What does tobacco have?

Answer 1

Cigarettes contain about 4,000 different chemicals, many of which are harmful to the body. The 3 most well known ones are:

Nicotine

Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco smoke. It reaches the brain within 20 seconds and creates a dependency so that smokers become addicted.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide combines with the haemoglobin in red blood cells and so reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. This puts extra strain on the circulatory system, and can cause an increased risk of Heart disease and strokes.

Carcinogens

Carcinogens are substances that cause cancer. Tobacco smoke contains many carcinogens, including tar. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, mouth cancer and throat cancer.

Answer: It is difficult to quit smoking-even for those who are highly motivated. Mainly, this is because the nicotine in tobacco is a highly addictive drug. "In a ranking of the addictiveness of psycho-active drugs, nicotine was determined to be more addictive than heroin [and] cocaine," states WHO. Unlike heroin and cocaine, nicotine does not produce dramatic evidence of intoxication, so it is easy to underestimate its power. Yet the mild sense of euphoria it produces keeps most people smoking so as to experience the feeling repeatedly. Nicotine really does alter your mood; it does soothe anxiety. However, the tension the cigarette reduces is caused in part by the craving for nicotine itself.

Smokeless tobacco-such as chewing tobacco-can deliver more nicotine than cigarettes and contains more than 25 cancer-causing compounds that increase the user's risk of developing cancer of the throat and mouth. Cigarette smoke contains tar, consisting of over 4,000 chemicals. Of these chemicals, 43 are known to cause cancer. Among them are cyanide, benzene, wood alcohol, and acetylene (a fuel used in torches). Cigarette smoke also contains nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide, both poisonous gases. Its main active ingredient is nicotine, a highly addictive drug.

Answer 2

The same as all other plants - mostly cellulose and water.