SMOKING IS VALEOLOGICALLY DANGEROUS TO HEALTH (6): INGREDIENTS IN TOBACCO!!!

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

INGREDIENTS IN TOBACCO AND THEIR EFFECTS TO HEALTH

   
                                          "The greatest discovery of my generation is that
                                            man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude
                                            of mind."
                                                                 ~ William James ~
 
   Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless and pipe tobacco consist of dry leaves, as well as ingredients added for flavour and other properties. Some cigarette flavourings include childhood favourites such as cocoa, liquorices, sugar, and even honey [Heatherto, T. F., et al (1991)]. While these ingredients are approvedas additives for food, they were not tested by burning them, and it is their burning that changes their properties, often for the worse. It is difficult to accurately gauge public health risks because cigarette manufacturers do not provide the public information about the precise amount of additives used in cigarettes.

Chemicals in a Cigarette Smoke

   Cigarette smoke is a toxic mixture.  More than 4000 individual chemical compounds [U.S National Cancer Institute; ScienceWeek. (2003)] have been identified in tobacco smoke, 69 among which are carcinogenic hydrocarbons (cancer – causing agents) (see Fig. 4-). Recent breaks in the wall of secrecy [Tuberose. (Retrieved in 2006)] have revealed that cigarettes are only about 40 per cent tobacco, and 60 per cent other junk. The smoke from cigarette is made up of "sidesteam" smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette and "mainstream" smoke from the filter or mouth end. The particulate phase of cigarette smoke includes nicotine, "tar" (itself composed of many chemicals), benzene and benzo(a)pyrene. The gas phase includes carbon monoxide, ammonia, dimethylnitrosamine, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and acrolein.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Benz(a)anthracene, Benzo(b)fluoranthene, Benzo(j)fluoranthene, Benzo(k)fluoranthene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, Dibenzo(a,l)pyrene, Dibenzo(a,e)pyrene, Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene; 5-Methylchrysene

N-Nitrosamines: N-Nitrosodimethylamine, N-Nitrosoethylmethylamine, N-Nitrosodiethylamine, N-Nitroso-di-n-propylamine, N-Nitroso-di-n-butylamine, N-Nitrosopyrrolidine, N-Nitrosopiperidine,
N-Nitrosodiethanolamine, N-Nitrosonornicotine; 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3pyridyl)-1-butanon.

N-Heterocyblic Amines: Aac, IQ, Trp-P-1,Trp-P-2, Glu-P-1,Glu-P-2; PhIP

Volatile Hydrocarbons: 1,3-Butadeine, Isoprene, Benzene; Styrene,

Aromatic Amines: 2-Toluidine.
           
Miscellaneous Organic Compounds: Acetamide, Acrylamide, Acrylonitrile, Vinyl chloride (used in manufacturing PVC), DDT, DDE, Catechol, Caffeic acid, 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine; Nitromethane, Acetone (found in nail varnish remover), Naphthalene (used in moth balls), 2-Nitropropane, Nitrobenzene,                Ethyl carbamate, Ethylene oxide, Propylene oxide, Methyleugenol; MeAaC(2-amino-3-methyl-9-H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole).