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Nicotine is the addictive drug in tobacco smoke that causes people who smoke to continue to smoke. Along with nicotine, people who smoke inhale about 7,000 other chemicals in cigarette smoke. Many of these chemicals come from burning tobacco leaf. Some of these compounds are chemically active and trigger profound and damaging changes in the body. Tobacco smoke contains over 70 known cancer-causing chemicals. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, causing many diseases and reducing health in general. Dangerous chemicals in tobacco smokeHighly damaging components of tobacco smoke include:
Effects of smoking tobacco on the bodyInhaling tobacco smoke causes damage to many of the body’s organs and systems. Effects of smoking on the respiratory systemThe effects of tobacco smoke on the respiratory system include:
Effects of smoking on the circulatory systemThe effects of tobacco smoke on the circulatory system include:
Effects of smoking on the immune systemThe effects of tobacco smoke on the immune system include:
Effects of smoking on the musculoskeletal systemThe effects of tobacco smoke on the musculoskeletal system include:
Effects of smoking on the sexual organsThe effects of tobacco smoke on the male body include an increased risk for:
The effects of tobacco smoke on the female body include:
Other effects of smoking on the bodyOther effects of tobacco smoke on the body include:
Effects of smoking on babiesThe effects of maternal smoking on an unborn baby include:
Passive smoking (exposure of the non-smoking mother to second-hand smoke) can also harm the fetus. If a parent continues to smoke during their baby’s first year of life, the child has an increased risk of ear infections, respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis, sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) and meningococcal disease. Diseases caused by long-term smokingA person who smokes throughout their life is at high risk of developing a range of potentially lethal diseases, including:
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