Smoking can lead to many kinds of cancer in the body.
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Chemicals in Cigarettes: From Plant to Product to Puff

You probably know that cigarettes can kill you—in fact, smoking kills half of those who don't quit1—but do you really have the full story? Do you know how many harmful chemicals are in cigarettes or how they get into the product?

FDA created these videos and interactive tools to lay the foundation for an important public health goal: we aim to publish a list of the levels of harmful and potentially harmful chemicals in tobacco, in a way that is easy for the public to understand. As an important step toward that goal, we invite you to explore the chemicals in tobacco in three stages of cigarettes, from plant to product to puff, in the videos below.

Chemicals in Every Tobacco Plant

Chemicals in Every Tobacco Plant

It is a fact that cigarettes contain dangerous chemicals.2 But how do these chemicals get into cigarettes? Are most of the harmful chemicals added during the manufacturing process?

Fact: Some of the toxic chemicals in tobacco are present in the plant itself.3 Watch the tobacco growth video to uncover more.

Chemicals in Every Cigarette Product

Chemicals in Every Cigarette Product

Ok, so harmful chemicals are in the tobacco plant. What happens during manufacturing? Is that when more dangerous chemicals are added?

Fact: Not all of the harmful chemicals created during cigarette manufacturing are man-made. Some of the carcinogens occur naturally as tobacco is cured.3 Watch the video about cigarette manufacturing.

Chemicals in Every Puff of Cigarette Smoke

Chemicals in Every Puff of Cigarette Smoke

How many harmful and potentially harmful chemicals are in a cigarette? Is there more than nicotine and tar?

Fact: There are more than 7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke.2 More than 70 of those chemicals are linked to cancer.4,5,6,7 Watch the video on cigarette smoke to learn more about what happens when you light up.

 

Think You Know All the Chemicals Found in Cigarettes?

Here are some of the 93 known harmful and potentially harmful chemicals in cigarettes:

Nicotine Cadmium Lead Acrolein
 
Acetaldehyde Benzene Ammonia Carbon Monxide
 
TobaccoSpecific_Nitrosamines Butadiene

 

Downloads

Download and share with people in your life these images about the health effects of dangerous chemicals in cigarettes. To download:

  1. Click on the image below that you would like to download and share to open up a larger version.
  2. On the large version, right-click to Save As and save the image to your computer.
Some of the toxic chemicals in cigarettes are present in the tobacco plant itself. Learn more about the chemicals in a cigarette, from plant to product to puff.
 
There are harmful chemicals in every stage of the process of making and smoking a cigarette from plant to product to puff.
 
Chemicals in Cigarettes: From Plant to Product to Puff Not Natural Animated GIF
Smoking can cause buildup of a dangerous substance called plaque inside your arteries, which can lead to heart attack and sudden death.
 
Smoking can block blood flow to the brain and can lead to stroke, which can cause brain damage and death.
 
Smoking can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD robs the lungs of air and can lead to long-term disability and death
 

  1. Doll R, Peto R, Wheatley K, Gray R, Sutherland I. Mortality in relation to smoking: 40 years observations on male British doctors. British Medical Journal 1994; 309:901-911.
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You (Consumer Booklet). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2010.
  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2010.
  4. Hecht SS. Research opportunities related to establishing standards for tobacco products under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2012; 14(1):18-28.
  5. Hoffmann D, Hoffmann I, El Bayoumy K. The less harmful cigarette: a controversial issue. A tribute to Ernst L. Wynder. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2001; 14:767-790.
  6. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Some non-heterocyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and some related exposures. In: IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Vol. 92. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2010.
  7. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Tobacco smoke and involuntary smoking. In: IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Vol. 83. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2004.

 

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You get all your smokes for free. Or do you?
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Formaldehyde. A compound used for preserving dead bodies and found in cigarette smoke.
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Think of what you could lose if you put cigarettes first. #TheRealCost
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Cigarette butts are the #1 littered item on U.S. roads.
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Research shows menthols may be even more addictive than other cigarettes.
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Nearly 9 out of 10 adult smokers started before they were 18.
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3 out of 4 teen smokers who think they will stop smoking in a few years don't.
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Some teens can have cravings after just a few cigarettes.
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Nicotine reaches your brain within 10 seconds.
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Carbon monoxide: Found in car exhaust and cigarette smoke.
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More than 7,000 chemicals are found in a single puff of cigarette smoke.
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Lead: Once used in paint and found in cigarette smoke.
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Cadmium: Found in batteries and cigarette smoke.
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A menthol cigarette is still a cigarette, complete with all the toxic chemicals.
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As many as 30 chemicals in smokeless tobacco are linked to cancer.
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Nicotine, the addictive chemical, occurs naturally in the tobacco plant.
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More than 70 chemicals in cigarette smoke can cause cancer
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Formaldehyde: Used to preserve dead bodies and found in cigarette smoke.
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No surprise, smoking makes your breath smell like an ashtray.
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Smoking causes gum disease, which could cost you teeth.
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Smoking accelerates skin aging which could lead to premature wrinkles.
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Don't smile, smoking can stain your teeth.
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Smokeless tobacco causes cancer of the mouth, pancreas, and esophagus.
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Smoking as a teen can stunt lung growth.
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Smoking causes cancer, heart attacks and serious lung disease.
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On average, every cigarette takes eleven minutes off your life.
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Nearly 1 out of 5 deaths in the U.S. is caused by smoking.
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In the U.S., more than 1,300 people die each day due to smoking.
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Cigarette smoking causes about 480,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.
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On average, smokers die at least 10 years younger than non-smokers.
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A third of all teens who persist in smoking as adults will die about 13 years earlier than non-smoking peers.
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Light, Low, Mild or Similar Descriptors

Light Low Mild ban

Tobacco products that are labeled or advertised with the terms "light," "low," or "mild" or similar descriptors mislead the public into thinking that these products cause fewer health problems than other cigarettes. However, they still pose a heavy health risk. Research shows that:

  • Smokers who use light cigarettes do not reduce their risk for developing smoking-related cancers and other diseases.1
  • Switching to light cigarettes does not help smokers quit, and may actually decrease the motivation to quit.2,3

In order to better protect the public from misleading claims, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act prohibits manufacturers from producing and distributing for sale any tobacco products labeled or advertised as "light," "low," or "mild" without a Modified Risk Tobacco Product order from the FDA. Manufacturers must meet rigorous criteria before we can issue an order authorizing the marketing of a modified risk tobacco product. If products are marketed as "light," "low," or "mild" without an MRTP order, FDA considers these claims to be health fraud.

