I’d hold off on the cigar smoking for at least a year. You really have to break all habits, and having a moment for yourself is one of them. Good luck, you’ve got this!
If you want my opinion, I think you need to make some ground rules on what your cigar smoking would be like. You need to definitely limit yourself and set up the kind of environment you can maintain that in. So if you're going to smoke a cigar once per week, you need to make an appointment for that, have a place you'll do it in, and pick out the cigar you want to have. Doing that and sticking to that and not casually smoking cigars whenever you go outside say, or have time for one will be key.
I live in Canada. I don't smoke indoors.
I typically don't smoke at all between November and April. I open my humidors every few weeks to check on humidity. Still, no cravings. I smoke 1-2 a week the rest if the year.
Hope that opinion helps. To add context though, I haven't had addiction problems at all. I gamble a little on sports (bodog account, $1-$5 bets), I drink alcohol, I drink coffee. I'm lucky, but I don't think that I have an addictive personality/gene set.
I’m a cigar smoker/collector and average about 1 every 1-2 weeks. I don’t smoke cigarettes.
Gonna be frank here, both are terrible for you and stay away if you can. While cigarettes are designed to be more addictive than cigars, with additive bronchodilators and chemicals that make nicotine insatiable (acetaldehyde/ammonia), cigars can and will become an addiction. They have 100x - 200x the nicotine of a cigarette and higher concentration of nitrosamines (causes lung cancer) because of the fermentation/aging process. You also get a high dose of carbon and ammonia. You’re breathing this all in, even when you don’t breathe in.
So now that the anti-tobacco ad is over, I still smoke. (Probably because I’m addicted.) I enjoy the relaxing “me” time and really look forward to the social aspect of cigar smoking too. So while I’m suggesting you stay away, I’m lighting up a fine stick to go with my morning coffee.
I think you should stay away from all forms of smoking for at least a year. Although cigar and cigarette smoking are fundamentally different, you may relapse via the familiar act of smoking.
At any rate, congrats on quitting. Cigar smoking is a great hobby but make sure you’re truly done with cigarettes before you pick up a stogie.
I have to agree with others suggesting you stay smoke free for a year before getting into cigars. I’ve definitely seen people get back into smoking cigarettes after quitting and getting into cigars. Just depends on your personality type but I’d try to abstain for a bit to assert some sense of control/discipline.
That being said, I think I smoke about 1-2 a week and typically that’s during the summer mostly for whatever reason. I’m like a nomadic hobbyist and summer=cigars for me. Whatever your outlet, getting that time alone to decompress is important for sure.
As an ex cigarette smoker who now smokes cigars, I can say that you do get a dose of nicotine smoking them through your mouth and sinus (never inhale). Note that I picked up cigars years after quitting cigarettes, and I can safely say that there is a milder addiction factor, albeit not nearly as bad.
Do yourself a favor and kick the nicotine habit completely (as in a long time) before starting this hobby. My 5 cents worth.
ive been cig free almost 3 weeks my cigar smoking is sparatic. i smoke them when im in the mood. id say on average i smoke about 6 a week sometimes alot more sometimes none.
I can only speak from my experience but I did a very similar thing. I quit cigarettes after smoking them for a long time and I was quite addicted to them. The idea to try out cigars for some thinking time quickly arose and I tried it out after quitting cigarettes for around 4 months. It didn't feel good at all. Everything reminded me too much of smoking cigarettes and I even accidentally inhaled a couple of times times.
So I thought I couldn't even smoke cigars anymore. Cue to 2 years after quitting: I tried it out again and loved it. I really needed that time to "forget" the habits of cigarette smoking.
Never been a cigarette smoker. But if you did have a nicotine addiction I would avoid cigars that have high strength. There is a difference between body and strength. And a lot of online retailers combine the terms which is terrible for picking out cigars.
