Cigarette smoke: what's in it?

There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke. Many of these chemicals are poisonous and at least 43 of them are carcinogenic (cause cancer).

The 3 major chemicals in tobacco smoke are:

  • nicotine — the chemical on which smokers become dependent;
  • tar — which is released when a cigarette burns; and
  • carbon monoxide (CO) — a colourless, odourless and very toxic gas. Smokers typically have high levels of CO in the blood.

For more information, please click on the Australian Drug Foundation's DrugInfo Clearinghouse web site link below.
australian drug foundation logo


 

Last Reviewed: 27 April 2012

myDr, 2002. Reproduced with kind permission from the Australian Drug Foundation.
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