Risk perception and cigar smoking behavior.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the cigar smoking perceptions and behaviors of US adults.

METHODS

A national sample of 1,012 adults was interviewed by telephone.

RESULTS

Current cigar smokers differed from nonsmokers in perceptions of personal risk for cancer and views about cigar smoking as a cancer cause. Both groups showed substantial acceptance of the glamorized image of cigarsmokers.

CONCLUSION

Although recognizing smoking as a cancer cause in general, cigar smokers tended to show a self-exempting "optimistic bias" with regard to perceptions of their own risks.