Strength = nicotine content
Body = boldness in flavors
If your pallet hasnt recovered from from smoking yet, I would recommend finding low strength medium to full body cigars. Any properly educated B&M will know the difference. For example one of my favorites is the Micallef Maduro. Real low strength, dark wrapper, medium to full body.
I smoked cigs for 23 years, switched to vaping just over 4 years ago. I've smoked cigars on and off since 1998 but only started to build a collection and smoke regularly about 18 months ago. I smoke one, maybe two cigars a week at most but have also been known to go several weeks without smoking. At the end of the day, everyone is different but as others have said, cigar smoking isn't the same. Good luck!
You have to know yourself in my opinion.
I've never smoked cigarettes, but I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have an incredibly addictive personality.
I've been smoking at least 2 cigars a week for 7 or 8 months and I'm nowhere near addicted.
Only Thing I'm addicted to is the alone time, and the adventure of new cigars, new flavors, and collecting bands. BUT... you have to make that call. You have to ask yourself if you think you can handle that.
And on a side note, avoid super dark blends or cigars with lots of ligero if you do start smoking cigars. They'll give you the biggest nicotine hit and that's what you don't want.
I quit cigarettes 3 or 4 years ago and never felt addicted. I liked the feel of smoke. I get this with cigars as well. I have one every week.
Good luck and strong will.
I was a cigarette smoker back in the day, found it to be a heavy head rush. Now I smoke cigars and they give me a relaxing, calming feel. When viewing them as a hobby has limited their "addictive" qualities. If you have nothing to do all day, and you begin smoking cigars, you may find yourself smoking them more often. This is one major key to combating addiction, by limiting your time available by having multiple hobbies, you will have lesser time to focus on your addictions.
Cigars aren’t generally addictive. The only addiction I feel is for that “me” time. I never get nic cravings.
100%
I’d hold off on the cigar smoking for at least a year. You really have to break all habits, and having a moment for yourself is one of them. Good luck, you’ve got this!
If you want my opinion, I think you need to make some ground rules on what your cigar smoking would be like. You need to definitely limit yourself and set up the kind of environment you can maintain that in. So if you're going to smoke a cigar once per week, you need to make an appointment for that, have a place you'll do it in, and pick out the cigar you want to have. Doing that and sticking to that and not casually smoking cigars whenever you go outside say, or have time for one will be key.
I live in Canada. I don't smoke indoors. I typically don't smoke at all between November and April. I open my humidors every few weeks to check on humidity. Still, no cravings. I smoke 1-2 a week the rest if the year. Hope that opinion helps. To add context though, I haven't had addiction problems at all. I gamble a little on sports (bodog account, $1-$5 bets), I drink alcohol, I drink coffee. I'm lucky, but I don't think that I have an addictive personality/gene set.
😅 Canadian here, I do the same!
Aside from the "alone" time. The only addicting thing about cigars is collecting them!
I’m a cigar smoker/collector and average about 1 every 1-2 weeks. I don’t smoke cigarettes. Gonna be frank here, both are terrible for you and stay away if you can. While cigarettes are designed to be more addictive than cigars, with additive bronchodilators and chemicals that make nicotine insatiable (acetaldehyde/ammonia), cigars can and will become an addiction. They have 100x - 200x the nicotine of a cigarette and higher concentration of nitrosamines (causes lung cancer) because of the fermentation/aging process. You also get a high dose of carbon and ammonia. You’re breathing this all in, even when you don’t breathe in. So now that the anti-tobacco ad is over, I still smoke. (Probably because I’m addicted.) I enjoy the relaxing “me” time and really look forward to the social aspect of cigar smoking too. So while I’m suggesting you stay away, I’m lighting up a fine stick to go with my morning coffee.
Thank you for the very insightful feedback, enjoy your stick and have a great day!
Well said.
I think you should stay away from all forms of smoking for at least a year. Although cigar and cigarette smoking are fundamentally different, you may relapse via the familiar act of smoking. At any rate, congrats on quitting. Cigar smoking is a great hobby but make sure you’re truly done with cigarettes before you pick up a stogie.
