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   Home Page> Why Quit? >Harmful Chemicals in Cigarettes

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. At least 400 are poisonous and more than 50 are cancer-causing.

The main components of tobacco smoke are:


Tar is a black and sticky residue used to cover road surfaces. It clogs up the lungs and causes lung cancer. It contains many cancer-causing substances such as:

- Benzo(a)pyrene:
found in emissions from burned plant and petroleum products		 - Cadmium:
a poisonous chemical that can cause liver, kidney and brain damage, commonly found in car batteries
- B-napthylamine:
used in the manufacture of dyes, condensation colours and rubber 		- Nitrosamine: found in harsh detergents; commonly used as an engine degreaser


Nicotine is a powerful and addictive drug. It acts as a stimulant, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to soar. It increases the stickiness of blood and decrease the diameter of blood vessels, increasing the risk of stroke and heart attacks.


This is the same gas found in car exhaust smoke. Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue of oxygen, making your heart work harder. This can cause heart attacks or stroke. Over time, your airways swell up and let less air into your lungs. This is why smokers suffer from shortness of breath and lack of stamina.


  • Other harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke
  • More cancer-causing chemicals in cigarettes
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