monoxide; the nicotine, which raises blood pressure and constricts peripheral blood vessels; and the heat of the smoke and whatever you're smoking.