Cigars Are a Public Health Problem

What to know

  • The tobacco industry designs and markets cigars to encourage use, particularly among certain population groups.
  • Flavors make cigars appealing.
  • Lower prices make cigarillos and little cigars affordable to young people and other price-sensitive population groups.
  • Advertising encourages use.

Cigar marketing

The tobacco industry designs and markets cigars to encourage use, particularly among specific population groups.

Flavors make cigars appealing.

  • Overall cigar sales increased from 2009 to 2020 (from $2.47 billion to $3.27 billion), because of significant increases in the sale of flavored cigars.1
  • Tobacco companies use flavors to attract young people and women to use cigars.2
  • In 2023, of the 420,000 youth who reported that they currently smoke cigars, 53.1% of middle school students and 70.7% of high school students reported using flavored cigars.3

Lower prices make cigarillos and little cigars affordable to young people and other price-sensitive population groups.

  • Most cigar sales from 2009 to 2020 were of cigars available in small pack sizes, which make cigars more affordable.1 Tobacco companies commonly sell cigars as a single stick or in small pack sizes to make them more appealing for young people to try.14
  • Neighborhoods with more young adults and African American people have lower prices and more advertising for cigars.5
  • Little cigars are the same size and shape as cigarettes. They often include a filter and have similar packaging. While they are similar to cigarettes, governments and communities tax them differently. People who already smoke and are cost-conscious might switch from cigarettes to cheaper little cigars when cigarette prices increase. They may use cheaper tobacco products rather than quit using tobacco.67

Advertising encourages use.

  • Historically, older men in the United States smoked cigars. However, the industry's increased marketing of these products to targeted groups increased the prevalence of use among adolescents.4
  • Tobacco companies publish cigar ads in newspapers with many Black readers. More recently, they have advertised menthol cigars on social media.8 They also use hip-hop and rap artists, models, and music that appeal to young people.2
  • The tobacco industry also promotes cigars as symbols of a luxurious and successful lifestyle. The following strategies contribute to the increased acceptability of cigar smoking: Endorsements by celebrities; development of cigar-focused lifestyle magazines that also advertise upscale clothing, luxury cars, jewelry, and other goods; and product placement in movies.
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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Office on Smoking and Health
  1. Delnevo CD, Miller Lo E, Giovenco DP, Cornacchione Ross J, Hrywna M, Strasser AA. Cigar sales in convenience stores in the US, 2009-2020. JAMA. 2021;326(23):2429–2432.
  2. Kostygina G, Glantz SA, Ling PM. Tobacco industry use of flavours to recruit new users of little cigars and cigarillos. Tob Control. 2016;25(1):66–74.
  3. Birdsey J, Cornelius M, Jamal A, et al. Tobacco product use among U.S. middle and high school students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(44):1173–1182.
  4. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. Preventing tobacco use among youth and young adults: A report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, 2012. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK99237/
  5. Lee JGL, Henriksen L, Rose SW, Moreland-Russell S, Ribisl KM. A Systematic Review of A Systematic Review of Neighborhood Disparities in Point-of-Sale Tobacco Marketing. Am J Public Health. 2015; 105(9):e8–e18.
  6. King BA, Tynan MA, Dube SR, Arrazola R. Flavored-little-cigar and flavored-cigarette use among U.S. middle and high school students. J Adolesc Health. 2013;54(1):40–46.
  7. Gammon DG, Loomis BR, Dench DL, King BA, Fulmer EB, Rogers T. Effect of price changes in little cigars and cigarettes on little cigar sales: USA, Q4 2011–Q4 2013. Tob Control. 2016;25:538–544.
  8. Venrick SJ, Kelley DE, O'Brien E, et al. U.S. digital tobacco marketing and youth: A narrative review. Prev Med Rep. 2023;31:102094.