Cigarette: The Stick of Deadly Chemicals

Cigarette: The Stick of Deadly Chemicals

Did you think that cigarette is made up of just dried tobacco? 

If yes, then sadly, it’s time for a wake-up call!

Cigarettes are also laced up with a lot of harmful toxins and 70 chemicals which have proven to cause cancer (Carcinogens). Let’s get to know about these chemicals and the impact which it makes in our body. 

• Formaldehyde

A chemical used to preserve dead bodies, it is used in gaseous form in cigarettes which causes eye irritation and coughing when someone is smoking near us. It is a known Carcinogen.

• Arsenic

Found in rat poison, Arsenic is a chemical traced in pesticides which is used during tobacco farming. Arsenic keeps getting stored in the body and is dangerous for the heart and blood vessels. 

• Ammonia

Earlier used as a toilet cleaner, Ammonia is added to cigarettes because when mixed with nicotine, it hits the lungs and blood vessels easily. It damages the cilia, a layer of cells which protects our lungs from impurities.

• Cadmium

A chemical used to make car batteries, is found in a good amount in tobacco. It damages the kidneys and destroys the wall lining of our arteries. 

• Nicotine

A popular chemical associated with smoking, Nicotine is poisonous, highly addictive and affects the functioning of the brain.  

• Carbon Monoxide

A known pollutant, CO is released in the atmosphere from vehicles, industries and even cigarettes. Breathing in Carbon Monoxide reduces the blood’s potential to carry oxygen in the body. It can be fatal. 

• Nitrogen Oxide

Another air pollutant, NO affects the tissues of the lungs and is the main cause for shortness of breath amongst smokers. It helps other harmful chemicals to enter the lungs easily.

• Tar

Remember the ad that plays before the movies? Tar is the same component used to build roads, Tar is a combined produce of what is left over after smoking, in the body. A sticky brown residue, it causes yellowing of teeth, and leaves tar stains in the fingers and lungs too.

• Hydrogen Cyanide 

An extremely dangerous chemical, it also damages cilia, making it prone to other risks of diseases, including Cancer. In concentrated form, HCN is fatal.

• Benzene

A widely used and produced chemical, Benzene is made from Crude oil. It is a Carcinogen and induces risk of Leukaemia (Blood Cancer). Absorption of benzene for long can result in genetic disorders, anaemia and excessive bleeding.

It is never too late to quit. Think about the damages to your body, and control the urges. If you are having difficulty, join a self-help group or talk to your doctor regarding non-medicinal ways of quitting cigarettes.