12 Mind-Blowing Scientific Facts On Cigarette Smoking

You won’t find cigarette advertised anywhere, but it is one of the most traded items on the planet. Consumed by individuals across every sphere of life, it is one of the world’s largest industries. A lot has been said and written about the good and bad side of this common activity, so I take this time out to share some fascinating facts on cigarette smoking.

Scientists argue smokers witness adverse health effects

An interesting infographic detail of tobacco effects on the body can be found here

 1.   Cigarettes contain arsenic, formaldehyde, lead, hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia and 43 known carcinogens(cancer-causing substances).

2.   In the early 1950s, the Kent brand of cigarettes used crocidolite asbestos as part of the filter, a known active carcinogen.

3.   Urea, a chemical compound that is a major component in urine, is used to add “flavor” to cigarettes.

4.   Scientists claim the average smoker will lose 14 years of their life due to smoking. This, however, does not necessarily mean that a smoker will die young – and they may still live out a ‘normal’ lifespan.

5.   Cigarettes can contain more than 4,000 ingredients, which, when burned, can also produce over 200 ‘compound’ chemicals. Many of these ‘compounds’ have been linked to lung damage.

6.   Several active ingredients and special methods of production are involved in making sure the nicotine in a cigarette is many times more potent than that of a tobacco plant. Nicotine reaches the brain within 10 seconds after smoke is inhaled. It has been found in every part of the body and in breast milk.

Smoker's black lungs - 1 pack a day for 20 years

7.    Sugar approximates to roughly 20% of a cigarette, and many diabetics are unaware of this secret sugar intake. Also, the effect of burning sugar is unknown.

8.   The immune systems of smokers have to work harder every day than non-smokers. As a result, a smokers’ blood will contain fewer antioxidants, although a smoker’s immune system may be quicker to respond to virus attacks due to its more active nature.

9.   Smokers often smoke after meals to ‘allow food to digest easier’. In fact, this works because the body’s priority moves away from the digestion of food in favor of protecting the blood cells and flushing toxins from the brain.

10. Some people (mostly males) can be aroused by the sight of smoker smoking (usually females). This is called the Smoking Fetish and affects a small number of the population. As with most fetishes, the reason for this arousal can usually be traced back to incidents in childhood. However, cigarettes – particularly menthols, force blood away from the penis if smoked while aroused.

11. Smokers generally report a variety of after-effects; such as calmness, relaxation, alertness, stimulation, concentration and many others. In fact, smoking will produce a different effect in each individual depending on ‘what they expect to get’; turning the cigarette into the world’s most popular placebo (satisfying the brain's hunger for nicotine being the only ‘relaxing’ factor). The smoker will then use these expectations as a means to continue the habit.

12. Toppings are added to the blended tobacco mix to add flavor and a taste unique to the manufacturer. Some of these toppings have included; clove, licorice, orange oil, apricot stone, lime oil, lavender oil, dill seed oil, cocoa, carrot oil, mace oil, myrrh, beet juice, bay leaf, oak, rum, vanilla, and vinegar.

Though some few individuals are lucky not to experience the various adverse effects of smoking, most people have had their health issues linked to their smoking habit. Therefore we must be cautious of what we ingest into our precious system. Good health is more valuable than silver or gold.