Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : August 6, 2013 11:36 AM IST
May 31 is World No Tobacco Day.
All our life we've been told that smoking's bad; that it causes cancer, heart disease among other problems but do you know how? The main addictive ingredient in cigarette is nicotine which makes it so hard to quit. However, nicotine is not the only ingredient cigarettes contains more than 4000 chemicals of which 40 are known carcinogens and 400 more are toxic to a certain degree. Here some chemicals present in cigarettes that harm the human body:
Benzene
It is a chemical compound which is present in crude oil and is one of the most basic petrochemicals, commonly used in pesticides and gasoline. It is a known carcinogen, most likely to cause leukaemia (blood cancer) in humans. 50% of benzene exposure is caused due to smoking. Prolonged exposure can also lead to anaemia, genetic damage and excessive bleeding.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a chemical used to preserve dead bodies because it's a disinfectant that kills all microbes. It's responsible for eye irritation and coughing problems, people experience when someone is smoking in the vicinity.
Tar
It's a collective term used to describe the particulate matter produced by the burning of tobacco. The cocktail of chemicals that it contains are all capable of causing a cancer. It's the sticky and brown residue that stains a smoker's teeth, finger and even lungs. Many people believe that it's the only harmful ingredient in cigarettes and this is why most companies have started selling low-tar or 'mild' or 'light' varieties of cigarettes. There's this false impression among people that these light cigarettes are less dangerous, a belief that is erroneous. Also even if the tar content is low, other toxic chemicals are present as gases.
Arsenic
One of the most dangerous compounds around it can cause cancer as well as damage the heart and its blood vessels. Over time, it accumulates in smokers' bodies. Other than the aforementioned effects, it worsens the effect of other chemicals by interfering with our system's ability to repair our DNA.
Cadmium
A metal used mostly to make batteries, our body gets a lot of cadmium from tobacco smoke. The toxic metal is a known cause of cancer, can also damage the kidneys and the linings of the arteries. Normally, our system is geared to expel such toxins from the system but the quantity from cigarettes can overload our system.
Chromium
Used to make metallic alloys, dyes and paints and wood preservatives and is known to cause lung cancer. It also allows other carcinogens to stick to the DNA and damage it.
Hydrogen Cyanide
An extremely poisonous gas it does a great deal of damage to the heart and blood vessels. While it doesn't cause cancer directly, it does increase the risk of other chemicals causing cancer by damaging cilia tiny hair like substances that line the airways and help to clear toxins away. By destroying cilia, the body becomes more prone to other toxins entering the airway and the lungs more vulnerable.
Carbon Monoxide
A colourless odourless gas it makes up 3-5% of tobacco smoke. It sticks to our red blood cells instead of oxygen, lowering the amount of oxygen actually transferred and deprives our tissues and organs of the vital gas.
Nitrogen Oxide
A gas found in car exhaust, it's a major air pollutant and damages lung tissue and causes inflammation of the lungs. Normally, our bodies produce small amounts to help our airway expands but the excess amount in cigarette smoke makes it airways expand even further making it easier for our lungs absorb nicotine and other chemicals. When we're not smoking, the internal nitrogen oxide production line shuts down and this is why regular smokers have difficulty breathing.
Ammonia
This one will remind you of the foul smell from chemistry labs. The chemical is commonly used as a toilet cleaner and some studies have shown that enhances the addictive nature of nicotine. It converts nicotine into a gas making it more easily absorbable into the lungs, airways and bloodstream. Like carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide it also damages cilia.
So we can see that cigarettes contain a plethora of dangerous substances that's there in the white stick, it's time you decided to kick the butt. There are no excuses left. Here are various techniques to kick the butt.