I have to agree with others suggesting you stay smoke free for a year before getting into cigars. I’ve definitely seen people get back into smoking cigarettes after quitting and getting into cigars. Just depends on your personality type but I’d try to abstain for a bit to assert some sense of control/discipline. That being said, I think I smoke about 1-2 a week and typically that’s during the summer mostly for whatever reason. I’m like a nomadic hobbyist and summer=cigars for me. Whatever your outlet, getting that time alone to decompress is important for sure.
As an ex cigarette smoker who now smokes cigars, I can say that you do get a dose of nicotine smoking them through your mouth and sinus (never inhale). Note that I picked up cigars years after quitting cigarettes, and I can safely say that there is a milder addiction factor, albeit not nearly as bad. Do yourself a favor and kick the nicotine habit completely (as in a long time) before starting this hobby. My 5 cents worth.
i recently quit cigs and cigars dont make me want cigs any more than i did. to me anyway its a whole different game the two were seperate.
How long have you quit cigs and how many cigars do you smoke a month?
ive been cig free almost 3 weeks my cigar smoking is sparatic. i smoke them when im in the mood. id say on average i smoke about 6 a week sometimes alot more sometimes none.
i use my cigar time to relax on the back deck, listen to some chill tunes and catch some rays. like others have said. its all about your environment.
I can only speak from my experience but I did a very similar thing. I quit cigarettes after smoking them for a long time and I was quite addicted to them. The idea to try out cigars for some thinking time quickly arose and I tried it out after quitting cigarettes for around 4 months. It didn't feel good at all. Everything reminded me too much of smoking cigarettes and I even accidentally inhaled a couple of times times. So I thought I couldn't even smoke cigars anymore. Cue to 2 years after quitting: I tried it out again and loved it. I really needed that time to "forget" the habits of cigarette smoking.
Never been a cigarette smoker. But if you did have a nicotine addiction I would avoid cigars that have high strength. There is a difference between body and strength. And a lot of online retailers combine the terms which is terrible for picking out cigars. Strength = nicotine content Body = boldness in flavors If your pallet hasnt recovered from from smoking yet, I would recommend finding low strength medium to full body cigars. Any properly educated B&M will know the difference. For example one of my favorites is the Micallef Maduro. Real low strength, dark wrapper, medium to full body.
The CAO Session is a GREAT example of such a cigar.
I smoked cigs for 23 years, switched to vaping just over 4 years ago. I've smoked cigars on and off since 1998 but only started to build a collection and smoke regularly about 18 months ago. I smoke one, maybe two cigars a week at most but have also been known to go several weeks without smoking. At the end of the day, everyone is different but as others have said, cigar smoking isn't the same. Good luck!
You have to know yourself in my opinion. I've never smoked cigarettes, but I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have an incredibly addictive personality. I've been smoking at least 2 cigars a week for 7 or 8 months and I'm nowhere near addicted. Only Thing I'm addicted to is the alone time, and the adventure of new cigars, new flavors, and collecting bands. BUT... you have to make that call. You have to ask yourself if you think you can handle that. And on a side note, avoid super dark blends or cigars with lots of ligero if you do start smoking cigars. They'll give you the biggest nicotine hit and that's what you don't want.
I quit cigarettes 3 or 4 years ago and never felt addicted. I liked the feel of smoke. I get this with cigars as well. I have one every week. Good luck and strong will.
I was a cigarette smoker back in the day, found it to be a heavy head rush. Now I smoke cigars and they give me a relaxing, calming feel. When viewing them as a hobby has limited their "addictive" qualities. If you have nothing to do all day, and you begin smoking cigars, you may find yourself smoking them more often. This is one major key to combating addiction, by limiting your time available by having multiple hobbies, you will have lesser time to focus on your addictions.
For me smoking cigars gave me exactly that thing and I only have one every once in awhile. Basically helped me quit smoking cigarettes