Smoking

• Every cigarette contains tobacco leaves which, as they burn, produce around 4000 different chemicals into the mouth, throat, and lungs - at least 150 are linked to disease and some are absorbed into the bloodstream and carried around the body
• Nicotine 


  Addictive drug found in tobacco smoke, produces a calming sensation. It causes the heart rate to increase, increasing blood pressure and increasing risk of heart disease
• Carbon monoxide 


  Poisonous gas which binds to hamaeglobin in red blood cells instead of oxygen which causes smokers to be breathless when they exercise
• If a pregnant woman smokes, carbon monoxide leads to a shortage of oxygen for the foetus which can lead to premature births, low birth weights and stillbirths
• Cilia in the trachea and bronchi that move mucus, dust, and bacteria away from the lungs stop working due to some chemicals in cigarette smoke. It increases the risk of infection and causes coughing to remove the mucus
• Tar


  Sticky black chemical that accumulates in the lungs, turning them grey. Increases chance of developing bronchitis and can cause alveoli to break down, causing COPD reducing the surface area of the lungs, leading to breathlessness or death. Tar is a carcinogen, increasing risk of developing mouth, throat, and lung cancer
• Smoking narrows the blood vessels in your skin, ageing it
• Combination of all the effects increases risk of cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and strokes