A cigarette (French) "small cigar", from cigar + -ette) is a product consumed through smoking and finely cut tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco, often combined with other additives, then rolled or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder (generally less than 120 mm in length and 10 mm in diameter). The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder for the purpose of inhalation of its smoke from the other (usually filtered) end, which is inserted in the mouth. They are sometimes smoked with a cigarette holder. The term cigarette, as commonly used, refers to a tobacco cigarette but can apply to similar devices containing other herbs, such as cannabis.
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.
Nicotine is highly addictive. Smoke containing nicotine is inhaled into the lungs, and the nicotine reaches your brain in just six seconds.
Cigarettes contain over 4,000 ingredients other than tobacco and cigarette smoke contains 69 carcinogens. In addition to common additives such as yeast, wine, caffeine, beeswax and chocolate, cigarettes contain various ingredients with other common uses:
Acetic Acid: vinegar
Acetone: nail polish remover
Ammonia: cleaning agent
Arsenic: poison, used as an insecticide
Butane: lighter fluid
Cadmium: found in batteries
DDT: insecticide outlawed by the US Government in the 1970’s because of human teratogenic (birth defect) properties
Ethanol: alcohol
Formaldehyde: substance used to preserve body tissue; a known carcinogen
Hexamine: barbecue lighter
Hydrogen cyanide: gas chamber poison
Methanol: rocket fuel
Naphthalene: moth balls
Nitrobenzene: gasoline additive
Toluene: an industrial solvent
Vinyl chloride: plastic piping
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