Cigar smoking is popular in the United States where a “cigar culture” is supported by cigar magazines, shops, and bars or clubs. Many cigar smokers think of themselves as connoisseurs, much like wine experts. They may view cigars as a sophisticated, affordable luxury that represents status and success. Some see cigar smoking as a sign of taste and refinement. This image is fueled in part by the efforts of the tobacco industry to glamorize cigars, and the willingness of celebrities and athletes to be paid and photographed smoking cigars. Teenagers and young adults may be particularly open to this kind of cigar marketing. But the proposed link between cigars and success for the most part isn’t real. In fact, cigar use is much higher in unemployed adults than in people who work full or part time. In all, about 5.2 million people age 12 and older smoke cigars.
Sales of large cigars actually decreased by 6% between 1997 and 2007. Still, about 4.8 billion large cigars and cigarillos were consumed in the United States in 2007.
During that same time, the increase in smoking little or small cigars has been dramatic. Sales of small cigars increased 240% between 1997 and 2007. These “cigars” are often sold in packs of 20, just like cigarettes. Their size, shape, filters, and packaging make them look like cigarettes, except for their color.
Some companies add strawberry, chocolate, and other sweet flavors to cigars, which appeal to younger smokers not yet accustomed to the taste of tobacco. As of November 2010, such flavors can no longer be added to cigarettes, but there are no such restrictions on little cigars. This may lead to an even greater increase in small cigar smoking as tobacco companies take advantage of the lack of regulation of these products. Taxes on cigars are lower than cigarettes, so they are much cheaper in most states. The low cost makes them even more attractive to younger buyers.
Cigar smokers in the past were mainly middle-aged and older men with higher education and income, but many new cigar users today are teens and young adult males. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s 2010 survey, about 11% of Americans aged 18 to 25 had smoked a cigar within the last month, compared to the average of 5% from all ages. This may climb even higher in the future as high-school cigar smokers age.
Cigars are gaining on cigarettes in high schools. In some states, more high school boys smoke cigars than cigarettes. Much of this is because of little cigars, which are most often cheaper than cigarettes. In 2010, a research group specifically asked about little cigars in their youth survey for the first time. Among 12th grade boys, 30% reported that they had used little cigars in the past year. Among 12th grade girls, 16% reported using little cigars.
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