Many people are under the mistaken belief that smoking cigars is less dangerous than smoking cigarettes. This is simply NOT TRUE! According to the American Thoracic Society (ATS), “[s]moking one large cigar can be the same as smoking an entire pack of cigarettes”. The harmful effects of smoking a cigar are not limited to the smoker. Because cigars are typically larger than cigarettes and burn for a longer duration, the exposure to second and third hand smoke is even greater with cigars than with cigarettes.
You can learn more about cigar smoking from the American Thoracic Society here.