Ingredients in Cigarettes
By: Mary Mamone, Lia Mascia, Brady Kaucic
Overview
-When burned, create 7000+ chemicals
-69 chemicals are proven to cause cancer
-Many are also poisonous
Nicotine
-Commonly used in insecticides
-Addictive ingredient in cigarettes
-Causes headaches, nausea, and increased blood pressure
Arsenic
-A toxic metal
-Used in rat poison, wood preservatives, and insecticides
-Causes headaches, weakness, diarrhea, or even death from organ failure in large doses
Formaldehyde
-Embalming fluid (preserves dead bodies)
-Causes cancer, especially lung cancer
-Banned in many countries around the world
Acetone
-Used in nail polish remover and paint thinner
-Causes damage to respiratory track
Cadmium
-Used in batteries
-Causes cancer, especially lung and prostate
-Smoking is the main cause of cadmium exposures
Ammonia
-Used in cleaning products
-Allows for faster delivery of nicotine to brain
-Said to improve the flavor and texture of tobacco
Benzene
-Used in rubber, cement, gasoline, and crude oil
-Causes cancers, specifically leukemia
Hydrogen Cyanide
-Poison used in gas chambers
-Causes cell death in body
Lead
-Used in batteries
-Toxic metal
-Causes kidney, blood, and brain disorders
Napthalene
-Used in moth balls
-Causes cataracts and damages red blood cells
Works Cited
"Chemicals in Cigarettes." Cigarette Ingredients - Chemicals in Cigarettes. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.tricountycessation.org/tobaccofacts/Cigarette-Ingredients.html>.
"What's in a Cigarette?" American Lung Association. American Lung Association, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/facts-figures/whats-in-a-cigarette.html>.
"What's In a Cigarette." Quit Smoking Support. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/whatsinit.htm>.