The term “cigar paper” is often associated with the paper used to wrap cigarettes, leading to questions about nicotine content in the outer layer of a cigar. However, cigars do not use paper; the outer layer is called the wrapper. This wrapper is a carefully selected component, along with the binder and filler tobaccos. Since the wrapper is inherently a tobacco product, it contains nicotine.
The Composition of Cigar Wrappers
The wrapper’s composition influences the cigar’s quality and smoking experience. Traditional, high-quality cigars use a natural tobacco leaf wrapper. This whole, cured, and fermented leaf is often the most expensive component, chosen for its appearance, texture, and flavor. Natural leaves are processed through various curing methods to achieve different colors and flavor profiles.
Many machine-made cigars and cigarillos use Homogenized Tobacco Leaf (HTL) or reconstituted tobacco. HTL is manufactured from a pulp of chopped tobacco pieces and stems, mixed with a cellulose adhesive, and rolled into a sheet. Although HTL has a paper-like appearance, it is fundamentally derived from tobacco. This process allows it to be uniformly cut and used as a less expensive wrapper or binder.
Nicotine Content in Tobacco Wrappers
Cigar wrappers contain nicotine because they are made directly from the tobacco plant. Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical compound found throughout the entire tobacco plant structure, including the leaves used for the wrapper. Wrappers of certain cigar products have been quantified to contain between 1.2 to 6.0 milligrams of total nicotine per cigar. This means that even if the filler tobacco were removed, the wrapper alone would still expose the user to nicotine.
While the wrapper contains measurable nicotine, the bulk of the cigar’s total nicotine load resides in the inner filler tobacco. A large cigar can contain hundreds of milligrams of total nicotine, with the wrapper contributing a small percentage of that total weight. The specific type of wrapper, whether a natural leaf or a reconstituted tobacco product, can slightly influence the nicotine concentration in that outer layer. Wrapper composition is not the primary determinant of a cigar’s strength, as the filler blend inside ultimately dictates the overall nicotine intensity.
How Wrapper Type Impacts Nicotine Delivery
The wrapper’s composition is significant not just for its own nicotine content, but also for how it affects the chemical environment of the smoke. The tobacco used in many large cigar wrappers and binders undergoes a specific fermentation and curing process. This processing typically results in a higher pH level in the smoke compared to that of most cigarettes. The pH of the smoke is a major factor in how nicotine is absorbed by the body.
Smoke with a higher, or more alkaline, pH contains a greater proportion of “freebase” nicotine. This unprotonated form of nicotine is highly volatile and can be efficiently absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth, even without inhaling the smoke into the lungs. Conversely, the acidic smoke of most cigarettes requires inhalation for effective absorption in the lungs. Therefore, the wrapper contributes to the alkaline smoke chemistry that enables significant nicotine absorption directly through the mouth.