Tobacco may no longer be as important to the North Carolina economy as it once was, but plenty of people still smoke cigarettes or like to enjoy a good cigar. Cigars, like cigarettes and chewing tobacco, have been scientifically proven to be bad for your health. You can still purchase a life insurance policy if you smoke, but your rates will almost certainly be higher than if you did not smoke.

It is often the case that you will need to undergo a physical exam before you can buy a policy that insures your life. The exam can be as simple as a nurse coming out to your house to check your weight, blood pressure and other vital signs. You might also be sent to a facility to have blood drawn and to give a urine sample. The insurance company wants more than your word to determine your general health before they approve your application for a policy.

Insurance companies want to know as much about you as they can before they insure your life. They want to know if you engage in risky behavior like sky-diving or swimming with the sharks. They want to know if you smoke cigars because that can lead to cancer, emphysema, or other life-shortening diseases. Whether you are buying a term-life or whole-life policy, insurance companies make money the longer the insured lives.

If you are young and in excellent physical condition, smoking an occasional cigar will probably not raise your life insurance rates. When the results of your urine test are received by the insurance company, they will see how much nicotine you have in your system. If you only smoke cigars for special occasions like the birth of a baby, you probably will be below the tolerance set for nicotine.

While smoking a cigar is still legal and your own personal choice, if you want to keep your life insurance rates down, you may also need to put down your cigar. Contact us today to learn more about what might affect your life insurance rates.