Knowing tobacco

華州華人防癌互助協會 Washington State Chinese Cancer Network Association, P.O. Box 15425, Seattle, WA 98115. Phone (206) 850-5914

Tobacco includes cigarettes, cigars, and betel nuts. It is dangerously addictive and includes many chemicals that are poisonous to health. Nicotine is one of them, and because it is such a highly addictive substance, quitting tobacco may not be easy, especially if you have smoked for many years. According to medical findings, it is easier to become addicted to tobacco than to heroine.

	The toxic chemicals in tobacco
	The path to nicotine addiction
	The harm of carbon monoxide

The toxic chemicals in tobacco

Every year in the United States, 400,000 people die from tobacco related diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. And smoking is also the most preventable cause of death at a young age.

More than 4000 chemicals are found in tobacco, and over 60 of those chemicals are known to cause cancer. The following table shows some of these toxic chemicals and the other products in which they can be found.

Acetone: used in nail polish remover	Benzene: used in pesticides and gasoline
Ammonia: used in cleaning solutions	Butane: used in cigarette lighters
Arsenic: used in rat poison	Formaldehyde: used in cadaver preservatives
Lead: used in batteries	Tar: used in pavements/roads

The path to nicotine addiction

This is how a smoker becomes addicted: The first cigarette is “just for fun.” Gradually smoking becomes a habit. Eventually it becomes a habit that is difficult to break. The following lists some factors explaining why many smokers get hooked and find it difficult to quit.

Physical	Nicotine in tobacco changes functions of the brain and affects the body, causing the smoker to feel more energetic and alert. However, when the smoker stops smoke, the nicotine level in the blood decreases. The smoker feels tired and anxious, and is thus prompted to keep on smoking.
Psychological	Nicotine causes smokers to develop a psychological dependence on cigarettes. When not smoking enough, the smoker will easily become irritated, depressed, upset, and worried. And all these feelings prompt the smoker to keep on smoking.
Habitual	The habit of smoking when one gets out of bed, after meals, while drinking alcohol and coffee, or while driving a car is a very strong hooking factor. When trying to quit and feeling the symptoms of withdrawal, you may feel at a loss and uncomfortable.
False sense of well-being	Besides nicotine, the act of lighting a cigarette, holding it, or inhaling the smoke may give the smoker a temporary sense of well-being. As a result, the smoker may fall into the trap of addiction.

The harm of carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas that is a small part of the air that we breathe. There are many sources of carbon monoxide, such as cigarette smoke, incinerators, car exhaust, and gas furnaces. When the level of carbon monoxide in your blood increases, the ability of your blood to carry oxygen is decreased. As a result, your body’s organs and tissues lack oxygen necessary to function properly.

Carbon monoxide is harmful to the body and can kill you. Long-term exposure to carbon monoxide at lower levels can lead to heart diseases, including coronary heart disease and heart attacks. Smoking increases the level of carbon monoxide in the blood. Babies of women smokers tend to weigh less at birth because the fetus lacks enough oxygenated blood in the womb. And even non-smokers who are around smokers inhale carbon monoside.

This site was last updated 06/01/07