How Cigarrettes Kill

What makes smoking dangerous? What chemicals found in cigarettes that make smoking a deadly habit?

Cigarettes are made of dried tobacco leaves, which contain over 4,000 chemicals, including ingredients that are added for flavor. Of this figure are 60 known carcinogens or cancer-causing substances. Furthermore, tobacco and tobacco smoke co-carcinogens that do not lead to cancer but may accelerate its growth.

"There are hundreds of substances added to cigarettes by manufacturers to improve the flavor or make smoking more enjoyable. Some of the compounds contained in tobacco smoke include ammonia, tar and carbon monoxide. Exactly what affects these substances in cigarette smoke health is unknown but there is no evidence that lowering tar content of a cigarette improves the health risk? Manufacturers usually does not give information to the public on the additives used in cigarettes, so it's hard to know the health risks, "revealed the American Cancer Society (ACS).

A chemical found in cigarettes, which we know is nicotine, a powerful poison and an addicting drug that quickly spread throughout the body. Nicotine is the reason why many people have difficulty quitting smoking. The U.S. Surgeon General said the nicotine equivalent to dependence on other substances such as 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 these factors make smoking a hard habit to break, "according to ACS.

A 70 milligram injection of nicotine can kill you. Cigarettes contain about 0.5 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 breathe 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 in cigarette package label. The actual amount of nicotine available to the smoker in a particular brand of cigarettes is often different from the level reported to the FTC. In a regular cigarette smoker, the average amount of nicotine will vary between about 1 mg and 2 mg, "ACS said.

What are harmful effects of smoking? How is this bad habit affects your body and shorten your life? Find out in the third part of this series.

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