Cigars have long been associated with men, but in recent years, more and more women are taking up the habit. While cigars contain the same addictive, toxic and carcinogenic compounds found in cigarettes, some cigar enthusiasts argue that cigars can be smoked to relax and thus lower blood pressure. In addition, if smoking cigars provides relaxation or pleasure, then it provides a mental health benefit. Tobacco is also believed to help control weight.
Cigar smoking has also been linked to a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease. In the past, women were discouraged from smoking cigars in public due to social pressures. However, with the rise of cigar clubs such as Le Cigar at Tatou and Cigar Bar in Manhattan, as well as Big Smokes and the George Sand Society of Santa Monica, women are becoming more visible in the cigar smoking community. Cynthia Fuente-Suarez, president of the Arturo Fuente Tobacco Factory, and Marty, president of Sublimado, are proof that the production and consumption of cigars have nothing to do with gender.
Oral historian Perucho Sanchez recalls that it was clear that at that time there were social pressures that made it difficult for women to smoke cigars in public. However, the health risks of the occasional cigar smoker, who doesn't smoke more than a few cigars per week and doesn't inhale, aren't as significant. Harvard University researchers were among the first to provide convincing evidence that cigar smokers were less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. In addition to health benefits, smoking cigars can also be seen as a spiritual practice.
Manosalvas explains that Cuban girls smoke cigars to heal and cleanse themselves spiritually. These stories and symbols enrich the cigar smoker's experience. The need to maintain secrecy indicates that pure people were considered the property of men; hence their appeal to renegade women who appreciated their individuality and felt that they were entitled to the power and privileges that men considered theirs. In Tsai's view, the United States has also taken longer to accept women cigar smokers in the business context. Favelli is the owner of the Key West Havana Cigar Company and remembers hearing stories about his great-grandmother enjoying her cigarette at family reunions.
This shows that even though women have been discouraged from smoking cigars in public for many years, they have still found ways to enjoy them in private.
