Toxic Emissions in Tobacco Smoke
Tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, including more than 70 cancer-causing agents that are released every time a tobacco product is smoked.Footnote 1Footnote 2Footnote 3 Some of these chemicals occur naturally in tobacco, and others are created through combustion or burning.
There are six major toxins in tobacco smoke: tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and benzene. "Toxin" means these substances are potentially poisonous for people who use tobacco and people exposed to tobacco smoke. Exposure to these chemicals occurs whenever a tobacco product is burned. Another toxic substance of note is cadmium, also found in older rechargeable batteries, and largely phased out of other consumer goods because of cadmium's toxicity as a known lung carcinogen.Footnote 4
Tar
In tobacco smoke, tar is a sticky, brown residue containing hundreds of chemicals, many of which are known to cause cancer.Footnote 5
Nicotine
Nicotine occurs naturally in tobacco plants and is primarily responsible for causing the addiction to tobacco products. Nicotine interacts with the brain to create pleasurable sensations for the person using tobacco, which reinforces the behaviour to use more tobacco. Footnote 6 Nicotine can also harm fetal health and contribute to preterm delivery and stillbirth.Footnote 7
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is in tobacco smoke as a result of burning tobacco. It reduces the ability of your red blood cells to deliver oxygen to tissues, causing damage to the cardiovascular system.Footnote 1 You may be familiar with the potentially fatal effects on people who breathe this colourless, odourless gas also found in automobile exhaust and released by poorly maintained furnaces.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing chemical).Footnote 4 Its health effects can be drastic on people who smoke and those exposed to tobacco smoke. Eye, nose and throat irritations and other breathing problems are some of the symptoms. Formaldehyde can cause nasopharyngeal cancer (nose, oral cavity, and throat).Footnote 4
Hydrogen cyanide
It is considered one of the most toxic agents found in tobacco smoke. Many short and long term toxic effects of cigarette smoke have been associated with hydrogen cyanide. Long term exposure may cause weakness, tiredness, thyroid problems, and an increased risk of miscarriage.Footnote 8 Hydrogen cyanide also damages the natural cleaning system of the lungs, allowing foreign particles and harmful chemicals to build up in the respiratory tract.Footnote 1
Benzene
Benzene is one of the many chemicals present in tobacco smoke.Footnote 9Footnote 10 Benzene is a toxic compound and known cancer-causing agent to humans.Footnote 3 It is estimated that benzene in cigarette smoke accounts for up to 58% of smoking-induced acute myeloid leukemia deaths, a cancer of the blood.Footnote 11
Cadmium
Cadmium is a heavy metal found in cigarette smoke. It causes cancer and can damage the cells lining the blood vessels of the body. High levels of cadmium in the body can contribute to heart disease and lung cancer.Footnote 1Footnote 4
Health impacts of tobacco use
The following diseases or conditions are related to tobacco use:Footnote 7 Footnote 12 Footnote 13 Footnote 14
- Cancer of the blood, lung, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, cervix, stomach, liver, and bowel
- Heart disease, circulatory problems, stroke
- Lung disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Tooth loss, gum disease, vision loss
- Type II diabetes
- Impotence and irregular menstruation or menopause
- Sudden infant death syndrome and infant health problems
- Premature death
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Footnotes
- Footnote 1
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010.
- Footnote 2
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Hecht S. Research opportunities related to establishing standards for tobacco products under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2010;14(1):18-28. Doi:10.1093/ntr/ntq216.
- Footnote 3
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International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs. Chemical agents and related occupations. Volume 100F: A review of human carcinogens. Lyon, France; 2012.
- Footnote 4
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International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs. Personal habits and indoor combustions. Volume 100E: A review of human carcinogens. Lyon, France; 2012.
- Footnote 5
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International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Vol. 83: Tobacco smoke and involuntary risk. Lyon (France); 2004.
- Footnote 6
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: Nicotine Addiction. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 1988.
- Footnote 7
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking - 50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014.
- Footnote 8
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EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM). Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels. EFSA Journal. 2019;17(4):5662. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5662.
- Footnote 9
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Talhout R et al. Hazardous compounds in tobacco smoke. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8(2):613-628. Doi: 10.3390/ijerph8020613.
- Footnote 10
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Wallace L. Major sources of exposure to benzene and other volatile organic chemicals. Risk Analysis. 1990;10(1):59-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1990.tb01020.x.
- Footnote 11
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Korte J, Hertz-Picciotto I, Schulz M, Ball L, Duell E. The contribution of benzene to smoking-induced leukemia. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2000;108(4):333-339. doi: 10.1289/ehp.00108333.
- Footnote 12
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2020.
- Footnote 13
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2004.
- Footnote 14
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2006.
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