Pharmacology and Abuse Potential of Cigars

INTRODUCTION Cigar tobacco contains the highly addictive drug nicotine in concentrations similar to those observed in cigarettes; however, since most cigars contain more tobacco, they also contain more nicotine than cigarettes. Most cigar smokers do not inhale cigar smoke, and those who do inhale far less than typical cigarette smokers (Chapter 4). The pH of the smoke from most cigars is sufficiently alkaline to enable efficient absorption of nicotine through the oral and nasal mucosa. These basic observations, along with the behavioral observation that some cigar smokers report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal similar to those of cigarette smokers, have led the American Psychiatric Association to include cigars along with cigarettes in their manual listing drug dependence and other disease states (American Psychiatric Association, 1987). This chapter will review the scientific evidence supporting the categorization of cigars as dependence-producing nicotine delivery devices.