Stogie Commentary: Don’t Quit Smoking!

You can’t go a single day without hearing that you need to quit smoking. Whether its those annoying advertisements on television, government officials lecturing us, or just some busybody trying to run your life, the number of people telling you to quit is nearly endless. (I even recently saw an ad on another cigar website selling the latest and greatest method for quitting…You won’t find that here!)

What none of these people get is that for many smoking – and especially smoking cigars – is the right choice. So here is a list of four reasons why you shouldn’t quit smoking:

1. Smoking cigars is cool. Think about all the interesting people that smoke cigars: Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, Bill Cosby, Michael Jordan, Red Auerbach, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, Tony Soprano, John F. Kennedy, Francis Ford Coppola, Rush Limbaugh, Sigmund Freud, J.P. Morgan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Elvis… The list goes on and on. You don’t need to love all those people, agree with them, or even admire them, but the fact is throughout history great characters have tended to be cigar smokers.

Smoking is a personal statement, and that statement is independence and flair. Ayn Rand once said of smoking, “Fire, a dangerous force, tamed at his fingertips.” Smoking exudes sophistication and an ability to relax and enjoy life. These are the people you want to hang out with, not dull teetotalers.

2. Smoking cigars is better than a shrink. Smoking cigars is an exercise in mental health. Chemically, nicotine increases activity in the brain’s neurotransmitters and creates endorphins that act as natural painkillers and give you a pleasurable rush.

When smoking you clear your mind and slow down what is too often a hectic life. This slower pace gives you perspective and peace of mind. Non-smokers go see a shrink while smokers know that cigars can make a bad day better or improve a good day.

3. Smoking cigars is cheap. Anti-smokers claim smokers “waste” money on cigars. What they don’t realize is that smoking is actually a real bargain.

What else can you spend a mere three dollars on and get an hour of enjoyment in today’s society? Going to the movie theater costs ten bucks and a mediocre meal can cost you two or three times that much. But sit down with a cigar and you get a relaxing hour that anyone can afford.

4. Smoking cigars is a luxury. Since the previous item was “Smoking is cheap,” some might be confused about how cigars can also be a luxury. Well, that’s the wonderful thing about cigars. Most luxuries cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Some people buy super-fast cars, some travel to exotic locations.

But I can have a luxurious, hour-long vacation by simply sitting on my front porch with a good cigar and a decent drink. And smoking is the kind of luxury that can be enjoyed with other luxuries. Want to make that exotic vacation better? Smoke a cigar in an exotic location.

That’s the beauty of cigars. For next to nothing a cigar can make even the most average activity luxurious.

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–Patrick S