Toxic components of cigarette smoke

The damaging effect of a cigarette comes from the combined effects of its 4 main components.

• Nicotine
  Highly toxic substance (aldehyde family), main factor of addiction and of physical and psychological dependency. It mainly induces:
• Heart rate and blood pressure acceleration.
• Vasoconstriction of the heart’s coronary arteries.
• Carbon monoxide
  Odorless and highly toxic gas that results from the incomplete combustion of tobacco. Carbon monoxide’s capacity to bind to hemoglobin is 200 times superior to that of oxygen. Moreover, it binds, instead of oxygen, to the myoglobin of body and heart muscles and damages artery walls.
• Tars
  Main carcinogenic substances in tobacco (3-4- benzopyrene), they are present in combustion products of tobacco. They:
• Reduce efficacy of the immune system;
• Damage the tiny air sacs in the lungs;
• Induce cancer by modifying DNA and provoking mutations of the tumor-inhibiting P53 protein.
• Irritating substances
  Various elements belonging to several chemical families (phenols, benzene…). These substances:
• Attack the whole respiratory system;
• Weaken defenses against infection and pollution;
• Paralyze the cilia of the respiratory mucosa (1cigarette can paralyze the cilia for up to 4 days).

Health problems related to tobacco

Every year in France, the number of premature deaths caused by tobacco addiction is estimated at 65,000. By 2025, number of deaths in France should be of 165,000 and of 10 million in the world if nothing is done to control this scourge.

Three categories of diseases are related to tobacco.

• Cancers
  Mainly cancers of lungs, larynx, mouth or esophagus, but tobacco is also responsible for bladder, cervix and pancreas cancer
• Other respiratory system problems
• Respiratory capacity is reduced and the respiratory tract weakened;
• Deaths caused by chronic bronchitis and emphysema;
• Asthma attacks.
• Cardio-vascular risks
• Cardio-vascular attacks by atherosclerosis: angina pectoris, myocardial infarction;
• High blood pressure, arteritis of lower limbs, cerebrovascular accidents;
• Impotence.

Schedule of smoking cessation benefits

20 minutes	Blood pressure and heartbeats are back to normal.
8 hours	The quantity of nicotine and carbon monoxide in the blood is reduced by half. Cell oxygenation is restored.
24 hours	Carbon monoxide produced by smoke is eliminated from the body. Lungs have begun eliminating mucus and smoke residues.
48 hours	The whole body has gotten rid of nicotine. Sense of smell and taste is improved.
72 hours	Breathing is made easier: bronchial tubes are cleared and energy is increased.
2 to 12 weeks	Blood circulation has improved.
3 to 9 months	Respiratory problems and coughing is reduced. The voice becomes clear and respiratory capacity is increased by 10%.
5 years	The risk of suffering from a heart attack is reduced by half compared to a smoker.
10 years	The risk of developing lung cancer is reduced by half compared to a smoker; the risk of suffering from a heart attack is comparable to that of a person who has never smoked.