What are the ingredients in cigarettes and how are they harmful to your body?

Most know that smoking cigarettes is harmful to your body. But what exactly are the ingredients in cigarettes. According to Answers, "Cigarettes offer over 4,000 different chemicals that wreak havoc on your lungs and every other organ in your body. While it is true that many individuals live to be very old and never experience the harmful effects of smoking, be certain that your health is severely compromised each time you light up. These chemicals act as poison in your body, destroying vital processes and leaving you looking and feeling less than optimally healthy". A few ingredients in cigarettes include but are not limited to: tar, arsenic, acetone, ammonia, carbon monoxide, cadmium and formaldehyde. According to Answers:

Tar-  is the most widely known chemical present in cigarettes. Tar is nothing more than a collection of solid particles that are inhaled with each puff of a cigarette. These particles coalesce, forming a sticky, brown paste that lines the inside of your lungs and airways. This is also the substance that stains your teeth and fingers brown.

Arsenic- is a powerful poison and is present in every brand of cigarettes. This chemical invades your body in a gaseous form and builds up concentrations over years and years of smoking. Arsenic actually disables your body from repairing its own DNA, resulting in a higher likelihood of developing a devastating disease. Arsenic is especially harmful to your heart and blood vessels.

Acetone- is a colorless, flammable and mobile liquid. It is a common building block in organic chemistry. Acetone is commonly used in paint thinner and nail-polish remover. This chemical is considered to be toxic and, if exposed to your body, causes irritation to your eyes, skin and lungs.

Ammonia- is often found in household cleaners. Ammonia is one of the most produced chemicals in the United States. Ammonia is a colorless and highly irritating gas with a very intense odor. If ammonia enters your body, it reacts with water to produce ammonium hydroxide. Ammonium hydroxide is highly corrosive and causes damage to cells in your body.

Carbon monoxide- is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. It is incredibly toxic to humans and animals when encountered in high concentrations. Carbon monoxide affects you whether you smoke a cigarette or inhale the cigarette smoke.

Cadmium-  is a metal that is used to make batteries. For smokers, this poison builds up in your body and causes damage to your kidneys and arteries. Most individuals have smaller levels of cadmium present in the body as a result of exposure to tobacco smoke and other air-pollutants, but the levels found in a smoker's body are double that of non-smokers.

Formaldehyde- is one of the most deadly poisons found in cigarettes. It is believed that even second-hand exposure to cigarettes causes enough formaldehyde to be delivered to the airways to increase your risk of developing cancer. Formaldehyde is a chemical that is used to preserve dead bodies and kill bacteria. Concentrations of this chemical build up in the body over time causing irreparable damage.

As you can see, smoking destroys not only your lungs, but also your kidneys, arteries, and other parts of your body. Smoking can cause irreversible damage. Next time you pick up a cigarette, think twice.

References:

"An Explanation of the Most Harmful Ingredients in Cigarettes." Answers. N.p.,
     n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://smoking.answers.com/
     diseases-caused-by-smoking/
     an-explanation-of-the-most-harmful-ingredients-in-cigarettes>. 

 "What Are the Harmful Ingredients in Cigarettes." Answers. N.p., n.d. Web. 25
     Nov. 2013. <http://smoking.answers.com/ingredients/
     what-are-the-harmful-ingredients-in-cigarettes>.

Rachael S.W.