Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which are present either naturally in the tobacco and transfer into the smoke, or are formed when the tobacco is burnt. The following shows some of the more menacing.

Acetone, used as a solvent such as in nail polish remover.

Ammonia, a caustic agent used in fertilizers,dry cleaning fluids and bathrom cleaners. It is added to cigarettes to add flavour some say it is also added to make the nicotine more addictive.

Cadmium, a poisonous metal and is used to make batteries it causes liver , kidney and brain damage.

Benzen, is a clourless cyclic hydrocarbon obtained from coal and petroleum and is known to cause cancer in humans.

Carbon Monoxide, this is a odourless,colourless gas that is lethal in large doses,and in small doses can cause increased heart rate and shortness of breath,this is beause it attaches itself to the red blood cells and hinders the blood ability to carry oxygen.It is the main gas present in cigarette smoke.

Formaldehyde, a colourless,highly poisonous liquid used to preserve dead bodies. In cigarette smoke this chemical is known to cause cancer and cause respiratory,skin and gastrointesinal problems.

Tar, when you breath in cigarette smoke it condenses and leaves tar deposies in the lungs,tar is a brown treacly substance that paralyses the cilia,the hairs which protect and clean the lungs it also stains the teeth and fingernails.If you smoke 20 a day you will in efect be pouring a full cup of tar into the lungs each year.

Nicotine, is the chemical that makes a cigarette as addictive some studies suggest that it is as addictive as herion and cocaine when inhailed it takes seven seconds to reach the brain and give you a HIT in large quantites nictine is extremley poisonous 60mg of pure nicotine would kill a person if placed directly on the tongue.

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