The word cigar comes from the Spanish cigarro, a word of uncertain etymology, which may come from the Maya zicar (to smoke) or from the Spanish cigarra (cicada) to which it resembles both in shape and colour. The cigar is a cylinder formed by a tobacco leaf rolled onto other leaves or filled with little pieces of chopped tobacco leaves. The end is heated until it is red hot so as to inhale the smoke or keep it in one's mouth. Effectively, the difference with acid cigarette tobacco is that cigar smoke does not need to be inhaled to appreciate its full savour and effects. The tobaccos used in cigar making are cultivated mainly in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Nicaragua and the United States. Even if it looks more elegant and refined, the cigar is just as harmful as the cigarette. Indeed, it contains numerous toxic and irritating substances that can lead to dependency and a great number of illnesses such as cancers, cardiovascular accidents and chronic bronchitis. Just like the cigarette, cigar smoke is unpleasant and harmful for the smoker's entourage.
The European HELP programme for fighting against tobacco can bring you a lot of information and support for giving up smoking.
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