How cigars and cigarillos are counted

What are cigars and cigarillos?

Most cigars are made mainly of one type of tobacco and have a tobacco wrapper, and they can vary in size and shape (US National Cancer Institute). FAQ 8 describes cigarillos as “a small, thin type of cigar such as a Hamlet or Cafe Creme”.

How does the calculator count them?

• One cigar counts as 4 cigarettes.
• One cigarillo counts as 2 cigarettes.
• Both are entered as a number a day, with the number of years.

The original calculator had a single row for “Cigars or spliffs”. Version 2 asks about cigars and spliffs separately; both still count as 4. See spliffs and cannabis.

Where do the figures come from?

They are among the conversion figures taught at the National Respiratory Training Centre at Warwick, England. The References page says: “This is not an exact science and approximations have been made, for example a cigarillo is 2 cigarettes and a cigar is 4 cigarettes.” The original work behind these figures could not be found, but the authors kept them because large numbers of practice nurses had been trained using them.

Two further sources, listed on the References page, were used to check that the figures were close to those of others working in this area.

How do I enter cigars and cigarillos?

1. In the calculator, on “What have you smoked?”, tick Cigars, Cigarillos or both, and anything else you smoked regularly.
2. Each type has its own step, for example “How many cigars a day, and for how many years?”
3. Enter the number a day and the number of years. Use a decimal point for part years, for example 2.5.
4. If the amount changed, choose Add another period and enter each amount with its own years.

What do 3 cigars a day for 10 years come to?

Take someone who smoked 3 cigars a day for 10 years and, at another time, 5 cigarillos a day for 8 years.

The calculator shows 10 pack years, and its breakdown shows 6 for cigars and 4 for cigarillos.

What are the limits?

Every cigar counts as 4 cigarettes and every cigarillo as 2, whatever their size; the calculator does not ask about size. The References page describes the figures as approximations.

Pack years are a record of past smoking, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your health, speak to your GP practice or use NHS 111. See how the calculation works for the full method.