THE TOXINS IN CIGARETTES
by Ron Harder
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THE TOXINS IN CIGARETTES
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Copyright © Ron Harder 2002
I had occasion to visit a local hospital recently, and
while waiting in the emergency ward I noticed a large
poster on the wall with the headline "What The
Tobacco Industry Is Hiding In Cigarettes". It contained
a picture of a cigarette, and it had a large amount of text
indicating the various compounds that this cigarette
contained.
According to this poster, which was produced by the
Department Of Health, there are many toxic compounds
that the tobacco industry is hiding in cigarettes, and
some of them will surprise you.
We have been told that cigarette smoke causes cancer,
and that it kills. In this article I would like to make you
aware of some of the chemicals found in cigarette
smoke that make it so deadly. Here are eleven of the
most toxic.
Acetone - A flammable, colorless liquid used as a
solvent. It's one of the active ingredients in nail polish
remover. The tobacco industry refuses to say how
acetone gets into cigarettes.
Ammonia - A colorless, pungent gas. The tobacco
industry says that it adds flavor, but scientists have
discovered that ammonia helps you absorb more
nicotine - keeping you hooked on smoking.
Arsenic - A silvery-white very poisonous chemical
element. This deadly poison is used to make
insecticides, and it is also used to kill gophers and rats.
Benzene - A flammable liquid obtained from coal tar
and used as a solvent. This cancer-causing chemical is
used to make everything from pesticides to detergent to
gasoline.
Benzoapyrene - A yellow crystalline carcinogenic
hydrocarbon found in coal tar and cigarette smoke. It's
one of the most potent cancer-causing chemicals in the
world.
Butane - A hydrocarbon used as a fuel. Highly
flammable butane is one of the key ingredients in
gasoline.
Cadmium - A metallic chemical element used in alloys.
This toxic metal causes damage to the liver, kidneys,
and the brain; and stays in your body for years.
Formaldehyde - A colorless pungent gas used in
solution as a disinfectant and preservative. It causes
cancer; damages your lungs, skin and digestive system.
Embalmers use it to preserve dead bodies.
Lead - A heavy bluish-gray metallic chemical element.
This toxic heavy metal causes lead poisoning, which
stunts your growth, and damages your brain. It can
easily kill you.
Propylene Glycol - A sweet hygroscopic viscous liquid
used as antifreeze and as a solvent in brake fluid. The
tobacco industry claims they add it to keep cheap
"reconstituted tobacco" from drying out, but scientists
say it aids in the delivery of nicotine (tobaccos active
drug) to the brain.
Turpentine - A colorless volatile oil. Turpentine is very
toxic and is commonly used as a paint thinner.
The toxic chemicals mentioned above are what you are
putting into your body when you smoke, and when you
draw this smoke into your lungs, your body has
absolutely no chance to defend itself from these
chemicals.
When you inhale, these toxins are drawn into your
lungs, through the porous lining of your lungs, and
directly into your blood stream. From your blood
stream these chemicals are delivered to every cell of
your body.
In order for the cells of your body to be healthy they
have to receive a steady supply of nourishment, but if
what they are receiving are toxic chemicals instead of
nourishment, the tissues and organs of your body will
be weakened to the point where they will become very
susceptible to disease.
The most likely disease that you will then develop is
cancer. This is because cigarette smoke contains some
of the most carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds
known to man.
Even though cigarette smoke is not the underlying
cause of lung and other forms of cancers, it certainly is
a major contributing factor.
You may have thought that the cancer you develop as a
result of smoking cigarettes will only be limited to your
lungs, but that is not so, the cancer can develop
anywhere in your body. This occurs because all the
cells in your body are affected by the carcinogenic
compounds that are delivered through your blood
stream.
Cigarette smoke causes a great deal of harm to those
who smoke, but it can cause even more harm to those
who obtain this smoke second-hand. The person who
smokes inhales his smoke through a filter that removes
some of the toxic compounds, but the person who
inhales the smoke coming directly from the cigarette
does not have this advantage.
Children are especially vulnerable to second-hand
smoke. Most of the time they do not have a choice as to
whether or not they inhale these fumes, the adults
around them make this decision for them. If you have
children at home please keep the air that they breathe as
pure as possible. Keep in mind the tremendous amount
of harm that can be done by these toxic chemicals, and
keep these chemicals away from your loved ones.
Your lungs may be the most affected by these toxins,
but your heart is a very close second. Your heart has
direct contact with all the blood in your body, and
therefore, after your lungs, the cells of your heart will
be the most susceptible.
Another very important item to consider is this,
cigarette smoke is a major cause of free radical
production in your body, and therefore can cause an
endless number of diseases to develop, with heart
disease being at the top of the list. Also, free radicals
are proving to be responsible for causing your body to
age.
Now you can see why cigarette smoke causes such an
incredible amount of harm, and why the damage that it
causes goes way beyond your lungs. Every cell of your
body is affected by the toxins that are found in cigarette
smoke.
For anyone who still smokes, I hope that this article has
given you some added incentive to quit. The nicotine
found in cigarettes is extremely addictive, and you may
wish to consult your doctor or other health care
professional to help you kick this deadly habit.
Other articles by Ron Harder are available at
www.shift.to/health/
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This article written by Ron Harder, Nutritional Health
Consultant, Iridologist, and Author of "How To Defeat
Cancer - Naturally - without Chemo, Radiation, or
Surgery". For more health information visit his web site
at http://www.defeatcancer.ca
--------------- End Of Article ---------------
Reprinted from:
http://www.defeatcancer.ca
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