The top 10 worst ingredients in cigarettes were identified in a list submitted to the United States Department of Health and Human Services during 1994.
The list of additives in cigarettes was compiled using information submitted by five major tobacco corporations: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Philip Morris, Liggett Group, Brown and Williamson and the American Tobacco Company.
The list includes 599 additives and since burning alters the chemical compositions, more than 4 thousand are created when cigarette is burned, impacting on you and those around you.
Among the most hazardous ingredients in cigarettes are the following:
1. Nicotine – one of the most important ingredient in cigarettes
Nicotine is an addictive psychoactive alkaloid. It is the primary compound in a cigarette. Since it is a stimulant, it increases blood pressure and constricts veins and arteries. It prompts the body to release cholesterol and fat into the blood stream, and may lead to the development of blood clots.
2. Benzene
This is a carcinogen substance. It increases the possibility of developing leukemia In addition, it damages the central nervous system and can lead to a variety of health problems. Among them are paralysis, convulsions, tremors, dizziness, coma, sleepiness, tightness in the chest, anemia and bone marrow damage.
