Cigarillos occupy a distinct space in the tobacco market, sharing characteristics with both cigarettes and traditional cigars. This overlap often leads to confusion about their composition, usage, and associated health risks. This article clarifies the definition of a cigarillo, the mechanics of its consumption, and the significant health implications it carries, particularly concerning addiction and toxin exposure. Cigarillos are not a safe alternative to other tobacco products.
What Defines a Cigarillo?
A cigarillo is a roll of tobacco smaller than a large cigar but typically larger than a standard cigarette. The key legal distinction from a cigarette is the wrapper material. Cigarillos are wrapped in leaf tobacco or a substance containing tobacco, while cigarettes are wrapped in paper.
Cigarillos usually contain about three grams of tobacco, significantly less than the half-ounce or more found in a traditional cigar. They are often machine-manufactured using short-filler tobacco, allowing them to be consumed quickly, often in under 20 minutes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies cigarillos under its regulatory authority for cigars. This classification, based on size and wrapper material, allows many cigarillos to be sold with characterizing flavors, such as fruit or candy, which are prohibited in cigarettes. The inclusion of these flavors has contributed to the appeal of cigarillos, especially among young adults.
The Mechanics of Consumption
Traditional large cigars are typically “puffed” into the mouth and exhaled, avoiding deep inhalation. This technique is necessary because the highly alkaline nature of traditional cigar smoke is harsh and irritating to the lungs. However, the smaller size and different construction of a cigarillo blur this distinction.
Cigarillos often resemble cigarettes in shape and may include a filter, leading many users to inhale the smoke directly into their lungs. Because cigarillos are smaller and more porous, the smoke is less harsh, making deep inhalation physically easier. This action significantly increases the lungs’ immediate exposure to toxic chemicals, mimicking the exposure profile of cigarette smoking.
Comparative Health Impact and Addiction Profile
The high nicotine content in cigarillos is a primary driver of their addiction potential. A single cigarillo can contain nicotine levels similar to or greater than the 8 to 12 milligrams typically found in a cigarette.
The alkaline nature of the tobacco allows nicotine to be absorbed effectively through the lining of the mouth, even without deep inhalation. This buccal absorption provides a significant nicotine dose, sufficient to cause and maintain addiction. Therefore, the perception that avoiding inhalation makes cigarillos safe is misleading, as the high level of freebase nicotine ensures rapid dependence.
Cigarillo smoke contains the same toxic and carcinogenic compounds found in cigarette smoke, including tar and carbon monoxide. Even for users who only puff, prolonged contact with the mouth, throat, and esophagus raises the risk for localized cancers, such as oral, laryngeal, and esophageal cancers. For those who inhale, the risk profile expands to include lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, similar to the risks associated with cigarette smoking.