What are the Poisions in a cigarette?

Answer

Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known cancer-causing (carcinogenic) compounds and 400 other toxins. These include nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT.

The human body contains MILLIONS of chemicals. Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and ammonia are produced endogenously by the human body. Nicotine is also present in potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and egg-plants. (The pharmaceutical industry is researching the use of nicotine to treat a variety of conditions from pain relief to Touree's Syndrome. Nicotinic herbicide is approved for organic farming.) Tar is produced in the combustion of household gas, wood, coal, oil, candles, BBQs and incense sticks. Nuts and some vegetables contain significant levels of cyanide. Arsenic is absorbed from the soil and atmosphere not just by tobacco but by all plants, including 'healthy' fruit and vegetables. DDT, if it is still being used, will also be used on other crops.

The first fundamental law of toxicology is that it is not the toxin, it's the dose. Most of these alleged 4000+ chemicals can only be detected using state of the art equipment. Many are also intermediate by-products which are broken down in as little as nano-seconds.

The most potent toxin known to man is botulinum. Around three kilos of it is enough to wipe out the whole human race (and it's not man-made!). It is also used clinically and cosmetically under the trade name of Botox!

"How many 'toxins' are in the 'fresh air' we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink?" Isn't that the question we should be asking? Any takers? Based on Tobacco Control's criteria, I would say tens, maybe hundreds, of millions, with almost a 1,000 carcinogens (i.e. all that have been classified to date).