What Makes Cigarettes So Appealing?

Deep into the pockets of his jeans he grabs for that last dime to purchase his number one habit. As he walks out of the store he searches for his lighter to calm his craving. It's time to light up. But if he only knew what was going into his body, would he really want to calm this craving?

One might say that he smokes "light" cigarettes because they aren't as bad as the "regular" cigarettes. In all cases this is not true. All cigarettes have the same effects on the body whether one smokes lights, ultra lights, filters, or non-filtered cigarettes. Despite all of the negative health effects cigarettes cause and the pricy four-dollars per pack, people aren't scared away. "With about 24.2 billion packs of cigarettes sold that year [1996], the total operating profits of the domestic tobacco-producing subsidiaries of U.S. manufactures came to about $7.2 billion dollars" (Harris). But what is it that makes these cigarettes so good?

The first that comes to mind would be nicotine. Naturally occurring in tobacco plants, nicotine might not seem so bad being all natural, but it is responsible for the harm of the cardiovascular and endocrine systems. Nicotine is the ingredient in cigarettes that is to blame for the harmful addiction millions of people have today (Toxic Emissions, CHN).

Maybe one is looking for a deep clean of the lungs when he lights up. Cigarettes contain many chemicals that are found in disinfectants and cleaners, but maybe this isn't the best choice to do so. Ammonia, formaldehyde, and phenol, found in many household and industrial cleaners, are put into cigarettes and cause breathing problems and damage to the eyes, throat, and nose (Toxic Emissions, CHN). Next to cleaning, ammonia enhances the impact of nicotine on the smoker, making the buzz more intense but for a shorter period of time (What are, CHN).

Along with the nicotine and household cleaners comes carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide, also found in engine exhaust, "reduces the ability of your red blood cells to deliver oxygen to your tissues" (What are, CHN). No oxygen to the tissues of the body gives rise to the highest possibility of damage to major organs and systems. Carbon dioxide depletes the heart, brain and the muscular system of oxygen, which are the areas that require the most in the body (Toxic Emissions, CHN).

Often found as a solvent, toluene is yet another toxic additive of cigarettes. Toluene is used in the making of many paint thinners and degreasers, TNT explosives, and used as an "octane booster" in gasoline (Toluene, Wikipedia). Extremely explosive, this chemical spells nothing but harm when the human body comes into contact with it. With a "low water solubility, it cannot exit the body via the normal routes (urine, feces, or sweat)," causing this harmful chemical to remain in the body for long periods of time, resulting in brain damage (Toluene, Wikipedia).

One of the most harmful additives in cigarettes is benzene. This chemical, found in rubber, lubricants, explosives and pesticides is "believed to harm you at any level of exposure" (Toxic Emissions, CHN). Benzene is a carcinogen that in small doses will result in dizziness, unconsciousness, tremors and an extremely fast heart rate. But in cases of constant contact of benzene, it will reduce red blood cells, cause extreme and unstoppable bleeding, and weaken the immune system, making the body prone to infections (Toxic Emissions, CHN).

The second of the two most harmful additives is hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide is "considered one of the most toxic agents found in tobacco smoke." Constant contact with low doses of this chemical will result in vomiting, a high rate of breathing, head aches, and irritation of the eyes and skin (Toxic Emissions, CHN). In turn, high doses of hydrogen cyanide are lethal.