Thats not exactly true
"In its ionized state, such as in acidic environments, nicotine does not rapidly cross membranes. The pH of smoke from flue-cured tobaccos, found in most cigarettes, is acidic (pH 5.5–6.0). At this pH, nicotine is primarily ionized. As a consequence, there is little buccal absorption of nicotine from flue-cured tobacco smoke, even when it is held in the mouth (
Gori et al. 1986). Smoke from air-cured tobaccos, the predominant tobacco used in pipes, cigars, and some European cigarettes, is more alkaline (pH 6.5 or higher) and, considerable nicotine is unionized. Smoke from these products is well absorbed through the mouth (
Armitage et al. 1978). It has recently been proposed that the pH of cigarette smoke particulate matter is higher than previously thought, and thus, a larger portion of nicotine would be in the unionized form, facilitating rapid pulmonary absorption (
Pankow 2001).
When tobacco smoke reaches the small airways and alveoli of the lung, nicotine is rapidly absorbed. Blood concentrations of nicotine rise quickly during a smoke and peak at the completion of smoking (
Fig. 2). The rapid absorption of nicotine from cigarette smoke through the lungs, presumably because of the huge surface area of the alveoli and small airways, and dissolution of nicotine in the fluid of pH 7.4 in the human lung facilitate transfer across membranes. After a puff, high levels of nicotine reach the brain in 10–20 s, faster than with intravenous administration, producing rapid behavioral reinforcement (
Benowitz 1990). The rapidity of rise in nicotine levels permits the smoker to titrate the level of nicotine and related effects during smoking, and makes smoking the most reinforcing and dependence-producing form of nicotine administration (
Henningfield and Keenan 1993)."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953858/
Cigars are one off the least processed of the major tobacco products (generally) also the nicotine content in cigars is sinficantly higher higher than cigarettes (generally)