By Ben Torres
In brief: Cigar enthusiasts may value the ritual and social setting. Those preferences are opinions about an activity with health risks, not evidence that smoking is a useful stress treatment.
Separate the ritual from the product
Ben Torres’s original essay described taking time to sit, talk and pay attention to a crafted object. Those are understandable personal interests. The quiet time and conversation can also exist without tobacco. No one needs to accept a cigar to be part of a friendship or gathering.
Craft is not a safety claim
A discussion of a cigar’s wrapper, binder and filler can explain how people describe the product, but it does not change what smoke exposure means. NCI describes nicotine, cancer and other risks associated with cigars. Not inhaling does not make cigar use risk-free. This article does not recommend it for relaxation or wellbeing.
Keep preferences in proportion
Words such as “finest,” “luxury” and “worthwhile” express taste rather than measurable health or quality findings. A person may be interested in an object’s construction or history without needing to use it. Different products and settings also make universal claims about timing or ritual unhelpful. Give other people room to decline an invitation without having to defend their choice.
Make room for a different choice
If what appeals is an unhurried conversation, arrange that conversation directly. A person can appreciate the history of a product while choosing not to use it. Respect others’ choice to avoid smoke, and do not frame smoking as an obligation to honor craftsmanship. The social invitation matters more than the object being shared.
Sources and further reading
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