I am more of a cigar smoker, I used to smoke a cigar every month, every other month and sometimes all month long for several months, but I was never addicted, I have gone a year or two without cigars, currently I have not had one in about five years now, give or take. I could have one any moment, they sit in my humidor, but I did try ecigs for a little bit. I'd love to have an alternative that doesn't compromise my health, but until then I'll keep my cigars.
I love cigars for various reasons, but there's no true alternative that's worth while.
I have had a pipe or another over the years, but its kind of the same thing to me, though it feels like more effort than a cigar and just more maintenance... Cigars are easy, "quick" to get going, and if you sit it in your cigar friendly ash tray they turn themselves off for whenever you want to pick them back up.
Never tried them, myself, beyond being handed a few over the years. Had a pipe for long enough to go through a few bags of tobacco. I've got an addictive personality, so I appreciated that there was a lengthy ritual just to get started. Also, I liked the feeling of the warmth in my hand, and that it smelled amazing. I don't get that from cigars, they smell terrible.
Apparently, though, you can figure out pipes well enough to just have no trouble. I've known a few old men that always seemed to have one going.
To be clear, it's 100%, definitely not good for you - but the level of harm doesn't seem to be even close to cigarettes or chewing tobacco.
The amount consumed is much less, the smoke shouldn't be entering your lungs, and if there are tons of good, "all-natural" tobacco out there without all the additives put in by cigarette companies.
It's just because cigars (and presumably pipes?) are puffed, not inhaled. You absorb nicotine through the mucus membrane in your mouth (not as much), and otherwise enjoy the flavor. The practice with cigarettes is to inhale into your lungs. You could technically puff a cigarette I guess.
People make a big deal out additives and accelerants, but the carcinogens are 99% from smoke, burning plant matter. In that respect, pure tobacco isn't meaningfully safer. That said if you "puff", that's probably safer, though still risky (mouth cancer, and you're still going to inhale some amount of smoke).
There have been calls in the Netherlands (perhaps even at the EU level) to ban filtered cigarettes, for the simple reason that they are misleading and offer no protection, but are harmful to the environment because of the non-degradable micro-plastics.
I love cigars for various reasons, but there's no true alternative that's worth while.