| Cigarette smokers are at danger of more than nicotine | | | | probably have the most effect on the heart. Carbon |
| when they smoke. Tobacco smoke contains many | | | | monoxide attaches to red blood cells, so that in |
| different chemicals including benzene, formaldehyde, | | | | smokers up to half the blood can be carrying carbon |
| styrene, and carbon monoxide, all toxic chemicals with | | | | monoxide rather than oxygen. |
| known effects. Nicotine is broken down by the body | | | | Nicotine stimulates the body to produce adrenaline |
| to an even more addictive and long lasting substance - | | | | which makes the heart beat faster and raises blood |
| cotinine. | | | | pressure, forcing the heart to work harder. |
| But what about the filters? The filters are usually made | | | | Other parts of the smoke appear to damage the lining |
| from cellulose acetate, and studies have shown that | | | | of the coronary arteries and this leads to the build up |
| smokers commonly ingest and/or inhale some of | | | | of fatty material in the arteries. |
| these fibres. This happens because small fragments of | | | | Many smokers have switched to low tar cigarettes. It |
| cellulose acetate become separated from the filter at | | | | is the tar that causes cancer, but low tar cigarettes |
| the end face. The cut surface of the filter of nearly all | | | | don't necessarily have less carbon monoxide and |
| cigarettes has these fragments. This means that if you | | | | nicotine, so may be no less harmful for the heart. (This |
| smoke a filter cigarette you are likely to have small | | | | doesn't mean that you should go back to higher tar |
| fragments of plastic-like material in your tubes and | | | | cigarettes, but it does mean that you can't believe that |
| lungs. | | | | your health will be fine because you are smoking low |
| Don't let this be an excuse to go back to smoking | | | | tar cigarettes.) |
| unfiltered cigarettes. Cigarette smoke damages your | | | | My father's last words before he died of a heart |
| heart as well as your lungs. Carbon monoxide and | | | | attack were "I'm dying for a cigarette." He had no idea |
| nicotine are the two chemicals in cigarette smoke that | | | | how true that was. |