The other day, I mentioned in a forum that I’d smoked “hundreds” of cigars, and someone replied with a GIF of a woman belly-laughing. It made me laugh, too, because I’ve actually done the math — the real number is in the thousands. And that’s when it hit me: most smokers have no idea how many cigars they’ve actually gone through. So I figured I’d write a quick piece to lay it out.
You see, most cigar smokers describe themselves as “casual.” They say it with confidence, the way people say they “rarely” snack while standing next to an empty bag of chips. But the numbers tell a different story.
The Weekend Smoker
Two cigars on Saturday and Sunday feels modest.
That’s 104 cigars a year.
If you’ve been doing that for five years, you’ve smoked over 500 cigars.
You’re not casual. You’re consistent.
The Moderate, Three‑Times‑a‑Week Smoker
Three cigars a week doesn’t feel like anything.
But that’s 156 cigars a year.
Over a decade, that’s 1,560 cigars.
You’ve smoked more cigars than you’ve watched movies.
The Daily Smoker
One cigar a day feels normal. It’s part of the routine.
That’s 365 cigars a year.
In ten years, that’s 3,650 cigars.
At that point, you’re not a “guy who enjoys cigars.” You’re a data set.
The Heavy Smoker
This is where I land: Fifteen to twenty‑five cigars a week over the last four years.
That’s 3,120 to 5,200 cigars.
At this point, cigars aren’t milestones. They’re background noise.
The Point
Most smokers underestimate their own experience by a wide margin. They think “hundreds” sounds like a lot. It isn’t. It’s what happens when you enjoy cigars for a few years.
And now that you’ve looked at the numbers, will that slow you down? At least for me…
HELL NO.
I almost feel like I’m crossing a line by writing this. Almost. But it cracks me up when I hear people say I’m a moderate smoker. I only smoke three cigars a week. If they ever saw the actual numbers, I’d love to see the look on their face.
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