The main tobacco additives are sugars, which are also present naturally, and moisturising agents. Others include preservatives and numerous flavourings, including cocoa, liquorice, menthol and lactic acid.
Some of the chemicals found in tobacco smoke include:Nicotine (the addictive drug that produces the effects in the brain that people are looking for)Hydrogen cyanide.Formaldehyde.Lead.Arsenic.Ammonia.Radioactive elements, such as polonium-210 (see below)Benzene.More items...•
Tobacco smoke contains:nicotine.carbon monoxide.tar.toxic chemicals such as benzene, arsenic and formaldehyde.
Fact: There are more than 7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. More than 70 of those chemicals are linked to cancer.
Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical found in the tobacco plant itself and is therefore present in all tobacco products.
The chemical constituents of cigarettes include:Nicotine. Nicotine is a colourless, poisonous alkaloid derived from the tobacco plant. ... Tar. 'Tar' is the term used to describe the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes. ... Carbon monoxide. ... Arsenic. ... Ammonia. ... Acetone. ... Toluene. ... Methylamine.More items...
Of the more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 250 are known to be harmful, including hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia (1, 2, 5).
Tar is the name for the resinous, partially combusted particulate matter made by the burning of tobacco and other plant material in the act of smoking. Tar is toxic and damages the smoker's lungs over time through various biochemical and mechanical processes.
One way the tobacco industry has manipulated cigarettes to increase addictiveness is by loading cigarettes with chemical compounds. Bronchodilators were added so that tobacco smoke can more easily enter the lungs. Sugars, flavors and menthol were increased to dull the harshness of smoke and make it easier to inhale.