The Chemistry of Tobacco and Cigarette Smoke

The next time you hear that cigarette smoke consists of more than 4000 (numbers go up to 4800) chemicals, think again. Realize that this is just the number of chemicals that have been ‘identified’ and there are likely to be more! The trouble is not just this number (for chemicals can be good for you too); it is also the fact that a lot of these chemicals are seriously dangerous (even very small amounts), and I do not recall any research which has identified at least one of the big number to be beneficial (or harmless).

The final composition of the smoke is dependant on many factors:

• The temperature at which combustion takes place
• The composition of the tobacco
• How tightly is the tobacco packed
• The length of the tobacco column
• The characteristics of the filter and paper and thus,
• The brand