What is cigarette smoke composed of and how harmful are the ingredients?
Tobacco smoke contains a number of harmful compounds that also result from burning of cigarette wrapping and various flavour-enhancing additives. The most dangerous of these ingredients is tar, which includes more than 43 carcinogenic chemicals and numerous other hazardous compounds which can cause respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and other disabling conditions. A surprising array of dangerous chemicals found in cigarette smoke include methanol, benzene, nitrogen oxide, ammonia , formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and even cyanide. And, of course, a substantial part of tobacco smoke in nicotine, a toxic and highly addictive chemical that harms the smoker’s health.