Sources

  1. National Cancer Institute (NCI). "Light" Cigarettes and Cancer Risk. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute. Updated October 28, 2010. http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/light-cigarettes-fact-sheet#q2. Accessed August 25, 2015.
  2. Tindle H, Shiffman S, Hartman A, Bost J. Switching to "lighter" cigarettes and quitting smoking. Tobacco Control. 2009;18(6):485-490.
  3. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tobacco Control Act: Resources and FDA Regulations. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated July 20, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/fda/fda_regs/index.htm. Accessed August 25, 2015.
     

 

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CTP Newsroom

From press releases to public meetings to email newsletters, stay up to date on the latest news and events from the FDA Center for Tobacco Products.

Sign up to receive email updates from CTP

News & Events

Recent news, press releases, meetings, workshops, newsletters, and other announcements are listed below.

2017

2016

Archived Content

Search for past news and events in the FDA.gov web archive.

 

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Smokers' lungs don't work as well as those of nonsmokers.
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Tobacco is robbing you in more ways than you know.
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There's no better time to quit tobacco than today.
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Smoking can damage your DNA.
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Women's Health and Smoking

photo of girl hugging woman

Smoking continues to have a profound impact on the health and well-being of women and their families in the United States.

  • About 13.6% of all women smoke cigarettes.1
  • Every day, nearly 1,400 girls under 18 years of age smoke their first cigarette.2
  • Nearly 7 percent of all high school aged girls smoke cigarettes.3

Impacts of Smoking on Women and Their Families

There's abundant research about the many harms of smoking—whether it's the dangerous chemicals, the addictive properties, or the damage smoking causes to the body, these effects can have a profound impact on not only your own body, but also those around you. Here are some facts about smoking's effects on women, families, babies, and pregnant moms.

Shareable Image Lung cancer kills more women than any other type of cancer

For Women

  • Smoking causes coronary heart disease, cancer, and stroke—the first, second, and fourth leading causes of death for women in the United States.4
  • Smoking cigarettes causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with COPD have trouble breathing and slowly start to die from lack of air. Women who smoke cigarettes are up to 40 times more likely to develop COPD than female nonsmokers.5
  • Life expectancy for smokers—both male and female—is at least 10 years less than for nonsmokers.6

Shareable image - Think smoking just affects the lungs and heart ? Smoking can increase a woman

For Families

  • Secondhand smoke causes disease and premature death in nonsmoking adults and children.7
  • The U.S. Surgeon General estimates that living with a smoker increases a nonsmoker's chances of developing lung cancer by 20-30%.7
  • Exposure to secondhand smoke increases children's risk for ear infections, lower respiratory illnesses, more frequent and more severe asthma attacks, and slowed lung growth, and can cause coughing, wheezing, phlegm, and breathlessness.7,8
  • Teens are more likely to smoke if they have friends or family who smoke.9

Shareable image - Babies and children who breathe secondhand cmoke are sick more often with bronchitis, pheumonia, ear infections.

For Babies and Pregnant Moms

  • Smoking  during pregnancy can affect the baby's health.10
  • Infants born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are at a higher risk of low birth weight, birth defects like cleft palate, lungs that don't develop in a normal way, and sudden infant death syndrome.4,8

Shareable image - Babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more likely to be born with birth defects.

Next Steps

The good news is that you can do something about it now—smoking truly is what the CDC terms a "modifiable" risk factor.

Encourage the women in your life—the mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends—to put their own health first by finding a quit method that works for them.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Current cigarette smoking among adults – United States, 2005-2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2016; 65(44):1205-1211.
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality;2016.http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabs-2015/NSDUH-DetTabs-2015/NSDUH-DetTabs-2015.pdf. Accessed September 9, 2016.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tobacco use among middle and high school students – United States, 2011-2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2017; 66(23):597-603.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Leading Causes of Death (LCOD) in Females United States, 2014. https://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/2014/index.htm. Accessed April 17, 2017.
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). (2014). Let's Make the Next Generation Tobacco-Free: Your Guide to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health (Consumer Booklet). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health.
6. Jha P, Ramasundarahettige C, Landsman V, Rostrom B, Thun M, Anderson RN, McAfee T, Peto R. 21st Century Hazards of Smoking and Benefits of Cessation in the United States. [PDF-782 KB]. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013;368(4):341–50 [accessed 2014 Feb 6].
7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2006. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/secondhandsmoke/fullreport.pdf. Accessed April 14, 2014.
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General—Secondhand Smoke: What It Means to You (Consumer Booklet). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2006. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/secondhandsmoke/secondhandsmoke.pdf. Accessed November 11, 2014.
9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). A Report of the Surgeon General: Preventing Tobacco Use among Youth and Young Adults. We Can Make the Next Generation Tobacco-Free (Consumer Booklet). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health; 2012.
10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking During Pregnancy. Updated January 8, 2014.http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/pregnancy/. Accessed February 27, 2014.

 

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Even when you bum a smoke, you're still paying.
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