Why smoking is bad for you

Smoking causes cancer, heart disease and chronic lung disease and is the single most preventable cause of early death in the world.

How does smoking cause cancer?

Cigarette smoke is packed full of roughly 4000 compounds, many of which are toxic and can cause damage to our cells. Some are cancer causing. The three main ingredients of cigarette smoke are:

Nicotine is a highly addictive and very fast-acting drug. Once inhaled, it reaches the brain in less than 15 seconds. It is the key ingredient that keeps people buying cigarettes

Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odorless poisonous gas. It is taken up by the bloodstream quickly and impairs the smoker's breathing. It is also emitted by car exhausts and fires and is very dangerous in badly ventilated spaces. Inhaling too much carbon monoxide causes coma and death by asphyxiation.

Tar is a substance made of various chemicals, many of which are known to cause cancer. Around 70% of the tar in cigarettes is deposited in the smoker's lungs.

Other harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke include:

Acetone - more commonly used in nail polish remover
Ammonia - used in the dry cleaning industry
Arsenic - a deadly poison used in pest control and insecticides
Benzene - a cancer causing agent used in the production of fuel and chemicals
Cadmium - a very poisonous chemical that can cause liver, kidney and brain damage, used in batteries
Formaldehyde - a known carcinogen used to preserve dead bodies

The list of 599 additives approved by the US Government for use in the manufacture of cigarettes is something every smoker should see. Submitted by the five major American cigarette companies to the Dept. of Health and Human Services in April of 1994, this list of ingredients had long been kept a secret.