There are over 4000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Most of these are poisonous and some are known to cause cancer. So, take a deep breath and find out what's inside a cigarette.
Nicotine
The damage to health may be caused by the tar and poisonous chemicals, but it's the nicotine in tobacco which smokers can grow to depend upon.
Tar
Ciggie smoke condenses when it's inhaled. This is a bit like watching droplets form upon the ceiling above a boiling kettle. The end result with smoking, however, is a whole lot more black and sticky.
Carbon monoxide
This is a poisonous gas found in high concentration in cigarette smoke, not to mention the stuff which coughs out of car exhaust pipes. Once inside the lungs, the carbon atoms grab any passing haemoglobin (the oxygen forming substance found in the blood) and basically take a joy ride around the body.
Butane
Lighter fuel
Ammonia
Cleaning products
Acetone
Nail Varnish Remover
Arcenic
Rat Poison
Hydrogen Cyanide
Poison used on death row
Radon
Radioactive gas
Cadmium
Batteries
Formaldehyde
Used to pickle dead bodies
Methanol
Rocket Fuel
Nicotine
The damage to health may be caused by the tar and poisonous chemicals, but it's the nicotine in tobacco which smokers can grow to depend upon.
Tar
Ciggie smoke condenses when it's inhaled. This is a bit like watching droplets form upon the ceiling above a boiling kettle. The end result with smoking, however, is a whole lot more black and sticky.
Carbon monoxide
This is a poisonous gas found in high concentration in cigarette smoke, not to mention the stuff which coughs out of car exhaust pipes. Once inside the lungs, the carbon atoms grab any passing haemoglobin (the oxygen forming substance found in the blood) and basically take a joy ride around the body.
Butane
Lighter fuel
Ammonia
Cleaning products
Acetone
Nail Varnish Remover
Arcenic
Rat Poison
Hydrogen Cyanide
Poison used on death row
Radon
Radioactive gas
Cadmium
Batteries
Formaldehyde
Used to pickle dead bodies
Methanol
Rocket Fuel
