Effects of smoking

Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, many of which are highly poisonous. Check out the list of just some of the chemicals and their everyday uses:

• Acetone - Paint stripper
• Arsenic - Ant killer
• Radon Radioactive gas
• Ammonia - Cleaning agent
• Hydrogen cyanide - Poison used in gas chambers
• Formaldehyde - Fluid used to preserve dead bodies
• Nicotine - Pesticide
• Tar - it is a brown sticky substance that contains many poisonous chemicals that can cause cancers. Tar builds up in the lungs and damages the small hairs (called cilia) which clean the lungs. Tar is also an irritant that causes coughing and chronic chest problems.
• Carbon Monoxide [toxic gas formed by the incomplete burning of carbon] it is a gas that doesn't have any smell and can't be seen, not only found in cigarette smoke but also in vehicle exhaust fumes and faulty gas appliances. Carbon monoxide stops the blood taking oxygen from the lungs. Reduced oxygen levels mean that people have less energy, shortness of breath and tiredness. If a smoker is pregnant, her baby may not get enough oxygen for healthy growth, potentially resulting in early birth and/or low-birth weight baby amongst other health problems.

Low tar cigarettes - the truth!

• Low tar cigarettes – better or worse??? Many smokers believe that switching to a low-tar cigarette (lights or ultras) is healthier – IT’S NOT!!! Tobacco companies add high levels of ammonia to low-tar cigarettes so that nicotine hits the brain quicker. Not only does this maintain the smokers’ addiction, it also misleads them into believing that low-tar cigarettes are a ‘healthy option’!
• The other down-side to smoking low-tar cigarettes is that smokers used to a certain level of nicotine, switching to a low-tar brand, are likely to make up for by dragging deeper on their cigarettes to satisfy their craving.
• ‘Roll-ups’ [hand-rolled cigarettes] have the same harmful effects as standard cigarettes, cigars and pipes and produce higher levels of carbon monoxide. Smokers who switch from cigarettes to pipes/cigars tend to drag more deeply and more frequently.

Ref: Want to cut smoking out? Support 2006