Cigarette Ingredients

There are many poisonous
ingredients in cigarettes although
the most commonly focused upon
dangers are nicotine and tar. The
reason these two are often singled
out the most is they are the leading
causes of cancer and of addiction.
Tar is the ingredient that causes
lung cancer. When a cigarette is lit
the heat causes the release of the
substances contained in the leaf.
Those enter the lungs in the smoke.
The tar attaches itself to the
sensitive linings of the lungs killing
the tissue. It also deadens the small
hairs that line the throat and move
impurities up away from the lungs.
Because this function is decreased
more irritants are able to lodge in
the lungs making COPD (chronic
obstructive pulmonary diseases)
more acute.
Nicotine is the drug contained in
the tobacco plant that is addictive.
Many people think nicotine is simply
addictive and does not have the
physical dangers the other elements
of a cigarette has but it is an
extremely poisonous drug that in its
purest form would kill from a single
drop on the tongue. Another of the
chemical effects of cigarette smoke is
carbon monoxide. This 'anti-oxygen'
causes severe damage to the lungs
as they attempt to find oxygen in
the air taken into the lungs and
occurs when the smoker lights the
cigarette.
Lesser known chemicals contained in
cigarettes are:
o Benzene which can cause
leukemia.
o Formaldehyde commonly used as
an embalming fluid and is very
poisonous.
o Ammonia used as a flavoring that
aids in the release of nicotine from
the product.
o Acetone a common ingredient in
nail polish remover.
o Arsenic usually found in rat
poison.
o And Hydrogen Cyanide used in gas
chambers.
o Sulfuric acid often found in car
batteries.
o Maltitol a sweetener the USDA
does not allow for food use.
All of these ingredients are harmful
to your health, and if you were
offered them in their pure form, you
would laugh and say no. But when
disguised in a cigarette, you can't
wait to get it into your body. Quit
Smoking Today
Many of these chemicals are used
simply to keep the cigarette lit and
have nothing to do with taste or
pleasure. While none of these
chemicals are the leading causes of
cancers associated with smoking they
all have either harmful, or deadly
capabilities and only add to the
shortened lifespan of smokers and
can also contribute to several forms
of cancer.