Short answer: no. The National Cancer Institute says that, unlike nearly all cigarette smokers, "most cigar smokers do not inhale." You draw the smoke into your mouth, taste it and let it go. Cigar Aficionado's glossary defines inhaling simply as "What you don't do with cigar smoke."
Why cigar smoke stays in the mouth
A premium cigar is smoked for flavor, and Cigar Aficionado puts the reason plainly: "Tastebuds are in your tongue, not your lungs."
Nicotine reaches the body either way. The National Cancer Institute says a cigar smoker can get nicotine "by inhalation into the lungs and by absorption through the lining of the mouth," and the CDC says the nicotine in cigars is highly addictive. The National Cancer Institute's 1998 monograph on cigars explains why: the smoke of most cigars is alkaline, so its nicotine "can be readily absorbed across the oral mucosa" without being inhaled.
How to smoke a cigar without inhaling
- Draw gently and let the smoke fill your mouth.
- Hold it for a moment and notice the flavor on your tongue and palate.
- Let it out through your lips.
- Wait before the next puff. Cigar Aficionado suggests a puff "every 30 seconds to a minute"; it says puffing too often can overheat the cigar, and overheating leads to bitterness.
What is retrohaling?
Retrohaling is a way to taste more of the smoke. halfwheel describes it as letting smoke enter through the mouth, "pushing it upwards through the nasal cavity," and letting it out through the nose.
What if you do inhale?
Some cigar smokers do, especially people who smoked cigarettes first. The National Cancer Institute's 1998 monograph says people who previously smoked cigarettes "are more likely to inhale cigar smoke."
The health agencies tie inhaling to added risk. The National Cancer Institute says daily cigar smokers, particularly those who inhale, "are at increased risk for developing heart disease" and other types of lung disease. Its 1998 monograph adds that when cigar smokers approach the frequency of smoking and depth of inhalation of cigarette smokers, "the difference in lung cancer risks produced by these two behaviors disappears." The CDC says heavy cigar smoking and "inhaling cigar smoke deeply may increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease."
Is not inhaling risk-free?
No. The National Cancer Institute says cigar smokers, "whether or not they inhale, directly expose their lips, mouth, tongue, throat, and larynx" to smoke, and that swallowed saliva exposes the esophagus. It states that cigar smoking causes cancer of the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus and lung. The CDC says this is also true for people who report they do not inhale: they are still exposed to nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals.
The National Cancer Institute also notes that cigar smokers have higher rates of lung cancer, coronary heart disease and lung disease than people who do not smoke cigars, and that regular cigar smokers and cigarette smokers have "similar levels of risk for oral cavity and esophageal cancers." It adds, "The more you smoke, the greater the risk of disease." The CDC adds that secondhand cigar smoke is harmful to people who breathe it.
This guide is general information from the sources named below, not medical advice.
If you are new to cigars
Our advice for a first cigar is a mild to medium one in a size you have time to finish. See good cigars for beginners, mild cigars and our step-by-step guide to how to smoke a cigar. Questions? Call the lounge at 928-276-3500.
Frequently asked questions
Do you inhale cigar smoke?
No. The National Cancer Institute says most cigar smokers do not inhale. The smoke is drawn into the mouth, tasted and let go.
Can you inhale a cigar?
Some people do, especially those who smoked cigarettes first. The National Cancer Institute and the CDC link inhaling cigar smoke to a higher risk of heart disease, and the National Cancer Institute also links it to lung disease and higher lung cancer risk.
Do you get nicotine from a cigar without inhaling?
Yes. The National Cancer Institute says nicotine is absorbed through the lining of the mouth as well as through the lungs, and the CDC says the nicotine in cigars is highly addictive.
What is retrohaling?
halfwheel describes it as letting smoke in through the mouth, pushing it up through the nasal cavity and out through the nose, to taste more of the cigar.
Is a cigar safe if you don't inhale?
No. The National Cancer Institute says cigar smokers expose their lips, mouth, tongue, throat and larynx to smoke whether or not they inhale, and that cigar smoking causes cancer of the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus and lung.
Sources: National Cancer Institute, cigar smoking fact sheet (reviewed October 2010) and Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 9, "Cigars: Health Effects and Trends" (1998); CDC, "Cigars" (updated September 2024); Cigar Aficionado glossary ("Inhale"), "10 Things You Should Never Do As a Cigar Smoker" (May 2016) and "10 Things Every Cigar Smoker Should Know" (2017); halfwheel, "Ask halfwheel: How Do You Taste Crazy Flavors in a Cigar?"
