The smoking is dangerous not only because it is addictive and people develop dependency and the need to smoke. It is also dangerous because the cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals. Many of those chemicals are toxic and some are known to cause cancer.

Some of the chemicals are ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and pesticides. The full list of chemicals that are found in cigarette smoke can be found at the Arizona Smokers’ Helpline web site (http://www.ashline.org/cigarette_smoke.html).

Ammonia is the gas with the very sharp odor. It is very irritating to the skin, eyes, lungs, and other parts of the human body. The reason why ammonia is added to cigarettes is because it improves the absorption of nicotine; it basically boosts the impact of nicotine on the smoker.

Benzene is a chemical that has been identified as a chemical that causes leukemia. Benzene is used in the manufacturing process; it is one of the most widely used chemicals in production in the United States.

Carbon monoxide is a chemical that is produced as a result of incomplete burning of fuels that contain carbon. Carbon monoxide’s effect on the human body is such that it reduces the blood’s ability to absorb and carry oxygen.

Formaldehyde is another chemical that is proven to cause cancer. When a smoker is exposed to the increased concentration of formaldehyde, he/she may experience burning sensations of the nose, throat, and eyes, may become nauseated, start coughing, and etc.

Hydrogen cyanide is a byproduct of cigarette burning. It is a very dangerous chemical known to cause headache, dizziness, nausea, and etc. when inhaled in small quantities. If inhaled in larger quantities hydrogen cyanide can be the cause for irregular heartbeats, fainting, and even death.

Among other chemicals, cigarette smoke contains pesticides. Pesticides are very toxic and for that reason are used to kill insects. It has been discovered that cigarette smoke contains three different pesticides.

Cigarettes are classified by the amount of toxic chemicals in milligrams per cigarette. There is a term used to describe the toxic chemicals in found in cigarettes: tar. The low-tar cigarettes contain less than 7 milligrams of toxic chemicals. Medium tar cigarettes contain from 15 to 21 milligrams of toxic chemicals, and the high tar cigarettes contain more than 22 milligrams of toxic chemicals. The cigarette filter does not stop most of the chemicals and they find their way into the lungs of the smoker. Thus the lungs are exposed to the risks of the multitude of smoking related illnesses.

You can find a number of good manuals on how to stop smoking and deal with other addictions on the ProvenToWork.com Web site.

1. What ever happened to some good old fashioned tobacco? I miss those good old days.

   Posted by Alex Vega | October 31, 2007, 12:35 am