Contents of a cigarette

Smokers and non-smokers are aware that cigarettes contain nicotine, but few are aware of the complete picture. We find that many smokers who want to quit, are surprised to learn that their cigarette contains not just nicotine but is also made up of a huge number of additives and flavourings are added to cigarettes to make nicotine more attractive and palatable. If you want to stop smoking or know how to encourage someone to quit smoking the European Union has a list of over 600 additives that manufacturers may use in the creation of their cigarettes. You should also be aware that when smoked, cigarettes release over 4,000 chemicals, a number of which are carcinogenic (cancer causing).

Cigarette companies have spent decades perfecting their products, which might be why people find it so hard to give them up. Many of the additives, such as chocolate, sound innocent. But their purpose is to keep smokers smoking by making the experience as pleasurable as possible. Ingredients are also added to mask the smell and even visibility of 'side-stream' smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette, to minimise discomfort to non-smokers. Unfortunately, these ingredients make it harder for non-smokers to see, and therefore avoid, other people's smoke.

Below is a list of just some of the more interesting ingredients you can find in a normal cigarette:

Nicotine

Carbon monoxide

Tar

Hydrogen cyanide

Ammonia

Sugar

Organic acid salts

Cocoa

Pyridine

Chocolate

Honey

Menthol

Liquorice

Fillers

Paper

Filters

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