The dirty benefits of cigarettes

What is a cigarettes and the effects of smoking?

Cigarettes
cigarette is a small cylinder of finely cut tobacco leaves rolled in thin
paper forsmoking.
The cigarette is ignited at one end causing the cigarette to smoulder
and allowing for smoke to be inhaled from the other end, which is held
 in or to the mouth; in some cases, a cigarette holder may be used, as
well. Most modern manufactured cigarettes are filtered, save Camel
 Unfiltered, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall Unfiltered, and Natural American
Spirit, and also include reconstituted tobacco and other additives.

The term cigarette, as commonly used, refers to a tobacco cigarette,
but can apply to similar devices other substances, such as cannabis.
A cigarette is distinguished from a cigar by its smaller size, use of
processed leaf, and paper wrapping, which is normally white, though
other colors and flavors are also available.
Cigars are typically composed entirely of whole-leaf tobacco.

Effects of smoking Cigarettes?

Smoking causes more than 4 in 5 cases of lung cancer.
Lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers, and is
the most common cause of cancer death in the UK.

Smoking also increases the risk of at least 13 other cancers including
 cancers of the larynx (voice box), oesophagus (gullet),
mouth and pharynx (throat), bladder, pancreas, kidney, liver, stomach,
 bowel, cervix, ovary, nose and sinuses and some types of leukaemia.
There is also some evidence that smoking could increase the risk of
breast cancer.

What are you smoking?

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

Here are a few of the chemicals in tobacco smoke and other places they
are found:

Acetone – found in nail polish remover
Acetic Acid –  an ingredient in hair dye
Ammonia – a common household cleaner
Arsenic – used in rat poisonBenzene – found in rubber cement
Butane – used in lighter fluid
Cadmium – active component in battery acidCarbon
Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes
Formaldehyde – embalming fluidHexamine – found in barbecue lighter
fluid
Lead – used in batteries
Naphthalene – an ingredient in mothballsMethanol –
a main component in rocket fuel
Nicotine – used as insecticide
Tar – material for paving roads
Toluene - used to manufacture paint

Reason to quit smoking?

Tobacco was responsible for more than 100 million deaths worldwide
 in the 20th Century. The World Health Organisation has estimated that,
if current trends continue, tobacco could cause a billion deaths in the
21st Century.Smoking causes more than 4 in 5 cases of lung cancer.
Lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers, and is
the most common cause of cancer deaths.

The main way that smoking causes cancer is by damaging our DNA,
including key genes that protect us against cancer.
Many of the chemicals found in cigarettes have been shown to cause
DNA damage, including benzene, polonium-210, benzo(a)pyrene and
nitrosamines.

This is already bad news, but it’s made worse by other chemicals in
cigarettes. For example chromium makes poisons like benzo(a)pyrene
stick more strongly to DNA, increasing the chances of serious damage. 
And chemicals like arsenic and nickel interfere with pathways for
repairing damaged DNA. This makes it even more likely that damaged
cells will eventually turn cancerous.

Why you can't quit?

Smoking is very addictive because tobacco contains a powerful drug
called nicotine. Cigarettes are deliberately designed to give you a fast
 nicotine hit. It takes less than 20 seconds for the drug to reach your
 brain from inhaled cigarette smoke.

Nicotine causes addiction in much the same way as heroin or cocaine.
 It is just as addictive as these ‘harder’ drugs.

This is the reason why most smokers say they want to quit but find it so
difficult. If you start smoking, you may find it very hard to stop later on.

How long before the damage is done

Each cigarette can damage DNA in many lung cells, but it is the build
up of damage in the same cell that can lead to cancer.
However research has shown that for every 15 cigarettes smoked there
is a DNA change which could cause a cell to become cancerous. 
This is why it’s better to give up smoking sooner rather than later.