Chemicals Contained in a Cigarette

The chemicals contained in a cigarette, are some of the most poisonous ever known to mankind. Cigarette smoking is, getting addicted to poison and getting slowly killed in the process. You have a feeling that the smoke gives you a high, but actually you are sinking with every puff of a smoke in your lungs. It is a sad, but it's a fact. Many boys and girls start smoking as they like aping the movie stars who have made it a glamorous and 'cool' thing. Have no illusions, cigarette smoking has been proven to cause 'Lung Cancer' and other types of Cancer. Suffering from cancer is the last thing you want to do and it's not at all cool. Our noses and mouths were not meant to be smoke chimneys. They were meant for breathing fresh clean air which gives you the ultimate high.

When a cigarette starts burning, very harmful chemicals are created through oxidation. Cigarette smoke is one the deadliest poisonous concoctions, ever made. It is more harmful, than even automobile pollution. Let us have a look at the chemicals contained in a cigarette and what effects they have on the human body. All chemicals in cigarettes cannot be listed here, as they number in thousands. Effect of Smoking is literally torture and abuse of the human body. Here you will find a list of the most important ingredients of a cigarette and the deadliest cigarette smoke chemicals.

List of Chemicals in a Cigarette and Cigarette Smoke

Nicotine: This is the prime ingredient and also the root cause of smoking addiction in humans. Nicotine is contained in the tobacco leaves, from which cigarettes are manufactured. It mixes with the blood and bypasses the blood-brain barrier. Therefore it's true that nicotine, inhaled in small amounts, stimulates the brain. It also indeed acts as a pain killer and stress buster. However, if inhaled in large quantities, it has the opposite effect. It acts as a severe depressant causing a slow down of nerve signal transmission.

If consumed in even greater amounts, it acts as a poison. It basically raises blood pressure and causes the contraction of blood vessels. It also causes the release of the body's store of cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease. It also increases the possibility of a stroke. In short, it does give you a high and relieves your stress temporarily, but it creates new stresses in your system. You become dependent on it and smoking becomes an addiction. Smoking cigarettes ultimately doesn't relieve stress, it creates more.

Tar: Tar is a particulate matter of the cigarette which is deposited in the lungs causing problems in the respiratory system. A chain smoker's lungs are totally blackened, instead of being pinkish white which is its natural color. The blackening, is due to this tar deposition. Smoking turns your lungs into a carbon dump.

Lead, Cadmium and Nickel These metals are also contained in trace amounts in cigarettes. Nickel is known to cause respiratory problems in smokers and Cadmium is carcinogenic. Lead is another poisonous substance found in cigarette smoke.

Benzene: Benzene (C₆H₆) is contained in cigarette smoke and is a colorless hydrocarbon. Its primary use is as a solvent in chemical manufacture. It is a known carcinogen. Carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer. Benzene is known to contribute to a type of cancer called leukemia.

Formaldehyde: This is a very poisonous substance which is used in preservation of dead bodies and is contained in cigarette smoke. It is a known carcinogenic. It also causes stomach problems as well as respiratory problems.

Ammonia: Ammonia, normally used as a toilet cleaner and an ingredient of dry cleaning fluid is also contained in cigarette smoke. It is used in the cigarette for flavoring and smooth release of gaseous form of nicotine.

Carbon Monoxide: A product of incomplete combustion,contained in cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide, is a highly poisonous gas which combines with the hemoglobin in the blood and reduces oxygen supply. This is the reason why addicted smokers have weaker lungs and fall short of breath, too soon. Twenty some things, who start heavy smoking, find it difficult to scale a small mountain as their lungs just can't supply enough oxygen. Their lung oxygen intake capacity and its distribution through the blood is compromised.

Arsenic: Arsenic contained in cigarette smoke is a very harmful chemical. In fact it is used as rat poison.

Acetone: Normally used as a nail polish remover, Acetone is contained in cigarette smoke .

Besides these chemicals, cigarette smoke also contains trace amounts of Arsenic and Hydrogen cyanide, which are highly harmful and toxic chemicals.

In all, the chemicals in a cigarette are around 4000. Out of these substances, 43 are proven carcinogenic agents. Besides these, the cigarette smoke chemicals have 400 toxins. As you can see, a burning cigarette is a veritable toxin and carcinogen factory. A smoker should think before he exposes himself and other people to such toxins.

Say 'No' to Cigarettes, say 'Yes' to Life

There are a lot more things in life that can give you a high. Life itself is beautiful enough to give you a high. Go mountaineering, listen to music, go work out, go for a swim or do anything that you enjoy and which acts as a stress buster for you.

The thing about cigarette smoking is that people take to it to relieve stress or sometimes just for glamor. It only relieves stress temporarily but in the long term, the chemicals contained in it only cause more stress and health problems. If you are a smoker, remember this list of chemicals and understand what you are subjecting your beautiful body to. Smoking is really not worth it. Period. Everyone of us is going to die someday anyway, why hasten the call of death? What is the hurry?