One of the questions I often hear from people who are just starting out smoking cigars or pipes is, “Can I or should I inhale?” Well, you could, but you would likely find that extremely unpleasant! The fact is, cigar and pipe tobacco are not designed or intended to be inhaled. Enjoying a cigar or pipe involves your senses of taste and smell of the smoke, not breathing it into your lungs.

Cigar and pipe tobacco are intended to be enjoyed through taste and smell, not through breathing. Here are a few reasons why:

• Not Meant to Be Inhaled: Cigar and pipe tobacco are not meant to be inhaled. The smoke produced is alkaline and therefore painful to inhale.
• Different from Cigarettes: Cigarette smoke is acidic, which makes it easier to inhale. Some of that acidic nature comes from the type of tobacco and how it is cured, but it is further enhanced by the additives and processes used to control its color, flavor, and consistency. This process not only uses the tobacco leaves but also ground-up stems, scraps of the plants, added cellulose, and literally hundreds of chemicals.

So, while you technically can inhale cigar or pipe smoke, we strongly discourage it. The enjoyment of cigars and pipes comes from savoring the flavors and aromas, not from inhaling the smoke. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the rich, complex tastes and smells that cigars and pipes have to offer!