I just quit smoking cigarettes and I want to try something new Cigar time.

[Sinthop]

let's go 

[rxavier1979]

Just don't inhale. 

[rxavier1979]

By the way, I quit smoking cigarettes when I was 30 after smoking them for 15 years. I tried several times and failed and the only way I was able to succeed when I was 30 was by going cold turkey. No patches, every once in a while relapse, nothing. The key to that was fighting through the urges. It gets easier as time goes by but isn't easy. It will take a year or two to not think about it, but it will happen.

I haven't relapsed once since that day in April almost 8 years ago. I'd had cigars here and there but not before a couple of years of quitting. To me the key was that no matter what, I have never relapsed. You will never think that cigarettes are gross since your brain has programed that odor with pleasure, but it definitely doesn't drive me crazy or make me want one at this stage.

Be careful with treating a cigar as a way to cut back. Although you don't take in the amount you do with cigarettes just due to you not inhaling the smoke, there is nicotine in all tobaccos and you will absorb it through your skin, mouth and nose. So you will take in some nicotine. Sometimes a considerable amount. The difference is between cigars and cigarettes aside from chemical additives, etc is that the purpose of them are different. It's kind of like when a fine wine connoisseur drinks their fine wine because they're enjoying the flavors and maybe the slight buzz but doesn't usually go beyond a glass or two. On the other hand the recovering alcoholic that is trying to substitute large amounts of cheap vodka with fine wine? Either way, an alcoholic will drink way too much fine wine and may go bankrupt in the process.

I don't mean to sound self-righteous here but I only say this as having any nicotine intake either from patches, gum, vaping, cigars, although safer alternatives, will slow down your brains recovery from it's nicotine addiction. I've been there myself. In my opinion, you need to address the nicotine addiction first. Just make sure you aren't trying to substitute one for the other and end up in the same boat afterwards.

I know there will be many that disagree with me and who's to say I'm not completely wrong or off base. I just say all of this because it worked for me when I struggled with my cigarette(nicotine) addiction. You know yourself and what will work best for you and I wish you all the luck in the world dealing with this. It's definitely one of the toughest things I'd had to deal with in my life. Well, that and divorce...  I've quit both by the way...

[wabashcr]

Premium cigars are an expensive way to replace the nicotine you're addicted to.  If you're just looking to replace cigs, get a vape.  I think your best bet would be to quit the nicotine completely before diving into cigars, but that's just my opinion.  

[Akela3rd]

I haven't smoked cigarettes for years - 6 or 7? - after I became more and more nauseated by them. Still plenty of nicotine addiction going on here but I accept that and am content with cigars and vape. Basically I don't want to go through the rigors of quitting nicotine and I manage it instead. I quit drinking almost ten years ago after it almost killed me and haven't touched a drop since - that's non-negotiable.
But I have decided that I've got to have at least one vice in my life or I'm a miserable c*nt and no-one wants that!
I'm a happy camper...

[rxavier1979]

5 minutes ago, Akela3rd said:

I haven't smoked cigarettes for years - 6 or 7? - after I became more and more nauseated by them. Still plenty of nicotine addiction going on here but I accept that and am content with cigars and vape. Basically I don't want to go through the rigors of quitting nicotine and I manage it instead. I quit drinking almost ten years ago after it almost killed me and haven't touched a drop since - that's non-negotiable.
But I have decided that I've got to have at least one vice in my life or I'm a miserable c*nt and no-one wants that!
I'm a happy camper...

Yeah, that's a great point.  I started thinking about that actually shortly after I posted my last comment. If the goal is a safer alternative then Cigars are definitely safer. It's really about managing our risks and not necessarily removing them entirely. I definitely feel that if one is smoking a pack a day (2 when out with friends at the bars) as I was in my 20s, the long term health risks are just way too high.

But again, even that is a personal decision.

Cheers to not being c*nts! 

[SCgarman]

I would not recommend getting into cigars until you have managed to be completely free of cigarettes for at least 1 year. Otherwise, you are more than likely going to use cigars as a "rebound" and really not be able to appreciate all they have to offer. Your body needs to be completely purged of nicotine and cigarette cravings, and your taste buds need to return to normal so that you may fully taste the nuances of cigar blends. And I know firsthand, that cigarette smoking numbs your taste buds, because after I quit foods began to taste more "dynamic".

[JZBdano]

I smoked cigarettes and chewed Copenhagen for 20 yrs.  When I quit drinking about a year ago I got into cigars.  After 3 months of a cigar or two a day cigarettes started tasting pretty gross so I tossed them and haven't looked back.  I switched from Copenhagen to Snus which was much more of a battle coping with the nicotine reduction but my mouth isn't tore up anymore.  

The big challenge is going to be adjusting from a bunch of quick nic fixes to just a couple slow nic fixes.  It took me a couple months before it didnt bug me all the time, I still get cravings if I don't have a Snus for a few hours and I get crabby if I don't smoke pipe or cigar for a couple days.

