Expert: James Yee - 10/17/2007

Question
So over the past year and half now, I've been smoking cigars and I knew right away that your not supposed to inhale the smoke. My question is though, how do you know if you are? Cigars were the first and only thing I smoke, so my buddy told me to curl my tongue back to prevent me from inhaling the smoke. I know this is a stupid question, but just thought I would finally ask someone who really knows. Thank you for your help

Answer
Hi Phil,

Cigar smoke is a strong irritant so the first sign that you’re inhaling smoke is usually a gag reflex/cough to help clear your throat. For beginner cigar smokers, it’s a very heavy, distinct feeling in your throat and lungs when you inhale and you’ll definitely know that you’ve inhaled.  If you inhale and then expel the smoke through your nostrils (like what most cigarette smokers do), you’ll also feel a hot, mildly-burning sensation in your nasal passage.

The truth is, even if we don’t purposely inhale, cigar smokers do inadvertently inhale smoke while we smoke.  It may be in very minute traces and we’ll hardly notice it but it’s not uncommon for our bodies to intake very, very, VERY small amounts of cigar smoke while we smoke.  In most cases, this occurs when we’re talking, laughing or taking a breath while smoking.  Even smoking a cigar quickly can cause us to inadvertantly inhale.

Over time, experienced cigar smokers will intake more and more cigar smoke into their lungs/throat and be less irritated by it.  The more you smoke, the more you’ll be used to it.  In fact, cigar experts in Cuba proudly advise that the best way to assess the full strength of a Cuban cigar is by taking a bit of cigar smoke down your throat and slowly expelling it back out.  By doing this, you will be able to detect the full strength and aroma of the cigar.  This however, should only be practiced by experienced cigar smokers with an iron stomach as inhaling cigar smoke can make you feel queasy.

I hope this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I’ll be happy to help.

Regards,
James