Tuesday, December 25, 2012

How do cigarettes damage health?

     Cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemical compounds and at least 400 toxic substances.

When you inhale, a cigarette burns at 700°C at the tip and around 60°C in the core. This heat breaks down the tobacco to produce differnet kinds of  toxins. As a cigarette burns, the residues are concentrated towards the butt.

The most damaging products are:
 -  tar, substance that causes cancer - a carcinogen
 - nicotine is addictive and increases cholesterol levels in your body
 - carbon monoxide reduces oxygen in the body
 - chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) which are caused by components of the gas and particulate phases.

    The damage caused by smoking is influenced by: the number of cigarettes smoked whether the cigarette has a filter how the tobacco has been prepared.

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