Smoking anything is a health risk, period. Smoke is bad for you, period. If you want to smoke, you have to come to terms with that.

That being said, cigar smoking habits tend to be less addictive than cigarrettes. This has to do with innumerable differences like frequency of smoking, inhaling, etc. Since cigar smoke isn't inhaled, it poses far less of a lung cancer and emphysema risk. But, since there is more tobacco, the tobacco is fermented, the smoke is unfiltered, and the contact time in the mouth is greatly increased, the risks for mouth and throat type cancers is greatly increased.

Don't think that it's impossible to become addicted to cigars or get cancer from them. It's very possible. If you want to smoke, simply smoke in moderation. In other words, don't smoke 5 a day, every day. I smoke about three or four a week. I make it a special occasion thing, like drinking alcoholic beverages. This also helps keep the cost reasonable.