What makes smoking dangerous? What chemicals are found in cigarettes that
make smoking a deadly habit?
Cigarettes are made from dried tobacco leaves
that contain over 4,000 chemicals including ingredients that are added for
flavor. Of that number, 60 are known carcinogens or cancer-causing agents. In
addition, tobacco and tobacco smoke have co-carcinogens that don't lead to
cancer but can accelerate its growth.
"There are hundreds of substances
added to cigarettes by manufacturers to enhance the flavor or to make the
smoking experience more pleasant. Some of the compounds found in tobacco smoke
include ammonia, tar, and carbon monoxide. Exactly what effects these substances
have on the cigarette smoker's health is unknown, but there is no evidence that
lowering the tar content of a cigarette improves the health risk. Manufacturers
do not usually give out information to the public about the additives used in
cigarettes, so it is hard to know the health risks," revealed the American
Cancer Society (ACS).
One chemical found in cigarettes that we do know is
nicotine, a powerful poison and an addicting drug that quickly spreads
throughout the body. Nicotine is the reason why many people find it difficult to
quit smoking. The US Surgeon General said nicotine addiction is similar to
addiction to other drugs like heroin and cocaine.
"Although 70 percent of
smokers want to quit and more than 40 percent try to quit each year, fewer than
5 percent succeed. This is because smokers not only become physically addicted
to nicotine; there is a strong emotional (psychological) aspect and they often
link smoking with many social activities. All of these factors make smoking a
hard habit to break nuts e
juice," according to the ACS.
A 70 milligram-injec¬tion of nicotine can
kill you. Cigarettes contain about 0 best
menthol e juice.5 to 2 milligrams (mg) of nicotine depending on how the
tobacco was cured. How much of this is absorbed by smokers depends on the way
they smoke.
If they inhale tobacco, they can absorb as much as 90 percent of
this poison. This can affect their nervous system, brain and heart rate.
"Tobacco companies are required by law to report nicotine levels in
cigarettes to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but in most states they are
not required to show the amount of nicotine on the cigarette package label. The
actual amount of nicotine available to the smoker in a given brand of cigarettes
is often different from the level reported to the FTC. In one regular cigarette,
the average amount of nicotine the smoker gets ranges between about 1 mg and 2
mg," the ACS said.
What are the ill effects of smoking? How does this bad
habit affect your body and shorten your life? Find out in the third part of this
series.
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