Smoking & the Risk of Disease

• How many chemicals does the smoke from cigarettes contain?

  about 4000
• How many of the chemicals in cigarettes are linked to disease?

  about 150
• What does Tobacco Smoke Contain? (4)

  • Nicotine - addictive substance in the smoke
  • Carbon monoxide - toxic gas which replaces oxygen in red blood cells
  • Tar - sticky, black substance which accumulates in the lungs and is also carcinogenic
  • Chemicals that anaesthetise the cilia in the airways - preventing them from wafting up mucus
• How is the blood affected by smoking?

  Blood carries less oxygen around the body because of carbon monoxide attaching to red blood cells - leads to breathlessness
• How is a pregnant woman affected if she smokes?

  Her baby will receive less oxygen, leading to premature births, low birth weight or stillbirths
• How are the airways affected by smoking?

  Mucus containing dirt and pathogens builds up in the airways, because it is not removed. This leads to infection and coughing
• How does smoking lead to bronchitis?

  Tar and other chemicals lead to bronchitis because they inflame the bronchi
• What happens when tar damages the alveoli?

  Causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which leads to severe breathlessness and death
• What cancers can tar cause? (3)

  cancers of the respiratory system:

  • throat
  • larynx
  • trachea
• How is it proven that there is a casual link between smoking and cardiovascular disease? (4)

  • blood vessels in the skin narrow
  • nicotine increases the heart rate
  • some chemicals damage the lining of the blood vessels, increasing the risk of clots
  • other chemicals cause an increase in blood pressure

  A combination of these factors can lead to heart attacks and strokes
• What does COPD stand for?

  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• When does Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)occur? 


  when the coronary arteries become narrowed by the build-up of layers of fatty material within them.
• What are the effects of Coronary Heart Disease?

  This reduces the flow of blood, resulting in less oxygen for the heart muscle, which can lead to heart attacks.