Best of luck man.

[Akela3rd]

And, just as a qualifier, I didn't start smoking cigars just to replace cigs. It's the whole thing, if you know what I mean, from box codes and vitolas, the sweet twang of Cuban leaf, to FoH and Camp W!

Sent from my HTC One M8s using Tapatalk

[SloppyJ]

12 hours ago, JZBdano said:

 I switched from Copenhagen to Snus which was much more of a battle coping with the nicotine reduction but my mouth isn't tore up anymore.  

Snus FTW! I quit dipping long cut about 4 years ago. Never had the knack for cigarettes.

 

OP, I think it's a very slippery slope to swap cigarettes for cigars. However, I know people who have done it. Good luck. 

[dangolf18]

Funny I had been a a casual/moderate cigarette smoker for the past 3-4 years but quit back in January. I used to smoke 4-5 cigars a week but since I quit I only smoke about 1-2 cigars a month. Not being addicted to cigarettes anymore, I just don't have the urge to smoke cigars that much anymore. Good thing for my collection as it's actually getting bigger rather than smaller 

[HarveyBoulevard]

I smoked cigarettes from '94 to '13.  About a half a pack a day.  Been smoking cigars since '03.  So, I smoked both for about 10 years until my daughter was born then quit cigarettes the day she arrived.  I am still addicted to nicotine but I have come to terms with that.  It is nowhere near the level of addiction that cigarettes caused.  If I didn't have a cigarette every couple hours I could be less than charming.  If I miss my evening cigar, I don't get all bent out of shape but I do notice the urge/craving.

 

I didn't use cigars to stop smoking but smoking cigars most certainly made it easier for me to quit smoking cigarettes.  I have a cigar a day unless somethings unexpected comes up during my evening smoking time.  I may have two on Sat and/or Sun.  I have not had the urge to smoke a cigarette since the day I quit but I sure do enjoy a cigar and it is something I look forward to every day.

 

Good luck quitting cigarettes.

[Danimalia]

3 hours ago, SloppyJ said:

Snus FTW! I quit dipping long cut about 4 years ago. Never had the knack for cigarettes.

 

OP, I think it's a very slippery slope to swap cigarettes for cigars. However, I know people who have done it. Good luck. 

I'll second the snus recommendation. I've used it a lot with so many places making it difficult to smoke. Nice and discreet, no spitting. Then you can smoke cigars when you really want to savor a smoke, and not just to get a hit of nicotine.

[MaxG]

I smoked cigarettes from '84 to '94, when my son was born.  Tried cigars and eventually a pipe just to help me get over cigs.  That also happened to be right in the middle of a huge cigar craze.  The rest is history.

I love snus but my wife hates it, so now I only use it on flights.

 

- MG

 

[Hurltim]

I have been cigarette free since 2002 via wellbutrin. Better living through chemistry.
I should have taken it for a longer time after I quit because I picked up chew during a stessful horse sale.
I never had an issue with cigars after quitting smoking. The big thing is, if you use cigars for the same reason you smoked cigs (Stress, boredom, drinking etc.) Then you will follow the same habits that you did with cigarettes. There are a whole host of habits associated with cigs that need to be replaced with something more beneficial. For example, I smoked 2 packs a day. That's 240 minutes I had free every day that I didn't have before. To this day, I still roll down the window when I drive. Lol!
Give yourself some time after quitting before you start up cigars and then make cigars something special. Make it a time to sit back and relax and muse about the more wonderful things in life like friends, family and nature. Make it an event worth waiting for and something to look forward to.

JMHO

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[Bohn007]

11 hours ago, Hurltim said:

I have been cigarette free since 2002 via wellbutrin. Better living through chemistry.
I should have taken it for a longer time after I quit because I picked up chew during a stessful horse sale.
 

A stressful horse sale? ? 

[Akela3rd]

A stressful horse sale?  

Who'd buy a stressful horse anyway?

[Homebrew]

I quit smoking cigarettes back in August of this year, after 30+ years of 2 packs a day.  I couple of weeks ago, I went to the casino, and took a few cigars with me Flor de Cano PCs, from 1998.  I was worried, about the casino, because I always chain smoked, when I gambled.  I was there, for 7 hours.  Lit my first, and only cigar, about an hour in.  Didn't get another craving after that one.  I haven't had a cigar since, but I may have one this morning.  I have an 08 Monte #1 calling my name.

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

[Hurltim]

8 hours ago, Bohn007 said:

A stressful horse sale? ? 

It was the first batch of horses we bought. 

Horse auctions are...yeah a bit stressful

 

[Bohn007]

1 hour ago, Hurltim said:

It was the first batch of horses we bought. 

Horse auctions are...yeah a bit stressful

 

Wasn't sure if it was a typo. I do understand. Owned a thoroughbred years ago that myself and a couple friends trained and raced. Another fun hobby.