What’s really in a cigarette?
Cigarettes are the most common form of commercial tobacco. They send nicotine to your brain in seconds, and every puff can harm your health
What’s in a commercial cigarette?
Lighting a cigarette creates over 7,000 chemicals. At least 70 can cause cancer.
Tobacco companies add ingredients to keep cigarettes burning and make them more addictive. That smooth feeling? It’s by design. But it comes with a cost.
Every inhale pulls toxic gases and tiny particles deep into your lungs.
How smoking affects your health
1. Your lungs
- Hurts lung tissue and makes it harder to breathe.
- Can cause bronchitis, emphysema and asthma attacks.
- Raises your risk of lung infections.
2. Your heart and blood
- Narrows and weakens blood vessels.
- Raises blood pressure and heart rate.
- Increases risk of heart disease and stroke.
3. Cancer risks
- #1 cause of lung cancer.
- Raises your risk for cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder and more.
- Can make cancer treatments less effective.
4. Short-term effects
- Stains fingers and teeth.
- Causes bad breath and dulls taste.
- Increases coughing and phlegm.
- Lowers your energy and immunity.
5. Long-term damage
- Speeds up aging and weakens bones.
- Raises your risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Can harm fertility for all genders.
- Shortens life by up to 10 years.
6. Secondhand and thirdhand smoke
- Harms others, even if they’ve never smoked.
- Raises heart disease and cancer risks in non-smokers.
- Worsens asthma in children.
- Linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Thirdhand smoke clings to clothes, furniture and walls and can still cause harm.
Tools to help you quit
A Guide to Becoming Smoke-Free (2022)
This guide shows you how to quit smoking or vaping with tips for:
- Managing cravings.
- Coping with withdrawal.
- Building a quit plan that lasts.
Ready to quit?
The Quitpath program offers free support, resources, and cessation aids to help you leave smoking behind.